Nice
The ancient city " Nikaia " now counts some 350 000 inhabitants and ranks as 5th largest city in France. The dynamic and flourishing economy have given it 2nd position for tourism after Paris : 3 200 000 visitors each year. The experience of the locals in the hospitality industry is unequalled and the city’s infrastructure is the very example : a hotel capacity of 10 000 rooms, an international airport, a world renowned congress centre voted best congress centre in Europe…
For more than a century the English have strolled along the sea-front, and ever since visitors from the world over wander through the quaint streets of Nice. Against a back-drop where the colours of the sea, the sun and the surrounding hills are always present, Nice seduces by its liveliness, its beautiful ocre-coloured facades, its picturesque markets and most of all by its authenticity. An early morning walk through the flower, fruit and vegetable markets of the old city is an important moment of pleasure for the senses : flowery, spicy and sweet perfumes, a festival of colours on the market stalls, tasting local specialities in the sun… With the castle hill as a background, this display is one of the major attractions of the destination Nice, to be included as a priority in your programmes.
City of art and culture, Nice has been home to many a Grand Master : Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Utrillo, Dufy, Renoir, Chagall, Matisse all succombed to the charm and elegance of the city. A source of inspiration and venue for personal achievement, today Nice offers 19 internationally renowened Museums and a year-round programme of entertainment at the Opera, the Theatre, the new concert-hall Nikaia or on the stage at Nice Acropolis.
Moreover, Nice is located in the heart of one of the most visited regions of the world : the French Riviera. This central position represents an important asset for the organisation of your discovery-visits. The most renowned venues of the Riviera and the surrounding area are within a radius of 100km from the Place Massena ! Nice is therefore an ideal departure point to discover the coastline and the famous perched villages.
Nice is the capital of the Alpes Maritimes. Its strategic position on the Mediterranean arc and its advantages derived from geographical, border, climate, cultural, artistic, architectural, gastronomic factors have contributed to the undeniable vocation of Nice as a destination for tourism. Its economy has naturally developed in the tertiary sectors. 83% of all businesses and jobs are in the trade and service sectors. Nice, an international destination, has the extensive amenities necessary for the constant development of its tourism industry.
KEY FIGURES FOR TOURISM
- 1st largest centre for tourism in France, after Paris4 million visitors per year
- 1st airport in France after Paris, with 10 million passengers a year, connecting to 80 destinations in 28 countries
- Top cruising port in France, 350 000 passengers used the Port of Nice-Villefranche in 2004 including 55.116 cruise passengers for Nice alone ;
- 1st Congress and Convention City in France after Paris, with Acropolis voted several times Best Convention Centre in Europe; in 1999, 112.000 delegates attended professional events and an overall total of 495.000 to all events.
- 19 museums and galleries (the largest number after Paris)
- 1st largest hotel facilities in France after Paris, making up a third of the total hotel capacity of the French Riviera, with 190 hotels and some 10.000 rooms:
- 2 hotels ****L (326 rooms)
- 22 hotels **** (2 994 rooms)
- 65 hotels *** (3 647 rooms)
- 68 hotels ** (2 471 rooms)
- 24 hotels * (750 rooms)
THE RIVIERA IN FIGURES
The area covered by the Riviera - Côte d'Azur corresponds to the Alpes-Maritimes "département" and includes the Principality of Monaco. Its permanent population is over one million inhabitants, 12% of which hold foreign nationality.The following figures concern the number of tourists to the region with the exception of the number of stays by night and cruise passenger stopovers.
- 10 million tourists;
- 70 million night stays;
- Overseas clientele of 58 %
- Tourist expenditure - 4 billion Euros;
- 64 000 jobs linked to tourism, 41% of total employment ;
- 1 in 3 stays in Nice;
- 1 in 2 stays in a hotel;
- 1 in 5 stays for business reasons;
- 350 000 conference delegates;
- 300 000 cruise passengers
- 3 million entrances to museums and monuments
- Over 500 000 visitors to the “Haut Pays”;
- 97 % of visitors are satisfied with their stay
NICE IN FIGURES
- 5th largest French city
- 345 892 inhabitants
- 7 192 hectares
- 7 500 m of beaches
- 300 ha of green areas
- 150 ornamental lakes and fountains
Located in Southern Europe at the south eastern extremity of France, Nice is a privileged crossroads between the Alps, Provence, Corsica and Italy. The city occupies an exceptional natural site in the heart of the French Riviera. It stretches over a coastal plain open southward into the Mediterranean and bounded from East to West by a succession of wooded hills. In the background, rise the first peaks of the Alpine foothills, some reaching over 9000 ft above sea level, only 31 miles (from the coast) as the crow flies…
It's certainly interesting to arrive in Nice by plane, to get an immediate bird's-eye view of the city and the reasons for its very special character. But arriving by train also has its charm : after riding past a wild and rocky coastline, the sumptuous landscape of the Riviera leads you into the heart of Nice. By car, there is of course a wider choice : minor roads, national highways or the motorway, bringing you into the heart of your chosen area of the city (there are five different exits from the motorway which runs round the city from "Nice-Promenade des Anglais" to the west, to "Nice-Est" to the east.
