France Azur Excursions

Nice, France, along the Côte d'Azur - the complete movie

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We are taking you to Nice along the beautiful shores of the French Riviera. We will walk the little lanes and look at some shops, we will show you the beach, the open market Cours Saleya and bring you on a walking tour through the old town. We will be spending three days in Nice, because there is so much to see in the city and also in the nearby towns along the Côte d'Azur. This is a longer version of three previously uploaded movies.
The south coast of France along the sunny Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s most beautiful destinations dotted with colorful seaside towns and inland villages. You'll find that Nice makes the perfect home base from which you can easily reach those other destinations like Cannes and Monaco. Nice has got the biggest collection of hotels, it's got a wonderful old town, a very attractive new town, great transportation with the tram and the major train station and just a beautiful place to be.
One of the great street markets of France is located here in the wide Cours Saleya. This plaza features fresh produce and flowers throughout the day and many the stalls are open right into the early evening, except on Mondays when it becomes an antique market and some other used goods peddled by colorful vendors.
Just inland from the Cours Saleya you'll find the Old Town of Nice. For many visitors it will be the highlight of the city, wandering through these narrow pedestrian lanes lined with historic buildings and shops, lots of restaurants, bars, town squares with fountains and statues, a church here and there. It's just a great spot to explore and hang out. The old town consists of narrow labyrinths, not really streets, more of a maze with blocks of shops of every kind along these narrow twisting lanes.
The old town of Nice is something very special - not so much because of historic monuments or great churches or important single buildings that are inside the old town, but just the total atmosphere, the environment, the simple walking lanes, the shops and the people. There are actual locals living here, there are kids out playing, the residents are upstairs looking down from their windows and you really get a feeling of community here, of authenticity, especially in the off-season when it's not too crowded with tourists walking through the lanes - that helps quite a bit.
You'll find souvenir shops with the typical Provençal items especially the colorful fabrics and the pottery. There's also lots of food in the stores, go for the cookies maybe. We’re just rolling along together, this is part of our visit to the south of France a small group of us traveling together and sharing in the sites.
We especially enjoyed the local cuisine of this casual restaurant. They specialize in crepes and socca and salads and that's really all you need for a very nice lunch. Creperie Breton.
We're also going to have a look at the very attractive downtown of Nice. We'll take you down the main shopping street, show you some of the side lanes and do a little winetasting.
You'll obviously take time to explore Nice’ s main commercial Street, Avenue Jean Medicin, stretching about 10 blocks from Place Massena north to the train station and packed with many boutiques and anchored at the lower end by the large department store, Galleries Lafayette.
This is the kind of really local and authentic neighborhood that's often overlooked by typical guidebooks and video tours, but this is really part of the heart and soul of Nice. This is where locals hang out, where they go shopping, where they get a bite to eat, go to the café, have a beer, which makes it a good place for shopping and for people-watching.
It's so amazing how these pedestrian streets have transformed the cities of Europe. Just a decade ago these kinds of streets would've been filled with cars and trucks in pollution and noise, and the movement swept through the continent to convert these little streets in the heart of the town into pedestrian malls.
Then we're taking you to an evening viewpoint to watch the sunset along the shore, and then up to the top of Castle Hill for a spectacular view looking down over the town.
To get this view you walk along the east end of the waterfront promenade on the Quais des Etats Unit, and to the end you'll have this rocky outcrop with a terrace, with a commanding view looking back along the pebbly beach of Nice.
See more Nice movies in our playlist

Shore Excursion - Highlights of Nice | Cannes, France

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Relax during your scenic drive from Cannes to Nice. As you enter the city, you'll drive along the Promenade des Anglais, a splendid palm lined boulevard stretching three miles along the Baie des Anges. You'll pass landmarks such as the legendary Negresco, an imposing hotel with a Rococo façade and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral made with pink bricks, gray marble and vivid ceramics. Then arrive in Old Nice as you visit the city where tall houses, bright with flowers or drying laundry, shade the sun and keep the streets cool.


Here you'll enjoy your walk on Cours Saleya, the elegant promenade of Old Nice, lined with shops and restaurants and with the famous flower market thats held here. Your drive continues passing the Regina Hotel to Cimiez Hill, a sophisticated part of Nice with many large villas. Pass the Franciscan Monastery, gardens and Roman arenas, before joining the highway back to Cannes.


Note: There is approximately 1 mile of walking on relatively flat terrain.