Nice in 3 days: itinerary, where to eat and what it costs
Three days between the sea, the old town and the villages of the Riviera, with the train to Monaco, socca straight from the oven and checked 2026 prices.
In short. In three days you can see Nice itself on the first (the Promenade, the old town and Castle Hill), Monaco and Èze on the second, and Villefranche and the Cimiez museums on the third. Excluding flights and hotel, budget around €65 per person per day, because almost everything worth seeing in Nice is free (October 2026 prices).
- bus and tram ticket, valid for 74 minutes including transfers
- €1.70
- by regional train from Nice to Monaco
- 25 min
- per person per day, excluding flights and hotel (example)
- €65
Nice is the city the English of the 19th century chose for their winters, and it was they who gave the seafront its name: the Promenade des Anglais. Since 2021 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the ‘Winter Resort Town of the Riviera’, and you can see why in the late afternoon, when the light gilds the ochre façades of the old town.
It’s also a perfect base: Monaco is twenty-five minutes away by train, the perched villages of the coast half an hour, and the city itself has almost no entry fees. The money goes on food, and Nice has dishes you can only eat there.
Where should you stay in Nice on a first visit?
Between the old town and the Promenade. Nice is a city for walking, and the tram links the airport with the centre and the port.
Vieux Nice
The old town, with narrow streets and ochre façades, a stone’s throw from the sea and the Cours Saleya market. Noisy at night.
Promenade and Carré d’Or
Hotels with sea views and the elegant streets just behind the seafront.
Jean Médecin and Libération
The shopping district and the neighbourhood around the Libération market, more affordable and well served by the tram.
The port (Port Lympia)
On the other side of Castle Hill, with fish restaurants and boats to Corsica.
How do you get from the airport to the centre?
The airport sits right by the sea, about 7 km from the centre, and the tram gets you into town in under half an hour.
| Airport | How | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice Côte d’Azur | Tram line 2 to Jean Médecin and Port Lympia, every 7 to 8 minutes on weekdays | under 30 min | €1.70 |
| Nice Côte d’Azur, return | AERO ticket, if you’re flying home from the same airport | return | €10 |
Between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the tram is free.
What can you do in Nice in 3 days?
In Nice, the usual logic is reversed: the day trips are what cost money, and almost everything in the city itself is free. If you can, save Monaco for a weekday.
Morning
Cours Saleya and Vieux Nice
Start at the Cours Saleya market, selling flowers, fruit and vegetables from Tuesday to Sunday; on Mondays, the square is given over to antiques. Then lose yourself in the old town on the way to Place Rossetti and the Baroque cathedral of Sainte-Réparate, and try your first socca of the day.
Afternoon
Castle Hill
Climb up to the Colline du Château by the steps or the lift. There’s no castle at the top (it was razed in 1706), but there is the best view of the Baie des Anges, the one in the photo at the top of this guide, and a waterfall among the pines.
Practical. Free entry.
Evening
Sunset on the Promenade
In the late afternoon, sit on one of the blue chairs along the Promenade des Anglais, which have become a symbol of the city, and watch the sun go down over the bay. For dinner, head back to the old town.
Morning
Monaco
Take the regional train to Monaco Monte-Carlo. Climb up to the Rock, the old town, to see the Prince’s Palace and the cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried, then come down to the harbour, lined with yachts and part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit.
Practical. Train: about 25 minutes, with around 55 trains a day; a single ticket costs about €6 to €7.
Afternoon
Èze
On the way back, stop at Èze, the medieval village perched more than 400 metres above the sea. If your legs are up to it, walk down the Nietzsche Path to Èze-sur-Mer station, the trail where, so they say, the philosopher worked out part of ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’.
Evening
Dinner at the port in Nice
Back in Nice, have dinner at the port, among the fishing boats and the fish restaurants.
Morning
Villefranche-sur-Mer
One train stop from Nice, Villefranche has one of the deepest bays in the Mediterranean and colourful houses around the harbour. The fishermen’s little Chapelle Saint-Pierre was decorated by Jean Cocteau.
Afternoon
Cimiez: Matisse and Chagall
On the hill of Cimiez, the Musée Matisse stands beside the Roman ruins and the monastery in whose cemetery the painter is buried. Further down, the Musée Chagall holds the Biblical Message series.
Evening
Socca and Bellet wine
On your last night, do as the Niçois do: socca straight from the oven and a glass of Bellet, the tiny appellation whose vines grow on the hills of the city itself.
Direct flight from Lisbon to Nice: about 2h25. See the flight estimate for your dates.
What if you have one more day?
With a fourth day, the Riviera carries on in both directions.
