%bThe New and Improved 'Grand Tour' 2004%b and other Nice, France Things to Do Tips

I picked up a new leaflet on my last trip to Nice and there have been a few changes to the Grand Open Top bus tour of Nice.

The service is now 'hop-on, hop-off' at eleven designated stops throughout the tour.

They are: 1) Promenade des Anglais - the 'start', 2) Port Quai Lunel, 3) Mont Boron - Miramar, 4) Croisiere - Bleu Rivage, 5) Place Garibaldi, 6) Acropolis - Barla, 7) Cimiez -Monastere, 8) Musee Chagall, 9) Massena - Verdun, 10) Meyerbeer - Promenade and 11) Promenade - Mangan.

The tickets are also different. They are valid for either 1 or 2 days allowing you to hop on or off at any of the above stops.

Tickets may be bought on the bus (as before) and now also from the Nice Tourist Board and from your Hotel.

I think these changes are an improvement as it will allow greater flexibility and more time to explore Nice spread over two days, or to re-visit a favourite spot.

The only drawback I can think of is that the tour will be slowed down a bit with all the stopping and starting and waiting for people to get on and off - it could get hot when the bus is stationary.

Adult price for 1 day is 17 euros, for 2 days, 19 euros. Seniors get 1 day for 13 euros and children's (4-11 years) passes cost 9 euros for 1 or 2 days.

There is a special rate for the last tour - 10 euros.

Pick up a leaflet from the tourist office for a time table and map of the stops. They seem to run about every 30 minutes during high season, starting at 09:30 am, last tour 18:50.

See my travelogue for a map of the tour.

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Phone: 04 92 29 17 00
Address: at all the above named stops
Directions: 'Official' start is on the Promenade des Anglais by the Albert 1er gardens, by the children's carousel.

See original tip for 'Le Grand Tour'
Website: email: nicegrandtour@ifrance.com
Other Contact: fax 04 92 29 17 97

If this is your first time to Nice and especially if you are only here for a few days then this open-top bus tour is a great way to get a feel for the layout of Nice and to have a glimpse at the major attractions. The running commentary, in English, (other languages are available) is a bit naff and if you are read up on Nice it will not tell you much that is new. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and my only worry was that I would get too hot on the top of the bus. Once it was moving, however, the breeze was wonderful and the driver had cold bottles of water for 1 euro each. There are two 10-minute view-point stops so take your camera. Briefly, the tour takes you up the Promenade des Anglais, by the Port, Mont Boron and up to Cimiez past the Musee Matisse then back down past the Massena Fountains. Tours cost 17 euros/adult, 9 euros for 4-10 year-olds and 13 euros seniors/students. Tours start at 10 am every day and at about hourly intervals depending on the time of the year. Pay the Driver. This tour, combined perhaps with the well-established "little tourist train" which gets to the places the double-decker can't reach ie Old Nice and the Chateau, gives a great overview of Nice if you are short of time or want to save your legs! Good fun.

Additional info June 2004

See my travelogue for more photos and please go to the next tip for an update for the Open Top Tour for 2004/2005.

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Phone: 04 92 29 17 00
Address: Jardins Albert 1er, Promenade des Anglais
Directions: There is a bus stop with a notice board with tour timetable, on the Promenade des Anglais at the foot of the Jardins Albert 1er, close to the children's carousel ride.
Website: http://www.nicetourisme.com/GB/html/voir/visite/v_visite.html
Other Contact: email nicegrandtour@ifrance.com

...we have a day out in St Paul de Vence

The routine is as follows. Catch the bus no. 400 (Vence par St Paul) from the Gare Routiere (the main bus station) on boulevard Jean Jaures in Nice.

The bus climbs slowly north of Cagnes and after about 30 minutes you can see the walled mediaeval village of St Paul to your left. You are decanted opposite the Moulin bistro just outside the village. Cross over to the bistro - this is where you will catch the bus back to Nice and it is a good idea to check the timetable so that you can plan your day.

The main reason I come to St Paul is not for the village, but for the modern art museum, The Fondation Maeght. Walk up the road to the left of the bistro, cross over the main road and turn left up a steep drive set in woodland to the museum. It is about 10 minutes walk uphill.

It is a few euros to enter and a bit more to take photos. The museum is light modern and airy and full of modern art and sculpture indoors and out. There are permanent pieces of art here such as the skinny Giacometti figures and the chunkier colourful Miros. One of my favourite pieces is a moving, clunking, metal water sculpture outside the tiny chapel.

The temporary exhibitions change every year. Over the last 3 years, there was a wonderful Nudes of the 20th Century exhibition which included work by Lucian Freud, currently exhibiting in the Wallace Collection in London; two years ago, a Henry Moore retrospective with many of his sketches and sculpture and last year there was a Russian Avant-Gardes exhibition, which included a few pieces by Chagall. This was my least favourite of the three but I look forward to whatever may be on show this year. The web site is out of date so I will have to wait and see what is advertised on the posters when I am in Nice.

