Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

When I visited the villa in 2017, I accidentally hit a weekend when there was some sort of flower show going on. I remember thinking that my timing was unfortunate, but I no longer remember why. I don't remember my entry being delayed. I guess it was just that there were rather a lot of people wandering around the garden area. So I'd think you'd be OK unless they are limiting ticket sales to keep the interior of the villa from getting too crowded, given the continuing COVID situation.

On the other hand, my trip to the villa was on Sunday, May 7, so maybe you'll hit the same flower event I ran into. If you haven't already done so, I recommend taking a careful look at the villa's website to find out whether there's anything special scheduled during the time you'll be in Nice. I'd expect any high-traffic event to be scheduled for Saturday or Sunday.

Appreciate the input Acraven. I had checked and there is a Festival of Roses and Plants the weekend prior, no event planned for the day I wish to go. Thanks

Hi Patti, I was there in September 2019, and it is a wonderful place to visit! I just purchased my ticket when I arrived. I purposely went when it opened in the morning and immediately headed to the gardens to take photos before anyone would be walking along the paths. Afterwards, I had an espresso & dessert pastry (they let me sit in the dining room!) and walked through the villa.

Looking at the website, there aren’t timed entries, so I would just purchase it a day or two before you are going.

We were in Nice last month and used the “French Riviera Pass” (56€/72 hours) for the Villa. We simply presented it at the entry. The pass was a great value, covering most of the sites and museums on our itinerary.

I agree that getting there first thing when they open and going straight to the gardens is a very good strategy. Taking the regional bus (included in the pass) from Nice to The Villa stop was easy and very scenic. Have a great trip.

I was glad to see there won't be a timed entry required like a lot of other places, esp in Paris. It's so hard to plan to that level of detail and we'll be making a stop elsewhere first. I'll just plan to purchase it a day or two in advance then. Thanks everyone for the input.

I went as part of a guided tour. It was designed to be a group tour and I was going solo and somehow I ended up being the only person on the tour. Audio guides were provided and offered a good narration. It was in March of 2019. It was without a doubt one of the highlights of my trip.

My only regret is that I didn't have the time to try the tea room.

Patti, my France photo book arrived today (I made it through Costco’s website), and as I came to the photos of the gardens & villa, I paused and just relived the wonderful ambiance of that setting! Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to soak in the atmosphere of the gardens, and have something to eat - even a coffee break, on the terrace.

I called and the Villa said I could just buy tickets the day of. There was only a few people ahead of us so that was very convenient. The gardens were absolutely lovely as was the fountain display. I enjoyed touring the interior as well but we definitely spent most of our time in the gardens. The Baroness was a very lucky woman to have lived there. Thank you everyone for your input.

Take some time and read this book before you go, " The Hare with Amber Eyes " It will give you an understanding of the background of the family history of The Ephrussi's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hare_with_Amber_Eyes#:~:text=%20%20%20Author%20%20%20Edmund%20de,%20%202010%20%203%20more%20rows%20