A Long Weekend in Nice

A week or so ago I journeyed to Nice, France for a long weekend with one of my oldest and best friends, Caroline. Caroline was about to, and I had just turned, 31 so we used our birthdays as an excuse to meet up. Caroline and I used to sit in our backyards in Tennessee and dramatically bemoan our lives stuck in the suburbs. We just KNEW we were meant for something more exciting and challenging. That is when we weren’t pretending to be witches and tricking our brothers into drinking potions out of the stone bird bath in Carolines backyard. Or playing Mummy and pretending we were in Ancient Egypt running away from zombies. 

Caroline now lives in Montpellier as an English teacher so Nice was an easy 3 hour bus ride for her. Me, not so much. With flight delays and travel time to and from the airport getting to Nice ended up taking almost 6 hours. Nevertheless when I arrived at my hostel, I felt my jaw unclench as I was greeted by a warm breeze and the sound of ocean waves. 

In my opinion Nice itself is small enough to experience in 24 hours but that doesn’t mean you should only dedicate 24 hours to your voyage au sud de la France. Listed below are the highlights of my trip that you simply can’t allow yourself to miss.

Marche aux Fleurs

While the Marché aux Fleurs gets its name from the gorgeous greenery that is sold, there is so much more to see and buy. Local artists set up tables selling their art- prints originals, carvings, trinkets, even painted canvas tote bags. All heavily inspired by the méditerranéen atmosphere. Fresh fruit, veggies, olives, oils, and herbs can also be found for sale. If you choose to start your day at the market I suggest grabbing a coffee from a nearby shop and then heading to the market to purchase whatever fresh pasties you can find. The market is bordered by many restaurants where you can sit outside on nice days. They are mostly open for a few hours in the afternoon and then close again before opening for dinner service. Every night there were lines of people to eat at each restaurant so reservations are highly recommended even if they are made the same day. 

Promenade Des Anglais

Just a 5 minute walk away from the market is the promenade des anglais, a long boardwalk that borders the beach and will take you the length of Nice if you have the stamina to walk the whole thing. Named after the English tourists who made nice a tourist spot during the industrial revolution, the promenade is not only a must see, it’s unavoidable. Especially if you are interested at all in seeing the beach. I must warn anyone that plans to go to the beach in Nice- the beaches are very rocky. Additionally, both times I’ve gone there was too much traffic along the beach to feel comfortable leaving my stuff on my towel to go in the water. There are tons of amazing beaches a short bus ride away from the beach that borders the promenade. 

The promenade also leads you directly to the port of Nice where you can rent boats and book excursions. It was too cold to do any water activities but Caroline and I were happy to spend time sitting by the dock looking at all the colorful boats bobbing in the water. 

Castle Hill

 The Castle of Nice, which was a military citadel, now serves as a beautiful park with gorgeous panoramic views of Nice. There are quite a few ways to hike up to the ancient castle. Each walk provides numerous viewpoints and photo opportunities. There is an elevator that will take you straight to the top as well if a hike isn’t an option for you. My personal favorite view point leads to a multi-level waterfall. The mist is always welcome after a long walk. Above the waterfall a few cafes can sometimes be found, depending on the season. Walking up Castle Hill and summiting really does feel like you’re walking into another time period with the amount of well-preserved landscapes and parks. 

Chez Pipo

 I think it would be kind of condescending of me to simply state that the food in France is good. It would be like saying ‘Oh yeah. You know the grand canyon? Did you know that its big?’. My general rule when traveling is to stay away from restaurants advertising their menu in English. I know most of the time its to take the intimidation out of ordering and there are times when I just want to look at a waiter and say, “Can I have a cheeseburger please,” but the South of France is not the place to firmly settle in your comfort zone. After a recommendation from a fellow English teacher, Caroline and I ventured through the port and down a little street behind a school to find Chez Pipo. Our goal was to try socca, a local delicacy. Socca is a crepe-like pancake made with chickpea flour. I had the red pepper socca and Caroline had the parmesan and mushroom socca. They were both heavenly and paired perfectly with the olive tapenade and aperol spritz we ordered as well. Socca can be found all over Nice at local markets and street food carts so even if you don’t care to search out Chez Pipo, finding a few minutes to sit down and enjoy a local delicacy is a must. 

VilleFranche-sur-Mer

 Just a short bus or train ride away from Nice tons of picturesque little villages can be found. This trip we chose to take a bus 30 minute away to Villefranche-sur-mer. The bus ride itself was an adventure as it followed the famous twisting roads of the French Riviera along the sea. We would find ourselves precariously wedged between two terracotta villas with motorists zooming around us and then suddenly the bus would round a bend and the view would open up to the bright blue sea only to disappear again as we hairpinned around another corner. The bus dropped us off right outside a small farmers market where we strolled and then made a plan. From the market we wandered around the old town until we found ourselves at the beach. Tons of restaurants line the beach varying greatly in price point and offerings. There were literal shacks offering bottled beer to go next to beautiful cabanas with billowing white canvas that offered champagne and caviar. The beach at Villefranche is way less rocky so we set up our towels and lounged. The water was way too cold to swim but that didn’t stop me from dipping my toes in. After spending a few hours laying on the beach periodically going for drinks or snacks. Caroline and I packed up and slowly made our way back to the bus. As we walked, bands began to play mediterranean music, people began to dance, and the charming little town transformed. We had plans for dinner in Nice so we sadly boarded the bus and left. 

Monaco can also be reached along the same bus line we took. The train or bus ride are both about an hour from Nice and equally as picturesque. Monaco, in my opinion, is a little overrated but still worth visiting if you have the time. It’s a great day trip where you can wander along the streets, dine in overpriced cafes, tour the Monaco Cathedral, and see the palace. In addition there are- or were when I went in 2013- a few Princess Grace memorials. The streets are immaculately clean and everything from the streets, to the sidewalks, to even the parking garages ooze luxury. Of course the casinos and nightlife draw in a certain crowd as well. Unfortunately those are attractions that I can’t speak on but I understand the appeal! I always like to say that I pick and choose moments in my travels to ‘cosplay as rich’ and the casinos and clubs in Monaco just never appealed to me in the way other expensive ‘treat yourself’ type places have. 

Keep in mind when planning day trips that if you decide to buy tickets on the bus you need to have exact change. Unlike a lot of major cities, Nice and the surrounding areas have a lot of places that are cash only.

You should also remember that Monaco is technically another country so you may be asked for your passport when traveling between.

 I would like to note, I went Thursday March 24th to Sunday March 27th. The days were warm but still windy. The nights were still wintery cold and the water was nowhere near warm enough to swim. Quite a lot of the seasonal restaurants had just opened for the season and were running limited menus. To me, this trip was still worth it considering how uncrowded the streets were and the cheap flights and accommodations. When traveling to the South of France always check to see the opening season for whichever cities you plan to visit! 

In addition to everything I’ve mentioned, Nice also offers luxury shopping and quite a few excursions that remind me I’ll never be in the tax bracket that can afford to look so effortlessly windswept while wearing designer clothes and sipping champagne on the beach. I am always going to be the type of person that has to get in the water even if its too cold or windy. And I think I’m always going to the traveler that chooses comfort over aesthetics. Nevertheless, this quick long weekend in Nice helped me return to Budapest a little more sun-kissed and alot more relaxed. 

You can check out my instagram for pictures of my trip and a few more thoughts.