Call to book01904 734 939
Tour Search
#Favourites
France & Benelux

Nice & The French Riviera

Save
7 days From £999 per person
4.0 stars(65 reviews)
Gallery
Map

Experience the picturesque Côte d’Azur, delving into a shimmering world of upmarket resorts and traditional towns

Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: 24NRS

About the tour

Explore Nice on the wonderful French Riviera from your base just a short walk from the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais and its beaches.

Visit beautiful seaside towns with time to explore at your own pace. Discover colourful Villefrance-sur-Mer, uncover the history of the old port of Antibes, and savour the charm of chic Cannes.

Enjoy a guided tour of Monaco, seeing the famous casino in Monte Carlo as well as the time-honoured Changing of the Guards ceremony at the Prince's Palace.

View Dates & Pricing

Unforgettable experiences

Stay in Nice near the Promenade des Anglais
Stay in Nice near the Promenade des Anglais
Get to know the cosmopolitan city of Nice from your base near its wonderful beachfront, uncovering a historic port town filled with art, culture and a laid-back atmosphere.
Uncover the chic town of Cannes
Uncover the chic town of Cannes
Enjoy time at leisure in stylish Cannes – famed for its international film festival – and stroll along the chic promenade that overlooks the golden sand beaches of the French Riviera.
Explore the historic port of Antibes
Explore the historic port of Antibes
Spend free time amongst the medieval town of Antibes, viewing the quaint fishermen’s cottages and a former home of Pablo Picasso – now a museum housing the artist’s work.
Visit colourful Villefranche-sur-Mer
Visit colourful Villefranche-sur-Mer
Wander around the gorgeous town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, where charming colourful buildings and cobbled streets cascade down to the serene harbour.
Discover the glamour of Monaco
Discover the glamour of Monaco
Experience a guided tour of the glitzy principality synonymous with affluence. Observe the Changing of the Guards at the Palais du Prince and view the famed Monte-Carlo Casino.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – London to Nice: Straight to the Riviera

You meet your Tour Manager and fellow travellers this morning at London St Pancras International ready for the Eurostar service to Paris. In the French capital, you change trains for the direct service to Nice, arriving on the French Riviera in the evening.

Your hotel is located a short walk from the famous Promenade des Anglais, the shimmering palm-lined seafront looking out on to the Mediterranean Sea. At the 3-Star contemporary hotel you can relax on its roof terrace or spend time on its private beach, where you receive preferential rates. After a welcome drink on arrival at your hotel, the evening is free for you to explore the area at leisure and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant of your choice.

Day 2 – Free day to explore Nice

Today you can spend a relaxing day getting to know Nice at your own pace. A stroll down the Promenade des Anglais lets you soak up the appealing atmosphere of this beautiful city. You could stop off at the Jardins du Musée Masséna on the way. Admission is free to these landscaped gardens full of tropical plants and trees, surrounding a Belle Époque villa.

The Nice Tramway connects the city centre with your hotel in less than 10 minutes so you could opt to discover the city's sights by modern tram instead. In the Old Town, you might like to visit Cours Saleya - a buzzing and colourful market selling flowers, antiques and local produce. For a flavour of Nice, you could try 'socca', a local crispy pancake made from chickpea flour. After wandering intriguing passageways and courtyards, there are many fine squares for you to explore, including Place Giuseppe Garibaldi and Place Masséna. Both abound with cafés and restaurants where you can rest and watch the world go by.

This evening is free for you to find a restaurant of your choosing. Perhaps enjoy authentic local food, known as Cuisine Nissarde, that includes the renowned Salad Niçoise, pistou soup and ratatouille. These can all be savoured with a delightful local wine.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 – The Cote d’Azur towns of Antibes and Cannes

This morning your group heads by train to the charming harbour town of Antibes. With its historic streets lined with quaint medieval fisherman's houses, this old port has understandably attracted visitors for centuries - including Pablo Picasso, who lived in Château Grimaldi for six months. The castle is now the site of the Picasso Museum, housing a collection of the artist's work. The covered Provençal Market is also worth visiting to take in the sights and smells of the fresh produce on offer. You might also like to visit the well-preserved Fort Carré, a citadel commanding panoramic sea views.

In the afternoon, you transfer by train down the coast to Cannes. This glamorous town was originally a small fishing village that can still be uncovered in the cobbled streets of Le Suquet, where there is also a historic hilltop church and château. Cannes is now world famous for its prestigious film festival, held each year in the Palace of Festivals and Congresses at the start of the Croisette. This boulevard dotted with palms and upmarket boutiques stretches between the façades of grand hotels and the gold sand beaches that bustle with sunbathers and beach restaurants. There is also a colourful Provençal market that is a feast for the senses.

You return to Nice by rail, where your group has dinner together at a local restaurant.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 – The art and culture of Nice

With nearly three miles of beaches in Nice, you might prefer to spend a free day lounging next to the brilliant blue sea. However, Nice is renowned for its culture and there are many excellent museums in the city. The Musée National Marc Chagall is just north of the city centre and honours the Belarussian-born French artist who was a pioneer of modernism. In the hilltop Cimiez quarter, you can find the Matisse Museum which contains works by Henri Matisse, a pioneer of colourful Fauvism who spent many years in Nice.