As far as the sea is concerned, it's still the most regal way to arrive ... with that inexpressible joy felt by all sailors when the horizon is suddenly broken by a tiny dot, and that tiny dot gradually transforms itself into Nice, white and opalescent in the morning, pink and mauve in the afternoon.
- By air
- By road
- By coach
- By train
- By Boat
The Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport is the second largest in France. More than 10 million passengers travel through each year (of which 49% are from overseas) and it represents an ideal gateway to the South of Europe.
45 airlines make 82 direct connections to 27 countries worldwide and operate a large number of daily flights to and from 30 other French cities. With over 300 flights a week and some 45 daily flights, the Paris-Nice route is the busiest in France
NICE FRENCH RIVIERA AIRPORT
06281 Nice cedex 3
Tel. switchboard : 0820 423 333
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 21 30 29
Flight information: 08 36 69 55 55
(00 33 4 898 898 28 from the International)
Internet : www.nice.aeroport.fr
AIRPORT/CITY CENTRE CONNECTIONS by regular bus services and taxi
AGENCE ST2N
Tél : 00 33 (0) 8 1006 1006
CENTRAL TAXI RIVIERA
24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7
Tél. : 33 (0)4 93 13 78 78
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 13 78 79
Reservations, season tickets, taxi vouchers.
AUTO NICE TRANSPORT
Chemin des Ecoles - ZI Lingostière, 06200 Nice
Contact : Frédéric Marandon
Tel. : 33 (0)4 92 29 88 88
Fax : 33 (0)4 92 29 88 81
Direct route "Airport-Nice" : Airport/city centre/bus station, via the Promenade des Anglais. Price : 3,51 Euros (one way + including free transport for 1 hour on the city bus network). Bus N° 99
Departures from Terminals 1 and 2, every 20 minutes, between 6am and 11.40 pm.
This service provides a connection between the airport and the city centre and stops at certain hotels on the Promenade des Anglais.
AIRPORT/RIVIERA CONNECTIONS by regular bus and helicopter services
Transport information:
Tel. : 33 (0)4 93 21 30 83
Regular bus services connect to the main towns of South-Eastern France and the Italian Riviera from the airport (Sophia Antipolis, Cannes, Fréjus,Saint-Raphaël, Hyères, Toulon, Marseille,Aix-en-Provence, Monaco, Menton, Imperia, Albenga, Savona, Genoa).
HELICOPTER SERVICES
Nice Hélicoptères
Nice Côte d’Azur , 06281 Nice Cedex 3
Tel. : 33 (0)4 93 21 34 32
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 21 35 64
Contact : Annie-Claire Benchimol
Transfers to/from cannes during congress periods, First flights, Panoramics flights and Charter flights all destinations on request.
Héli Air Monaco
Tel. : 04 93 21 34 95
Fax : + 377 92 05 76 17
Contact : Christine Cane
Regular flights to Monaco all year round ; Saint-Tropez (June to September).
Héli Air Incoming Service
Nice Côte d’Azur , 06281 Nice Cedex 3
Tel. : 33 (0)4 89 98 50 18
Fax : 33 (0)4 89 98 50 19
Contact : Anne Massa
Val Air
Tel : 33 (0)4 93 98 51 06
Contact : Bernard Mac Burnil
Monacair
Tél : 33 (0) 493 21 80 86
Fax : +377 97 97 39 09
Contact : Stephanie Micheau
EXPRESS COACH SERVICE NICE-GENOA
Phocéens Cars
2, place Masséna, 06000 Nice
Contact : Julien Peglion
Tel. : 33 (0)4 93 85 66 61
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 56 97 52
Departures from both Terminals, 3 daily trips Nice-Genoa in 2 h 30, with the possibility of connections to the Italian Ligura
Individual rates :
One way : 19,82 Euros / person
Same day return : 25,61 Euros / person
Nice interconnects with major European cities via an extensive motorway network. The city is linked by the A8 "La Provençale" to Aix-en-Provence on the west and the Italian border on the east.