The gift shop here has a nice selection of posters, postcards and arty gifts plus the exhibition guide, a weighty tomb and available in English.

Please go to Part 2...

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Address: St Paul de Vence
Directions: Bus 400 from Nice to the walled mediaeval village of St Paul de Vence, several miles north of Cagnes
Website: http://www.maeght.com/musee/index.html
Other Contact: http://www.saintpaulweb.net/spw/

...we have a day out in St Paul de Vence

(continued from part 1)

...There's a small cafe near the exit with wrought-iron chairs designed by Giacometti (he was a friend of the Maeghts) which are more stylish than comfortable. Handy place for a coffee and loo break. You could have lunch here but instead head back down the hill (you can stay on the main road this time, turn right at the bottom of the drive) and have lunch in the famous restaurant 'La Colombe d'Or'. I have eaten here twice - it really is magical and friendly. The food is excellent; try the hors d'ouvres followed by the lamb - delicious. The artwork and sculpture are all original by artists such as Matisse and Leger. The restaurant is outside the village, on the left, entrance through a discreet stone arch. Reserve well in advance: http://www.la-colombe-dor.com/

After a long 2-bottle lunch you are finally ready to explore St Paul , so wander and explore in sozzled contentment. There are dozens of art galleries, ateliers and gift shops. I don't know much about the village because I really come for the Fondation and lunch but most guide books have a section devoted to St Paul. There is bound to be a tourist office here too with guides and maps. Many tour operators offer walking tours here. The following website is quite useful: http://www.saintpaulweb.net/spw/e_index.html. We just tend to walk to the end, gaze out over the cemetery take in the views and walk back, soaking up the atmosphere, soaked ;-) Just outside the village is a pleasant cafe bar called 'Cafe de la Place' where you can have (another) drink while you wait for the bus. There is often a game of petanque taking place outside. Or, go back to the Moulin bistro right by the bus stop; you can have an ice-cream or a drink here too.

Perfect day out but comes with a warning - it can get very hot and busy especially in July and August but if that is the only time you can come then I think it is still an essential outing from Nice. See you there!

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Address: St Paul de Vence
Directions: Bus 400 from Nice to St Paul, a 50 minute journey taking you uphill and inland several miles north of Cagnes.
Website: http://www.saintpaulweb.net/spw/e_index.html
Other Contact: http://www.la-colombe-dor.com/

The beaches (in French, beach = plage) in Nice start at the airport and follow the 5 km sweep of the Promenade des Anglais all the way round to the foot of the Castle Hill - the 'Chateau'. This is where our favourite beach is - Castel Plage. We also like Beau Rivage and the daughter likes the Blue beach - because it has a small pool for children there.

The Port of Nice is on the other side of the Chateau and there is a small public beach here, on rocks, in front of the port wall.

If you walk all the way around the Port, you will come to another public beach (one of our favourites, La Reserve) on boulevard Franke Pilatte, just by Nice sailing club.

It was very hot in Nice this summer with temperatures in the mid-thirties and not dropping much below 30 degree C at night. The only way to keep cool was to stay indoors with the a/c racked up or to get as close to the sea as possible.

There are fifteen private beaches in Nice with plenty of free public beaches between them. If you splurge on a private beach, ask for the "premier ligne" - closest to the cooling sea breezes.

For more information about public and private beaches in Nice have a look at my best beaches in Nice page for tips on how to get the best out of the Nice beaches.

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Address: 3 miles along the Promenade des Anglais
Directions: Head for the sea and cross (CAREFULLY) the 6 - lane Promenade des Anglais. The private beaches are clearly named and will display sunbed hire prices and restaurant details.
Website: http://www.allaboutnice.com/beaches.html

Trompe-l'oeil, literally "that which tricks the eye" is used to great effect in Nice. Wherever there is an ugly end wall, or if a window is too plain, then these wonderful paint effects are added to fill in the gaps and it is great fun spotting them in all sorts of odd places in Nice. This photo was taken from a corner of Boulevard de Cimiez, just down the road from the Marc Chagall Museum close to the College Rolland Garros. The entire end wall is a huge mural, skillfully painted, not one bit of it is real, right down to the plants on the balcony. You can see other examples of trompe l'oeil at the Matisse Museum - the surrounds of the windows are painted. Also, if you are in Place Rossetti in the Old Town, have a look at the window surrounds on the apartments above Fennochio's Glacier- not real! Also the end wall of 'La Providence' apartment building on rue Sincaire. Happy hunting!

Additional info 26.4.04
I've added photographs of these examples on a travelogue. Let me know if you find any more in Nice - I'm sure there are plenty about.

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Address: see above and keep your eyes peeled!
Directions: There's another nice example on Quai d'Etats Unis (between the Cours Saleya and the beach), the mural depicts a man on a ladder, painting a mural! There is another great trompe l'oeil seen from a train on the east side of the main Nice train station.
Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/4bd79/#TL
Other Contact: see my travelogue, ref above