Fares. Lignes d’Azur trams and buses are €1.70 a ride with 74 minutes of changes, on a €2 card from the platform machines or in the Lignes d’Azur Tickets app; a 24-hour pass is €7. The validators do not take bank cards, so buy before you board. The airport is a separate fare: tram 2 runs from both terminals to Jean Médecin in under 30 minutes on a €10 Aéro round-trip ticket from the platform machine, with no onboard sales.
Pickpockets. Tram 1 between the station and Place Masséna, and tram 2 from the airport, are where phones go missing. Bag in front, phone zipped away, and stand clear of the doors.
Museums and passes. The MAMAC is closed for rebuilding until 2029. The Musée Matisse opens 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April to October and to 5 p.m. in winter, closed Tuesday, €10 or the €15 four-day pass for every municipal museum; it is shut for the changeover between exhibitions from September 29 to October 20, 2026, inclusive. The Chagall is national, €10 to €12 depending on whether an exhibition is on, not on that pass, and closed 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily until October 31, 2026 (and all day Tuesday). The French Riviera Pass is €30 for 24 hours, €45 for 48 and €65 for 72, covering the Matisse, the Chagall and the Rothschild villa, plus a €7 Lignes d’Azur day ticket if you add it.
The beaches. Every beach is pebbles; bring water shoes. Castel and Ponchettes under the hill and the open stretches along the Promenade are free. The paid clubs rent a bed and parasol for €25 to €40 in high season.
The Carnival. About two weeks from mid-February, with floats on Place Masséna and flower battles on the Promenade; the 2027 dates were not published at the time of writing. Hotels near Masséna fill months ahead at double the rate, central tram stops are diverted on parade days and the Promenade is fenced for ticketed stands. The week after is half the price.
The coast by train. TER trains leave Nice-Ville every twenty minutes or so: Villefranche in under ten minutes for around €3.50, Monaco in twenty to twenty-five for around €5. Èze village has no station: bus 82 from Vauban takes about half an hour.
Socca and the market. The Cours Saleya sells flowers, fruit and olives Tuesday to Sunday mornings; Monday is antiques from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Socca is chickpea batter from a wood oven: Chez Pipo by the port from 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to Sunday, or Chez Thérésa’s market stall in the morning.
On the day. Do the museums any day but Tuesday and take the coast train on Tuesday. Buy the tram ticket before you board, since the validators take no bank cards, and let Waystop’s hours check flag the Matisse if its closure lands on your dates.