Nice
Nice is a seaside city on the French Riviera, known for the Promenade des Anglais, a pedestrian old town and short trips to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Monaco.
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Nice is a city on the French Riviera, on the Mediterranean coast and backed by the French Alps. It is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department and ranks second among French Mediterranean cities by population, behind Marseille. The city is known for the Promenade des Anglais, the seafront along the Baie des Anges, and for the old town's lanes and squares around Place Rossetti. Cours Saleya hosts a daily market with flowers, art and antiques. The local food is Niçois, with socca, pissaladière and salade niçoise.
Nice works well as a base for a few days. Tram line 2 links Nice Côte d'Azur Airport with the city centre, and high-speed TGV trains reach Paris from Nice-Ville in under six hours. Summers are hot, dry and sunny, with July temperatures typically above 26 °C. Winters are mild, and September is still sunny. Two or three days is enough for the old town, the seafront and one day trip.
Nice in five
- Take tram line 2 from the airportThe tram runs from both terminals to the port through the city center in about 25–30 minutes, for a normal transit fare.
- Pack beach shoesThe city beaches are large pebbles, not sand. Public stretches are free; private beach clubs rent loungers.
- Shop the Cours Saleya market in the morningThe flower and produce market in the old town is a morning event, with an antiques market on one weekday. Check the days before you go, since they shift.
- Use the coast trains for day tripsRegional trains run along the coast to Villefranche, Monaco and Antibes frequently. For the whole coast, compare train and car.Riviera by train or car
Things to do in Nice
See all attractions in Nice
Need to know
- Airport
- Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE), about 25–30 min to the center by tram
- Getting there
- TGV from Paris about 5.5–6 hours; flights from across Europe
- Getting around
- Trams, buses and coast trains; the center is walkable
- Best base
- Near the old town and Place Masséna, or by the station for trains
- Time needed
- 3–4 days
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryClear6 rainy daysHigh12°Low6°Mild, Carnival soonJanuaryClear
Mixed
- High
- 12°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, Carnival soon
- FebruaryClear7 rainy daysHigh13°Low7°Carnival, mildFebruaryClear
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Carnival, mild
- MarchClear7 rainy daysHigh15°Low8°Mild, freshMarchClear
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 94 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, fresh
- AprilPartly cloudy7 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Spring, sea coldAprilPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 77 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, sea cold
- MayPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh20°Low13°Warm, sea coolingMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 66 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, sea cooling
- JunePartly cloudy7 rainy daysHigh25°Low18°Warm, swimmingJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 18°
- Precipitation
- 44 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, swimming
- JulyClear3 rainy daysHigh28°Low21°Hot, busiestJulyClear
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 18 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busiest
- AugustClear4 rainy daysHigh29°Low21°Hot, busiestAugustClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 31 mm
- Rainy days
- 4
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busiest
- SeptemberClear6 rainy daysHigh25°Low18°Warm sea, calmerSeptemberClear
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 18°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea, calmer
- OctoberClear9 rainy daysHigh21°Low14°Mild, stormsOctoberClear
Good
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 147 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, storms
- NovemberClear10 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Wet, quietNovemberClear
Mixed
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 145 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet, quiet
- DecemberClear7 rainy daysHigh13°Low7°Mild, lightsDecemberClear
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 92 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, lights
Average daily high and low in Nice, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: Feb Nice Carnival · Mar Nice Carnival · Jul Nice Jazz Festival
Right now in Nice
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
12
- Feels like
- 10°
- Humidity
- 49%
- Wind
- 6 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Villefranche-sur-Mer
09:43 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today17°9°0%Monday: Clear. High 17°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue18°11°0%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 18°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed16°10°10%Wednesday: Rain. High 16°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 10%.
- Thu17°13°22%Thursday: Cloudy. High 17°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 22%.
- Fri16°11°46%Friday: Rain. High 16°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 46%.
- Sat15°10°19%Saturday: Cloudy. High 15°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 19%.
- Sun14°11°41%Sunday: Rain. High 14°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 41%.
Updated 07:18 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Feb–MarFête du CitronMenton, a day trip
- Feb–MarNice CarnivalNice
- JulNice Jazz FestivalNice
- JulJazz à JuanAntibes, a day trip
Day trips by train
- Monacoabout 20–25 minutes by trainThe casino, the old town on the Rock and the harbor.
- Èzeabout 30 minutes by busA hill village with an exotic garden high above the sea.Read the guide
- Antibesabout 20–30 minutes by trainRamparts, the Picasso Museum and a covered market.Read the guide
- Villefranche-sur-Merabout 10 minutes by trainA small harbor town with a sandy beach on a deep bay.Read the guide
Before you go to Nice
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Rules for Nice, checked
- Check France's entry rules on diplomatie.gouv.fr before you fly. Schengen rules apply: your passport needs three months' validity after you leave.Source
- Visitors who do not need a visa should check the current EU entry rules on the official EU website before they travel.
- Cars are banned from the old town's pedestrian zone, which starts at Place Masséna. Only delivery trucks may enter, so park outside and walk.
- On 14 July, Bastille Day brings a military procession to Place Masséna and fireworks along the Promenade des Anglais. Expect crowds and follow the instructions on site.
Plan around Nice
Which fits the coast, with timings
Read the guideRiviera in 5 daysA route that includes Nice and the hill villages
Read the guideAll of FranceRegions, TGV, EES and money basics
Read the guideCôte d'AzurThe whole coast from Menton to Saint-Tropez
Read the guideAntibesRamparts and the Picasso museum
Read the guideÈzeA hill village above the sea
Read the guideTravel insuranceCover for medical bills and changes
Read the guideNice FAQ
How do I get from Nice airport to the city center?
Take tram line 2 from either terminal. It reaches the center in about 25–30 minutes and continues to the port.
Is Nice a good base for the French Riviera?
Yes. It has the main airport and fast coast trains to Monaco, Antibes and Cannes, so you can see the coast without a car.
Does Nice have sandy beaches?
No. The city beaches are pebbles. Villefranche and some beaches near Antibes have sand.
How many days do you need in Nice?
Three days covers the old town, the promenade, the market and one coast day trip. Add a day for Monaco and Èze together.
Is Nice better than Cannes as a base?
For most first trips, yes: Nice has the airport, fast trains in both directions and a real city around you. Cannes is calmer and more resort-like, and suits a festival week or a quiet stay.