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The Baie des Anges and the Promenade des Anglais, Nice

No. 53 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

Nice

France

The capital of the Riviera: a blue bay, a seafront promenade, an old town and Matisse and Chagall.

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Photo: Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Nice is No. 53 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. The largest city of the French Riviera curves around the Baie des Anges, and as 'Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera' it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021.

It combines a seafront promenade and pebble beaches with a colourful old town, markets, museums of modern art and easy trips to Monaco and the hill villages.

Market stalls on the Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice
Market stalls on the Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice. Photo: GFreihalter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to go

May, June and September are ideal: warm, sunny and less crowded than July and August.

Winters are mild. The Nice Carnival takes place in February.

Top sights

  • 1

    Promenade des Anglais

    The seafront promenade runs for several kilometres along the bay, lined with beaches and hotels.

  • 2

    Vieux Nice

    The old town's narrow lanes are full of Baroque churches, shops and places to try socca, a chickpea pancake.

  • 3

    Cours Saleya

    A market of flowers, fruit and vegetables most mornings, with a flea market on Mondays.

  • 4

    Castle Hill

    A park on the hill above the old town, with a waterfall and the best views over the bay and harbour.

  • 5

    Musée Matisse

    Works by Henri Matisse, who lived in Nice, in a villa in the Cimiez district.

  • 6

    Musée National Marc Chagall

    A museum built around Chagall's biblical paintings.

  • 7

    Day trips

    Trains and buses run along the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton, and up to the hill village of Èze.

Getting there

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) is about 7 km west of the centre. Tram line 2 runs from the airport to the port via the city centre.

Nice-Ville station has TGV trains from Paris (about 6 hours) and regional trains along the coast.

Getting around

The centre and old town are walkable. Trams and Lignes d'Azur buses cover the city.

Regional TER trains are the easiest way to reach the other towns of the Riviera.

Practical tips

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards, including contactless, are accepted almost everywhere.
Language
French. English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
Safety
Nice is generally safe; watch for pickpockets on the promenade, in the old town and on public transport. The emergency number is 112.
Visa & entry
France is in the Schengen Area. Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) now records non-EU travellers' entries and exits at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to follow. Check the official EU site travel-europe.europa.eu and your own government's travel advice before you go.
Power
230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F.

Official information: Explore Nice Côte d'Azur (official tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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