Nice, France; Enjoy the Sites Without Blowing the Budget

Ooh La La! How much for that beer?

Now I know the French Riviera is expensive, especially if you are buying a house, but there are times when I think the bar owners are really taking the…well you get the idea!

Back up a little. Our party of travellers arrived in the wonderful city of Nice, nestled below the Alpes Maritimes, on the exotic Cote d’Azur surrounded by illustrious neighbours such as Cannes, St Tropez and Monte Carlo; an opportunity to haemorrhage money if ever there was one.

Start your shopping at any one of many old markets

This was an attempt at a budget trip in the land of the flaming Lamborghini and to a great extent we were successful although a little slippage should be allowed.

We had come in on the night train from Barcelona that was an adventure in itself, a tree fall had blocked the line and after several hours stranded in a siding we were eventually bussed across the border to meet a specially arranged train to continue on our journey. Picture over two hundred tired, thirsty and hungry tourists vying for seats on a small train with half that number of places, as you can imagine it was not pretty!

A quick search of hostels in Nice brings up the usual suspects and prices but as we were a party of four we chose to rent an apartment for four days in the old town that would offer us the ability to cook and pre-party (an essential tool for mitigating budget meltdown), it also helped to have a bartender from TGIF on our team! (Some of the hostel websites do feature apartments and can be booked just as easily as regular dorms).

The old town of Nice is a terrific place for wandering around; narrow alleyways and tall buildings lend it an Italian feel, hole in the wall markets sit next to designer shops and restaurants abound, with a budget for all. There are plenty of bars in all shapes and sizes from themed Irish pubs catering mainly to the tourists to traditional zinc stand up bars frequented by the locals.

The easiest & cheapest way to buy wine is with a BYO bottle / bag

When it comes to drinking and partying a great time is possible in Nice and to that matter across the whole of the Riviera, it is all about timing and location. A big expat hangout in the old town is Chez Wayne’s and its closest neighbours. A happy hour beer can set you back about four Euros and although that is a bit steep it can rise to eight Euros for the rest of the night and that is painful! However a little shopping around and you can find another happy hour starting somewhere else as the last one finishes, in the old Dutch pub Der Klomp for example.

So, although it may be pricey, a little pre planning as well as pre-loading can help with the budget. This applies equally to Cannes and Monaco although you will need to ask around to get the latest offers.

We shopped in the local markets for our produce and managed to put together several good meals at a very small cost, we had factored in one splurge meal out so there was a balance to be struck. If you are buying wine for the table you can, of course, just pop in to the local supermarket and get a bottle of the shelf. A more traditional way still exists in Nice where you can bring your own container (a two litre water bottle would do nicely) to a local wine store and choose from a selection of barrels along the wall. Not only are the wines inexpensive the owner allows you to have a taste of the ones you are interested in and helps you with the selection!

The beach in Nice is long and clean with large pebbles and a steep shelving entry to the ocean. For those who prefer sandy beaches, as we did, a short excursion was in order.

The Monte Carlo Casino has a strict dress policy

Juan les Pins is a beach resort situated next to the famous yachting town of Antibes, both have sandy beaches but the former has by far the longer and better provisioned. Outside of august it is possible to find a nice square of beach and pleasant waters to swim in, with fresh water showers, toilets and the usual expensive beach bars. In august however you will be lucky to see the sand if you are not there by midday. Overall the best experience of the region is outside the main peak season as the crowds are less and the climate is more generous.

A local train serves the coast from Frejus and San Rafael in the west to the Italian border in the east, it may not be the cheapest in Europe but it is efficient, passes through nearly all the towns and is much quicker than the bus. This makes it easy to use Nice as a base and visit more expensive towns such as Cannes, Monte Carlo and Beaulieu without breaking the bank.

Talking about breaking the bank, don’t forget your passport and smart clothes if you intend a flutter in the famous Monte Carlo Casino, I made a small winning and decided to celebrate with a drink at the bar…let’s just say I am glad I had a return train ticket!