Nice France 7 Day Itinerary

Nice for a Week: Base Here, Radiate Out

Forget your passport worry for Monaco, you don’t need one crossing from France on the train, that’s a myth that shows up in half the guides out there. What you do need for a week in Nice is a plan that doesn’t burn you out by Wednesday. My approach: stay based in Nice the entire time and treat every other town as a spoke, not a separate base. Here’s the week.

Day 1: Land and get oriented

Get in from the airport on tram Line 2 toward Port Lympia, about thirty minutes to Jean-Medecin for 1.70 euros. Skip the taxi rank unless you want to argue about the 32 euro flat rate versus a running meter; Uber avoids the argument entirely.

Base yourself somewhere near Vieux Nice or Jean-Medecin, both put you within walking distance of everything that matters. Spend the afternoon in the old town without an agenda, then eat dinner there too, but not on the Cours Saleya terraces, those are priced for the view and mediocre because of it. Walk a street back instead.

Day 2: Promenade and Castle Hill

Walk the full Promenade des Anglais this morning, free, seven kilometers, and remember the beach is pebble and stone, not sand, so bring water shoes if you’re getting in. By early afternoon, climb Castle Hill; there’s no standing castle, it was demolished in 1706, but the free elevator or stairs get you to the best view in the city for nothing. Have lunch or dinner near the Russian Cathedral and Jean-Medecin area if you want to see the onion domes, they’re near the train station, not in the old town as some assume.

Day 3: Monaco, no passport required

The train to Monaco takes 20 to 25 minutes and costs 4 to 6 euros. Walk the old town, see the palace, and skip the casino entrance fee unless you actually want to gamble, the building’s worth seeing from the plaza for free. Come back to Nice for dinner rather than eating in Monaco, where prices run higher for the same quality.

Day 4: Cimiez and getting the museums straight

Take bus 5 up to Cimiez. The Matisse Museum and the Chagall Museum are two separate buildings, not a combined complex, and neither is downtown, a mistake a lot of itineraries make. Matisse sits in a 17th-century villa, open 10am to 6pm, closed Tuesdays. Chagall, officially the Musee National Marc Chagall, is nearby on avenue Docteur Menard, also closed Tuesdays, 12 euros during special exhibitions or 10 outside them, free the first Sunday of the month. Look at the Roman ruins while you’re up there too. Come back down for dinner at Lou Balico or Acchiardo in Vieux Nice, proper Nicois food, mains 15 to 25 euros.

Day 5: Cannes and Antibes, together

These two pair well on a single day since they’re both on the same rail line. Cannes is 30 to 40 minutes and 7 to 9 euros; walk La Croisette and skip the Palais des Festivals if film history doesn’t interest you, it’s not required. Antibes is roughly 20 to 25 minutes from Nice and worth more of your time honestly, the Picasso Museum and the old town market both earn their spot. Eat lunch in Antibes rather than Cannes if you’re choosing one.

Day 6: Slow down on purpose

Sleep in. This is the day to skip a scheduled activity entirely and just sit at a beach spot or a cafe in the old town. If you want a light task, browse Cours Saleya during market hours, Tuesday through Sunday for flowers and produce, Monday for antiques and brocante, and pick up something small. This is also a good day for Villefranche-sur-Mer if you have energy for a short trip, seven minutes by train, 2 to 3 euros, with a deep, quiet harbor that’s a nice contrast to a week of walking Nice’s busier streets.

Day 7: Eze, then farewell

Save Eze for your last morning and go early. The train only reaches Eze-sur-Mer at the base; from there it’s a steep uphill walk or bus 83 to the perched village. A midday climb in summer heat is a bad idea, so front-load it. Come back down, grab a final lunch in Vieux Nice, and head to the airport with buffer time.

One last practical note: watch your bag specifically at the Grand Arenas tram stop, it’s a known pickpocket spot around the ticket machines, and it’s a bad way to close out an otherwise easy week.