Nice

With its mild climate, Nice is a year-round destination, with cultural activities every month on top of all its other attractions. Mid-March to April and September to October are ideal times to visit. Finding a room may be hard for February for Carnival; otherwise July and August are the busiest with tourists, when the beaches and sights can be crowded, prices are highest although it rarely gets unbearably hot.

Nice airport, the second busiest in France, is the gateway to the Cote d’Azur. A taxi to central Nice should take no more than 20 minutes and is the fastest option, however, the T2 Tram from the airport to the port is also a good option (at the Jean-Medecin stop you can transfer to Tram1 and the train station). There are also regular, cheap shuttle buses.

Much of the centre is easily accessible by foot, and there are plenty of taxis and bike paths. Nice has an excellent one-euro city bus system, the Lignes Azur, as well as trams; the latter passes a number of art installations, making it fun to ride even if you have nowhere in particular to go. There’s a free lift up to the Colline du Chateau. Nice has expanded its bike lanes and offers a self-service hire scheme, Velobleu, with bikes in 175 stations.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the fabulous hotels along the Promenade des Anglais, Le Vieux Nice is a great place to stay in the heart of the action, close to the beaches, market, bars and restaurants; the smart Port quarter is less touristy.  In the 19th-century Jean-Medecin district, you’ll be close to shopping, restaurants and Nice’s nightlife concentrated in Le Carre d’Or. The Art Deco Liberation quarter north of the main Gare Theirs train station is a good place to feel like a local; quieter Cimiez with its gardens is pleasant for families.

Nice is considered the best shopping city in France after Paris: its Galeries Lafayette department store is the country’s second largest. Popular chain shops are concentrated on Avenue Jean-Medecin and its Nice Etoile mall; for designer boutiques, head to Rue Paradis and Rue de Suede. The pedestrian-only lanes of old Nice are full of antique and art shops; in the same area, on Mondays, Cours Saleya hosts an arty flea market instead of produce.

Buy designer fashions, jewellery and shoes by all the world’s top names; works of art, perfumes made in Grasse, ceramics in Vallauris and glass in Biot; olive oils, herbs and wines.