Beaches in Nice

Assume you are aware that the beaches around Nice are not sandy like Florida and most are topless. We thought they all looked pretty much the same.

Of course. There are sandy and rocky beaches, those with umbrella and beach chair rental service, and steep and shallow beaches. I am looking for this type of information and what specific beaches travelers have tried.

In Nice, people like Le Galet and Beau Rivage private clubs for the food/restaurants. Le Castel is popular for the long view down the Promenade, but the rocks are bigger. (Some operators import sand to put under their chairs) The pebbles get smaller from Voilier Plage and further west. Beaches in general are a mix of public and private areas.

A short train ride to Villefrance-sur-mer yields a large-grain sand beach. The private operator is very good (Deli Bo). It's convenient and the view of the Bay is nice -- the town can get very crowded, especially when a cruise ship unloads.

A short train ride away to Antibes and Juan-les-Pins will yield fluffy sandy beaches. The better ones in Antibes are a bit further away from the old town and train station. The beach at JLP is more convenient from the train station - the beach is long and some clubs can be quite lively (however the town is less charming than the rest). The Cannes beaches are also sandy but can get really crowded. Further west, you have the wonderful (and famous and crowded) Pampelonne Beach at Ramatuelle, a good distance from St. Tropez

Thank you, Gooster, yours is the type of specific information I seek and not flip generalizations. Keep on traveling.

We enjoyed the beach in Villefranche sur Mer on Promenade Des Marinieres. It has very small pebbles and some casual food places across the road. The view from the beach in Villefranche is spectacular and the town is very charming. There are some beautiful walks on St. Jean Cap Ferrat with some small beaches like Plage Passable. The walk behind Hotel Royal Riviera on Promenade Maurice Rouvier - St. Jean Cap Ferrat leads to Plage Cros dei Pin which is a pretty area also. Some of the beaches in Nice had an unpleasant odor and were very rocky, so we did not utilize them.

We were there for two weeks and never saw any beach but those with pebbles. We used the beach at Beau Rivage one time otherwise used public areas to the west near Hotel Negresco. The most beautiful, wide sandy beaches we saw were below Ramateulle where we also stayed.

most are topless. We thought they all looked pretty much the same.

Based on my limited experience with topless beaches, I most assuredly didn't find that "they all looked pretty much the same".

If you want beaches, go to the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Atlantic coast from Long Island to the FLA Keys. If you want to go to EU, don't waste time at the beach. You will not live long enough to see all the worthwhile sights in the EU, and beaches do not make the list.

Oh my, kb1942. Many people enjoy down time at a beach on the Mediterranean. Nancy didn’t say she was planning to spend all her time at the beach, but is looking for recommendations on the most pleasant. The area is known for the sparkling blue warm waters of the Mediterranean, and I for one would not want to be so close without dipping my toes in at least once! I will get my fill of scenery, museums, history, archaeology, architecture, mountains, villages, cities and culture, but will most assuredly get a bit of beach time too!

Nancy, Monte Carlo is a short distance away, and there is a nearby beautiful sand beach called Larvotto you might enjoy.

Beg to differ kb1942

The French beaches along the Atlantic Coast are spectacular for the most part and well worth visiting as are those in Normandy and Brittany where the sand is silky soft and almost endless. Deauville and Trouville come readily to mind. South Florida with the sargassum, fecal matter pollution and flesh eating bacteria is fast fading as a beach visiting location. What's more, along the coasts of France, there is much to sea inland. Not so in Florida.

Flip generalizations???

We also headed to Juan-les-Pins for our beach day a few years ago when my friend and I stayed a few days in Nice. We were happy with our experience there — easy to get to from the train station, and we rented beach loungers for the day.