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While living as an au pair in Paris, I had one week of vacation for myself during La Vacances de Toussaint (the vacation of all saints) at the end of October. My host kids had two full weeks off, so the first week we took the train to their grand parents house in Bordeaux, and the second week I took a solo trip to Nice!
I had originally wanted to travel with friends during my week off, but their vacation schedules didn’t line up with mine, so I figured I would still go myself. I was a bit nervous before my trip even though I’ve taken many solo trips, even to countries where I don’t speak the language!
I went to Nice for four days and three nights at the end of October and had the absolute best time. I met the most interesting and funniest people in my hostel, traveled to nearby beach towns and Monaco with them, and made amazing memories that I’ll never forget.
I honestly was feeling a bit homesick and maybe even depressed as I was adjusting to my new life as an au pair, but this trip was exactly what I needed to turn my mood around and have me happy to be here.
In this blog, I’m going to share my itinerary for spending three full days in Nice and why you should travel here solo!
My itinerary at a glance:
Day 1:
Traveling from Paris to Nice
Solo Dinner
Meeting New Friends for Drinks
Day 2:
Breakfast at La Promenade des Anglais
Beach Day at Villefranche sur Mer
Night 2: Dinner at Carmela’s & Going Out
Day 3:
Breakfast at Clay Café
Day Trip to Monaco
The Afternoon in Menton, France
Night 3: Seafood Dinner & Waka Bar
Day 4:
Breakfast at Garden Café Nice
Villa Masséna Musée + Colline du Château
The Best Spot for Poke
The Train Back to Paris
Tips for Traveling Solo:
- Create your itinerary ahead of time.
This will help you stay busy so you don’t waste time deciding what to do, and also so you don’t feel as lonely! - Be social!
Meet up with people at your hostel and make plans to explore together. This will make your travels that much more memorable and enjoyable. - Don’t tell random people you are traveling solo.
If you are chatting with someone at a restaurant or on the street, don’t mention you are traveling solo! Say you are staying with a friend or you have family that lives there. Just in case someone happens to be listening nearby!
When you meet others in the hostel, they’re likely solo traveling as well so it’s fine to share that with them! - If you’re out pass the sunset, stick with your new friends from the hostel!
Being in a new city at night, you may not know the areas to steer clear from. It’s best to be in a group or cozy up back at the hostel, especially as a female solo traveler.
All that being said, I felt completely safe in Nice. I didn’t ever feel uncomfortable walking in the streets, during the day or at night. I feel like Nice is a great place to travel solo, especially as a female!
Day 1: Travel Day Paris -> Nice
I booked my train through the SNCF website which is France’s main train line for traveling throughout the country. You can also look at Ouigo, which is a low-cost train line owned by SNCF, but the SNCF website will show you all of the prices for Ouigo, SNCF, and Inoui trains.
My train left from the station Paris Gare de Lyon on a Monday at 10am and arrived at Nice Ville Gare at 4pm. It was a 6 hour train ride even though it was the TGV, the high speed train, because after we reached Marseille, the train weaves around the tight corners of the coast making stops in many of the small towns. That took about three hours itself! I actually quite enjoyed the train ride. I love travel days, even long ones, because on a day like this I watched Netflix and read throughout the trip.
When I arrived in Nice, I walked 15 minutes to my hostel at Villa Saint Exupery Beach to check in and then settled in. I had to do some errands before taking time to explore!
Solo Dinner in Nice
For dinner, I had a poke bowl from Koholã Nice. This poke bowl was okay, maybe a 6/10. But I had another poke bowl later in the trip that I absolutely loved and recommend that spot over this one! I will mention the name further down under Day 4.
The Night Out
One thing I love about staying in hostels and using HostelWorld.com is that you can meet other travelers very easily! When you book through their website, you will be put into a giant group chat with everyone staying in a hostel in your city within the timeframe you’ll be there, even if it isn’t the hostel you are staying at!
Someone had messaged the big group chat asking if anyone wanted to have a beach day the next day, and since I was already planning on doing so, I responded and we made plans! There ended up being 2 other people that responded as well, so we all met up for drinks the first night to get to know each other.
We went to an Irish pub called Wayne’s Bar and then a cocktail bar called Groovin’ Bar Nice. The Groovin’ Bar has live music on the weekends, and even though it was a Monday night these two spots were very lively! I definitely recommend checking these two spots out if you’re looking to go out for drinks.
Day 2: Beach Day at Villefranche sur Mer
Breakfast at La Promenade des Anglais
Before going off on my day trip to a beach town next to Nice with my new friends, I woke up a bit early to get breakfast and explore a little bit of Nice.
