Nice is a beautiful and elegant city, famous for its beautiful beaches, ancient buildings, many cultural attractions, good food and excellent wine.
With his famous Promenade des Anglais, the shopping streets and the many museums, Nice attracts more and more tourists every year, a lively city where you will always find something to do.
The capital of the Côte d'Azur is the fifth largest city in France, so knowing the various neighborhoods can help you choose the best area to stay in Nice.
This is exactly what I will talk about in this article, a complete guide on where to sleep in Nice. We will go to the discovery of best neighborhoods for a vacation in Nice and we will see the characteristics of each. I am sure that with my help you will be able to choose the perfect base to stay.
Where to Stay In Nice
Nice offers a wide choice of accommodation facilities, for every budget requirement, ranging from luxury hotels to low cost solutions such as small hotels or hostels.
Much depends on the location of the accommodation. The best strategic solution to visit the city and comfortably admire the main attractions is certainly the center.
In particular, the areas most popular with most tourists are the città vecchia (Old Town), the Promenade des Anglais and the Port district.
By choosing a property in the immediate vicinity of these 2 areas, you will have the advantage of easily walking around and reaching most of the most famous places of interest. In any case, public transport is also very efficient and useful for moving to more distant areas.
The most central areas are obviously also those with the highest accommodation prices, alternatively you can opt for other neighborhoods close to the center, which offer better value for money.
So let's see in detail the different areas and neighborhoods most suitable for a stay in Nice.
1. Old Town: First time in Nice
The Old Town, or Vieux Nice, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and fascinating districts of the city, with its characteristic alleys, historic buildings from the XNUMXth century, typical shops, bars and restaurants. It will steal your heart, you will love walking and getting lost in the alleys of the historic center.
Also, more importantly, the location is perfect for visiting the city, from here you can easily move on foot to any point of interest.
Among the truly unmissable attractions of the old city there is the Cours Saleya flower market, a magical place appreciated by both tourists and residents.
It is located in the heart of the city a stone's throw from the seafront and once a week (on Mondays) it turns into a real antiques market.
If you are looking for a strategic area, perfect for optimizing the time available, the Old Town is the one for you, in my opinion the best area to stay in Nice for the first time.
2. Alloggiare in Promenade Des Anglais
The Promenade Des Anglais is a long avenue that runs along the pedestrian promenade and runs from the historic center to the airport. A beautiful promenade along the sea, very clean and well-kept, wide and with a cycle path. In the evening the atmosphere is always lively with many restaurants, ice cream parlors, beach clubs and street artists.
La Promenade is the perfect place to relax and enjoy days on the beach while admiring the Bay of Angels.
The best choice for those looking for a sea view hotel in an elegant area, a stone's throw from the historic center and the most important tourist attractions.
Keep in mind that the Promenade des Anglais is very extensive, over 7 km, so you are advised to carefully evaluate the location of the hotel.
3. Le Port: trendy district
Southeast of Nice is the beautiful neighborhood of Le Port, adjacent to the port of Nice where luxurious yachts in Montecarlo style are moored.
The area is very elegant and full of bars and restaurants, particularly popular for aperitifs at sunset and famous for some trendy clubs on Rue Bonaparte.
The neighborhood is also famous for a number of antique shops located in Nic chips, a real flea village.
The great strength of the neighborhood, however, is its enviable location, close to the Old Town and the Promenade des Anglais.
4. New Town: Shopping and Entertainment
The New Town is one of the best known areas of Nice, with Place Massena as the main reference and heart of the neighborhood.
In contrast to the narrow alleys of the Old Town, here are large spaces, tree-lined avenues, shops and shopping centers.
The main artery e the most famous shopping street is Jean-Médecin, when the sun goes down it comes alive with tourists and residents who want to enjoy the evenings in the many bars.
A particularly elegant area full of luxury restaurants and upper-middle-range accommodation. The location is still very good, central, safe and convenient for visiting the city.
5. Gambetta: For a Low Cost Visit
It is a neighborhood that stretches from the train station to the coast.
An excellent solution for those looking for affordable accommodation, with a huge choice for all needs: from hostels for backpackers to boutique hotels with great value for money.
The location is good, even if not in the center, everything is close and within walking distance.
I recommend choosing a structure near the sea and the Promenade des Anglais, instead avoid the upper part of the neighborhood.
6. Liberation District
Liberation is a beautiful neighborhood located at the end of Avenue Jean Médecin in a central and convenient location.
It is a particularly lively area and much loved by young people, thanks to the presence of several restaurants and bars.
The center can be reached in 20/30 minutes on foot or in just 5 minutes by tram. Recommended area for all those wishing to stay not far from the center but in a more authentic and less touristy neighborhood.
7. Riquier neighborhood
Riquier is a central district located north of the port, in an excellent position, a stone's throw from the historic center and the promenade. The area is well connected by public transport with the rest of the city.
A great advantage of the neighborhood is that there are several hotels with internal parking, perfect for those coming by car, as the costs of parking in the center are very high.
Areas To Avoid In Nice
Nice is a pretty safe city, obviously, as in all European cities, you have to pay attention to any snatching and pickpocketing.
To choose the right area to stay overnight it is important to know the neighborhoods to avoid.
The neighborhoods considered to be the most dangerous are Ariane e Les Moulins, degraded areas that in any case offer nothing to see. As I have already told you I would avoid the upper part of Gambetta.
Conclusions
We have seen in detail all the tips for choosing a hotel in the best area of the city. In summary:
- Old City: the best choice to stay in Nice, especially for a first trip;
- Promenade des Anglais: excellent location, on the sea and near the center;
- The Port: elegant area near the historic center;
- New Town: central area perfect for shopping and evening entertainment;
- Gambetta: neighborhood not far from the center with excellent value for money.
- Liberation and Richer: central, youthful and lively areas.
