Frolicking in the French Riveria from Nice, Nice, France

Nice, on the French Riviera, is a beautiful spot to holiday in, but it also makes the perfect base, to explore further afield.

Nice is the perfect place to base yourself to explore the French Riviera. Both times we stayed in Nice, we arrived by train from other cities in France - Bordeaux and Carcassonne.

The first time we stayed in Nice it was summer which meant long warm days, perfect for a day of sightseeing then a few hours on the beach.

On our first visit we stayed at the Hotel Suisse, on the waterfront, fantastic location! It was great being able to wander down to the beach for an hour or two and not have too far to wander back. With a balcony, our room offered amazing views along the Promenade des Anglais, perfect for a sundowner or two!

On our second visit, my friend and I stayed in a hostel. When I say hostel, it was a pretty nice one, Ozz Hostel. We opted for a room of our own with our own bathroom. Totally different experiences, but both were wonderful! In the hostel, we met some great people, shared some beverages….. a LOT of beverages… shared stories and nursed a pretty massive hangover!

We are from Australia, and I have to say, we have some pretty fantastic beaches, so it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to them. My first impression of the pebbly Nice beach was a little underwhelming. You can’t really spread your towel on the ground and relax on little lumps of rock. And there is no way to look sexy walking into the water as you stumble and slip, ending up on your bum before you get there! However, after an afternoon on a sunbed (much more comfortable), I realized that the pebbles are what make it a memorable and different experience. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).