Solo In The South Of France

Early Mornings In Nice-Baie des Anges

I am sure you have heard of summering in the south of France.  Well if you have not it’s a thing Well when I was considering what to do with the end of my summer, this saying popped into my head.  That little seed sprouted to include Paris and Hungary into my end of summer itinerary. I did not know what to expect upon arriving in Nice.  But, spoiler alert. I loved every minute of it. Let me break it down for you.
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With any journey, where you stay makes a huge difference.  I am all about saving where I can. I’m not opposed to hostels, but I wanted my own space for this adventure.  I could not find an Airbnb that spoke to me. So my go-to is to check out Hotels.com. I like how it gives you a free night stay after 10 stays.  I was able to use a free stay while in Nice so that really helped.

Hotel Oasis Nice, France

The cutest little car right down the street from Hotel Oasis.

I decided to go to Hotel Oasis.  It was in my price range and not far from the city center.  Nothing is really far in Nice. It is very small. From Hotel Oasis to the beach was 20 minutes.  Not bad. Any closer and it would be hundreds of dollars a night. I’ll pass. I have no problem walking.  Once I am all settled, I usually head to the grocery store. I stock up on water and snacks.

SPAR Supermarket

The hotel is also a 9-minute walk away from my favorite grocery store.  The SPAR Supermarché. The walk is on the way to the beach. I stopped here every morning.  Their quiches are to die for. So yummy. They are fresh every day as well as pastries and hot food like chicken and potatoes.  I paid 2.50 euros for a pretty decent sized quiche. It was so filling, that I only ate half and saved the rest for a snack later.  This method of eating breakfast/lunch from the supermarket allowed me to splurge for dinner every night. Keep in mind the fruit prices are astronomical!  One plum cost over a euro. A bunch of grapes was 5 euros. It was a tiny bunch too. I couldn’t resist the plum but decided to pass on everything else. It looks pretty, but I cannot give all my money to one piece of fruit!

After picking up the goods from the supermarket, you are steps away from where all the magic happens.  There are so many streets packed with the cutest outdoor restaurants. I would love to eat at them all.  I recommend if you have the funds to definitely do this. One of the biggest highlights from my time in Nice was eating Al fresco and people watching. I wandered around the cute streets for a couple of hours.  There are cute boutiques and clothing stores. I had to stop into one clothing store because they were having a sale. Although, my suitcase was bursting at the seems I still decided on one more dress. Lol, I was quite happy with my find. I cannot pass up a good deal.

To prevent myself from spending any more money on clothes I had nowhere for them to go, I decided to head toward the beach.  As I am crossing the street to get to the beach I notice a Casino. Now. I live in Las Vegas. The land of amazing out of this world lavish casinos.  I just had to see the inside of a French Riviera casino. I thought their casino would give Las Vegas a run of their money. Sadly, it was a total let down.  They do a great job with the facade on the outside, but the inside could take a queue from Vegas. It was so tiny inside. So much so that I went back to the front desk to ask if there was more upstairs. Nope.  Just one tiny room. Now. Maybe I am a little biased because I do live in Las Vegas. It is hard to top what they have done, but with all the money they pull in they could at least try.

My tip is to take a walk around and leave.  That was my original thought, but then I decided since I was there let me try my luck.  Do not be like me. Just leave. I sat down at an automated blackjack table and played what I thought was one euro.  It actually was 20 euros because it was on max bet and I didn’t see it was clicked. I planned on playing 20 times! I then immediately left.  I could have used that money on a fancy meal. Save your money!

Baie des Anges

​Alright! The Baie des Anges.  Translated to bay of angles. They are not kidding.  This beach is stunning! It is such a pretty sight.  I just loved all the umbrellas lined up. Keep in mind this is a pebble beach and it was a thousand degrees outside.  Make sure you have some change to go to the restroom as well. It will cost you a euro. If you want to go to one of the beach clubs and get an umbrella and chairs it will start at 25 euros.  If you want front row you will need to get there first thing in the morning. If you want a free alternative head along the Promenade des Anglais. There are covered benches every mile or so.

Benches along the Promenade des Anglais

After spending the day at the beach it was time to refuel and pick one of these amazing restaurants.  I head toward the Place Massena and decided on Campo Di Fiori for dinner. They had a set menu that was pretty reasonable.  It was a very light and refreshing meal. Once I finished dinner I strolled along the outdoor markets. It was a beautiful walk back to my hotel.  I never once felt unsafe on my way back at night.

Place Massena

There is so much more to the  French Riviera than Nice. Over the next few days, I went to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, and Monaco.  I will get to each of those in a separate post. You would be reading for days if I put them all in this post.

I did start all my days at the beach and ended the night strolling along the Place Massena.  My last highlight from my time in Nice was Castle Hill. Castle Hill lends an incredible view of Nice and the Baie Des Anges.  I decided to take the walking path up to the top. Be prepared for some heavy breathing! There is an elevator, but that comes at a cost.  If you recall from earlier I like to save when I can. Plus, this was a free workout. If you’re lucky you can catch a Zumba class at the top. Aim to get to Castle Hill right before sunset.  It gets pretty lively by then. Wander around. There are so many little gems around. If you are up for more shopping there is a Galeries Lafayette to shop to you drop.

Well, that is it for my short time in Nice.  I loved it so much that I would love to come back every year.  It was really easy to get around and to the other towns. I felt completely safe solo and wandering around.  I loved how everyone dressed nice and really just enjoyed strolling along everywhere. If you go I would recommend bringing all the nice sundresses you have.  Everyone looked incredible. I would also suggest bringing an umbrella for shade as you stroll along. I feel like I got a few stares, but I don’t care. It was far too hot!  Look all you like. I will be the one, not roasting/suffering. I just enjoyed the whole vibe.

I will provide a post with all my dinner and cafe selections.  Be on the lookout for that shortly. If you have any questions about my time in Nice do let me know.  If you wanted to see more pictures, videos, and behind the scenes, then head over to my Instagram. I hope you enjoy your time in Nice.  Have a wonderful day!