Are There Neighborhoods in Nice, France Without Dog Poop On The Sidewalks. Nice is Filthy

Do not be discouraged and try not to fall into one of these traps installed in Nice for a few days

https://www.jellypages.com/education/in-nice-a-street-artist-traps-tourists-with-his-giant-mousetraps-h145685.html

Nothing like the smell of dog poop for a morning walk. I recall the streets and allies of Heidelberg and other German cities smelling quite pungent due to men peeing on the streets. That was rough in August. Not sure why they couldn't use a bathroom like they're in a civilization or anything.

Nice is perfect for a day trip. We visited several times while living in Germany. Back then (1980s) I don't remember the poop at all.

We never have had problems staying in Nice but since you aren’t happy there consider moving to Antibes or Cap Ferrat.

Wow, that's not the Nice I visited in 2019. In fact, it will likely be one of our first retirement destinations in the next few years for a month long stay.

There are other lesser known towns along the Côte d'Azur that are nicer. I concur that Nice and Cannes are too touristy.

Generally speaking, I am also not a fan of staying in Nice for some of the reasons you articulate.
Particularly so because the little villages along the coast to the east are so charming.

Sorry to hear you are not having a good time. The air quality has improved -- it probably suffered due to the heat wave and a shift in air patterns. I would see if Antibes or Beaulieu-sur-Mer might suit you, but probably the air issues are not restricted to Nice, they tend to depend on the weather shifts. You may find dog poop everywhere in France, even in the smallest of villages. I don't know about Victor Hugo, but the street sweepers come through the major streets in the center and literally wash the streets. You are on the edge of the Carre d'Or, which is actually one of the prime neighborhoods but it really gets better as you move east and towards the water. Gambetta used to be a major transit street up to the train station and the mix of businesses are not my favorite. (Various streets in the quarter may be under renovation as they are taking out traffic lanes and replacing them with green strips and bike lanes.) If you are looking for other neighborhoods in Nice, Mont Boron and Cimiez are the other prime residential neighborhoods outside of the center. But they lack the services and access.

If you went to the Casino at Gambetta and Marechal Joffre, it does tend to get overrun. You might try to one to the north of the Jardin Alsace Jordan and see if it is less overrun. But if you are just looking for takeaway foods, I would head instead to smaller shops, delis and takeaway restaurants (but not on Gambetta).

We spent 5 nights in Nice in April of 2022 and didn’t experience any of your complaints.

Gloster, thank you for your response. Can you recommend any boulangeri and patisserie in the area that may make the experience more enjoyable? Merci

We spent 5 nights in Nice this past May and did not have the same experience. I find Nice to be lovely town.

Wow--that is not the Nice that I remember from 2013 and 2016. I thought it was a wonderful city. We had friends living there at the time and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm another one who was surprised, but things change...

Have you looked at Villefranche-sur-Mer or Menton? Both are lovely and might be a good "downshift" from Nice.

How wedded are you to the idea of staying on the coast? Is that the main reason you picked Nice? I ask because while we were there, we actually found the mountains to be as enjoyable as the seaside. We did a few excursions up into the mountains instead of going down to the sea. One favorite was Entrevaux. It might be the kind of change of scenery/venue you're looking for...

that's not a description of Nice I would recognize during any of my nearly annual visits right up to covid. But then again I have recently read and heard of recent descriptions of San Francisco California that were completely opposite to how I experienced Baghdad by the Bay in the days of Herb Caen when I lived there...

You can't really blame the air quality on the city can you? Kind of like New York and the Canadian wildfires isn't it?

History traveler, we are not set on being near the sea, and in fact would probably prefer a lake in the mountains at this point. Thank you for the recommendation. I must admit, that the original post may be biased because I am not particularly fond of cities.

I am so sorry your vacation is not turning out the way you’d hoped. Could you share what you were looking for when you picked Nice?It would help with suggestions for a different location.

We spent 3 days there a month ago, but stayed in the area between (basically) Place Massena and the big park on the hill where Chateau de Nice is located. The street running alongside the beach is much narrower then where I think you are and there is more pedestrian traffic. There are lots of tourists during the day, but it calms down a little at night. Nice is a busy place, but the area of town where we stayed had lots of restaurants. It might require a little digging on restaurant reviews to find what you are looking for. Are you using local transportation or are you driving? We got a day pass and used the local tram and bus to get to the Chagall and Matisse museums.

Hoping things get better for you.

@synapes -- two boulangeries are Armand (Rue de Congres/Rue de France, also a selection of pastries and sandwiches) and Bio Brod (on Rue de France, completely organic, basically the owner and his wife. The are one of the few places that offer a full selection of gluten free offerings). Le Canet for pastries (on Gambetta) is an exception of the don't stop on Gambetta rule. Multari is not my favorite (the boulangerie closest to you). If you are looking for a quick sandwich, Pan (near Z Restaurant) has some very good sandwiches. It is on Meyerbeer, close to the Prom.

