Don't wish to sound ungrateful, but is Nice going to be all beach and not much else?

[2sugarsandadog]

We've been offered - and H has accepted and booked flights - an apartment in Nice for a couple of weeks and we're going next week. 12 and 13 year-old girls in tow, is there really not much apart from beach and shopping (which we can't afford anyway). Personally I hate beach holidays and am beginning to (stifles cough) dread the idea .....

I spent two weeks of every summer in the 60s and early 70s in Juan Le Pins wiyh my grandparents which then was neither very busy nor very fashionable. As others have said there is tons to do: Cannes, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Cap D'Antibes, Port Grimaud (although I'd swerve St Trop), there are museums and lots of art, markets, fabulous walks, pretty decent public transport, the food is sublime and lots of scope for impromptu picnics in pretty places, forays into Italy, people and yacht watching. Nice itself is a lovely place, very elegant with lots to offer.

Having said all that we are off to our favourite spot in the Languedoc later today - much quieter, much less chic, and much much cheaper but we are happy with a sea view, a small pool, a barbecue and a few trips to SuperU, providing of course that we can muck about on a boat.

Just back from a fortnight in Antibes (we're fortunate to have a house there). There is loads to do - most of which has already been mentioned - and I have teen girls too and they're always perfectly happy and entertained there.

The open air cinema in Monaco is well worth an evening trip.

We have a car there so drive a lot, but rarely find the traffic a problem, to be honest, though I'd avoid driving between 6-7pm which is rush hour.

My DD recently came back from a school trip it Nice. They had a fantastic time. They took the train to Italy and had lunch there. They also went to Monaco for supper, Cannes and to the old town and market.

They used buses and the train all the time. The fare from the airport to Cannes was only four euros each on the bus.

I wanted to go with them but they wouldn't let me

Deffo avoid hire cars and stick with public transport - the trains are good and cheap and there are plenty of shuttle buses. You can get a train to barcelona btw, or the languedoc, which is lovely.

Nice is lovely.

There is a beach yes and plenty of shopping- but also so much else.

Get the bus up the hills to the villages of colomars for some lovely walks and views. The bus was 2euro return in June.

You can get to monte Carlo, Cannes, Antibes within 40 minutes on the train - plenty to do at these places.

A lovely cafe next to the mac shop in nice does the best omelettes. The flower market is also worth a visit.

Top tip for most of France is not to have a coffee/lunch right by the sea front. Go one street back and you'll pay considerably less.

Ville de France (approx 10/15 mins on train) is a lovely little village

Star spot- lots of celebs in these parts

Walk the formula one race track in monte Carlo, the climb up the hill to the palace for changing of the guard. Have your photo taken out the front of the casino (remember your passports if you want to go in) and finish it off with a coffee at cafe de Paris (v expensive however but great for people watching)

In Antibes, you can admire the ridiculously huge boats up millionaires row (abramovich had his boat there last year), walk round the cap d Antibes to juan les pain and admire the views and lovely houses ( approx 5k walk- take water). There is also the Picasso museum, and the old town of Antibes to visit.

In Cannes walk along the front, get your photo taken outside the famous carlton hotel, visit the amazing markets, see all of the stars handprints etc etx

And yes don't bother with car hire- the French are mental drivers and the public transport links tend to be reasonably priced and a good service (unless there is a strike)

Just look out for train times on a Sunday/public holiday as they can be a lot less frequent.

Ooooh - Juan les pins - isn't that in the Peter Starstet(sp) song, 'with a carefully designed topless swimsuit'? I shall have to drag them all there just so I can say I've been.

Fanjo, you're quite right, I know, and I shall henceforth concentrate my dread on the passports not arriving this week. Like the Passport Office said they would ....

Seriously beginning to feel a lot better about it now, so thank you! Although I still think ten days is a long time.

I definitely wouldn't drive along the coast, as the train service is good anyway. However a hire car may be alright if you are only going inland.
The coast road is just 2 , lanes and clings to the cliff edges; scenic but no way of getting out if you are stuck in traffic.

Try also Villefranche sur Mer, Beautuful bay.

Also, i think the beach by Juan les Pins is sandy.

Your daughters will love it, very buzzy and even if you only window shop it will be fun!
Save money on things like incidentals. Take a flask of tea or coffee, and bottles of water or drink and only icecreams from supermarkets.

Save up and have a meal in the flower market, fantastic fish restaurants. usually they will do a menu which is reasonable.

I heart you, fellow Mnetters! Am actually getting quite excited now. And the passports have just this minute arrived .....