It takes approximately 9 hours to drive from Paris to Nice by motorway.
| International connections | National connections | |
Athens : 2 597 km |
|
Bordeaux : 810 km |
Amsterdam : 1 358 km |
|
Le Havre : 1 135 km |
Berlin : 1 375 km |
|
Lille : 1 157 km |
Brussels : 1 280 km |
|
Lyon : 440 km |
Geneva : 485 km |
|
Marseille : 190 km |
London : 1 329 km |
|
Nantes : 1 160 km |
Luxemburg : 1 110 km |
|
Paris : 931 km |
Madrid : 1 315 km |
|
Perpignan : 471 km |
Rome : 695 km |
|
Strasbourg : 953 km |
Vienna : 1 179 km |
|
Toulouse : 560 km |
CENTRE RÉGIONAL D’INFORMATIONS ROUTIÈRES
(information on road and traffic conditions)
Tel. : 33 (0)8 36 68 20 00
33 (0)4 91 78 78 78
Minitel : 3615 ROUTE
To reach the city centre :
The motorway provides direct access to the neighbourhood of your choice, with 5 exits :
exit n° 50 : promenade des Anglais(plan B5)
exit n° 51 : Saint-Augustin (plan B4)
exit n° 52 : Saint-Isidore (plan B2)
exit n° 54 : Nice-Nord (plan I1)
exit n° 55 : Nice-Est (plan L1)
PARKING FOR COACHES
There are regulations for parking coaches in the city of Nice, with special parking areas near the city centre.
Parking Ferber - 70 coaches
Promenade des Anglais/Promenade Edouard Corniglion-Molinier - Nice
Tél. : (0033) (0)4 93 83 27 62
70 park spaces- kept 24/24
Fees :
1 hour : 3 euros
5 hours : 15 euros
package 24 hours : 30 euros
Sulzer :
Rue Saint-François de Paule
Located on the Promenade des Anglais near the Old City and the Place Massena
Item downtime for the removal and boarding Passenger - limited to 30 min
Open from Monday to Saturday - 08.10am to 07.50pm (closed on Saturday) - Free parking.
Parking de Lattre de Tassigny
Esplanade de Lattre de Tassigny
70 park spaces non kept
Until 31 August 2008, the park de Lattre de Tassigny is open, for free access and for the exclusive use of coaches.
MORE INFORMATION :
Direction Réglementation des Espaces
Tél : + 33 (0) 4 97 13 26 51
Fax : + 33 (0) 4 97 13 46 07
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COACH SERVICES
Regular connections from abroad (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Great-Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic) and France..
For further information, contact :
GARE ROUTIÈRE NICE CÔTE D'AZUR (coach station)
5, boulevard Jean-Jaurès, 06300 Nice
Tél. : 33 (0)4 93 85 03 90
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 62 39 44
AGENCE INTERCARS EUROLINES (coach station)
5, boulevard Jean-Jaurès, 06300 Nice
Tél. : 33 (0)4 93 80 08 70
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 80 42 20
PHOCEEN CARS
2 Place Masséna, 06000 Nice
Tel : 33 (0) 493 85 66 61
Fax : 33 (0) 493 13 82 01
La SNCF (French National Railway Company) provides 11 regular connections from abroad and 20 daily connections with the largest cities in France. The T.G.V. (high-speed train) links Paris to Nice in 5 1/2 hours.
Direct daily connections : 4 to 5 in summer, 2 in winter. Acar-train" service is available between major French cities : vehicules are conveyed at the same time as their owners, who travel in "couchettes"
GARE SNCF (Main railway station)
Avenue Thiers
06000 Nice
Information :
Tel. : 33 (0)4 92 14 81 32
Fax : 33 (0)4 92 14 80 20
Internet : www.sncf.fr
Minitel : 3615 SNCF
Info trafic : 33 (0)8 36 67 68 69
Possibility of reserving a rental vehicule for your customers for their arrival at Nice station.
Information and reservations
Tel. : 33 (0)8 05 32 53 25
The SNCF also offers a " train + hotel " package from the main stations in France which includes the return trip by train and a hotel reservation in Nice.
The T.G.V. (high speed train) links Paris to Nice in 5.25 hours.
Daily direct connections :
4 to 5 in summer, 2 in winter.
