Promenade des Anglais
The famous waterfront promenade is one of Nice's defining images, running alongside its long stretch of Mediterranean shoreline.
🇫🇷 Côte d'AzurNice · CannesFrench Riviera
Côte d'Azur — when France meets the Mediterranean
The Côte d'Azur is the France of blue Mediterranean water, palm-lined promenades, old towns, elegant façades and coastal light. Nice and Cannes give us two very different anchors: one a substantial Mediterranean city with a strong identity of its own, the other forever associated with cinema and Riviera glamour — but with much more behind the red carpet.
🌊 NiceMediterranean city
🎬 CannesCinema & coast
🚆 RivieraEasy coastal hops
☀️ SouthSea & light
French RivieraNiceCannesMediterranean FranceCôte d'Azur
🌊 Nice
More than a promenade and a beach
Nice is the Côte d'Azur's major city and a destination in its own right. The Promenade des Anglais follows the Mediterranean waterfront, but the city also has the lanes of Vieux-Nice, Cours Saleya, museums, distinctive Niçois food and a landscape that moves quickly from coast towards hills and mountains.
The official tourism office describes Nice Côte d'Azur as a place of contrasts between sea, mid-country villages and high mountain landscapes — which is exactly why the city works as more than a simple beach stop.
Vieux-Nice
The old town gives you the dense streets, colourful façades and southern atmosphere that contrast with the broad seafront.
Cours Saleya
A central old-town market area associated with flowers and local produce — a useful reminder that Nice has its own culture and food identity rather than being generic Riviera.
🎬 Cannes
Yes, there's a red carpet — but keep walking
Cannes inevitably brings the film festival to mind, and the Palais des Festivals and La Croisette are part of the experience. But the city's own tourism information also points visitors towards Le Suquet, the old port and the Lérins Islands — enough to make Cannes worthwhile even when there isn't a film star in sight.
Palais des Festivals
The building and famous steps are inseparable from Cannes' international cinema identity.
La Croisette
The seafront boulevard delivers the classic Cannes image of Mediterranean water, palms, grand hotels and Riviera polish.
Le Suquet
The old quarter brings a very different texture to Cannes, with narrow streets above the old port and views across the bay.
🚆 Exploring the Riviera
You don't necessarily need to drive the coast
One of the useful things about this stretch of the Côte d'Azur is that the principal coastal cities are linked by regional trains. That makes it realistic to base yourself in one place and make day trips rather than changing hotel every night.
France's official tourism information specifically recommends regional trains for travelling between major Côte d'Azur cities including Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Menton. For us, that makes this one of the easier French regions to explore without building the entire trip around a hire car.
🚉 City hopping
Nice and Cannes can comfortably form part of the same Riviera trip, while Antibes and other coastal stops can be added according to your time and interests.
⛰️ Look inland too
The Côte d'Azur doesn't stop at the beach. Perched villages and the mountainous hinterland create a completely different landscape only a short distance from the Mediterranean.
🚗 Explore the Côte d'Azur from Home
Drive From HomeNice · Cannes
Two Riviera cities you can drive virtually
Nice and Cannes both have Drive From Home experiences, so you can explore the streets virtually before your trip — or revisit the Riviera from the sofa afterwards.
🌊 Nice
Explore Nice virtually, from the Mediterranean city streets to the wider feel of the Côte d'Azur's largest urban centre.
🎬 Cannes
Take a virtual look around Cannes and get a feel for the city beyond the film-festival image.
📸 Nice in Pictures
Our Nice memories
Some of our own photos from Nice and the Côte d'Azur — blue Mediterranean views, grand architecture and the waterfront.
🎟 Plan Your Own Riviera Trip
Browse Côte d'Azur experiences with GetYourGuide
Use the widget below to browse current tours, cruises and experiences around Nice, Cannes and the wider French Riviera. These are planning options rather than a claim that we personally took the exact activities displayed.
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Common questions
Côte d'Azur FAQ
Is Nice worth more than a day trip?
Yes. Nice is a substantial city with its own old town, food culture, museums, waterfront and easy access to the wider Riviera and hinterland.
Is Cannes only about the film festival?
No. The Palais des Festivals and Croisette are famous, but Le Suquet, the old port and Lérins Islands give Cannes plenty beyond its cinema identity.
Can you travel from Nice to Cannes without a car?
Yes. Regional trains connect the major coastal cities, making Nice, Cannes and other Riviera stops practical to combine without hiring a car.
Are Côte d'Azur beaches sandy?
It varies by location. Nice is particularly associated with pebble beaches, while other parts of the Riviera include sandy beaches and coves.
Can I explore Nice and Cannes virtually?
Yes. Drive From Home has both city guides and virtual drives for Nice and Cannes, linked above.
🇫🇷 More France
From Provence to the Mediterranean coast
The Côte d'Azur gives our France collection its Mediterranean chapter. Next we're heading north-east again towards Alsace.