Nice France 3 Day Itinerary

Three Days in Nice: One City Day, One Coast Day, One Day Trip

I’d rather give you three focused days than three rushed ones. This itinerary is built on a simple split: one day for the city itself, one for the coastline nearby, and one proper day trip. Resist the urge to squeeze in a fourth destination; you’ll enjoy this more if you don’t.

Day 1: The city, at street level

Land and take tram Line 2 toward Port Lympia into the center, about thirty minutes to Jean-Medecin for 1.70 euros. If you’re taking a taxi, insist on the 32 euro flat rate before you leave the curb; drivers running the meter instead is a common trick here, and Uber sidesteps the whole issue.

Spend your morning around Place Massena and Jean-Medecin if you need to shop or handle logistics, but don’t linger, that area has the least charm in the city. Head into Vieux Nice by early afternoon and just walk. The alleys, the pastel buildings, the small chapels, none of it needs a schedule.

For dinner, skip the restaurants with terraces directly on Cours Saleya. They’re coasting on the view and the food shows it. Walk a street or two back and eat at Lou Balico or Acchiardo instead, proper Nicois cooking, daube, ratatouille, stuffed vegetables, mains 15 to 25 euros. Finish the evening on Castle Hill if you have the energy; there’s no actual castle up there, it came down in 1706, but the free elevator or stairs get you a view worth more than most paid attractions.

Day 2: The coast, close to home

Skip trying to cram three coastal towns into one day. Pick Villefranche-sur-Mer, a seven-minute train ride for 2 to 3 euros, the closest and least crowded option, with a genuinely deep natural harbor. Spend a slow morning there, swim if the weather cooperates, and have lunch by the water instead of rushing back.

In the afternoon, come back to Nice and walk the Promenade des Anglais, free, seven kilometers, blue chairs at no charge. The beach along it is pebble and stone, not sand, so plan your footwear accordingly if you’re getting in the water. For food today, socca is the move: Chez Pipo on rue Bavastro has been wood-firing it since 1923, or the Chez Theresa stall on Cours Saleya, five to eight euros either way, and it’s the single most Nicois thing you can eat.

Day 3: One day trip, chosen deliberately

For your last full day, Monaco is the strongest single choice: 20 to 25 minutes by train, 4 to 6 euros, and worth a full day rather than a rushed half. Walk the old town, see the palace, skip the casino unless gambling actually interests you, the building is worth seeing from outside for free.

If Monaco doesn’t appeal, Eze is the alternative, but go in the morning specifically. The train only reaches Eze-sur-Mer at the bottom; from there it’s a steep uphill walk or bus 83 to the perched village. Climbing that hill at midday in summer heat is miserable, not scenic, so don’t save it for the afternoon.

Either way, come back to Nice for a final dinner. If you want one splurge this trip, Chantecler at the Negresco is the two-Michelin-star option, but a simple Nicois meal in Vieux Nice will send you off just as well and cost a fraction as much.

Before you fly out

If you have any time left, know that the Matisse and Chagall museums are two separate buildings up in Cimiez, not one site and not downtown, both closed Tuesdays. On a three-day trip they’re the first thing I’d cut in favor of more time in the old town, but if art matters more to you than food, swap accordingly. Watch your bag closely at the Grand Arenas tram stop on your way to the airport; it’s a known pickpocket spot around the ticket machines, and that’s not how you want to end a good trip.