Overview:
Nice is a large city and
is the Capital, commercial and transportation hub
of the French Riviera. The Nice Cote d' Azur airport is
the third largest airport in France and is located just
beyond the western end of the main beach in Nice. Nice
is blessed with perfect Mediterranean weather and enjoys
sunshine daily throughout the summer months. The euro is
the currency for France.
Cruise
Port Location and Information:
The Cruise Ship Harbor in Nice
Only the smallest of
ships can port directly in Nice. If you are ported in
Nice's harbor, getting into Nice is extremely easy and
fun.
The Monument Carved
into the Cliff as you Enter Nice From the Harbor
All that you have o do is
leave the port, turn left and follow the coastline
around to the main beach in Nice. It is about a
15-minute walk. Along the way you will see a monument
that has been carved into the cliff.
Entering Nice From the
Harbor
In a short period of
time you will round a corner and all of Nice will come
into view. It is truly a beautiful vision.
Anchored in
Villefranche
Larger ships will
anchor in the bay at Villefranche and tender into the
Villefranche tender wharf. Read the
Villefranche On Your Own review to see
exactly how to get to and from Nice.
Exploring on Your Own:
Nice's Cours Saleya
Open Air Market
Nice is easily explored on
your own. In fact, most of Nice's shopping, dining and
sightseeing venues are located on pedestrian streets
making an automobile useless to gain access to them.
Using the bus system in and around Nice makes it quite
easy to see a lot in a short period of time.
The Nice Tram
Using the tram to get
to and from parts of the city is also quite easy. The
tram traverses the city a few blocks back from the beach
and terminates on the east end across the street from
one of the entrances to Old Town.
Shopping Tips:
A Nice Shopping Street
Nice offers excellent
shopping opportunities for everyone and shopping seems
to be one of the main attractions of Nice. There are
several shopping areas within Nice and everything from
designer clothing, bathing suits, beachwear, business
attire, perfumes, cosmetics, collectibles, souvenirs and
much, much more. To start we will go all the way to the
eastern side of the city by the coast.
The Cours Saleya Open
Air Market Looking West
The Cours Saleya Open
Air Market Looking East
One of the most famous
markets in all of France, the Cours Saleya open air
market is a "must see". The market is open each and
every day, however it becomes an antique market. The
best time to et here is early in the morning to watch
the produce, flowers, fish, cheese and other items being
put out for sale.
Fresh Olives in the
Cours Saleya Market
Fresh Vegetables in the
Cours Saleya Market
North of the market, in
the Old Section there are dozens of tourist hops located
on the pedestrian streets.
Nice's Old Section
You can wander
throughout this section of Nice without getting lost
because it is surrounded by wide streets that will take
you back to the beach area.
The Cours Saleya Market
Entrance From the Coast
One of the easiest ways
to find the market is to walk along the promenade that
adjoins the beach, past the park until you see this
entrance. The market is just beyond the entrance and
parallels the beach.
One of the Shops in
Nice's Shopping District
The Old Section has
many interesting shops to explore selling everything
under the sun.
French Wines
While your ship will
probably not allow you to bring wine onboard to consume
during the cruise, you can buy fine wines to take home
with you. The ship will probably collect the bottles and
deliver them to you the last day of the cruise.
Fountain in a Nice Park
with Avenue de Verdun in the Background
The Old Section is
bordered by a large park that goes from the coastline
quite a ways inland. It is ordered on the west by Avenue
de Verdun. This avenue offers designer shopping
opportunities and many unique boutiques. If you head
west a block or so, you will find some very interesting
pedestrian streets that offer even more shopping
opportunities. While Rue Massena is the main street, be
sure to explore some of the side streets that take off
from Rue Massena. Note that Rue Massena will change
names a couple of times without seemingly changing
directions. You will also find more shopping along
Promenade des Anglais (the promenade that follows the
coastline) on the side streets that connect to it.
Port
Highlights:
The Beach at Nice is a
Cote d' Azur Favorite
First and foremost,
visitors that come to Nice come to enjoy Nice's fabulous
beach scene. Tens of thousands of people crowd the beach
and the Promenade des Anglais that parallels the beach
for the entire length of Nice Bay. The beach is lined
with restaurants and bars that serve beach goers all day
long. One can rent a lounge chair and an umbrella and
just enjoy the day away.
The Pebbles That Make
up the Beach
Understand that there
is no sand on the beach, but large pebbles that make up
the entire beach making alounge chair necessary to enjoy
the sun.
A Statue in Nice
Nice is also home to
some wonderful architecture and public fountains and
statues in its many parks. The park that lies between
the Old Section and Avenue de Verdun offers many visual
treats.
An ancient Merry Go
Round Adorns a Public Park
One of the really cool
things about Nice is that is offers a family atmosphere
that is wholesome and entertaining for everyone.
Off the
Beaten Path:
Cannes,
Monaco, Eze, Villefranche and other points of interest
can all easily be visited from Nice. Be sure to read the
On-You-Own articles that appear below to find out
exactly how to do it.
Dining
and Drinking Suggestions:
A Sidewalk Cafe in he
Old Section
I have dined at the
seafood restaurants in the Cours Saleya Market and had a
fabulous meal every time. You can see the fresh fish and
shellfish being sold in the market, pick out what you
want prepared and sit back for a wonderful meal. Fresh
fish with a glass of wine in an open French market...it
doesn't get any better than this.
Must Do
List:
I would
give exploring the Old Section's pedestrian streets,
markets and shops a "don't miss" rating. There is a
reason that it is so famous in France.