If you want to get out of the urban city and into nature, you can:
a. Take the Train de Merveilles to Tende or Saorge. Buy a day pass and it will cover the return trip. The morning departure (9:08) has a narrator on the last several cars who will give a commentary. Take the train back and stop off at any of the other villages en route. Or take the Train des Pignes/Chemin de Fer de Provence to Entrevaux. This leaves from the Gare du Sud.

b. Take the the coastal walk around Cap d'Antibes or the one around Cap Ferrat, if you are active. There is also a great hike up Mt Boron all the way up to Fort Alban, with views up and down the coast. This can still be very hot.

c. Take the Ferry from Nice to Ste Marguerite or from Cannes to St Honorat. Both are part of the Leyrin Islands. Bring a picnic lunch or make sure you get a lunch reservation. St. Honorat has a monastery, a tower and vinyard. Ste. Marguerite is mostly wild, except for the small village, and has remote beaches.

Some other inland villages that may appeal include Mougins, Tourettes-sur-Loup, Gourdon. But these are someone tough to reach with public transport. Menton, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, St. Paul de Vence (can get very packed) are towns/villages that are more accessible.

I spent 2 weeks in Nice in May 2017. I absolutely felt I had to keep one eye on the sidewalk as I walked around that city. I've never seen so many dogs out and about; it would have taken only a tiny percentage of law-flouting owners to create a significant problem, based on the large number of dogs.

Gloster, merci beaucoup. We will explore your recommendations! We ventured to the old town of Vence yesterday and enjoyed it. Today was to the Matisse museum where we enjoyed the look at some of his processes that the museum seems to highlight. Then to Cap Ferrat for a bite to eat, a walk, and three of us went for a swim, and then a drive up to Eze at dusk and to see the lights.

Where I live in the south, we had a week or two where I thought my neighborhood was going to the dogs' s*it. Then it stopped. Some people coming through just let their dogs go wherever. Then this group moved on and we're normal again. It takes only a few and it accumulates over a few days.

Sounds like you’ve decided to stay and are enjoying some of what Nice and the area has to offer. I was going to say, if i was unhappy somewhere, i would leave… which i have done. Does not matter if other people on this forum love it.

Hopefully you’ve gotten the support you were looking for here and will enjoy staying if that’s what you decide to do.

Susan, yes we can find enjoyment fairly easily. Nonetheless, we booked 10 days here, and may still leave.

We've visited Nice twice and will be back mid-September. Obviously, we love it. I loaned my book on France to a friend who will hopefully return before our trip. We always enjoy Le Promenade des Anglais, Old Nice, and Castel Plage. Would love a few suggestions as we want to branch out but are also looking to walk or take the tram.

This is a specific question, but are there any hikes that are shaded by trees in the Nice region? I see trees on the hillsides, just not sure if there are hiking trails that pass through them... Merci beaucoup

Nice TI can answer the above question no problem. If there are trails they will have a map for you.

but are there any hikes that are shaded by trees in the Nice region?

Don't know how much of a 'hike' it is, but I walked/climbed up to the park on castle hill. I seem to remember most of the walk was shaded by trees but that was quite a while ago so I could be mis-remembering it. Here's the info on it. It was a hot day when I walked up there but it wasn't too bad. There's nice views from up there and when I was there (2012) there was an archeological dig up there - not sure what the status is on that now. It's not a long hike or anything but it was nice.

Hi synapse, what about a day trip to Monaco? It’s only about a 30 minute bus ride from Nice. Some different scenery, and cute streets and shops to peruse. There’s a castle, beautiful garden, the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are buried, and the Oceanography museum.

It's going to be 90 in Nice tomorrow. Not a good day for a walk. BTW, going east to Mention is even hotter.

Thank you Nancy, we will look at Castle hill park. Hank, I did an online search for Nice TI and didn't come up with a definitive website. What does the TI stand for? Thank you

Tourist Info

If you google: Nice France Tourist Office, it shows three locations on the map. One of these is the Nice Visitors Center which it looks like is open 24 hrs. They may be able to help you.

As of 2017 there was a very helpful tourist information office in a free-standing building in front of the Nice Ville (main) train station.

I would never go to Europe for a seaside experience (except Croatia and Greece). US beaches are so much better. I also lived in southern France for a year (Montpellier) and I remember going to other parts of Europe and being able to look up as I walked instead of down at my feet to ensure that I didn't step in poo.

If I were you, I'd change locations and stay somewhere in Provence.

