Paris to Nice

Nice is on the Riviera. The words 'Riviera' and 'cheap beach' do not go together. This is just a suggestion, to moderate your expectations (not to mention the competition for rented beach loungers).
A more practical tip is to use a multi-city search function so you fly into one city and home from another. The price will not be much higher than a simple round trip, especially considering the time and price to retrace your steps to your entry point But the itinerary must be booked together, not as separate one-ways.
Trans-Atlantic flights to Nice are not common so a change of planes in a European gateway is likely. I prefer to make the more complicated flight, to Nice, first, then work my way to Paris either by train or short-hop air (see www.skyscanner.com ). The flight home from Paris will probably depart at a more civilized time of day than if a connection is required.

I have found a flight from Boston to Paris ( fly to Nice via the short-hop ) then fly home from Nice. This was the same price as flying to Paris for a week that is why we are trying to incorporate Nice into the vacation. I prefer to relax at the end of our vacation, but am open to either way. I am sure there are comfortable options with spending thousands of $$ for a week at a hotel in Nice, but I could be wrong.

We stayed at the Hotel Solara in Nice - easy 10 minute walk to beach , nice area .
It’s not a fancy hotel - but it’s nice , clean , good ac , and we had a large balcony, no sea view but nice anyways . Staff were very nice , helpful , and spoke English .

It is odd as it is the top two floors of a residential building , so when you enter you take elevator up to its small lobby .

It was reasonable price too , for the recommendation of someone on this site and we were happy with it , would use it again . If you don’t mind the quirky entrance and don’t need bellmenand room service , it’s a good choice .

We took local bus to Monaco - very scenic ride along coast - took about 45 minutes and was dirt cheap . Also stopped in Eze sue Mer and hung out on that small beach .

We did rent loungers on beach in Nice it wasn’t cheap but we expected that .

Anyways we enjoyed Nice - do make sure to visit the street market that is set up neat water - it’s not every day but it was worth visiting , got my souvenirs there ! Spices , lavender, and linens !

So look it up - just google reviews of hotel Solara for photos etc

I will be in Nice some of the same days as you. I will be staying at Hotel Regence, but I see it’s already full. I didn’t select an apartment because I’m traveling solo, but I see on Booking.com that there’s still some nice ones at reasonable cost for your last week.

The transportation options along the coast are very inexpensive to ride either the bus or train to the main sites. I’m planning to go to a few small towns for a day trip, see the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, possibly go to Monaco, generally enjoy Nice and take a pastry class.

You also might want to consider nearby towns since you want a nicer beach.

If I were in Paris and wanted to go to Nice I would take a nice easy TGV from Gare de Lyon. Get seats upstairs and enjoy the view.

By the time you have added getting to the airport, all the pre-flight circus before you flight, and waiting for luggage at Nice, and then getting down the Promenade des Anglais the train will be about the same amount of time, but much more comfortable and with interesting scenery, and after it eventually turns to the seaside a beautiful view (sit on the right).

Different strokes for different folks...

You can also consider Juan les Pins (or Antibes). JLP is a beach resort, and the beach in the past has been dominated by private (pay) clubs, but those are being trimmed. In Nice, there are plenty of stretches of free beach, but you really need a pad or a chair to enjoy the galets. In some of these towns, consider a one week apartment rental, as they can be a good value. Besides booking.com, check HomeAway, Tripadvisor, AirBnB or a professionally managed agency like those in RS' book.

There are also some towns further to the east with sandy beaches and lower prices. But all in all, if you are used to New England, you won't be fazed by hotel and food costs.

Like Pat, I also stayed at hotel Solara. Nothing fancy but clean, well located a short walk to the beach area and also on a pedestrian only street leading to the main square and old town. I didn't have a car and didn't feel it necessary. I took the train to Monaco and the bus to Vence and St Paul de Vence. You can take the train or bus to many smaller towns along the Riviera for day trips. I was only there for 3 days so the hotel was great. If I went back for a longer time I would get an apartment. If you do a search on here for hotels in Nice you'll find some recommendations for hotels on the promenade along the beach but will pay for the privilege.

I agree with Nigel that it will be easier and probably faster to take the TGV from Paris to Nice, when all is considered. There are several direct trains each day (and others with changes), with travel times as short as 5H:47M. Although flights are only 1H:25M, it will take time to get to and from airports, check-in, security, waiting, boarding & deplaning, collecting luggage etc. Taking the TGV (which travels at up to 300 km/h) is a much easier option.

We enjoyed the Mercure Hotel Nice Marche aux Fleurs. The hotel is right on the beach, and you could probably find a room for around $200. We also stayed at the Hotel Durante, which is near the train station and cost less than $100 per night.

We took the train from Nice to Paris, and it was a good way to travel.

