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Need some advice on itinerary for a family trip to Nice in December

Posted by (Minnesota) on

I am planning an eight day trip to Nice at the end of December (12/27 to 1/5). We will be traveling with my husband and our three kids (2 college students and one high schooler). We will be staying in Nice. Our kids are very active and always looking for an adventure, followed by good food. They enjoy walking around towns or quick stops at museums/churches/historical sites. We do not plan to rent a vehicle, but may hire a driver one day. Otherwise, we will rely on buses, trainings, and walking.

Thanks to this forum and Rick Steves' book, here is what I have so far. What am I missing? Where else should we consider a day trip? Other recommendations or tweaks? Any suggestions on the order?

Day one (arrival): Nice Christmas Market and dinner in Old Town.
Day two: One of Rick Steve's walks in Nice in the morning, Castle Hill and Nice food tour in late afternoon/evening.
Day three: Day trip to Antibes-Cannes
Day four: Train/bus to Monte Carlo in AM, Eze in afternoon (is there enough time to fit in Chemin de Nietzsche hike down from Eze). Otherwise, may need to split this into two days.
Day Five: Hire driver for day trip and see some of off the beaten path sites/towns that are not easily accessible by train/bus. Vence and St. Pail de Vence--Others?
Day 6: Walk to Villefranche & Cap Ferrat and then train/bus back.
Day 7: Another hiking adventure (any ideas)? Afternoon/evening exploring in Nice
Day 8: What are we missing?

Thanks for all the great trip reports that have already been so helpful. Given we are traveling in December and with three teenagers, looking for any additional advice.

Posted by
1352 posts

Erika,
I haven't been to Nice for a long time, but from the many comments on this forum, my first thing to see would be the Chagall museum. Also, put Nice in the search bar above, then filter by travel forum, then by one year or newer. You will find the answers to your questions in the many entries. There are lots of interesting suggestions therein, so I won't try to reiterate all the info.

Posted by
4 posts

Thanks Judy. I will definately check out the Chagall Museum. I also will keep searching this forum--It has already been a huge help--I have spent hours reading various reviews, but I have had some challenges finding a lot of tips specific for winter Nice trips with older teenagers--Still very early on in planning and lots of time for more research. I will keep searching this site for reviews and advice, but would welcome any trip planning advice specific to our situation. Thanks!!!!

Posted by
7307 posts

Day four: Train/bus to Monte Carlo in AM, Eze in afternoon (is there enough time to fit in Chemin de Nietzsche hike down from Eze). Otherwise, may need to split this into two days.

If you take the bus to Eze in the morning, hike down to the train station, and continue to Monaco, it can work on a single day. But only in that order. Wear good shoes, and change your plans if it is wet: it is a steepish hike.

Also, there is no castle on Castle Hill. It is just a hill with viewpoints. Great views, though.

Posted by
887 posts

The Chagall museum is fantastic and it doesn’t take that long to see everything.

Posted by
714 posts

You can easily fit in some Museums along the way, including the Picasso Musee in Antibes, Chagall/Matisse in Nice. For Nice, there is a Museum Pass that lasts for different durations. Many of the smaller museums can be quick drop ins, depending on the interest or special exhibition (Charles Negre Photography museum, the ruins up in Cimiez, etc). There is also the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat and Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

Day 5: You can continue on Tourettes-sur-Loup and Gourdon. Mougins is nice as well. Biot has a glass factory and the Leger Museum. (Beyond Eze is La Turbie and the Trophee des Alpes)

Day 6: That's a long walk, as the walk around Cap Ferrat is additive but beautiful in good weather. There is also a walk up Mont Boron that continues up to Fort Alban and then down to VSM. You can take a bus to near the top if you want to cut down on the distance.

Day 7: Menton is an option, or taking a train into Italy (Ventimiglia, San Remo).. There is a nice walk around Cap d'Antibes, weather permitting.

In inclement weather, there is a large mall called Cap3000, by bus from the center (near the airport, drops off right by the entrance). Each of the major towns have Christmas markets.

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