An " auto-train " service operates between main French cities : vehicules can be transported at the same time as their owners who can travel in train-couchettes.
CHEMINS de FER de PROVENCE
Information
4bis Avenue Alfred Binet
06007 Nice Cedex 1
Tél. : 33 (0)4 97 03 80 87
Fax : 33 (0)4 97 03 80 81
4 daily connections Digne-Nice in 3 h 10.
Departures from Digne at 7 am, 10.33 am , 1. 58 pm , 5.25 pm.
Group rates : for over 15 persons
Excursions for groups (in nature, cultural or gourmet escapades)
Tourist Information Office
(located next to the station entrance)
Open 7 days a week :
from 16th June to 14th September : 8.000 am - 8.00 pm (7.00 pm on sunday).
from 15th September to 15th June : 8.00 am – 7.00 pm (9.am - 6.00 pm on sunday).
Located in the heart of the city, the Port of Nice is made up of a 10-ha basin, 7 ha of platforms and some ten wharves, six of them for commercial use.Situated at just 4 miles from the Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport and a few minutes on foot from the city's main tourist attractions (Old Nice, Place Massena, shopping areas, Acropolis Convention Centre...)
CAPITAINERIE DU PORT DE COMMERCE
Quai Île-de-Beauté - 06300 Nice
Tél. : 33 (0)4 93 89 50 85
33 (0)4 92 00 42 68
Fax : 33 (0)4 92 04 95 93
CAPITAINERIE DU PORT DE PLAISANCE
Tél. : 33 (0)4 92 00 42 14
Fax : 33 (0)4 92 00 42 10
CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE
Quai Amiral-Infernet - 06300 Nice
Contact : M. Weil
Depuis la France :Tél. : 0820 425 555 (0,12 Euro/mn)
Depuis l'étranger : Tél. : 33 (0) 820 425 555 ou 334 898 898 28
Internet : www.riviera-ports.com
PILOT BOAT
Tél. : 33 (0)4 93 55 24 41
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 89 63 87
Mandatory for units over 50 m.
MARITIME CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NICE AND CORSICA
With 2 083 rotations and over 780 000 passengers in 2001, the Port of Nice became the second port in terms of passenger turnover for Corsica in 1997. Two companies provide services to and from the island offering up to 8 departures a day in high season either on traditional ferries (the crossing takes between 6 and 8 hours, night crossings also available) or on high-speed ferries which reduce the crossing time to between 2 1/2 - 3 hours.These new ferries or NGV make day trips to Corsica now possible.
CORSICA FERRIES
Quai Amiral-Infernet - 06300 Nice
Contact : M. Roland Ferrari
Tél. : 33 (0)825 09 50 95
Fax : 33 (0)495 32 14 71
High speed ferries "Corsica Express".
Rotations from April to November.
SNCM FERRYTERRANÉ
Gare maritime - Quai du Commerce
06359 Nice Cedex 4
Contact : M. Mariani
Tel. : 33 (0)4 93 13 66 66
33 (0)4 93 13 66 99
Fax : 33 (0)4 93 13 66 81
N.G.V. (high speed ferries) and traditional ferries.
Rotations all year round.
Bus and tramway services
The transport network of the "Communauté d'Agglomération Nice Côte d'Azur" (24 towns) offers :
- over 40 day-time bus routes
- Noctambus : 4 night-time routes
- the tramway : the line 1 provides a north/east connection passing through the city centre by the avenue Jean Médecin and the Place Massena.
- a single ticket (bus/tram)
- numerous connections
- the first free passenger parking service
The public transport system is very dense and provides connections to all parts of the city.
Tel + 33 497 25 89 36
For more information : www.lignedazur.com
RATES
Tickets sold onboard busses :
- Ticket Voyage Solo : 1,00 Euros
- Pass 1 day : 4,00 Euros (unlimited travel for 1 day)
- Pass 7 jours : 15,00 Euros (unlimited travel for 7 consecutive days)
Tickets sold in the various sales points :
- Ticket Multi : 10,00 Euros (10 journeys)
NOCTAMBUS SERVICE
Departures every 30 minutes from Station Jean-Claude Bermond, from 9.10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays (8.10 pm Sundays and Bank Holidays).
Departures every hour from 10.10 pm from Monday to Thursday.
Service until 01.10 am
Tickets sold onboard busses
Car-parks
Since 1 July 2008, 7 car parks offer 80 minutes of parking : see the conditions in the car parks concerned ...
