Best beach near Nice – Plage Mala in Cap d’Ail: just before Monaco, set in a cove under some giant cliffs, with two great beach bars and cliff-diving this is by far our favourite beach. It has crystal clear waters, a swim platform and a watersports activities centre. Take the train from Nice (only 20 mins) and walk west to Plage Mala from the Cap d’Ail train-stop.
Best bar in Nice – Waynes bar in the Old Town: a rocking party every night of the week in Winter and Summer with dancing on the tables, Waynes has been a Nice institution for over 20 years. Not to be missed. In Nice Old Town, party until 2am. http://www.waynes.fr/
Best restaurant in Nice – Café de Turin: on beautiful place Garibaldi, this place serves up the freshest seafood platters with oysters, crabs and sea-snails. Try the oursins (sea urchins) for something special or the bouillabaisse fish soup for something local. This is THE quintessentially French seafood restaurant on the French Riviera. http://www.cafedeturin.fr/
Best nightclub / late night bar in Nice – Pompei – Bulldog: Open until 4am this is a rockin’ live music venue that redefines the term “dive-bar”. Not to be missed if you like to party hard until the early hours. Turn left out of Waynes and take the second alleyway on the left. Try and get there before 2am to beat the queues, but not too early because it only fills up late.
Best rooftop in Nice – The waterfront Meridian Hotel rooftop bar / restaurant La Terrasse can’t be beat: great views, great food and cocktails. The perfect sundowner after a day on the beach and before a night on the town… http://www.laterrasse-nice.com/en/
Best Hostel in Nice – Villa Saint Exupery Beach hostel, just a few feet from the Old Town and the beach. With a rockin’ bar, gym, sauna, TV room, ping-pong table, kitchen and free internet/compu ter room, this is THE hostel on the French Riviera. Private ensuite rooms and dormitories available https://www.villahostels.com/
Best activities in Nice – Where to begin??? Rollerblading along the Promenade des Anglais (rent them from Rollerstation on the waterfront – http://www.roller-station.fr/ ), scuba diving from Nice port – http://www.nicediving.com/ , canyoning in the back country, skiing in Isola 2000 (http://winter.isola2000.com/) or Italy, sailing, hot yoga in Nice… the list is endless… Don’t miss the Villa Saint Exupery Beach hostel free walking tour for a historical tour of the city. Book all your activities for discounted rates from the Villa Saint Exupery Hostel reception desk in the center of Nice (https://www.villahostels.com/).
Best beach bar / restaurant in Nice – Castel on the Promenade des Anglais: Grab a quick lunch, rent a deck-chair and order a bottle of rose on ice for a perfect day in paradise. It doesn’t get better than this… Book ahead to reserve your deck-chair and remember to bring your towel. http://castelplage.com
Best Pub Crawl in Nice – Party hard with no queues and discounted drinks / free shots with Riviera Bar Crawl. Book at Villa Saint Exupery Hostel reception desk for discounted tickets. http://rivierabarcrawl.com/
Best daytrip from Nice : Eze Village, Monaco, Villefranche – Eze Village is a beautiful medieval city perched on top of the mountain 20 minutes by bus (82 or 112) from Nice. Don’t miss the Cactus Gardens up top and a pricey coffee on the spectacular terrace of the Chèvre d’Or Hotel – you get what you pay for… Monaco: Take the bus onwards to Monaco (20 mins) and hop off at the Grand Casino square stop. Walk up the stairs into the entrance of the Casino (don’t bother getting into the gambling area with the 10 euro entrance fee), then walk down to the Port to see the mega-yachts. On the opposite side of the Port from the Casino, you’ll find the Prince’s Palace (changing of the guards at midday) and the cliff-hugging Musée Oceanographique. Then take the bus (100 from the Place d’Armes behind the Port) or the train back towards Nice. Check out Villefranche on the way home: a beautiful fishing village in a beautiful bay. Grab an ice-cream or beer on the waterfront and admire all the beautiful sailing boats moored out in the bay. Take the 100, 82 buses or train back to Nice.