Promenade des Anglais is the famous walkway right next to the Mediterranean Sea where you can walk up and down the coast in Nice. This area is absolutely stunning, and filled with locals running through and people enjoying the view. I started my morning exploring here before breakfast!
I was craving an açai bowl randomly, so I tried out this spot called Oakberry Açai. One of my friends that I met the night before happened to also be at the açai shop, so we decided to bring our açai bowls back to Promenade des Anglais to watch the waves come in while we ate. This was so relaxing and such a great way to start the morning.
Day Trip to Villefranche sur Mer
If you’re looking for a day at the beach, I would recommend taking a day trip to one of the many beach towns right next to Nice! You can definitely spend the day at Promenade des Anglais, but the beach is made of pebbles so it wouldn’t be as comfortable.
Getting to these beach towns is super easy. All you need to do is get a ticket on Omio which is between $2 and $10, depending on how far you’re going. The train will leave from the Nice Ville train station so it’s very convenient!
At Villefranche sur Mer, the beach felt like it was home to the locals with a small area to spread out on the sandy beach, and jump in the ocean!
We stayed here for a while and enjoyed the ocean, even though it was the end of October. It was about 60 degrees fahrenheit that day, but since it was very sunny we didn’t mind. Especially coming from the cold and rain in Paris, the weather felt perfect to me! The water was definitely a bit cold, but it felt so good swimming and jumping in the waves.
Lunch on the Sea
We decided to get lunch at a typical French restaurant called The Good Mood Café. I ordered the Salade Niçoise, which is a classic salad that you have to get when in Nice! This salad is made with tuna, olives, hard boiled eggs, potatoes, dijon mustard, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and capers. It’s was so good! Plus with the baguette on the side, it was a perfect beach day lunch.
After lunch, we explored the town a bit and it was so beautiful. I absolutely loved the colorful buildings, especially against the bright blue sky. It was giving me all of the summer feels and serotonin I needed!
We then stopped for gelato at this little spot in town called Glacier Feracci and it was so good!! I had the salted caramel and then we brought it to the coast to watch the ocean.
We then went back to the beach for a few hours until the sun set behind the coast!
Night 2 in Nice
For dinner that night, I really wanted to go to the restaurant called Carmela’s because obviously!! I have the same name so I felt inclined to go. I went with two of my friends from the beach day, plus one new person that was looking for people to get dinner with in the Hostel World Group chat!
This restaurant is in the heart of Old Town in Nice so it is surrounded by a lively atmosphere which I loved. We went here on the night of Halloween and the kids going around to each restaurant saying Trick or Treat! I didn’t know that France celebrated Halloween!
The rosemary and olive oil focaccia that they served as we sat down was probably the best bread I’d ever had. It was so fluffy, and I would go back just for that! I ordered their Cacio e Pepe for my meal, and it was so tasty. This is my favorite pasta, so I obviously had to order it when at the restaurant named after me!
After dinner, we met up with another group of people on the beach who had all met through Hostel World, and hung out there for a while before eventually going to the bars!
It ended up being a super fun night and I met so many people from all around the world!
Day 3: Day Trip to Monaco
Breakfast at Clay Café
I started off my second full day in Nice with a brunch at Clay! Their photos and reviews looked very appealing so I decided to give it a shot. This restaurant was about a 15-20 minute walk from my hostel, so also about a 15-20 minute walk from the ocean at Promenade des Anglais, just north of Old Nice.
This café was super cute with lots of outdoor seating, and their food definitely lived up to the hype. I ordered their œufs brouillés (scrambled eggs) with a side of bacon and it was the perfect way to start my day. One thing I’ve realized since living in France is that the way they cook their eggs here is better than the US!
Day Trip to Monaco
After my breakfast, I met up with one of my new friends from Australia for a day trip to Èze! This town is secluded at the top of the hills that gives you gorgeous views of the Mediterranean Sea which makes it worth traveling to. However, the bus system wasn’t very reliable to get there. We ended up meeting a lady from Siberia who knew her way around and was headed to Monaco on the bus, so we decided to abandon our plan for Èze and head to Monaco.
First, we went to the Casino de Monte-Carlo, which is arguably one of the most famous things to see/visit when in Monaco. We had wanted to gamble a little because why not, but the Casino wasn’t open yet. However just exploring the interieur was an experience in and of itself because the architecture and design was incredible. And, one thing that I still remember is how good it smelled inside. I feel like if you ask anyone whose been to the Casino de Monte-Carlo, they’ll say it has one of the best smells!
