Nice Cruise Holidays

Nice, France

Nice is one of the largest cities in France and has a wide range of attractions and activities for all visitors to enjoy but for many, it is the cities location in the heart of French Riviera that makes it a must visit destination.

Visitors can enjoy lots to do in Nice including strolling the tree-lined boulevards, walk around the marina, sunbath on Nice’s beautiful beaches or walk around the streets and visit the many shops, bar, cafes, and restaurants all offering a wide range of local and international fair.

Nice is a modern city with everything you would expect from a bustling urban area but it is also a destination full of history and culture and many visitors mix visiting Nice with a trip along the coast to Monaco.

Cruises To Nice

Nice Cruise Guide

As a popular port on the Mediterranean Sea, it will come as no surprise that there are lots of options when it comes to cruise holidays to the beautiful French city of Nice but that can lead to some confusion.

If you are unsure on whether to book a cruise holiday to Nice or not or if you have booked a cruise stopping in the city and are wondering what you options are, then you are in the right place as we bring you our Nice cruise guide.

Type of Cruises Available

The cruise port in Nice is a relatively small one and is in fact split between 2 location; Nice harbour and Villefranche-sur-Mer, so it is no surprise that port is only capable of hosting cruise ships that call into the city as part of a Med cruise.

With that in mind, there are 2 types of cruises in the main that are on offer to those looking at holidaying to the city.

Firstly, you can fly to one of the key Mediterranean ports , such as Barcelona or Civitavecchia (Rome) and enjoy a cruise around the Med or secondly, you can select a cruise that starts and end in the UK and calls into the port of Nice on trip around the Med.

If you decide to start and end in the region, you can choose cruises of multiple length starting at 6-7 nights and going up to 10,14 and even 21 nights.

If you are choosing not to fly, you will need be looking at cruises of around 10-14 nights at a minimum.

There is a third option, although it is rarely offered, where you either start in the Med and then cruise back to the UK whilst stopping off in Nice o you start in the UK and end your cruse in the Med or Aegean Sea on a cruise that docks in Nice.

Nice-Villefranche-sur-Mer Cruise Port Location

The port of Nice is also known as the Port Villefranche-Nice due to the fact that whilst some ships can stop in Nice, the vast majority actually stop further down the coast in Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Smaller ships of under 180metres can dock in the Bassin Lympia in the old town of Nice but as that rules out the vast majority of cruise ships, you will more than likely dock in Villefranche-sur-Mer which is about 3 miles east of the city centre of Nice, with most cruise lines offering shuttle buses.

Nice Attractions

The bustling city of Nice has lots to offer visitors so no matter what you enjoy doing on a day ashore, the chances are that you will be able to do it.

For many visitors it is simply walking around the streets of the city and taking in the many sites of interest that makes for the ideal day in Nice and if that sounds lime what you enjoy doing, the Old Town and its narrow streets and historic building the place to be.

It is also in that part of town where you walk around the cities port which as well as feature many boat trips and ferries, it is also home to numerous yachts.

Overlooking the city is the Castle Hill where an old fortification, cathedral and other historic sites can be enjoyed as well as incredible views out over the city and the Mediterranean Sea.

The sea front in Nice features a long promenade, called the Promenade des Anglais, which as you would expect from that name is similar to the proms found in Victorian holiday resorts in the UK. There is aa large sandy beach that awaits those who simply ant to relax and soak up the sun whilst in Nice.

Amongst the many historic building and sites that can be enjoyed in the city is the Cathedral Saint-Nicolas a Nice, the Lace Massena, the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate, the Place Garibaldi and the Basilique Notre-Dame de nice are all popular.

If you are wanting to soak up some of the culture of Nice, the Marc Chagall National Museum, the Musee Massena, the Phoenix Parc Foral de Nice and the Musee Matisse are all worth calling into.

Nice Shorex

Although a day out in Nice is a shore excursion in its own right, for those not heading to the city, a trip further east to the famous Principality of Monaco and the streets of Monte Carlo is the most popular excursion and whilst you can do it easily on a ship organised tour, both Nice and Villefranche have train stations with a direct line to Monaco.

Best Time To Visit

The weather in Nice is warm all year around although it can get wet and windy in the winter months. In the main summer months of July and August, it gets incredibly busy not just with cruise ships but with holidaymakers arriving by land, air and sea so if you don’t like crowds and incredibly hot weather, it may be best to visit in May/June/September/October.

Transport

The main tourist sites and the beautiful beaches of Nice can be easily reached on foot or by using one of the tourist busses whilst in the city but if you are wanting to explore the region or head to the outskirts of town to take more in, there are a number of options.

As mentioned, there is a trainline in Nice that take in many towns along the French Riviera (including Marseille, Toulon, Cannes, Antibes and Grasse) and heads to Monaco whilst travel around the city can be easily done via the Nice tram network or by bus.

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