Cannes and Antibes
Cannes, with the Croisette and the film festival, and Antibes, with its walled old town and the Musée Picasso, are less than an hour away by regional train.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
The painters’ medieval village, in the hills behind Nice, reached by bus.
Where can you eat well and cheaply in Nice?
Nice’s cooking is more Italian than French, and with good reason: the city only became French in 1860. Hence the pasta, the basil, the chickpea flour and the olive oil in everything. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around €18.
Many of the local dishes are eaten standing up in the street, which saves money: socca, pissaladière and pan bagnat cost a fraction of a sit-down lunch.
- Socca
- A thin pancake of chickpea flour and olive oil, baked in a wood-fired oven, cut with a spatula and sprinkled with pepper. Eat it piping hot.
- Pissaladière
- A tart of slow-cooked onions with anchovies and the small olives of Nice.
- Pan bagnat
- Salade niçoise stuffed into a round bread roll soaked in olive oil. The Niçois beach lunch.
- Salade niçoise
- Served raw: tomato, egg, tuna, olives and anchovies. The local version has no potatoes and no cooked green beans.
- Petits farcis
- Tomatoes, courgettes and onions, stuffed and baked in the oven.
- Ravioli à la niçoise
- Ravioli filled with braised meat and Swiss chard.
How much does a trip to Nice cost?
Nice is expensive for dinner and for sleeping by the sea, but almost everything worth seeing in the city is free: the Promenade, the old town, Castle Hill, the markets.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||
| Solo bus and tram ticket (74 minutes) | €1.70 | Lignes d’Azur |
| AERO ticket, airport return | €10 | Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur |
| Regional train, Nice to Monaco, single | €6 to €7 | SNCF |
| Entry fees | ||
| Castle Hill, the Promenade and the markets | free | Public spaces |
| Eating and drinking (averages) | ||
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €18 | Numbeo |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant, no drinks | €80 | Numbeo |
| Cappuccino | €3.33 | Numbeo |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €7 | Numbeo |
Nice next to Lisbon
| What | Nice | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | €3.33 | €2.70 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €7 | €3 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €18 | €15 |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant | €80 | €55 |
A day in Nice, per person
| Two tram journeys | €3.40 |
|---|---|
| Mid-morning coffee | €3.33 |
| Lunch at an inexpensive restaurant | €18 |
| Dinner (half of a dinner for two) | €40 |
| Total per person | €64.73 |
Example for one adult, with no paid entries, because the sights in the city are free. Excludes flights, hotel and shopping.
Is a travel pass worth it?
For the city, no: almost everything is done on foot and each journey costs €1.70. If you want to combine regional trains and buses with Monaco over several days, there’s the Sud Azur Explore pass, for 3, 7 or 14 days.
What mistakes should you avoid in Nice?
- Going to the beach in flimsy flip-flops: Nice’s beach is pebbles, not sand.
- Having dinner on the Cours Saleya without looking at the prices: the terraces on the square are among the most expensive in the old town.
- Driving to Monaco: the train is faster, and parking there is expensive and difficult.
- Looking for the flower market on a Monday: that day the Cours Saleya is given over to antiques.
- Trusting the cool October air and forgetting the sunscreen: the Riviera sun is deceptive.
When is the best time to visit Nice?
May, June and September are ideal: the sea is already warm and there are fewer people than in July and August. In February there’s the Nice Carnival and, just along the coast, the Menton Lemon Festival.
Winter is mild, which is why the English invented tourist Nice in the first place. In May, Cannes hosts the film festival and Monaco the Grand Prix, and prices rise all along the coast.
Frequently asked questions
- How many days do you need in Nice?
- Three days is enough for the city, Monaco and Èze. With four, you can add Cannes and Antibes.
- How do you get from Nice to Monaco?
- By regional train, in about 25 minutes, with around 55 trains a day. A single ticket costs about €6 to €7.
- Is the beach in Nice sandy?
- No, it’s pebbles. Bring beach shoes.
- How do you get from the airport to central Nice?
- By tram, on line 2, in under 30 minutes, with the €1.70 ticket. For a return trip, the AERO ticket costs €10.
- Is Nice more expensive than Lisbon?
- For food, yes: €18 against €15 for a simple meal and €3.33 against €2.70 for a cappuccino. But almost everything you visit in the city is free.
Sources and price dates
All prices were checked on 2 October 2026 on the pages below. Restaurant and café averages come from Numbeo, which collects prices submitted by people who live and travel there.
Lisbon → Nice, return flight with hotel.
If you don’t have a flight or hotel yet, ask for a quote for your dates. It arrives on WhatsApp within minutes.
Direct flight estimate based on recent market searches. The final price, with hotel, is confirmed by the consultant.