The ideal way of discovering a town is simply to walk. So forget your car ! In most parts of Nice, you will find numerous car-parks : take the time to note the different rates for car-parks that are often not that much further away from your destination ...
Nice has the advantage of an exceptionnal micro-climate which has contributed to its worldwide renown for almost 200 years. Although the city opens onto the sea, Nice is protected from the wind by the surrounding hills and the Estérel mountains to the west, and the north-western barrier of the Mercantour Alps. The sea breezes give a mild climate in winter and reduce the heat in the summer.
It is not unusual to lunch outdoors in the Cours Saleya in a T-shirt in February, while the rest of France is shivering in the cold !
Average monthly temperatures
* period 1961-1990, **period 1988-1996
| Month | Air* | Sea** |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8,7 °C | 13,6 °C |
| February | 9,4 °C | 13,1 °C |
| March | 10,9 °C | 13,3 °C |
| April | 13,2 °C | 14,2 °C |
| May | 16,4 °C | 17,2 °C |
| June | 19,9 °C | 20,4 °C |
| July | 22,9 °C | 23,8 °C |
| August | 23 °C | 25,2 °C |
| September | 20,5 °C | 22,5 °C |
| October | 17 °C | 19,9 °C |
| November | 12,4 °C | 17,3 °C |
| December | 9,6 °C | 14,9 °C |
Source : Météo France, Centre Départemental de Météorologie des Alpes-Maritimes.
MEtEo France
Weather reports by phone .
Tel. : 33 (0)8 36 68 08 08
- Preferred Form
- Changing
- Tipping
- Money Tips
- Currency Notes
- Currency Coins
- Banks
Credit and debit cards are convenient and relatively secure. Visa and MasterCard (Access or Eurocard) are widely accepted; AmEx cards are useful at more upmarket establishments. In general, all three cards can be used in shops, supermarkets, for train travel, car rentals, autoroute tolls and cash advances. Don't assume that you can pay for a meal or a budget hotel with a credit card - inquire first.
The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.
Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.
The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €40.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €80.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.
Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Banks are generally open from 8.30am to 11.45am and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday.
Closed on official holidays.
Telephone number to report loss or theft of major bank cards:
American Express : tel. 01 47 77 72 00
Carte Bleue Visa : tel. 01 42 77 11 90
Diner’s : tel. 01 49 06 17 17
Eurocard Mastercard : tel. 01 45 67 84 84
Telephone number to report loss or theft of cheque books : tel.08 36 68 32 08
CURRENCY EXCHANGE SERVICES
A.A. CHANGE
10 av Félix Faure : tel. 04 93 80 36 67
Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 12.30am and from 2pm to 5.30 pm.
AMERICAN EXPRESS
11 prom des Anglais : tel. 04 93 16 53 53
October to April : 7 days a week from 9am to 8pm
May to September : 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm
July-August until 10pm
Except holidays : from 10am to 6pm
AU CHANGE OPERA
1 rue St-François de Paule : tel. 04 93 80 86 00
Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm
Sundays in summer from 9am to 1pm
B.P.C.A.
Nice Airport: tel. 04 93 21 39 50
From 10am to 12am and from 1.15pm to 4.45pm
CHANGE GAMBETTA
2 bd Gambetta: tel : 04 93 88 55 78
Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm - closed Sundays
CHANGE OR/OFFICE PROVENCAL
7 Av Thiers: tel.04 93 88 56 80
From 7am to midnight every day including holidays
10 rue de France- 04 93 82 16 55
From 9am to 6pm every day including holidays
CHEQUE POINT
11 Pl Masséna : tel. 04 93 62 34 15
From Monday to Saturday and holidays : summer from 9am to 7pm, winter from 9am to 6pm
COFIMA
2 Rue de France 04 93 87 12 31
Open every day – Sunday mornings in winter, all day in summer.
COMPTOIR FINANCIER SAUCLIERES
82 62
From Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm, Saturdays from 9am to 12.15am except holidays
THOMAS COOK
12 av de Thiers : tel. 04 93 82 13 00
- Museums & Galleries
- Parks & Gardens
- Shopping
- Beaches
After Paris, Nice is the french city with the largest number of museums and galleries.
Free admission in all municipal museums from July 1st, 2008 ! (except the Chagall Museum which is a national museum)
Out in the sun, at last !
Or maybe under a parasol… Choose between 15 pleasant and comfortable private beaches, and well kept public beaches, wipe open and free for all to use. The sea water is checked regularly and has a good rating according to European standards. The private beaches all propose (from April to October) mattresses, parasols, changing cabins and showers.
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