FR
Nice
The Riviera’s sunny capital, with a seafront promenade, a pastel old town and easy trips along the coast
The Riviera’s sunny capital, with a seafront promenade, a pastel old town and easy trips along the coast
The famous seafront promenade curves for about 7km along the bay, with pebble beaches below and Belle Époque hotels behind.
Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0
The old town’s narrow streets of ochre and pink buildings hide Baroque churches, small restaurants and the Cours Saleya flower and food market.
Visit the Cours Saleya market in the morning.
Photo: GFreihalter, CC BY-SA 4.0
A park on the site of the old citadel, with a waterfall and the best views over the bay, the port and the old town. A free lift saves the climb.
Photo: kajikawa, CC BY 3.0
Try socca (chickpea pancake), pissaladière (onion tart), salade niçoise and pan bagnat.
Vieux Nice and the port area have many casual restaurants; avoid tourist traps with photo menus.
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is linked to the city by tram line 2 in about 30 minutes. Regional trains run along the coast to Antibes, Cannes and Monaco.
France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Nice is cheaper than Monaco or Cannes, but prices rise sharply in summer.
City, coast and villages.
Visit the Cours Saleya market, explore Vieux Nice, climb Castle Hill and walk the Promenade des Anglais at sunset.
See the Musée Matisse and the Chagall museum in Cimiez, then relax on the beach.
Take the train or bus to Monaco, the hilltop village of Èze, or Villefranche-sur-Mer.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
France is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Watch your belongings on public transport and at busy sights.
Beaches are pebbly; bring water shoes or rent a lounger at a private beach.
Regional buses and TER trains are cheap ways to explore the coast.
Set lunch menus (formules) are usually much cheaper than dinner.
Quick answers for planning time in Nice.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
By tram line 2, in about 30 minutes.
No, most are pebbly.
About 20–30 minutes by train.
May, June, September and October, when it is warm but less crowded than midsummer.
French is the language; a few words of French and a polite “bonjour” go a long way.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our France travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.