Unfortunately, when we went to Chartres about 10 years ago, we saw some lovely doggy-doo throughout our walk. However, not all French are like this. We were walking in a park when an owner let his dog poop on the path. A biker who was riding by noticed, got off his bike and started yelling at the dog owner. I don't know French but the argument got heated and we assumed by the biker's gesture he was telling off the owner for leaving the poop.

I have (politely) told off dog owners in many parts of France for not cleaning up after their dog, they get embarrassed and claim they don’t have a bag with them. In telling them off and shaming them my hope is they’ll never not clean up after their dog again. It is the one thing about France that really annoys me.

Synapse that all sounds like a lot on you. Trying to do the planning with a lot else going on at the same time. I plan a lot of trips for other people, and it's tough feeling like you are responsible for what's not so nice. Hang in there and try to find ways to have fun.

Shoot us back some reports of good times you're having if that happens for you🙂

Ugh, regarding the dog poop. Unfortunately there can be inconsiderate people all over including in U.S. cities. Along with being inconsiderate I think many are uninformed of the health hazards ( runs off to the oceans contributing to bacteria which causes red tides and harms sea life, can carry diseases such as parvo and distemper which other dogs can get). We had a real problem in my California community recently until the powers that be sent information to educate the neighbors and reminded us of the local rules and laws.

Hopefully the OP will enjoy getting out of his current neighborhood and have some cleaner pathways.

Way back in 2015, Avignon had poop bag receptacles all over the place. I confess to stealing a couple because they were so darn cute. The bags had a graphic of a dog "in the position" with "Pour le Chien" in case you couldn't figure it out.

Reporting that we traveled to Menton today on the A8, but returned on the Moyenne Corniche road which offered great views. While in Menton we went to the main beach area and two of us swam for about an hour. Menton was a better beach area than Nice (but still with the busy road right next to the beach). Menton's architecture was not nearly as impressive as that of Nice. It was the return home that was truly inspiring. We made an unplanned stop at Eze around 7pm and as we were walking through Eze village encountered a hostess at her helm. I realized it was the "bar" section of the Michelin starred Chevre d'Or restaurant. While we were not prepared to fund such a meal, the bar consisting of very light dishes and a drink menu was a possibility. We asked if they had room and she checked and returned to walk us through to a terrace. There happened to be four "front row" seats to a truly amazing view. We order a couple of light items and stayed for an hour and half just enjoying everything until the lights of St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Villefranche, and Nice began to flicker, along with some of the boat lights on the sea several hundred feet below and off the coast several hundred feet. The lighting before sunset was such that you truly could not discern between the blue sea and the sky, in a way that it seemed the boats might have been floating a hazy blue air. It was mesmerizing and wonderful.

Glad you had a wonderful exeperience in Eze. The terrace does have a wonderous view.

Since you have a car, you can take the loop from Vence through to Tourettes sur Loup and Gourdon. Below, in the Gorge du Verdon, there is a mostly shaded path but there are also several eddies that provide a swimming pool experience. Up above, past Gourdon, at the Lavanderaie de Marie is a wild garden with look out points over the gorge. It is planted out by the Galimard perfume family.

Closer in, the walks around Mont Boron up to Fort Alban are mostly shaded (especially to the Batterie). There is a parking lot about halfway up to cut down on the hot climb, and the paths that wind around are mostly shaded. However, Fort Alban is exposed, after you get past the section around Elton John's estate.

You can also drive in the Mercantour National Park and go hiking. It will be much cooler., even above the ridgeline.

Thanks to Gooster for the recommendation for Armand Boulangerie on Rue France. It was a nice operation with a good selection. Coincidentally we had something from Multari on Gambetta today too. Any recommendations for dinner spots? We can't afford Michelin starred establishments, but would like something better than the average restaurant found on Gambetta or Rue Massena.
Thank you in advance for any ideas!

We are here twice in 2019, best lasagna I've ever had.
https://lu-francalin.fr/

Sorry I missed your request on restaurants.... Le Sejour is good for bistrot food as is the newer Alchimie, if you want to stay close. You'll need reservations at all of these. Perhaps try Franchin. In Vieux Nice try Bistrot d'Antoine, Comptoir du Marche, Bar des Oiseaux or Olive et Artichaut. Sundays your choices will diminish. Of the beach restaurants, le Galet is solid.

A general rule for restaurants, avoid those directly on Rue Massena or on the major squares in Vieux Nice, with certain exceptions. The side streets seem to attract restaurants that put in the effort year-round.

Thanks for the recommendations, we will report back!

It is something that I have not observed in many US cities, and certainly draws your attention away from other things as you look down more than should be necessary. I was also surprised at some of the trash, but it seems that may have been a bad first impression as a result of the immediate area and grocery stores we had seen (Gambetta south of Victor Hugo) We have observed several neighborhoods, including in our vicinity of the Carre d'Or that are doing fine.
Nonetheless, I am enjoying Nice more than any US city I have been to....