It's a magical place so full of beautiful old colourful buildings and quaint streets. The beach sucked but being from Australia we tend to be spoiled. We loved the sights sounds and smells of Nice and the people were lovely. Our biggest regret was we couldn't spend more time there.
You will learn that streets are not marked as obviously in Europe as they are in the states—look up on the corners of the buildings for placards. Train is the likely way you will arrive in Nice if you are a backpacker—just listen up for strikes because the trains and then the trains and the buses went on strike the week I was there which had some people stranded when they were over due to get out of France—but I thought the protesting in the streets was cool—there was singing and music parade-style in the mornings and I sure wanted them to win!
And when you are there remember to give give yourself time for daytrips to Cannes and Monaco—it’s just an air conditioned bus ride away (as long as they are not on strike that is!).
Postcard perfect sceneries. The train is a marvelous mode of travel. Although my French is very limited, there were kind souls who helped along the way. The best memories include watching the yachts bobbing in the aqua meditranean sea from the top of the old castle in Nice, the garden in Monaco, the Picasso museum in Antibe, and the seaside in Cannes. I also treasure the train ride back from Monaco at night, along the coast, watching the moonlight rippling on the sea. We did all the daytrips spontaneously and every one of them turned out to be beautiful. The only surprise was the pebbly beach in Nice and the chilly water. It was interesting but a bit of a let down as in tropical coastal Malaysia, our beaches are sandy and the water warm. But one should go to Nice not for the beaches but for the ambience, the French, the food, and the charming old towns and cobblestoned streets. I am planning to return to Nice in January 2006 to recapture some of the magic with new friends!
Cassis is wonderful, but in the summer very touristy. But when you walk a little bit, you will find beautiful beaches with many people.
Heaven and Cassis are one in the same. The weather is so perfect that a bit of fog drives people off the beach in droves!
Marseille is not the picturesque, idyllic city in France that you have in your mind, but it has a totally different character and vibe to it, which attracted me immensely. It's brilliant.
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