Why visit Nice? 
Nice is a mixture of the old, new, trendy and traditional.   Nice is the capital of the Cote d'Azur and its largest city. . Originally it was ruled by the King of Savoy and even today there remains a strong Italian influence in the old town, in the narrow lanes and in the style of the buildings. For good reason,  people have been visiting Nice and the Cote d'Azur for over 100 years. At first the nobility came because of the warm climate and artists because of the quality of the light.  Later on the rich and famous came to socialise, to swim in the warm Mediterranean sea and to sunbathe.  Nice has a magnificent seafront which is over five miles long.  There is definitely a feeling of opulence as you stroll past the two casinos and the many five star hotels on the promenade des Anglais.    
 
Why should you come?   
Nice is a fabulous place with something to meet just about all needs.  We love it because (in no particular order):  
It has a mild winter climate and is warm in summer 
The uniqueness of the Promenade des anglais, a place bustling with people enjoying themselves and simply relaxing. View the beautiful crystal clear water and the private and public beaches are all close by, relax under a beach umbrella, rent a chaise lounge and enjoy a cocktail or lunch at one of the many beachside restaurants.  
The lifestyle - a relaxed, Mediterranean pace of life. 
The people who are genuinely helpful and friendly 
The things to do - excellent restaurants, stylish shopping,  cool entertainment of all kinds 
Sun, sea and the mountain backdrop 
Sunset over the Baie des Anges, the bay which Nice overlooks  
Museums and art galleries. 
Events 
There are regular events throughout the year in Nice and the rest of the  Cote d'Azur.  Nice holds an annual Carnival and Flower Festival in February, Feast of the Gourds in April, International Tennis Tournament in April, May Festival and Jazz Festival in July.  Added to this are the Cannes Film Festival in May and the Monte Carlo Rally and Monaco Grand Prix. 
Getting about 
Nice is well served by all kinds of transport.  You can easily reach it by air, road and rail.  It's easy to fly direct to Nice and the airport is just 5 miles from the city centre. Nice International Airport is the second largest in France, with direct flights to America, Britain and the rest of Europe. From the UK, there are frequent direct flights from all the main airports to Nice with the main airlines. EasyJet flies directly from Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Newcastle and Stansted. FlyBE go from Exeter and Southampton (all flight destinations correct as of May 2007).  There are also direct flights from all the main European capitals and Delta flies from New York. 
From the airport there are frequent city buses to town.  Alternatively you can take a taxi which is vastly more expensive but more convenient if you have luggage. 
By road, the French autoroute network links Nice with all major French cities.  From the southern UK, you should allow 2 full days driving each way.  Once arrived, you will probably find little need for the car as the city is quite compact and most places are easily reached on foot or by public transport. There are plenty of public car parks with a few meters walk but street parking can be difficult.  
Visitors arriving by train will find good services to all major cities in France.  The journey from Paris to  Nice takes as little as 5 1/2 hours and Lyon takes from 4 2/3  hours. The station is within 10 minutes walk from the apartment.   
The main railway line goes east to Monaco, Menton and Italy. To the west, the line goes to  Marseilles, Lyon and Paris, with local stops at Antibes, Cannes and Fréjus.  In winter the ski slopes are less than 2 hours away. 
Italy is just half an hour away by car or train.