Nice vacations continue to concentrate on the two things that brought the original tourists from England here in the 1800s—the balmy Mediterranean weather and the beautiful beaches. Whether you have come specifically for Nice beach vacations or not, you will undoubtedly spend a great deal of your time on them or within sight of them, as the main part of the city and its major attractions are clustered around the lovely shoreline. Most Nice vacation packages will have the beaches listed at the top of the list of features.

This is the legendary glitzy Riviera, and Nice vacations can be very expensive. The closer your accommodations are to the sea and the trendy Promenade des Anglais, the more expensive they will be. This is where the most luxury hotels like the legendary Hotel Negresco are located. But the city is not out of the reach of those on tighter budgets. Cheap vacations to Nice France are possible for those who choose more modest accommodations, which can include a number of hostels that are surprisingly sophisticated and comfortable, cheap hotels, and unpretentious apartments. Some of these are located in prime areas such as Vieux Nice (Old Nice) where the majority of the attractions are located.

Other attractions that draw visitors to Nice vacations are some of the internationally known special events and festivals. Many holidays are planned to coincide with events such as the Nice Jazz Festival (July), the famed Mardi Gras Carnival of February, the December Christmas Village, or the April Short Film Festival. During these times, the city's excellent shopping and fine dining comes to the forefront. Even those on cheap vacations to Nice France can enjoy these features. The famous Cours Saleya open air market is the perfect place for shopping like the locals do, buying fresh produce every day and doing your own cooking in vacation rentals.

Nice Map

Cheap vacations to Nice France are also possible by rail. Train transportation to the city is excellent, and a great number of hostels and cheap hotels are located near the central train station. Many young backpackers travel throughout Europe in this manner, sometimes mixing land travel with travel on the water. The city is a main ferry port, and there is regularly scheduled ferry service to ports on the Italian mainland as well as to the island of Corsica, which is only about 60 miles from Tuscany and 110 miles from Nice. Both trains and ferries allow cycling backpackers to take their cycles onboard. Another good form of transportation is by automobile, and car rentals allow you to explore the charming villages in the hills outside of the city where there are attractively priced bed and breakfasts and less expensive dining possibilities.

Many Nice vacation packages are put together by international cruise lines. The city is a major port for those ships on Mediterranean cruises, and those ships that dock here for a couple days during the cruise offer packaged shore excursions exploring the history of the region, with tours of prestigious museums, cathedrals, palaces, and beautiful gardens. The city is also the embarkation or disembarkation point for a number of cruises, so the cruise lines also offer more extensive pre and post-cruise Nice vacation packages lasting several days. This is even true of river cruises on the Rhone River that generally begin or end in Arles and Avignon near Marseille (located just over 100 miles away).