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Merde, good try kid but wrong beach, you should have gone to Biarritz.
One of Nice's many stoned beaches with pay area visible to the right and an unusually overcast sky.

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Nice and Cannes are slightly worn clichés of France's Riviera, that area just west of Cannes [and out of the frequently deranging Mistral wind] that runs as far as Menton on the Italian Border.
The Riviera in general - and Cannes and Nice in particular - is no longer a pristine paradise as the internal combustion engine has a near death grip on the place, but the coast is still excellent for relatively dry, sunny weather, inexpensive eating, wild partying and funny people watching, while the water temperature of the Mediterranean in the summer is delightful.

A Nice view from Castle Hill [Colline du Chateau], with the grey beach and the start of the Promenade des Anglais in red asphalt.

Unless you're staying at one of the super luxury resorts or a campsite, Nice, the 'Capital of Riviera' is a good base for travelling around the Côte d'Azur due to its very convenient airport [you can walk to/from it easily!], plenty of reasonable accommodation, good local transport facilities and fast access to the A8 autoroute that follows the south of France coast from Montpelier all the way to Italy.
There are also some fine museums and great festivals in Nice, especially the mad Carnival.

One of Nice's many pay-to-burn beaches.

Nice's beach is very long but pebbly while Cannes' beaches are sandy but Cannes' best spaces - less so in Nice - are taken by hotels or parasol rental people. In both cities the streets around the beaches consist largely of slow-moving traffic jammed bumper to bumper and a concomitant lack of parking spaces [don't bother hunting for street parking, underground parks are conveniently located and not ridiculously priced].
Nice's politics are right-wing and corrupt [how could they not be, this is the Cote d'Azur, bent since Victoria walked the earth], though this hardly alters the city's joie de vivre, fine collection of glorious turn-of-the-century buildings, smooth new tramway, extensive bike routes an' all the rest.

One of the two most outstanding buildings on the wide and wonderful Promenade des Anglais, the Palais de la Mediterranee Casino. Click to see more Nice Buildings.

Guide to Nice's main attractions:
***Promenade des Anglais - 6km [3.75 miles] long, wide and beautifully lined with palm trees, many elegant buildings, slowly moving cars and giving access to the attractive though stony beach; the promenade is superb for people watching be they glamorous Milanese, stuffy Parisians, heavy Muscovites, overdressed Nicoises, or pasty and underdressed Londoners. Biking and inline skating along the prom is excellent, with a dedicated track running as far as the airport and further!

***The Cours Saleya, the huge, lively and mostly inexpensive outdoor eating and market area of Cours Saleya.

We can thoroughly disrecommend the pretentious, ill-mannered and incompetent Italian restaurant, Borraccio, located in the Rue de France, nearby. Most of the Cours Saleya establishments are busy but cheerful and serve good meals.
To the leftof the image is the Old Town [Vielle Ville, photo below], to the right is the Promenade des Anglais [photo above] and dead ahead is Castle Hill [Colline du Chateau] the city's best viewpoint. Mornings are market time, a totally awesome and very French experience, loaded with strange mushrooms, exotic flowers, 365 cheeses, 28 kinds of olives...you get the picture

***Vielle Ville [Old Town], a narrow medieval ambience that's good for wandering, shopping, Irish pubs, Sky TV and wild night moves at a reasonable price.

**Terrific shopping in Nice's main drag, Jean Medecin, with its wafting new tram system and attractive street redesign. We give the city council a 10 for style and execution, even if it's completion was way overdue.
***Art Museums including Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Musée Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée Archéologique, plus the nearby Gallo-Roman Ruins.

And back to the downsides...Traffic in summertime towards the end of the Promenade des Anglais; this section is the Quai des Etats-Unis. The beach is immediately on the right, Cours Saleya on the left and Colline du Chateau [Castle Hill] straight ahead.

A steep climb up to the top of Castle Hill [the highest point in the photo] from the end of the promenade rewards tourists with the perfect Nice panorama over the Baie des Anges, Old Nice and the port.
Those unable or unwilling to hike to the summit [no more than 10 minutes] there is an ascenseur.
And as far as the Chateau is concerned, that appears to be a figment of someone's imagination as the only ruins visible are of the old Cathedral of Nice. For the thirsty the top also provides sustenance in the form of a couple of cafes.
Sunsets are particularly special from the hilltop as the city lights glow in concert with the falling sun.

Information: France Travel Guide | Paris Guide | Tours | Europe Map | France Map

Nice Pictures Beaches Photos and Information

Nice Pictures
Beaches Photos and Information