Sign in with Facebook"Not so nice NICE" Nice by sirgaw
Nice Travel Guide: 1,782 reviews and 3,912 photos
Bit of a disappointment to arrive in a city that is supposed to be chic and find it's a mess - well all cities have to go through a metamorphosis and it's Nice's turn now.
The city authorities decided they needed a new tram way system and work is well under way, but in the meantime locals and visitors have to contend with the roads and footpaths dug up.
Our introduction to Nice did not necessarily inspire confidence when the tourist bureau at the railway station sent us in the wrong direction for our hotel. We eventually found the Comfort "Hotel Roosevelt" - and glad we chose there over all the other hotels on the net - must say booking hotels that way can be a bit of a hit and miss affair.
We stayed in Nice for 4 nights, explored the old town - wonderful, went to the old flower market on the day it was a flea market, ate in a couple of local restaurants (cheaper end thanks - LOL), although one night we did dine at the Nice Casino and quite nice it was too. We used Nice as a base to do 2 side trips and covered under separate travel pages - "Monaco - Is this Utopia?" and then along the fabulous Chemin de Fer du Provence railway to the spectacular, medieval, "Historic Entreavaux - Worth the trip"
Nice is a contrast as the lead photo shows - a McDonalds with a casino attached - well no not quite right, the Casino and the local Mackers just shared the same building. We went into the Casino for a look around and were told we had to check in our cameras, water bottles, weapons of war AND my beloved, well-used Swiss Army Knife. We obliged and set off to see what the Nice Casino offered. The set menu at 20 Euro each at the gaming room restaurant appealed, so dressed more like beach bums we dined in splendour until "she" came in and sat at the next table. She was on the un-friendly side of 70 and appeared to have been a plastic surgeons best customer. We guessed that she was alone in the world (well maybe except for a French Poodle) and was a woman of considerable wealth, BUT acted like a spoilt brat towards the restaurant and casino staff - who seemed to know her habits too well. We also witnessed a gambler collapse on the nearby gaming floor - staff rushed to assist him while the gamblers went about their business of gambling.
For Australians used to wide sand beaches, suggest you bring some old shoes to get into the water - the beach is all pebbles. We saw an enclave where the rich and not-too-famous were provided with a beach sunlounge, waiter service, carpeted beach area and even a water proof carpet laid right to the waters edge - maybe it was in Nice that the term "well-heeled" was coined. The rest of us had to hobble to the water and risk falling over. If you do decide to go to Nice and include a swim, suggest you bring an old pair of sneakers to walk across the beach - your toes will thank you.
Perhaps the best part of Nice is the old quarter, which lies at the bottom of a hill that used to have a fortress on top. Sadly the fortress was blown up and my off-beat humour suggests that it was not the French equivalent of Guy Falk's who did the deed, nor the wily Italian Navy hurling hot cannon balls towards the fort, but rather some bloke having a quiet cigarette and throwing the butt the wrong way. A spectacular way to give up cigarettes.
The site of the fortress is now a very spectacular park overlooking the beach and off course, the Mediterranean Sea and is well worth visiting in conjunction with the old town - speaking of which it's a rabbit warren of twisting narrow streets with wonderful street-scapes. There an old cathedral somehow tucked in and is cheek by jowl with eateries of almost every description and small shops selling local produce. The area was, in my opinion, the highlight of Nice.
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Highly recommended
Hotels
(1)
Its not very oftern that I will highly recommend a hotel we stayed in, but I will for the Comfort Roosevelt Hotel. As... more travel advice
Chemins de Fer de Provence - fun rail...
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(1)
Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus - or so we are told, so men like grotty, little, slow, noisy, old-fashioned... more travel advice
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Comments (4)
I have very fond memories of Nice (granted, I was there over 20 years ago) - especially of the view from that old fort, and of the flea market in the old part of town...
Thanks for the hotel tip - I missed this one on my web search.
Oh how I do empathize! They're building a tramway in Jerusalem now - been going on for over a year already. Awful!
Hi Just returned from trip to Paris, glad we did not venture down to Nice