Last updated August 29, 2026

View from Castle Hill over Vieux Nice's red-tiled rooftops, the curve of the Baie des Anges, and the Promenade des Anglais

Spike / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

France

Where to Stay in Nice

Nice is the largest city on the French Riviera, curved around the Baie des Anges on France's Mediterranean coast. The Promenade des Anglais runs the length of the bay, backed by grand Belle Époque hotels like the pink-domed Négresco, while Vieux Nice's pastel streets and Cours Saleya market sit just behind it at the foot of Castle Hill. The beaches are covered in smooth pebbles rather than sand, but the water is clear and the setting is hard to beat. Nice also works well as a base for the wider Côte d'Azur — Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, and Menton are all a short, scenic train ride along the coast.

Quick facts

Best time to visit
May, June, and September are the best months — warm enough to swim, without the peak-summer crowds and prices. July and August are hottest and busiest, when the beaches and Promenade fill up and hotel rates peak. Winter is mild rather than warm, rarely freezing, but many beach clubs close for the season and swimming isn't really an option.
Renting a car
Skip a rental car if you're staying in the center and sticking to the coast — the tram covers the city well, and trains reach most Riviera towns along the water faster than driving, especially in summer traffic. A car starts to make more sense if you want to reach hill villages like Èze or Saint-Paul-de-Vence, or the interior, where train and bus service thins out.

Where to stay

Aerial view over the terracotta rooftops of Vieux Nice, the curving Baie des Anges shoreline, and the Promenade des Anglais

GFreihalter / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Vieux Nice

Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Beach time, Architecture lovers, Nightlife

Palm trees lining the Promenade des Anglais with the pink domes of the Hôtel Négresco in Nice's Carré d'Or district

Zairon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Carré d'Or

Best for: Couples, Luxury travelers, Beach time, Architecture lovers

Compare neighborhoods

AreaBest forAdvantageTrade-off
Vieux NiceFirst-time visitorsAs central as it gets — the beach, the market, and most of the old town's restaurants and sights are all a short walk away.The busiest streets stay noisy into the evening, especially in summer, and rooms in older buildings tend to be small.
Carré d'OrCouplesA quieter, more polished seafront base than Vieux Nice, with easy tram access, the beach right there, and some of the city's best shopping.Fewer budget options and less nightlife on your doorstep than in the old town — you'll want to walk or tram over for that.

Our picks for Nice

A handful of editorial calls across every neighborhood above, not just the highest star rating — see each hotel's own card further down for the full case for and against it.

🏆 Our overall pickPalais Saleya Boutique HôtelVieux Nice💰 Best valueBest Western Premier Hotel RooseveltCarré d'Or❤️ Best for couplesHôtel La Pérouse Nice Baie des AngesVieux Nice✨ Best luxuryHôtel du CouventVieux Nice📍 Best locationPalais Saleya Boutique HôtelVieux Nice

A couple of hotels in Vieux Nice

Vieux Nice is the top-recommended area to stay in Nice.

Palais Saleya Boutique Hôtel

★★★★
  • 🏆 Our overall pick
  • 📍 Best location

Our take A well-placed, character-filled base for exploring Vieux Nice on foot — the old building and central position matter more here than modern polish.

Highlights

  • An 18th-century building near Place du Palais de Justice, at the entrance to Vieux Nice
  • A short walk from the Cours Saleya market, old-town restaurants, and the beach
  • Suite-style rooms with more space than a typical old-town hotel room

What to know

  • Old-town terraces and bars are close, so street-facing rooms can pick up evening noise, especially in summer
Check availability on Booking.com

Hôtel du Couvent

★★★★★
  • ✨ Best luxury
  • 🏛️ Best for architecture & design

Our take A genuinely unusual property for the old town — a decade-long restoration of a 17th-century convent that keeps its garden courtyards and original details rather than a generic 5-star fit-out.

Highlights

  • Built into an actual 17th-century convent, with original flooring and structure preserved
  • Terraced gardens with a lap pool are rare inside Vieux Nice's dense old-town streets
  • Sits just off Place Rossetti, inside the old town rather than on its edge

What to know

  • The old-town setting means a short walk, not a drive, to the door — bags included.
Check availability on Booking.com

Useful travel information

France uses the euro. Nice Côte d'Azur Airport sits about 7km west of the center; tram Line 2 runs directly from the airport into the city center in around 20–25 minutes. Trains along the coast are frequent and reasonably priced, which makes Nice a workable base for day trips to Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, and Menton. Central Nice is generally safe for tourists; the main everyday risks are pickpocketing around the market, the beach, and crowded tram stops, plus unattended bags left on the sand.

Tips

  • Bring water shoes if you plan to swim — Nice's beaches are pebble, not sand, and walking into the water barefoot is uncomfortable for most people.
  • Visit the Cours Saleya market in the morning, when the flower and produce stalls are in full swing — it winds down by early afternoon and closes on Mondays, when an antiques market takes over instead.
  • Buy a multi-trip or day pass for the Lignes d'Azur tram and bus network if you'll be using it more than a couple of times — it works out cheaper than paying per ride.
  • The sea can turn choppy with little warning, especially when the wind picks up — check the beach flags before swimming out.

Frequently asked questions

Where should first-time visitors stay in Nice?
Vieux Nice puts you right by the beach, the market, and the old town's restaurants; the Carré d'Or, just along the Promenade des Anglais, is a quieter, more upscale option that's still an easy walk from the old town.
Is Nice walkable?
Yes — the seafront and old town are flat and compact, and most central sights are within about 20 minutes of each other on foot. The tram covers anything further out.
Are Nice's beaches sandy?
No — they're pebble beaches. Bring water shoes if you plan to swim, since the stones can be uncomfortable underfoot at the shoreline.

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