South of France - Nice

Many of you have reached out asking for recommendations for Nice and the rest of the Côte d'Azur. I feel as though I could write an entire book on the topic, but I'll do my best to keep it both informative and brief. Let's dive in!

NICE

We've always kept Nice as our home base while traveling around the Riviera and this is for a multitude of reasons.

1. The main airport for all of the surrounding cities/towns is in Nice, so it makes life a lot easier to take a taxi or, in our case, a van to the Airbnb. That being said, it's fairly simple to take a train or rent a car if you want to stay in another city. Public transportation is fantastic. I highly recommend utilizing the bus and train systems.

2. Nice is a very walkable (stroller friendly) city, which is a win in our book. You can spend hours wandering around the Old Town or walking along the water on the Promenade des Anglais.

3. There are beautiful parks for kids. My favorites are: Colline du Château, the most beautiful park on top of Castle Hill, and Promenade du Paillon right in the heart of Nice.

4. Nice is centrally located to all of our favorite spots: Antibes, Cannes, Eze, Monaco, Villefranche-sur-mer, and Menton. And as I mentioned above, you can easily access each of the cities by public transportation. No need for a car unless you prefer it.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NICE

This is heavily dependent on how long you'll be staying in the city, but I'll put my recommendations in order of priority.

Things to do:

1. Cours Saleya (Flower Market) and the Old Town - if you are visiting in the height of the tourist season, you'll need to arrive when the market opens at 9AM or slightly before. Be prepared to have all of your senses ignited! It's a feast for the eyes and stomach with the most beautiful flowers you've ever seen and the most luscious fruit you've ever eaten.

2. Colline du Château/Castle Hill Park - this is a lovely park and castle ruins high above the city that boast the best views. You must navigate quite a few stairs to get to the top, OR you can take the air conditioned elevator located directly left of the stairs and down a long tunnel. Stairs are great if you're able-bodied or are not lugging around strollers/kids.

3. Promenade des Anglais - this 4+ mile long promenade along the crystal blue waters of the Côte d'Azur is perfect for morning or after dinner strolls.

Places to eat:

Full disclosure: we do not eat out that often when we're traveling with our kids, but we were able to go out to dinner a few times sans kids.

1. Boulangerie Jeannot - great for a casual lunch or breakfast spot. They have the best baguettes, IMO.

2. Cafe Fino - if you want coffee-type drinks that you'll find in the States, this place is a must. The coffee is some of the best I've had. It's also a great option for lunch. I highly recommend the avocado toast with poached egg.

3. 100% Tacos - this place is a regular go-to for our family. It's inexpensive and the tacos and tortas are excellent. Don't get me wrong, I like French food, but after about two weeks, I start craving Mexican/Tex Mex.

4. Le Plongeoir - we came here for drinks and appetizers because the setting is lovely. It is quite touristy, and we were unable to get a reservation for dinner, but you do not need a reservation to get drinks.

5. Comptoir Du Marché - hands down the best meal my husband and I ate while we were in Nice. We ordered several items to share and all were superb. I recommend the chef's risotto. This place is quite popular, so definitely make a reservation or be prepared to wait.

6. Ange Les Macarons - if you've followed me for any length of time, you'll know macarons are my favorite. This quaint macaron shop is in the heart of Old Town and the macarons are divine. Do yourself a favor and get the macaron ice cream sandwich.

There are several MICHELIN star restaurants in Nice, and I recommend checking out a few of the tasting menus. Unfortunately, we didn't get to eat out as much this go-around, but trust me, there is delectable food to be found all around the French Riviera.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this series where I'll discuss our favorite spots to visit all along the coast! If you have any specific questions, feel free to comment below.