Sleeping in Nice

Yes, there's substance behind what you've already read about the accommodations near the train station, especially any on the north side of the tracks. The selection of hotels get much better after you go at least several long blocks south or southeast of the train station, over towards to Nice Etoile shopping center (don't select a hotel just north of the station).I guess people could quibble about whether the word seedy is the right word (Rick says the hotels near the train station are "overrun, overpriced, and loud")--but given that you are by yourself and already have some concerns based on what you've read--why push it? There are plenty of better choices, why not choose those? Rick makes many suggestions for more appropriate lodging for you in Nice, in his book, Provence & the Riviera.

Yes 'seedy'. I would not recommend staying near there. We stayed on the water front for 165 Euro. It was a splurge but for a view of the sea...but I was SHOCKED it didn't cost more. I think other hotels on that strip go for 500 Euro or more. Plus I don't think I would have been scared to be out at night by myself there. If that is in your budget, consider the Hotel Suisse. It's in the RS book. If it is not in your budget, I am sure there are places a couple blocks off the water that have reasonable costs. But near the train station is not somewhere I would want to be alone at night.

I traveled to Nice alone during the week between Christmas and New Year's just a few weeks ago. I stayed 3-4 blocks from the Gare Routiere (bus station) in Nice and loved it (but it took a day of getting used to the run-down look of the area). [But I also got a great 30 euro online hotel deal.] I could walk to the old town (even at night), walk to the waterfront, and could easily catch buses to where I wanted to go (Monaco, Eze, La Turbie, Villefranche, Cap Ferrat). A grocery store was close, as were lots of restaurants (and there's always the McDonald's at the Gare Routiere, too!). I enjoyed just walking around the old town for an hour or two each night and finding a place to eat.

I felt reasonably safe (as safe as you can in a big, foreign city) walking around at night alone, but I stuck to well-lit areas.

I arrived in Nice at the train station and agree the area looked seedy. Have a great time! I loved my trip, and I bet it would have been even better in warm weather :)

I stayed at the Hotel Excelsior (a Rick pick), and absolutely loved it. It is a block south of the train station -- very easy when I was arriving and departing, and a lovely 15 minute stroll to the water. The hotel was beautiful, had air conditioning and a tiny balcony, and the room was larger than most.

I travel alone, and was never nervous near the hotel, or on my walks to and from the beach. The street (avenue Durante) had lots of interesting shops, a nice grocery store, and some tiny cafes. I walked everywhere -- the only time I needed a bus was to go to the Chagall museum. I never walked north of the train station, so I imagine that is the seedy area.

Joanne and Lisa: The Hotel Excelsior is probably the one exception to the "hotels near the Nice train station tend to be seedy" rule of thumb. But its prices are on the high side (gee, I guess that's why it's an exception to the rule, as in, you don't get what you don't pay for).

Thanks Kent & Lisa! I'm truly grateful to have such great imput, I don't want to be disappointed when I get there (made those mistakes in the past!)

Twice I've arrived in Nice without hotel reservations. I walked across the street and stayed at a hotel there, two different hotels. "Seedy" is not how I would describe either place. No charm or special ambience, but "convenient, clean, and a good value" would fit as describers. Now that there is a tram running thru the town, I might be more willing to stay at a distance from the train station. The Old Town in Nice is the most interesting part of town.