Best Day Trips from Nice

Though the sea is as aquamarine as a jewel and the sidewalk cafes are jammed with visitors, Nice is not exactly a beach resort town. This is the South of France's working city: busy, compact, sometimes confusing. It sees a constant influx of people arriving via air and train. Because of the high immigrant population and the high number of visiting students, some compare it to the Parisian Left Bank—only right on the Mediterranean, of course. And everyone agrees that it's the ideal jump-off point for any number of Cote d'Azur mini-trips.

Nice is located within the flashy, uber-developed swathe of land known as the French Riviera, where playboys, models, and scenesters come out to strut in resort towns like Cannes, Antibes, and Juan-les-Pins. Aside from celeb-spotting and snapping photos of the scenery, you can buy your way into a beach club for a day in Cannes or visit the Musée Picasso in Antibes.

Cannes Firework Festival

Most know of the Cannes Film Festival, where celebrities flock each year, and paparazzi flock to photograph them. But few know of the Cannes International Firework Festival, a grand display of fireworks set 300 meters out on the Bay of Cannes in which participants compete for the gold vistale, meaning excellence in pyrotechnical arts. Teams from around the world come with only their finest explosives to compete for the crowd’s attention, as well as six judges who score on the originality of the theme, quality of build, music selection, synchronization, fitting colors, and the general rhythm of the performance.

Photo Credit: Cannes, France (Allan Baxter/Getty)

Shop Along Nice’s Cours Saleya

The markets along Nice’s Cours Saleya are an appealing burst of sounds, aromas, and colors. Every kind of shopper can find a nook to explore here. It’s not overrun with tourists, or guarded by locals, but rather a shared meeting spot for all who have a love for the finer things in life. The open-air stalls and friendly French vendors reflect the typical street-market vibe portrayed in travel guidebooks, while the organic produce and unique spices offer a glimpse into daily life on the neighboring farms where the products originate.

Photo Credit: France, Cote d'Azur, Alpes-Maritimes, Nice (Tom Brakefield/Getty)

Insider's Guide to Cannes

"Cannes is yummy," sums up an American friend who considers the chic French beach resort among her go-to European destinations. In her late 30s, world-traveled, often photographed, and perfectly comfortable in Louboutin stilettos, she epitomizes the Cannes return guest. They arrive on yachts or private jets—or in business class if they're really slumming—luggage packed with designer clothes and stylish swimwear. Whether arriving for a business meeting or a summer holiday or (cue paparazzi flash) the Film Festival, this set understands that Cannes is more than just a beach town, and staying here is about more than just hanging out. The city has splendid old hotels, Prada and Chanel shopping, some of the most high-profile postage stamps of beach in the world, and a red carpet that welcomes the movie business' most famous celebrities ...year after year after year.