French Riviera: by plane, car or ferry
Nice, Antibes and beaches with the Alps on the horizon. One long day of driving from Central Europe, or a short flight to Nice. A holiday mixing sea, towns and mountains at your back.
What does a trip to French Riviera cost this year?
The calculator compares flights from several airports, driving with real ferry prices, and shows the weather for every date.
You'll see these everywhere
The Promenade des Anglais
Seven kilometres of promenade along the Bay of Angels, begun by the 19th century English winter colony. Its symbol is the blue chairs, the chaises bleues, now the most photographed motif in Nice.
The azure name
The name Côte d'Azur was coined by poet Stéphen Liégeard in an 1887 book, replacing the older Riviera. The sea colour he named a whole coast after really is like that.
Belle époque and the Negresco
The palaces of the belle époque remain from the era when Europe's aristocracy wintered here. Most famous is the pink domed Negresco on the promenade, open since 1913 and still running.
The Cours Saleya market
Old Nice's main market: flowers and food Tuesday to Sunday from six in the morning, replaced on Mondays by an antiques flea market of two hundred stalls.
Socca off the pan
A thin chickpea flour pancake baked in a huge copper pan, eaten hot, by hand, with pepper. Institutions like Chez Pipo have baked it for nearly a century; a portion runs about 4 €.
Monaco in sight
The principality is 25 minutes from Nice by train: the 1863 Monte-Carlo casino, the F1 circuit in the streets and the palace changing of the guard daily at 11:55.
Perfume from Grasse
The perfume capital sits just above the coast; the region's perfume craft has been UNESCO listed since 2018. The historic houses Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard give free tours.
Yachts and pétanque
Cannes of the film festival and harbours full of superyachts are one face of the coast; the folk face is old men tossing boules under the plane trees. Pétanque was born just along the shore at La Ciotat.
Local prices
Guide prices for a typical tourist area in high season (as of 2026-07). Accommodation and rentals are sampled automatically, the basket is a curated estimate.
When to go
The Riviera works May to October, with the sea nicest July to September. In August beach parking is misery and hotels surge. May and September offer the same views with half the crush.
| Month | Daily high | Sea | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 21 °C | 19 °C | ~9 |
| June | 26 °C | 23 °C | ~6 |
| July | 29 °C | 26 °C | ~2 |
| August | 29 °C | 27 °C | ~4 |
| September | 26 °C | 24 °C | ~3 |
Averages from the last 8 years (Open-Meteo). The calculator shows your exact week in more detail.
What to taste
Socca
The chickpea pancake, crisp at the edges and soft inside; best straight off the pan at the market. About 4 € a portion.
Salade niçoise
By the Nice mayor's codex only raw vegetables, eggs, olives and anchovies or tuna; no boiled potatoes or beans. 14 to 18 € at a bistro.
Pan bagnat
A salade niçoise inside a round bun soaked in olive oil, the classic beach lunch. 5 to 7 € at the good stalls; past 9 € you're paying tourist tax.
Pissaladière
The onion tart with anchovy paste and olives from the bakeries, 3 to 4 € a slice.
Ratatouille and daube
Provençal stewed summer vegetables and beef braised in red wine, the staples of homely bistros. A plat du jour with either runs 14 to 20 €.
Rosé and pastis
Chilled Provence rosé with dinner (4 to 6 € a glass), aniseed pastis with water and ice as the aperitif at 3 to 4 €.
Return flights from Prague or Vienna
looking up prices…
Cheapest fares found per person (Aviasales, last ~48 h). Click a month to open the calculator with those dates.
Three trips worth taking
Monaco
The train from Nice takes 25 minutes for about 6 €. The 11:55 changing of the guard is free, the oceanographic museum charges 22.50 € and afternoon casino entry about 18 €; evenings bring a dress code, and you need ID everywhere.
Èze and Grasse
The eagle's nest of Èze, 430 m above the sea, keeps an exotic garden with a view for 10 €; you can also climb Nietzsche's path from the shore. In Grasse the Fragonard and Molinard perfumeries give free tours, an hour away by train.
Antibes and Cannes
Antibes holds the Provençal market and the Picasso museum in the Grimaldi castle where he worked in 1946 (8 €). In Cannes walk the Croisette and the festival palace steps; 15 and 25 minutes from Nice by train.
Beaches and the sea
The beaches in Nice itself are smooth pebbles called galets: bring water shoes and a mat. For sand, take the train to Antibes, Juan-les-Pins or Cannes. The shore splits into free public stretches, packed in August, and private beach clubs: a mattress with parasol runs 28 to 35 € a day in Nice, over 50 € at the posh Cannes clubs, and season demands a booking. The sea peaks at 23 to 25 °C from late July to early September and stays pleasant through the month. The water is clean; currents occasionally bring purple jellyfish, flagged on the beaches.
How to get there
Fly to Nice in a couple of hours, the airport sits right by the city. Driving from Prague is about 1,200 km, one long day. Locally the coastal train runs every half hour, a car by the sea is more burden than help.
Airports
- NCE · Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (Nice)
Car ferries
No ferry needed when driving here.
Distance
893 km from Prague as the crow flies. The calculator computes the real route, tolls and fuel.
Tip
Seaside parking is scarce and pricey. Consider flying and using the coastal train, it runs every half hour.
Good to know
- The TER train on the Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Menton line is the best coastal transport: every quarter hour, Monaco about 6 €. In July and August the midday and evening trains are rammed, go early.
- Tram 2 runs from the airport to the centre; from the terminals an airport fare of 10 € applies, but from the neighbouring Grand Arénas stop the ordinary 1.70 € ticket works.
- August is the absolute peak with the priciest lodging. June and September give the best ratio.
- Pickpockets work the promenade, markets and tram. Ordinary caution suffices.
- A car is more burden than help on the coast: street parking in Nice is limited and garages run 2 to 3 € an hour. In Monaco and Èze head straight for the underground garages.
- Service is included (service compris): rounding up or a euro or two is a courtesy, not a duty. And the water carafe is free at restaurants, just ask.
Frequently asked questions
When is the sea warmest?
The sea is typically warmest in August, around 27 °C. Daytime air averages 29 °C.
What is the place known for?
Local signatures include The Promenade des Anglais, The azure name, Belle époque and the Negresco, The Cours Saleya market, Socca off the pan, Monaco in sight, Perfume from Grasse, Yachts and pétanque.
How much are food and drinks locally?
As a guide: espresso at the bar ~2.5 €, main dish at a casual place ~17 €, beer (0.5 l) out ~8 €, scoop of ice cream ~2.5 €, sunbed and parasol per day ~30 €, an hour of parking ~2.5 €, litre of petrol ~2.05 €. High-season prices as of 2026-07.
Which airports serve it?
Nearest airports: Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (Nice) (NCE). The calculator compares fares to all of them at once, from Prague and Vienna alike.
Car or plane, which pays off?
For a coastal stay, plane plus train wins. The car makes sense if you are mixing the sea with Provence or the Alps. Parking in Nice can cost like a second hotel.
What does a trip to French Riviera cost this year?
The calculator compares flights from several airports, driving with real ferry prices, and shows the weather for every date.