My trip to Nice 2022 May. Hints and photos about Nice tourism, beaches, and bars. A one-day trip to Cannes too.
Nice 2022 May – Goals
My goals for this trip were:
- tourism in Nice;
- go to Cannes and Saint-Tropez;
- see the Grand Prix de Monaco.
Arriving and Departing
I arrived twice in Nice.
The first time, I just went from Airport to Monte-Carlo train station, as I was going to stay in Beausoleil to know Monaco.
During the Grand Prix de Monaco days, usually the hotel prices even in Beausoleil skyrockets.
The hint, in this case, is to stay in Nice, which is about 30-minute by train from Monaco. In this post, I am writing about this time I stayed in Nice.
I will copy exactly the text I received from my hotel about how to reach them, as it applies to all Av. Jean-Médecin area:
Tramway Line 2 in front of the airport (price: 1,50€ / person). Take tramway to “Port Lympia” and stop at “Jean Medecin” tram station (every 2-5 min). Travel time : 20-25 min;
To depart, you just make the inverse.
When departing, look at Nice Airport website what Terminal (1 or 2) is your flight because the tram stop differs for each of them.
Public Transport
Tram
To use the tram that connects many parts of Nice, you have to buy a ticket in the vending machines located close to the tram stop.
Different from Berlin, in Nice, you have to validate the ticket inside the tram, not outside.
Train
SNCF provides ticket vending machines in the train stations for the normal train (I just used these) and also to the TGV (long trips).
It is not so intuitive to use the vending machines at the first time, but becomes easier as you get used to them.
You have to select the options using a round button to select and then confirm a selection pressing a button.
To make your life easy, buy the return ticket too.
Always carry your original passport, sometimes the Police can ask to show them inside the trains.
Nice la Belle
Nice is such a beautiful city, the 5th largest French city, located at Côte d’Azur (French Riviera in English).
I stayed in a hotel close to Av. Jean-Médecin.
The map above shows almost how was my walking on these days.
Usually, I had to go to Nice-Ville train station to go to other cities, or if staying in Nice, to the beach or to the bars and pubs.
Nice has a strategic location, 30-minute by train to Cannes in West direction (Marseille) and the same 30-minute to Monaco, going opposite East, in Italy direction (Vintimille is in Italy).
Beaches and Bars
For beaches and bars, I just walked, I didn’t need public transport.
Some pictures from the Place Masséna, and Nice beach, loved places.
There are numerous excellent restaurants and bars, obviously I didn’t have the time to know all of them.
I loved Waka Bar and Ma Nolan’s Irish Pub.
Cannes
I don’t consider myself a great movie guy, but I like to watch good movies sometimes, and I know a bit of them.
The Cannes Festival occurs in dates close to Grand Prix de Monaco, and I reserved one day to take a train and visit it.
As I didn’t have the different classes of badge needed for specific admissions, I just stayed close to the Festival venue and the beach.
Grand Prix de Monaco
I went to Monaco on Thursday, Friday and Sunday as I was in Nice during Grand Prix days.
The train passes through wonderful places between Nice and Monaco, like Villefranche, Èze and Cap-D’Ail.
I bought tickets for Thursday (practice sessions, but not Formula 1), Friday (with also Formula 1 practice sessions).
Tickets for the race on Sunday were sold out, and even so, I tried to see, but things didn’t work out, and I saw the race at Ma Nolan’s Irish Pub. More details in Monaco post.
Conclusion
From my goals, I can say that Nice, Cannes and Monaco were reached when talking about tourism.
Unfortunately, I watched just part of the race on Sunday, in the pub, as tickets for this day were sold out.
I guess that everybody on the Grand Prix weekend was in Monaco or Cannes, then my one-day trip to Saint-Tropez was cancelled, what a pity! Never mind, I will come back in the future!
My great disappointment was with my French, I really need to study more!
I loved Nice beaches and bars, and all the French nice people I met, this is so special.