General Info
With its privileged position on the French Riviera in between
Marseille in
France and
Genoa in
Italy, Nice already made itself a name as a top Yacht Charter destination for tourists of many nationalities, not just French and Italian.
Unbeknown to many, Nice is the original Nike, because it was named by the Greeks after their goddess of victory. Later, the Romans understood its true potential with its mineral baths of Cimiez. Today, it’s the first city mostYacht Charter crews visit when coming to the Cote d’Azure because it’s the most easily accessible and provdes links to other locations.
Travel & Arrival
The proximity of Nice International Airport and its size is a determining factor in the great numbers of Yacht Charter tourists that come to the resort every year. In fact, Nice Airport is the busiest in France, having flights to all major cities in Europe, some in the United States, North Africa and the Middle East. There are shuttles, busses and trains linking the terminal to the city.
The A8 highway is the mainline connecting Nice to the rest of France and Europe. When coming from the east, the Yacht Charter tourist should get off at exit 50 and when coming from the west at exit 55. If you’re considering of booking a bus trip, take into account operators such as Eurolines and LER that make trips to Nice and neighboring cities like Marseille and Toulon.
A train ride from Paris to Nice takes 6 hours by TGV and drops you off at the central station, but there are also trains that cater Italian Yacht Charter enthusiasts, coming from towns like Milan, Genoa, Rome and
Venice.
By water, Nice provides ferry trips to other towns on the French coast but also to a number of locations in
Corsica. As always, in order to avoid unpleasant situations due to overcrowding, you are advised to book ahead.
Avant & Apres Sail
First place a Yacht Charter group should head to is the Colline du Chateau which acts like a lookout point from where you can get a glimpse of the city and the coastline. Some of the famous museums culture enthusiasts might appreciate include the Chagal Museum, the Matisse Museum and the Musee et Site Archeologiques de Cimiez.
For a lovely promenade with your Yacht Charter crew make sure you get to the Cliff Walk (Sentier Littoral), past the old port on the road that leads away from Coco Beach. Also, for those who like nature walks, a good idea would be to visit Mont Boron and its old Fort.
The main shopping street is the Jean Medicin where the Yacht Charter sailor can buy souvenirs and clothes but at a steep price because most retailers belong to famous brand names.
To all the hungry Yacht Charter crews on a visit in Nice we recommend the Socca, a chickpea flat bread or the Pan Bagnat, a tuna fish sandwich. But don’t go thinking that a maritime town as big as this has only one seafood recipe: there is also the Soupe de Poisson (fish soup) and the famous Salade Nicoise made with tuna.
For those Yacht Charter devotees who are on a budget a word of warning: stay away from wine in restaurants as it’s usually very overpriced and also, carry a lot of water with you as the hot climate will take its toll.
Events & Activities
Apart from standing in a bar or on a terrace and admiring the traffic, a more active-minded Yacht Charter tourist might want to check out the Nice Cycle tours which is a guided tour on bicycles that passes by cultural, historic and religious landmarks.
Sunbathing is also a reason for people coming here, just like on most cities on the Cote d’Azur, so make sure to bring your bathing suit and plenty of sun cream, because chances are you’re going to spend a lot of time on Nice’s beautiful beaches, overlooking the marina with its Yacht Charter operators.