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A resort city along France’s southeast coast, Nice has been a popular vacation spot for hundreds of years – and for good reason: This Côte d’Azur (French Riviera) capital city provides front-row access to the warm waters of the Mediterranean. And if the azure sea and pebbly beaches somehow leave you longing for more, Nice also plays host to a wide variety of museums, spas, high-end restaurants and historic sites, including the ruins of the ancient Roman settlement of Cemenelum. With so much to see and do, a bus tour is a fun way to sample all that Nice has to offer.

Nice Le Grand Tour

The only major bus tour of Nice that employs full-size buses – in fact, open-top double-deckers – Gray Line’s Nice Le Grand Tour (grayline.com) covers some of the most popular destinations within and near the Mediterranean city. The one- and two-day tour tickets allow visitors to hop on and off at any of 14 stops, such as The Matisse Museum, Promenade des Anglais and Mont Boron. This allows you a more in-depth exploration of the various sites. In addition, while riding, tourists can listen to audio commentary in seven different languages, via headphone sets. Don’t forget to stop by one of the local tourist information offices, where you can pick up a discount coupon for the Le Grand Tour.

Med Tour

One of the many local minibus tour agencies, Med Tour (med-tour.fr/) features a two-hour guided tour of the main tourist attractions in Nice, during the morning or afternoon. You will visit the scenic Colline du Chateau (Castle Hill), which separates Old Nice and New Nice; the wealthy neighborhood of Cimiez, which contains the former winter palace of Queen Victoria; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, which is the largest one outside of Russia; and what is probably the most popular tourist spot in Nice, La Promenade des Anglais. Med Tour’s driver-guides speak a number of languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, German and Italian.

Tour Azur

With 12 minibus tours leaving from Nice, Tour Azur (tourazur.com/en) is a good choice for those looking to explore the whole of the French Riviera, but only the “Nice City Tour” gives you an in-depth look at Nice. Stops include Castel Park and Old Town, the 2,600-year-old former Greek trading town. Promenade des Arts, with the Modern Art Museum and other popular sites, is included.

Star Tour

Founded in 2007, Star Tour (startour.fr) is one of the newest tour agencies in the Nice area, and this newness is reflected in the company’s very modern, top-of-the-line minibuses. A number of this agency’s 22 French Riviera tours make brief stops in Nice, but only the three-hour “Nice City Tour” specializes in attractions only within the city, such as Castle Hill, Cimiez and the flower market. The tour is available only on Wednesdays.

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References

  • Nice Côte d’Azur Convention and Visitors Bureau: How to Discover Nice
  • Lonely Planet: Nice, France
  • Lonely Planet: Côte d’Azur
  • All About Nice: Guided Tours of Nice
  • Nice Côte d’Azur Convention and Visitors Bureau: English Site

About the Author

Carl Miller has been writing professionally since 2007 and has freelanced for the "Western Oregon Journal." His short fiction has been featured in "Northwest Passage Literature and Arts Review." Miller is an English/writing student at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Ore. He has worked as a cook, painter, waitperson, custodian, data analyst, retail manager and salesperson.

Photo Credits

  • Nice, France image by mirec from Fotolia.com
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