All in, the flight from Orly takes about 90 minutes less than taking the train. Cost was almost exactly the same with the train being slightly more when I looked at both methods of transportation 90 days before the travel date and I decided that the extra 90 minutes in Nice would be nice. I really don't mind going through security or find going to an airport that bad.
The Riviera in August is the opposite of not "very expensive." Villefranche-sur-Mer is a place for you to consider. Take a look at Hotel La Fiancee du Pirate but it might already be fully booked (it's very popular and quite good).

I am sure there are comfortable options with spending thousands of $$
for a week at a hotel in Nice, but I could be wrong.

What exactly is your budget? I know you specified "isn't very expensive," but the availability is different if your idea of "expensive" is €150/night compared to €350/night.

I was hoping to find a hotel in the 200-250 range, not sure if this is reasonable or not . Maybe even an apartment.

Best Regards

You should be able to find a good 1 BR or even 2Br during August for that budget per night. Check homeaway/VRBO, tripadvisor rentals, booking.com, etc. Also local agency websites like Nice Pebbles, Nester & Jeeves (fka Ashley Parker), Nice YNA -- the pricing can sometimes be better by going direct. (For other towns along the Riviera, there are also other suggestions) Just make sure the unit has air conditioning --- late August can be hot and it's nice to be able to close the windows against street noise and bugs. In Nice, focus on the areas around the Carre d'Or, the few blocks around Place Massena and the Old Town (watch for noise on certain squares/streets).

For hotels in Nice, I see the Mercure Marche Aux Fleurs mentioned above is available, so is the Goldstar, Mercure Promenade, and the Westminster. In Antibes, the Royal Antibes is available (it is a bit further away from the station).

Your opinions are so greatly appreciated since this will be our first trip . I recently purchase Rick's book on the French Riviera and he mentioned a few times that during July & August the locals don't swim due to the large amounts of jelly fish in the ocean. We will be in Nice fist week of September and was looking to stay close to the beach ( either Nice or Antibes) as we like to relax and swim in the early part of the day and explore in the afternoon/evening. That being said, if we cant swim should I be looking for a hotel with a pool and a better location to sight-see vs. choosing a place closer or on the beach.

July and August is jellyfish season, but they generally come in swarms and can occur at any time of the year. The sure sign is the lack of people in the water. You can see the status here. You can get a bottle of sting antidote as well. However, plenty of people safely enjoy the beaches. There are a few beaches scattered around that put nets in place, but it is not always feasible.

In Nice, you should look around the Carre d'Or, the few blocks around Place Massena or the Old Town. The former is generally the area bounded by the Promenade des Anglais, the Promenade du Paillon, Blvd Gambetta, Blvd Victor Hugo and Rue Alberti. This places you close to transport, sites, the beach. You may want to ensure you have air conditioning -- not all hotels or apartments have them, particularly in the Old Town (due to regulations on the facade). Pools are also rare, especially in the moderate to lower priced properties.

In Antibes, the best beaches are a bit further away from the Old Town and the train station (the beach in town is packed and gravelly). Just keep that in mind when selecting a hotel or apartment, as the train is your main method to get to points east (the bus is very slow along the coastal route due to traffic just outside of Antibes and the airport). Next to Antibes is Juan Les Pins, which has lovely beaches and close access to a train station, but has less charm and sights (it's more a typical beach resort with 20th/21st century buildings).

If you like beaches, go to Florida or Padre Island or Aruba. Do not go to the Mediterranean, the world's most polluted beaches. But it's worse that fatal water. You probably think a beach is made of sand. Not so for most EU & Mediterranean beaches which are euphemistically called "pebble" beaches. This ground is not pebbles. It is rocks-- big rocks, little rocks and mostly rocks with sharp edges You cannot walk barefoot across these so-talked beaches without destroying your feet. The only comfortable way to walk on these thing is wearing hiking boots. You cannot lay down on a towel on these so-talked beaches. The pain point screamed by the rocks you are laying on will torture you. Goggle some pictures of beach at Nice and you will see a sea of lounge chairs because nobody can tolerate laying on the beach, and you better believe you will pay though the nose for one of those chairs.

If you want a French beach scene, go to St Martin (not Sint Martin) in the Caribbean.

Hi,
The above comment is highly exaggerated. The beaches should not be the #1 reason to come to the French Riviera, but there are some nice ones near Nice such as Plage de la Mala in Cap d'Ail (small pebbles), plage des Fourmis in Beaulieu and Plage des Marinières in Villefranche sur Mer (both sand/gravel). Access from Nice is easy by public transport, or you can look for accommodation in Villefranche or Beaulieu as well.
And frankly, the beach in Nice is serviceable as well. The pebbles are large, but plastic swim shoes and beach mats (easily available) will do the trick. Be aware though that it is nearly impossible to simply wade in the water - it gets very deep very close to the shore.
As for jellyfish, they are not present every year and if they are, the beach patrol will issue a warning (French word is méduse).