You'd probably know the city as it is in the title of my recommended books to read during your travel. In case you didn't know, the sassy book “Nice is Just a Place in France” is on the list of books that I'd recommend. And although the book is really not a book about travel, this piece written by Maureen from Life On The Mediterranean would have something to do with traveling.
So, how nice is Nice to travel with your $10? Check this one out!
While I live on the Mediterranean, in Nice France, in the heart of the Cote d'Azur, you'd think everything would be over-the-top expensive. You'll be surprised to know that $10 can get you quite a few local experiences.
We use the Euro here and $10 equals about €9, so not a ton, but plenty. Let's give it a go!
Nice, France.
Enjoy Local Nicoise Food
Nice used to be a peasant town, batted back and forth between Italy and France. There are a variety of store-front kiosks still today that serve up typical Nicoise street food.
For $10, you can get a plate of socca (chickpea pancakes) and a plate of beignets (fritters) with eggplant and zucchini. Or get a plate of codfish fritters and grilled sardines or beignets of sardines.
Each plate is €3, so you could buy two different plates, wash it down with a glass of Rose wine, and you have a unique, local lunch. Go with a friend and buy different plates to taste them all. The place to go is Rene Socca in Old Town Nice.
Socca portion.
Visit a Perched Village
Like St. Paul de Vence, this lovely village is just over an hour away and it's one of the most lovely perched villages in southern France. A round trip bus ticket is only €3.
When you are up there, you can stroll around this quaint, artist's enclave. Check out the shops, admire the history, watch the locals play a game of Petanque, grab a takeaway sandwich, enjoy a tasty glace (ice cream) and come back at the end of the day.
Bus number 400 is the one to use to and from St. Paul de Vence.
St. Paul de Vence, France.
Try an Italian Aperatif
We are only 25 miles from the Italian border, so we have a lot of real Italians who have establishments in Nice. One thing to try is an Italian Aperatif, or Happy Hour.
Italians don't typically drink for the sake of drinking. They always serve food with their aperatifs. Here you can get either an Aperol Spritz, which is common in Italy, or a glass of wine, or a pint of beer, and you have all you can eat Italian happy hour snacks.
There might be focaccia, pizza, varieties of pasta, black and green olive tapenade on slices of bread.
Order your drink, then go up to the buffet and start digging in. The Aperatif is €6 and you have enough left over for a second glass of wine. Go to Pane Olio to give this a try, but it gets packed, so go early. Aperatif is from 6 to 7:30pm nightly.
Italian Aperatif.
Head to the Cinema
Cinemas can be crazy expensive here, like $14 a ticket, but there's one cinema that shows art and international films.
The films are in original voice with French subtitles, and you can see some of the best films that have won major film awards, but they aren't mainstream films.
A ticket costs $8 and the Mercury Theater in Place Garibaldi is where to go.
See the Sites of Nice via the Petit Train
For $9 USD, you can take the electric train to see the most popular sites in Nice.
It starts along the Promenade des Anglais on the seafront, then meanders through Old Town, along the Coulee Verte, to Place Massena, and then takes you up to the old Chateau ruins shown below, where you'll find the best views of Nice and the Bay of Angels.
The ride is 45 minutes long, but you can get off and grab the next train 30 minutes later if you want to snoop around. There is commentary in 8 languages. It's a great way to see the sites in an environmentally friendly mode of transport.
Fountain of Chateau in Nice, France.
Enjoy a Day in the Mountains
Nice is 1.5 hours from 3 different ski resorts: Auron, Isola 2000 and Valberg, but there are year-round activities.
If you like to hike, there are numerous trails you can follow for free while taking a packed lunch from a grocery store at $6.50. Otherwise, you can watch the winter skiers and take in an hour of ice skating in the center of Auron for $6. The round trip bus fare is $3.25.
Maureen McDermott is originally from Wisconsin, US, but now calls Nice, France home. She blogs about living on the Med, and about travel destinations and experiences that are along the Mediterranean Sea.
Thank you for posting this. Hopefully it will shed some light on how economical Nice can be.
Likewise, thank you so much for your contribution in this piece, Maureen! 🙂