This ended up being the perfect afternoon because two of our friends we had met the night before at the beach were also in Monaco, so we met up and explored together!
It’s so crazy to me how quickly you can become so close with people, especially while traveling. My new friends and I couldn’t stop laughing the whole time. It was really the best time and quickly cured any feeling of homesickness I was feeling before this trip. I hope to one day see them again!!
The Afternoon in Menton, France
After walking around and exploring the marina and more of Monaco, we decided to continue exploring and went to Menton, France for the rest of the afternoon. Turns out, leaving Monaco was quite confusing by train because Google Maps takes you through so many stairs and the huge parking garage. Our friends had gotten lost getting out of the train when they arrived but luckily they remembered the way back for when we left. I would recommend taking the bus to/from Monaco instead!
Once we finally reached Menton, it was near sunset so we went to the beach to see the sea before it completely set. The beach in Menton is referred to as the Blue Gatorade Beach, and I totally get why. The water is an icy crisp light blue which is incredible to see in person.
We hung out here for a while skipping rocks before eventually deciding to find lunch (even though it was near 4 or 5pm). At this point, none of us had eaten since early in the morning so we were all very hungry!
We were there on November 1st, which is a holiday in France, so all of the restaurants were actually closed! We ended up at a boulangerie which turned out to be really good. I had a slice of their pizza and a beignet which was the perfect thing to hold me over till dinner.
Night 3: Seafood Dinner & Waka Bar
After heading back to Nice, we all rested for a bit before getting dinner at Peixes. This spot appealed to us because it had seafood options and good prices! But turns out, you have to buy the main dish and side dish separately, so it ended up being on the pricier side haha. But honestly, I’m glad we went here because I tried ceviche for the first time, and this was definitely the place to try it for the first time.
I ordered the Ceviche de Poisson Blanc, which was white fish a sweet potato purée and corn nuts, and I would’ve never put these ingredients together as a combination but it was so good! Seriously a 10/10 dish and experience. Plus, the fresh bread they gave us as we sat down was so good.
After dinner, we strolled the streets of Old Nice for a bit before ending up at Waka Bar. This is a New Zealand bar with good music and energy! It’s a very popular spot for going out in Nice so I recommend it. My one friend even stayed up all night just to spend more time with us before he caught his train to his next city in the morning!
Day 4: Rainy Day + Travel Back to Paris
Breakfast near Jardin Alsace Lorraine
On my last morning in Nice, I started my day at Garden Café Nice and it was so good! The café is very cozy and perfect for a brunch. I had the croissant filled with avocado, eggs, and sliced turkey, with one of their freshly made juices. Easy 10/10!
Villa Masséna Musée, Coffee + Colline du Château
After breakfast, my plan was to go to the Villa Masséna Musée where they share history about Nice and even have Napoleon’s death mask, but it didn’t open for another hour so I walked to the beach to enjoy the waves to pass some time.
It eventually started down pouring on me, so I decided to sit down at Copenhagen Coffee Lab nearby to stay dry until the museum opened. I had gone to the Copenhagen Coffee Lab in Lisbon and absolutely loved it, so when I saw that there was one here I knew I had to go. I had a chai latte and it was very creamy and delicious.
Eventually two of my friends were looking to get coffee and joined me! We ended up talking for a while so I didn’t have time to go to the museum! But I definitely want to check it out next time I go.
It started to get close to the time I needed to head back to my hostel to pick up my bags before catching my train, but there was still one more thing I wanted to do before leaving. I really wanted to go to Colline du Château, or Castle Hill, where there used to lie a military fortress but is now used as a beautiful park and offers panoramic views of Nice!
I decided to not walk up the hill because just below, there were huge waves crashing into the shore and I wanted to get a better view of them. I probably watched the waves for about 15 minutes because they were so powerful and mesmorizing!
The Best Spot in Nice for Poke
At this point, it was time for me to catch the train, but first I stopped at Poke Nice to pick up something for a late lunch / early dinner. I don’t know what it was but my whole time in Nice I was craving Poke!
This spot was amazing. Their medium sized bowl ended up being huge, so I had half of it for a late lunch before my train, then finished the other half later on for dinner. I ordered their poke bowl with falafel and loved it!
The Train Back to Paris
The train ride back to Paris was just under 6 hours, from 4-9:50pm. It was super relaxing and gave me time to journal, watch Netflix, and just enjoy the journey!
I hope you enjoyed this very detailed guide for solo traveling to Nice! Be sure to check out my other blogs for trips in France and the rest of Europe. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay updated with my future blogs!
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