Why Base Yourself in Nice
Nice sits roughly at the midpoint of the Riviera, with a well-connected train line running along the coast in both directions, which makes it a practical hub rather than a single destination. The old town, Vieux Nice, is a dense grid of pastel-coloured buildings, narrow lanes and a daily market at Cours Saleya selling flowers, produce and regional specialities. The Promenade des Anglais runs the length of the pebble beach and is walkable in under an hour end to end, offering unobstructed sea views the entire way.
Nice, Cannes or Monaco?
Nice
Larger city with a genuine residential feel, a real old town, and the most affordable lodging of the three. Its airport is also the main gateway for the whole coast, which simplifies logistics.
Cannes
Smaller and more polished, best known for its film festival, with a walkable seafront promenade (La Croisette) and easy access to the Lérins Islands by short ferry.
Monaco
A compact, independent city-state rather than a French town, dominated by the Prince's Palace, the historic Monte Carlo Casino district and a dramatic cliffside setting — worth a half-day visit rather than a full base.
Practical takeaway
Most travellers get the best value staying in Nice and taking the coastal train to Cannes, Monaco, Villefranche-sur-Mer or Menton as day trips.
The Detour to Èze
Èze is a medieval village perched on a rocky spur between Nice and Monaco, reachable by regional bus in well under an hour or, for those wanting the full experience, on foot via the Nietzsche Path, a steep trail climbing from the coastal village of Èze-Bord-de-Mer up to the hilltop settlement. The village itself is compact — stone archways, narrow stepped lanes, and a botanical garden at its summit with panoramic views over the Mediterranean. Because it sits directly on the coastal train and bus corridor, it's straightforward to combine with a day that also includes Monaco or Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The trade-off with Èze is popularity: its small size means it can feel crowded at midday during the warmer months. Arriving early morning, or visiting in the late afternoon when tour groups have moved on, gives a much quieter version of the same village.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Often overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours, Villefranche-sur-Mer sits in a natural deep-water bay just east of Nice, with a compact old town of vaulted, covered streets running down to the harbour. It's a short and inexpensive train ride from Nice, making it an easy half-day addition rather than a destination requiring a dedicated overnight stay.
Getting Around the Coast
The regional TER train line running between Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Menton is the backbone of Riviera travel — frequent, scenic, and generally more reliable than driving along the coast road during peak season, when traffic and parking in the smaller towns can be genuinely difficult. A multi-day regional rail pass can be worth considering for travellers planning several day trips along this line.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring and early autumn offer warm-enough weather for coastal walks without the peak-summer crowding of the beaches and the hilltop villages. Winter remains mild by Northern European standards and suits travellers more interested in the old towns and museums than the beach itself.