Nice is the capital of the Cote d'Azur and the most rewarding day out from Villefranche-sur-Mer. It has the old town and the markets, the great blue curve of the bay, a hilltop with one of the best views on the coast, and two of the finest small museums in France. You can see the best of it on foot, with the train doing the hard work at each end.
Getting there
The coastal train from Villefranche-sur-Mer reaches Nice in about ten minutes, gliding past the bays with the sea filling the window. It is the easiest way to arrive, with no traffic and no parking to think about. Nice-Ville is the main station, but for the old town and the seafront you want the next stop, Nice Riquier, or a short walk down from the centre.
If you would rather not take the train, the regional bus runs along the coast at a low flat fare, and a taxi takes roughly fifteen minutes in normal traffic. For a day of wandering, though, the train is hard to beat.
Vieux Nice, the old town
Begin in Vieux Nice, the old town, a warm maze of ochre lanes, shuttered facades and washing strung between the buildings. At its heart is the Cours Saleya, the broad market square where flower stalls and food stalls fill most mornings with colour and scent, baskets of olives, herbs, citrus and cut flowers from the hills behind.
Lose yourself in the side streets and you will find baroque churches with cool, gilded interiors, tiny squares, and shopfronts selling olive oil and Provencal soap. This is also the place to try socca, the local chickpea pancake, baked until crisp and golden and eaten hot off the tray. A slice of socca and a wander is the most Nicoise way to spend a morning.
The Promenade des Anglais and the bay
From the old town it is a short step to the seafront and the Promenade des Anglais, the famous palm-lined boulevard that sweeps along the shore. Walk a stretch of it for the full picture: the Baie des Anges curving away in a perfect arc, the blue washed pale at the horizon, the grand belle epoque hotels on one side and the pebble beach on the other.
The beaches here are shingle rather than sand, so bring something to sit on, but the swimming is lovely and the people-watching even better. A coffee at one of the seafront cafes, with the whole bay laid out in front of you, is a fine way to pause between the old town and the climb to come.
Castle Hill
At the eastern end of the old town the ground rises to the Colline du Chateau, or Castle Hill, a green headland between the bay and the port. There is no castle left to speak of, but the climb, by steps, by lift, or by a gentle path, is rewarded with the best view in Nice: the whole Baie des Anges on one side and the boats of the harbour on the other, with a small man-made waterfall tumbling near the top.
It is shady and cool under the pines, a welcome contrast to the busy lanes below, and a good spot to catch your breath before the afternoon.
Art and museums
If you have an appetite for art, head up to the leafy Cimiez district above the centre, where two of the Riviera's loveliest museums sit among olive trees and Roman ruins. The Matisse museum fills a handsome ochre villa with the painter's work and personal effects, while a short walk away the Chagall museum was built around his luminous Biblical Message cycle.
Both are a short bus or taxi ride from the old town and make a calm, unhurried finish to the day before the ten-minute train ride home to the bay.
Make a day of it
Turn your day in Nice into a proper outing. These are curated, bookable experiences in the city, all on tickadoo.
Booked through tickadoo. Your in-villa concierge can suggest and arrange these too, just ask.
Common questions
The simplest way is the coastal train from Villefranche-sur-Mer station, which reaches Nice in about ten minutes. There is also a regional bus along the coast, and a taxi takes roughly fifteen minutes in normal traffic.
Start in Vieux Nice, the old town, for the Cours Saleya market and a slice of socca, then stroll the Promenade des Anglais by the Baie des Anges and climb Castle Hill for the view. If you have time, the Matisse and Chagall museums in Cimiez are a lovely finish.
Socca is a Nicoise speciality, a thin pancake made from chickpea flour, olive oil and pepper, baked until golden and served hot in the old town. It is the classic snack to eat on your feet while wandering Vieux Nice.
The Cours Saleya in the old town hosts a flower and food market on most mornings, with an antiques and brocante market on one day of the week instead. It is worth checking the day before you go, but there is always plenty to see nearby.
Yes, especially if you enjoy art. Both sit in the leafy Cimiez district a little above the centre, the Matisse museum in a handsome villa and the Chagall museum built around his Biblical Message series. A short bus or taxi ride links them to the old town.