Nice October 2015

5star02707

hi, first time going to Nice south of France next month. Any recommendations where to go and what to do? Would the weather still be good by that time?

I did some research but i would like to hear from people who has been there. i.e.

- Places to go
- Places to avoid
- Day and night time activities.

Any info would be helpful thank you!

Strumms

hey there,

Temperature wise in general Nice in October during the day will be around 19-24 degrees depending, probably dipping to around 15-16 at night so quite pleasant still. It will be t-shirt weather during the day and you will only need a light jacket or jumper at night.

As regards places to avoid... I've never seen any trouble but as a regular visitor I know many people who live there and the advice they would give would be to avoid the area around the train station or Cathedral very late at night. Also be sensible in the old town very late or the early hours of the morning as bag snatchers have been in the past know to operate. Having said that I have never encountered trouble there and since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris the visible police presence has been ramped up significantly in Nice also its a very safe place. Just be street smart like you would be anywhere.

Places to go... well in Nice the beauty is its not too big and you can walk everywhere, although there is a tram line similar to the Luas that runs through the heart of the city. Check out...

The Flower Market - by day a huge flower market.. taken over at night by extra seating for the various restaurants and bars but with some stalls selling arts and crafts..

The Promenade - Go for a Nice walk along the promenade and up and around to the port and look at the yachts and the view.

Castle Hill - Take the elevator or walk up and you will find a park with the best views over the Riveria.. stunning..

The Old Town (Vielle Ville) - Multiple narrow streets packed with boutiques, bars and restaurants of all sorts. You WILL get lost but its a great way of discovering the old town which is the heart of the city, great atmosphere at night although by October things will be beginning to quieten down.


Depending on how long you are in Nice for I'd recommend taking the train which runs right along the coast. Check out Antibes, Monaco, Villefrance Sur Mer, Grasse... All relatively inexpensive and worth your time. All of those destinations with the exception of Grasse from memory are only 10 - 25 mins on the train which runs frequently from the main station which is only 3 stops and 5 mins away on the tram from the old town.

ScottSF

Instead of the train, take the bus (it was only a 1 EUR fare as of a couple of years ago) to Monaco. It is such an amazing scenic ride even when I visited in late December. If you want to gamble at Monte Carlo there is a cover/entry charge and dress code, but still worth having the once-in-a-lifetime luxury experience.

I recommend Nice Pebbles if you have the budget to rent an apartment for a longer stay.
https://www.nicepebbles.com/

Every dinner meal I had with my wife was wonderful. Just stroll the old town and check out the posted (typically) 3-course menus and choose a place that is not empty. Otherwise just stroll around and enjoy the life. I also suggest a day trip to Cannes if you have the time.

Strumms

I'd urge caution on Cannes. Seriously overrated and expensive. It's a 90 minute round trip in the train. There are far more places on the Cote D'Azur worth visiting I can't think of one redeeming feature of the place. If it didn't have this glitzy reputation and it's attachment to he film festival it wouldn't get a mention in terms of a location to visit.

The bus to Monaco is a good option but if you want the most scenic route you can take a chopper for around 100 Euros give or take. I know it's a lot of money for a 12 minute trip but in terms of the view and experience it's worth it, if you have the spare cash of course. Check out Heli Air Monaco for the rates. I'd seriously recommend it.

5star02707

thank you both for all your input.

Should be an enjoyable trip! Looking forward to it now

tricky D

Strumms wrote: »

As regards places to avoid... I've never seen any trouble but as a regular visitor I know many people who live there and the advice they would give would be to avoid the area around the train station or Cathedral very late at night. Also be sensible in the old town very late or the early hours of the morning as bag snatchers have been in the past know to operate. Having said that I have never encountered trouble there and since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris the visible police presence has been ramped up significantly in Nice also its a very safe place. Just be street smart like you would be anywhere.

Also some of the local groups/hoods get territorial about parts of the beach after sunset and will let you know you are not welcome.

5star02707

Hi guys one more thing is it worth getting the 3 days French Riviera pass? costs around 50 something euros. Roughly 20 euro a day and free entry to most places. We would like to explore the cities around Nice as well such as Antibes, Monaco and maybe Cannes? but we will see depending on the weather.

If let's say it rains which places can we go that has shelter i.e. Museums for rainy days.

Strumms

Im pretty much an outdoors person when it comes to it so maybe others would be better placed to advise on museums etc... However I find when you are in somewhere like Nice and the weather is 99% dry and warm you won't want to be indoors. However I really enjoyed the Museum Of Oceanography in Monaco regardless of the weather. It's a spectacular building in itself and as well as being an interactive museum it's also an aquerium. You can go up to the roof of the building for amazing panaramic views of Monaco and indeed the Riveria down the coast and there is a really nice park beside it with some great views.

It's likely that you might have seen this website...

http://en.nicetourisme.com/the-french-riviera-pass

It gives you a breakdown in English as to what museums and such the pass entitles you to and you can make a call as to the value yourself maybe going by what you might want to do and see.