City Break: A Weekend in Nice and Monaco

Living in Europe made me THE Queen of city breaks/weekend trips! I spent a weekend in Nice and Monaco as a birthday gift to myself in September 2017.  I’m a fan of these weekend trips because that way I don’t have to use my vacation days. If Nice and Monaco are on your weekend or Euro trip list, read on!

7 Fun Facts About Nice & Monaco:

1. The most popular wine in Nice is the Rose; it’s the French Riviera you know?
2. Nice is a haven for the rich and famous. Elton John, Tina Turner, and Bono have homes there
3. The Nice airport is a gateway to destinations like St. Tropez, Cannes, Monaco for those that don’t have private helicopters
4. The Italians gave Nice to France in 1860 as a gift for helping them defend themselves from the Austrians. This is the reason both French and Italian are spoken in Nice, and why the culture, lifestyle, and food, showcases both Italian and French cultures.
5. Monaco is a playground for the rich and famous (hey Monte Carlo!)
6. Monaco is the most densely populated and second smallest country in the world (smallest is the Vatican)
7. Three James Bond films were shot in Monaco

Getting Around Nice and Monaco:

Getting to and From the Airport: The public airport express bus 98 and 99 provide fast cheap means to get into town. Tickets can be purchased at the airport. Tram 2 is now set up this year (2019) to be the better way to get to and from the airport. This will only cost you 1.50 Euro each way. Not a bad deal!

Getting Around Town: Tourist areas are easily explored on foot. Not really into walking? Public transportation (buses and tram) is the most cost efficient way to get around town. Not your cup of tea? Well Uber, Taxis, Bikes, and even helicopters are at your service!

Getting To & From Monaco:

Regular Folks: Hop over by tram, on foot, or by Taxi to the Nice-Ville train station. Take the TER train service to Monaco. The trip takes 22 minutes and costs all of 4 Euros. The first train leaves Nice at 5:25 AM and the last at 23:59. There are about 80 trains between Nice and Monaco daily. There is also a bus option but train is faster.

Not-So Regular Folks: If your pockets allow, you can charter a Yacht or hop onto helicopter and be there in no time!

What I Did in a Weekend in Nice and Monaco

Food Walking Tour in Nice:

Recommended by a friend, I booked a 4-hour ‘Taste of Nice’ Food tour, one of the top rated food experiences in Nice. Our guide, Lorna, was incredibly knowledgeable. On this gourmet walking tour, we got a taste of Nicois cuisine and the history and culture of the Nice. We had 8 food tastings, 1 olive oil tasting, and of course – wine.  From chocolate shops, to sweets, to farmers’ markets cheese, trying Socca, truffle and olive oil, and of course gelato!  If you are a fan of food, history, dessert, and wine then you’ll love this.

Beach Time

Promenade De Anglais is a great place to people watch and hang out. It is probably the most famous stretch of seafront in all of Nice (and maybe France really). You can bike, rollerblade, walk, or lay down at the pebbled beach as the day passes. It is 7km long, starting from the airport with several shops and restaurants to pick from along the way.

Flower Market:

I read about the flower market before I arrived in Nice and I absolutely had to stop by because I love a good market. Visit Cours Saleya in Old Nice for the flower, fruit, and vegetable markets in Nice. The Marche Aux Fleurs was definitely a favourite. This market is closed on Mondays.

Day Trip From Nice to Monaco

After my food tour, I hopped on the train and spent the afternoon in another country, Monaco! I didn’t book a tour of Monaco, I essentially walked the port, walked to world famous Monte Carlo Casino, had a meal, had some gelato, and soon it was time to catch the train back to Nice (and get on a late night flight back to Edinburgh). Other activities to check out in Monaco are:

1. Visiting the prince’s palace to watch the changing of the guards
2. Check out the Monaco Cathedral (free)
3. Check out Larvotto beach (get there early for a spot, and expect pebbles as it is the French Riviera after all)
4. Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
5. Get on the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus
6. Spend a few hours aboard one of the yachts

If I Had More Time I Would Go On These Day Trips From Nice:

• Visit Antibes for a great day at the beach
• Visit Eze (to the east of Nice, on the way to Monaco). Eze is said to look and feel Medieval
• Visit St. Tropez is between Nice and Marseilles. Go for cobblestone street, vibrant seafood culture, and maybe a bit of opulence
•  Visit Cannes, known for the iconic International Film Festival. This is the heart of the French Riviera! Enjoy spectacular views, elegant yachts on the harbor, and the seafront boulevard,
• Visit Marseilles – 30 km from the famous lavender fields

Overall Impression

It rained a bit during my time in Nice so that put a bit of a damper on things. I loved the chance to see a bit of the South of France and venture into Monaco. I loved not having an agenda and enjoyed the food tour.

While it was a relaxing weekend I can’t honestly say it was my favorite city break in Europe. The potential sugar daddy encounter was definitely the most interesting bit of my stay. If you haven’t read it, check it out here.

Have you been to the south of France, what are your must-dos from the area? I’d definitely love to go on some of the day trips I referenced above. What did you like/not like about the south of France?

Till next week,

Ms. Heels