The French Riviera was part of one of my favorite summer trips we took before kids. We had two weeks and started in Nice, then went on to Paris and London. Nice was only one part of the trip, but it’s the part I still think about the most and the place I can most easily picture going back to now with kids. There was something about being there in summer that made the whole trip feel especially good. The days were long, everyone was outside, the beach was always right there, and you could spend hours walking around without really needing much of a plan. It was hot and busy, but in a way that made the city feel alive.
Flying La Compagnie to Nice
We flew La Compagnie directly from Newark to Nice, and I loved it. La Compagnie is a French airline with an all-business-class cabin, so the whole flight feels smaller and calmer than a typical transatlantic flight. The seats lie flat, the cabin is quiet, and flying straight into Nice meant we didn’t have to land somewhere else first and lose time getting down to the Riviera.
For a summer trip, that direct flight made such a difference. We left Newark and woke up in Nice, ready to start the trip, rather than dealing with a connection or another long travel day once we got to Europe.
Where We Stayed in Nice
We stayed at the Westminster Hotel right on the Promenade des Anglais, and the location was perfect. Our room was much bigger than I expected, and the balcony looked straight out over the Mediterranean. We could walk into Vieux Nice, cross the street to the beach, or just head out without much of a plan and see where the day took us.
Right nearby is Hôtel Negresco, probably the most iconic hotel in Nice. We didn’t stay there, but it’s impossible not to notice it along the Promenade with its grand Belle Époque look and pink dome. It’s beautiful and definitely the kind of place I’d consider if I wanted to make the hotel more of a splurge next time.
That’s what I remember most about Nice. We walked constantly, ate really well, drank a lot of wine, and spent plenty of time just looking around. We climbed the stairs up to Castle Hill for the views over the city, wandered through the old town, and happened to be there during the Women’s World Cup, which made the whole place feel even more fun.
We also hiked up to Castle Hill, or Colline du Château, for the view over Nice. We were very hungover, which was a terrible time to discover that yes, there are a lot of stairs. We somehow felt better by the time we got to the top, though, and the view over the Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, and the water was completely worth it.
There’s also a waterfall up there, which I didn’t expect and loved. We walked around the park for a while, took in the views, and recovered from our questionable decision-making.
Pro tip: there is an elevator up to Castle Hill. We did not know this. Learn from us.
Summer suited Nice so well. You could spend the morning walking, stop somewhere for lunch, head toward the water, and stay out late without feeling like you had to cram the day with plans.
What We Ate
The food was a huge part of it too. Nice has its own local dishes like socca, pissaladière, pan bagnat, salade Niçoise, daube, stuffed vegetables, and plenty of seafood. But there was also no shortage of pasta, bread, pastries, gelato, and easy things to order when you didn’t feel like overthinking a meal.
A professional soccer player we met insisted that we go to a restaurnat called Chez Palmyre and actually called the owner to help us get a table. This felt very much like being let in on a secret only the locals know. It’s tiny, hard to book, and you’d walk right past if you didn’t know better.
Inside, it’s old-school and packed tight, with vintage signs, bottles, handwritten menus, and zero interest in looking polished for tourists. It felt lived-in. Local. The food was simple and traditional, nothing fussy, and that was the whole point. We sat there drinking wine, eating whatever they put in front of us, and feeling very smug about having found our little corner of Nice for the night.
It was the closest I got to channeling my inner Bourdain on that trip, and honestly, I loved every second of it.
Day Trip to Èze
One of our favorite days was Èze. We took the bus from Nice and spent the day wandering through the village, stopping for drinks and lunch at Château de la Chèvre d’Or, and walking around the gardens. The views are incredible, and the whole place sits high above the Mediterranean.
This is probably the one place I’d save for slightly older kids. It’s perched at the top of a cliff, with steep drops, stone paths, stairs, and little areas where I know I’d be watching a young child who loves to climb like a hawk. It’s not somewhere I’d want to be wrestling with a stroller either.
I’d absolutely go back, but I think I’d enjoy it much more once the kids were old enough to understand where they could and couldn’t climb and could handle the walking on their own. Èze is too beautiful to skip, but with very young kids, I’d probably spend the whole day stressed instead of actually enjoying it.
Day Trip to Monaco
Monaco was even easier. We took the train over and spent the day walking around the harbor, shopping, having lunch, drinking Vesper martinis, and going to the casino like we were in a James Bond movie. The whole place is a little over the top, which is part of the fun.
I’d absolutely bring kids there now. They would probably care far more about the cars and yachts than anything else, but that would be enough. For older kids who are into F1, seeing the famous Monaco track in person would be a cool thing to tell your friends when you’re back in the States.
We also made our way up to Monaco-Ville, or Le Rocher, the old part of Monaco above the harbor where the Prince’s Palace sits. It’s worth going up just for the views, but I also loved seeing this side of Monaco because it felt completely different from the casino and luxury shops below.
This is also where the Grace Kelly history really comes in. She became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III, and nearby Saint Nicholas Cathedral is where they were married and where they’re both buried. I grew up knowing Grace Kelly as this glamorous old-Hollywood icon, so being there and seeing the palace and the places connected to her made Monaco feel like more than just yachts and Vesper martinis.
And yes, we climbed up. Apparently this trip involved us voluntarily climbing to every viewpoint we could find.
It’s close enough to Nice that you can go for the day without making it a whole production. Another cool detail about Monaco is that Italy is also only a few train stops away. We didn’t have time to go, but that is something we will definitely do next time we visit Monaco.
Then We Went to Paris and London
After Nice, we flew to Paris for a few days and then finished the trip in London. More on those spots in another article. I’m glad we did it that way then. We got a little bit of everything in one summer trip, and it worked really well for us at that point in our lives. Now, though, I think I’d rather stay in the French Riviera for longer and visit Paris and London on a separate trip.
How I’d Do This Trip Now
If we had the same two weeks today, I’d probably make the French Riviera the entire trip.
I’d stay in Nice for a good stretch and use it as a base for the places we already loved, but I’d also finally get to some of the towns we missed the first time. I’d want time in Cannes, especially for the beach clubs, restaurants, and that slightly more glamorous side of the Riviera, and I’d absolutely spend a few days around Saint-Tropez instead of trying to squeeze it into a rushed day trip. I’d also add places like Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Menton, and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat along the way, and this time I’d finally cross into Italy.
I do think the Riviera as a whole might be an even better trip with slightly older kids. Nice itself is easy, but once you start getting into the smaller towns, there’s more walking and plenty of cobblestone streets. Then there’s somewhere like Èze, where I’d personally feel much more comfortable once the kids were past the stage of climbing everything they see.
With older kids, you’d also have more freedom to move around the coast and spend longer days out without planning everything around naps and early bedtimes.
Why I’d Go Back With Kids
That’s probably why I keep coming back to Nice.
It was romantic before kids, but it never felt like a place that only worked for couples. It was easy to walk, easy to eat well, easy to get somewhere else for the day, and easy to do very little and still feel like you had a great day.
I’d still want the walks down the promenade, the day trips to Monaco and Eze, and definitely less wine (I will refrain from telling the story about how we met professional soccer players from the United States, watched the Women’s World Cup with them, and drank too much rosé).
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