Stories from the Riviera
Long-form writing on Nice and the region beyond it — excursions, Riviera culture, local life and the practicalities of travel around the coast.
More stories
Where I actually swim near Nice: pebbles, coves and no sand
Can you drink tap water in Nice?
Walking the Cap-Ferrat coastal path
Castle Hill in Nice: the viewpoint with no castle
Cours Saleya market guide: flower market, food market or flea market?
Èze's exotic garden and the Nietzsche path down to the sea
Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Fondation Maeght: why walk to both
French phrases for the Riviera: what I actually use
Is the French Riviera worth visiting in winter?
Matisse and Chagall in Nice: two museums, not one stop
Monaco without breaking the bank
Monte-Carlo casino dress code and how to visit
A walk through Vieux-Nice, street by street
Pebble beaches in Nice: what to expect
The Promenade des Anglais: a walk through Nice's history
Sainte-Marguerite island and the Man in the Iron Mask
What niçois street food actually means
The mountain train from Nice to Tende, through the Roya valley
Tipping and restaurant etiquette on the Riviera
The Friday market in Ventimiglia, one train ride from Nice
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild: is it worth the detour to Cap-Ferrat?
Visiting the perfume houses of Grasse
What is a real salade niçoise?
Good to know about the Nice Spirit blog
The Nice Spirit blog is where seasonal notes, road and trail updates, and practical comparisons live, separate from the fixed reference content in the rest of the site, because conditions on the Riviera change in ways that a static guide can't always keep pace with. Road and trail status is a recurring theme: the corniche roads towards Italy, access into the Mercantour and the Vésubie and Roya valleys, conditions after storm damage in the alpine hinterland, and above all crowd levels in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Eze and Monaco, which can affect how a day actually plays out depending on the season.
Seasonal posts track the practical effect of the region's Mediterranean calendar, from the hot, dry summer running June to September, to the milder winter on the coast that's generally quieter, including the fact that it can snow in the alpine hinterland an hour's drive from Nice during that cooler season. Because October and November can bring intense Mediterranean rain episodes, seasonal posts also cover how that risk affects planning depending on when you visit.
Practical comparisons weigh up genuinely different options rather than repeating hub-page summaries: self-drive against relying on GetYourGuide or Viator day trips, a coastal base in Nice versus further along the Riviera, or what a guided boat trip to the Iles de Lerins adds compared with a Cannes-based day out. The blog doesn't try to replace the reference hubs elsewhere on the site; it's where timing- and condition-sensitive detail gets updated as things in the region actually change.
Frequently asked questions about the Nice Spirit blog
What kind of posts appear on the blog?
The blog covers seasonal notes, trail and road updates, and practical comparisons, distinct from the fixed reference guides elsewhere on the site. It's the place for timing- and condition-sensitive detail.
How current is the volcano access information on the blog?
Access and crowd levels in places like Monaco, Eze and the Mercantour can change with the season and official notices, and the blog is where this is tracked as conditions change. Always confirm current access with the official source before planning a visit.
Does the blog cover the best season to visit?
Yes, seasonal posts cover the practical difference between the hot, humid, cyclone-affected austral summer from November to April and the drier austral winter from May to October that's generally better for hiking.
Does the blog compare self-drive and guided trips?
Yes, practical comparison posts weigh up self-drive against relying on GetYourGuide or Viator day trips, among other genuinely different planning choices.
How is the blog different from the destination hubs?
The hub pages are fixed reference content, while the blog carries condition-sensitive updates, such as trail and road status or seasonal timing, that change more often than the hubs do.
Boat cruises to Monaco, Cannes and the Îles de Lérins
Verified deep-linked GetYourGuide tours. Book through these links and we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
GetYourGuide does not provide a product photo for this activity — the image shows the meeting point, photographed by us.
