Nice in the South of France is rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations in France for English tourists and it’s a great base for exploring the French Riviera, Monaco and Provence. I travelled there a couple of years ago for my friend’s wedding and next month, I’ll be there to celebrate the christening of his daughter.
I’ve been speaking to an Avis colleague in France, Sophie Grimoin who gave me some great recommendations if you’re visiting. She suggests taking a walk in the old town and seeing Saint-François-de-Paule, Place Saleya, Place Rossetti, cathedral Saint-Réparate and the chapelle de la Miséricorde, as well as taking a stroll along the seafront on the Promenade des Anglais.
If you wanted to explore a bit further, she also recommended Carabacel for architecture fans. Personally, I would advise you take a drive up the Route Napoleon to Entrevaux. It has beautiful scenery and the walk to the top of the hill may be steep but the views from the citadel are spectacular!!
There are three Avis locations in Nice, one at the railway station, one at Place Massena but the most popular one by far is the one at Nice Cote d’Azur airport that is open from 6am to midnight, every day. If you’re a member of Avis Preferred, the staff have a promise that they will serve you within three minutes; they’ll even give you a stopwatch. If they are unable to fulfill that promise, they will give you some vouchers for money off your next Avis car hire!!
Once your paperwork is complete, the car park is a short bus ride from the terminal and your car will be waiting for you when you get there. When you return your car, there’s a petrol station just before the car hire area so remember to refuel to avoid a refuelling charge. Alternatively, opt to take Fuel Up Front when you collect your car and you won’t have to worry about re-fuelling at all!
I’ll also be using the Avis office at Marseille Provence airport when I’m in France, so keep an eye out for a blog post on that location when I return. Remember, let us know if you want information about Avis offices you may be using in the future.
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If you follow the old town in Nice to the top of the hill there are some great views, a waterfall, little cafe and play area, as well as an amazing cemetary.
There are some 360 panoramic views of Nice: http://www.360travelguide.com/results.asp?StartNum=1&CountrySelect=France&LocSelect=Nice
I recommend driving along Le Bord de la Mer (the sea road) from the Port of Nice heading eastwards – pretty spectacular especially on a sunny day in a cabriolet! There are plenty of towns worth visiting along the coastline, my personal favourite being Villefranche-sur-Mer, with the quaintest houses and narrow streets of the old-town set in terraces in the hillside. Continue along the sea road far enough and you can actually drive the Grand Prix course through Monaco, or even further, and you can cross the Italian border into San Remo – no border controls these days so it’s very easy. I must admit, I did it just to say that I had been to Italy!
My top tip when staying in France is do make an attempt to speak the language – the locals really seem to appreciate it.