For those interested in live music, the Old Town of Nice buzzes with vibrant jazz bars, while you could visit the Hotel Negresco to sample the famous Royal Negresco cocktail containing champagne and flakes of gold.

After a dinner of your choice this evening, you could also stroll along the Promenade des Anglais - an evening ritual for many local residents, dog walkers and joggers - enjoying sea air and views of the glittering Mediterranean.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 5 – Gorgeous Villefranche-sur-Mer

You travel the short distance by rail this morning to the coastal town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. There is free time to uncover this attractive small town that cascades down the hills in a rainbow of pastel-coloured buildings to a sheltered harbour. The old town is a warren of narrow, cobbled streets of sun-baked houses rising towards the Church of St Michael. One of the more unusual streets in Villefranche is the Rue Obscure. Constructed in the 13th century as a covered alley to allow military personnel to pass through the town unseen, to this day it retains the mystery and history of centuries past. On the quayside, you can find the colourful Chapel of St Paul where another surprise awaits - the interior is decorated with delicate renderings of figures created by poet, filmmaker and artist Jean Cocteau.

Return travel to Nice is included in the afternoon but with train tickets only costing a few euros, you could opt to stay and return at your leisure. Nearby is stylish Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, one of the most exclusive residential areas in the world. On this pretty peninsula is a pink-hued villa formerly owned by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, a socialite and art collector of the prominent Rothschild dynasty, that contains nine manicured gardens. Around the harbour berthed with yachts are many wine bars and restaurants where you could eat this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 6 – Guided tour of glamorous Monaco

Your group travels by coach along the scenic Lower Corniche Road to Monaco. Winding around the coast, clinging to the cliffs, you can take in fantastic views of the azure Mediterranean enroute.

The world's second-smallest sovereign state, Monaco is renowned as a playground for the rich and famous with superyachts lining the large marina. With one third of Monaco's residents being millionaires, wealth is on display all across the principality, especially around Place du Casino. During a guided tour, you visit this glitzy square and view the world-famous Monte-Carlo Casino.

On its strategic position on top of a large rock, Le Rocher is Monaco's Old Town and still retains winding medieval lanes. Since the 13th century, this has been the stronghold of the Grimaldi dynasty - the principality's ruling family. Your guided tour takes in the Palais du Prince, the residence of the current Prince of Monaco, where you witness the time-honoured Changing of the Guards ceremony. Following your tour, you have some free time to look around - maybe have a flutter in the casino or enjoy a drink in the Café de Paris, Monte Carlo's prime people-watching spot.

Returning to Nice in the evening, you enjoy a three-course dinner in a local restaurant.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 – Homeward bound

Leaving Nice and the French Riviera in mid-morning, your group boards the direct train to Paris. As you journey through the heart of France, you can look back at the highlights of your holiday on the sparkling Côte d'Azur. With the shining Mediterranean Sea never far from view, you have explored some of the area's most beautiful towns and cities, from Cannes to Monaco.

In Paris, you swap to the Eurostar, arriving back in London St Pancras International in the evening, were you say a fond farewell to your fellow travelling companions and Tour Manager, with whom you have shared these unforgettable experiences.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We will write to you around 10 weeks before your departure date with the precise meeting times for your tour group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Hotel Locarno, Nice

Hotel Locarno, Nice

View hotel

Trains

Eurostar
The TGV

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Extend your European holiday
Eurostar Upgrade
UK rail connections
London hotels

Reviews

4.0 stars4.0 / 5 · 65 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (27)
  2. 4 stars
    (23)
  3. 3 stars
    (9)
  4. 2 stars
    (3)
  5. 1 star
    (3)

Brian Jones

4 stars

Submitted 14/Oct

Good value, would recommend this.

Collected by Trustpilot

Gerard

5 stars

Submitted 14/Oct

Very informative,relaxing and enjoyable.Excellent tour manager.

Collected by Trustpilot

Dave T

4 stars

Submitted 17/Sep

Well organised and enjoyable. The evening meals were a disappointment, seating outside with noisy traffic, service was slow. Pleased that my brother who lives in Nice was able to join us on some of the organised trips. Tour manager was very good.

Collected by Trustpilot

Elaine

4 stars

Submitted 16/Sep

Great tour leader; interesting itinerary; good balance of activities and free time. Choice of local restaurant for dinner could have been more imaginative. Hotel not worth commenting on as it's not in next year's brochure.

Collected by Trustpilot

G Martin

5 stars

Submitted 4/Aug

An excellent, well planned tour

Collected by Trustpilot

Michael Roberts

5 stars

Submitted 17/Jun

Excellent tour and tour guide , hotel below our expectations lacking in facilities

Collected by Trustpilot

Show 6 more reviews
European Escorted Holidays by Rail 2024

European Escorted Holidays by Rail 2024

The definitive guide to Europe 2024 rail holidays.

Download brochure
Related inspiration from our journey blog