When I wrote ville de France it was meant to say villefranche....

You'll have a blast and I bet you anything you want to go next year

Nice is gorgeous. The old town has places selling traditional street food like soca (chickpea flour bread) and pissaladiere v cheaply. Public transport is cheap and plentiful, don't bother hiring a car.

I love Nice. Have been there a few times. Also stayed in a small town nearby called Haut de Cagnes.

We hired a car and it was fine. This was early May though, not high season.

Even if you're not beachy types you can't beat an early morning or evening stroll down the Promenade des Anglais. Vieux Nice is great for a wander and a nice lunch in the market area. Walk to the top of the Colline du Chateau and down the other side and you find yourself in the port area which is nice too. I second trying the soca. It's delicious.

There is a shiny new tramway in the town which was still being built last time I was there.

And if you do have a car try going inland. The area around les Gorges du Verdon is spectacular.

Have a great time I'm exceedingly

Btw there are often great lunch set menus (formule) for about €10-€15, so it's loads cheaper to go out for lunch then buy stuff at a supermarket and get a baguette for later.

Where is the apartment?

We have been in Nice a few times so here is what we have done:

Walk to villefrance sur mer. You can get buses there and back but the walk is pleasant if long. Once you get there the citidel is free and we found the quality of the wee cafés was better than Nice itself.
Get a boat to the isle San marguerite - nature reserve which is beautiful. Once you have got there there is nothing to spend money on.
MAMAC is free - some Andy Warhol stuff and Yves Kline.
Get the train to Ventimelia to the market there.

There are lots of lovely hilly walks up on Mont Boron. To get to villefranche you walk up and over Mont Boron. This is why I was asking where the apartment is. It might be just too long. However, you can get a bus to mont boron (the 100 and the 81 will take you there). Get off at carrefour (where you can get supplies) and then walk up and over.
The Rothschild house is also in villefranche and worth a look.

Organised activities combined with days sitting nibbling a baguette watching the super yachts should fill the time nicely.

Actually, there are so many useful posts here I am going to watch if in preparation for our next trip.

Nice one MN

Oh I'm so jealous!

Second all of the recommendations here - Eze, Cannes (go to Da Laura for pasta, and Vilfeu et Fils for icecream - especially the Cinammon flavour which is just to die for (cannelle in french)), Villefranche sur Mer (there's a restaurant on the harbour called 'La Fille du Pecheur' - you can sit at the waters' edge and eat the most amazing fish...).

Nice itself isn't just 'posh shops' - there's a big mall with cheaper french brands like 'La City' that's worth a look, and wandering around the old town is just lovely. And the modern art museum is good too.

Definitely catch the train along the coast. If you get a Carte Isabelle at Nice station you can hop on and off the train all day long for no extra charge - so you can have breakfast on the beach in Menton, a baguette on the Croisette in Cannes, and dinner in Ventimiglia in Italy.

You can't get to St Paul de Vence by train though. If you like art, hire a car for one day and go there. The Fondation Maeght is incredible. There are some lovely woods and hillside towns (villages perchees - literally perched villages, clinging to rockfaces...) around there, and the traffic isn't as bad once you get away from the coastal roads.

Oh you lucky, lucky woman.

Erm - and don't forget to just chill out and enjoy the weather/the fact that you're on holiday!

We go every year and love it, and we've taken kids who love it too. The beach is pebbly, like Brighton, but - like Brighton - lots of people sit on it all day. The sea is gorgeous. The cafes are fab, and the Port in particular has a lovely laid-back vibe even in high season. It is worth checking out Boulevard Stalingrad near the Port for laidback places to eat - Les Pins D'Aleps is a favourite Lebanese place, they love children. Long evening strolls along the Promenade des Anglais are great, esp for teenagers - it is safe, they can stroll alone and get admiring glances from the local boys but with plenty of company around. They can also hire rollerblades there, or bikes, and use them on dedicated lanes well away from the road. Walk away from Nice in the direction of the Port and you quite quickly get to a lovely rocky walk that will take you a couple of miles along breathtaking coastline well away from any cars. Train it or bus it to the clean, sandy beach less than 10 mins away at Villefranche, a lovely little town where, again, the girls can wander unsupervised very safely. Menton is marvellous, though quiet. We say we'll go further afield every time we visit but Menton's as far as we ever get. There's just too many reasons to hang out in Nice.

I forgot to say - as someone V fairskinned I also avoid beach holidays, but Nice is full of little cafes and shady spots to sit and read or people-watch. The old town's full of pretty little places, but check the Port area, too, for less touristy ones.