Nice with kids: a day plan
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- all 3 free
- Duration
- 8 h 30 min · 09:30–18:01
- Start and finish
- Promenade des Anglais → Villefranche-sur-Mer
- On foot
- ≈ 0 min in total
- Transport
- 2 rides, ≈ 46 min
- Lunch
- around 10:45
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- May to September; swimming from June.
The plan, stop by stop
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Nice09:30–18:01 · 3 places · 8 h 30 min
Promenade des Anglais
· 1 h 15 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 22 min · transport or taxi
Vieux-Nice
· 3 h · Free
- 24 min · transport or taxi
Villefranche-sur-Mer
· 2 h 30 min · Free
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
All 3 stops are free — you pay only for museums inside, if you go in, and for lunch.
| 1 | Promenade des Anglais | 50 | 1 h 15 min | Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vieux-Nice | 38 | 3 h | Free |
| 3 | Villefranche-sur-Mer | 46 | 2 h 30 min | Free |
| Total | 6 h 50 min | 3 of 3 free |
Tips for each stop
- 1
Promenade des Anglais. The seafront along the Baie des Anges: blue chairs, palms, a pebble beach and sunsets over the sea. Free.
- 2
Vieux-Nice. The old town of ochre houses, the Cours Saleya market, Sainte-Réparate cathedral and socca. Free; the market runs in the mornings.
- 3
Villefranche-sur-Mer. A town on a deep bay: colourful houses, a tunnel street, the Cocteau chapel and a beach. Free; 10 minutes by train.
Who this route is for
- Children aged 3 and up
- A family Riviera holiday
- Wanting both the sea and walks
- Museums with toddlers: keep it short
- Clifftop villages: lots of steps
May to September; swimming from June.
Nice with kids: how the day works
Start with a wander round the Cours Saleya market: children love the flowers, fruit and hot socca from the oven. From the old town, a free lift by the sea goes up Castle Hill, where there's a waterfall, a shady park, a playground and a view over all of Nice.
After lunch, head down to the Promenade des Anglais, easy with a pushchair or scooter, and rest in the blue chairs with an ice cream. In the evening, take the train to Villefranche, where the bay beach is calmer than the town's.
Remove any stop with ✕ or reorder it with ≡, and add another nearby: the timings update.
Where to eat with kids
Socca, pan bagnat and bakery pizza in Vieux-Nice are simple food children enjoy. Place Rossetti has famous ice-cream makers with dozens of flavours.
Villefranche's waterfront has plenty of cafés where you can have dinner while the children play on the beach. Many restaurants have a children's menu.
Tips for travelling with kids
Nice's beaches are pebbly, so bring water shoes. In the midday heat, retreat to the shade of Castle Hill and save the sea for morning and evening.
TER trains have space for pushchairs, and children under 4 usually travel free. The old town is manageable with a pushchair, but a baby carrier is easier on the steps.
More to do with kids
Children enjoy the sandy beaches of Antibes at Juan-les-Pins, the gardens and musical fountains of the Villa Ephrussi and the olive grove at Renoir's house.
How to do it right
- Water shoes are a must.
- Take the lift up the hill.
- Ice cream on Place Rossetti.
- France uses the euro. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere. Buy TER train and tram tickets from machines or the app; pay for museums and villas on site or on their official websites.
Questions
What is there to do in Nice with kids?
The Cours Saleya market, Castle Hill's waterfall and playground, the Promenade des Anglais and Villefranche's beach.
Is Nice pushchair-friendly?
The Promenade and centre are; there's a lift up Castle Hill, and some steps in the old town.
Where can kids swim near Nice?
In Villefranche's bay or on the sandy beaches of Juan-les-Pins.
Where can you eat with kids in Nice?
Socca and pizza in Vieux-Nice, ice cream on Place Rossetti.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- Nice tourist office, explorenicecotedazur.com
