Busabout Adventures

A Busabout pass for the Southern Loop will enchant you with the romance, the gastronomic delights and the historic marvels of Italy and the awe inspiring beauty of Switzerland. Start from any city on the loop and travel at your own pace - stay as long as you like at each stop .... then when you've finished exploring, jump on the next bus and move on to the next destination. Click on the destinations in the map to find out more...

Av Jean Médecin runs south from near the train station to place Masséna. The modern city centre, ie the area north and west of place Masséna, includes the up-market pedestrianised streets of rue de France and rue Masséna. The intercity bus station is three blocks east of place Masséna. The famous promenade des Anglais follows the gently curved beachfront from the city centre to the airport, 6km west.

The Carte Musées Ville de Nice, which allows entry into all of Nice’s museums except the Chagall, costs €6/18.30 for seven/15 days.

The Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemp­orain ((04 93 62 61 62; av St-Jean Baptiste; adult/student €4/2.50; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon) focuses in French and American edgy works. Artists include Nice-born Yves Klein (1928–62), Andy Warhol, Christo, Marseille-born sculptor César and sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle.

Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall ((04 93 53 87 20; Avenue du Docteur Ménard; adult/student €5.50/4, in summer €5.80/4.25; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon Jul-Sep, 10am-5pm Wed-Mon Oct-Jun) contains a series of large, impressive and colourful paintings of Old Testament scenes. Take bus No 15 from place Masséna to the front of the museum or walk.

Musée Matisse ((04 93 81 08 08; 164 av des Arènes de Cimiez; adult/student €4/2.50; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon) houses a fine collection of works by Henri Matisse in the bourgeois district of Cimiez. Well-known pieces in the permanent collection include blue paper cutouts of Blue Nude IV and Woman with Amphora. Take bus No 15, 17, 20, 22 or 25 from the Station Centrale to the Arènes stop.

Free sections of public beach alternate with 15 plages concédées (private beaches), for which you have to pay. There are outdoor showers on every beach, and indoor showers and toilets opposite 50 promenade des Anglais.

Sunbus route No 23 (€1.30), which runs to the airport every 20 or 30 minutes from about 6am to 8pm, can be picked up at the Gare Nice Ville or on blvd Gambetta, rue de France or rue de la Californie. The Nice by Bus pass, valid for one/five/seven days costs €4/12.95/16.75 and includes a return trip to the airport. ANT airport bus ((04 92 29 88 88; €3.50), which bears the symbol of an aeroplane shuttles between town and airport every 20 minutes (30 minutes on Sunday).

Le Change ((04 93 88 56 80; 17 av Thiers; h7.30am-8pm) Opposite the Gare Nice Ville (main train station), to the right as you exit the terminal building.

Tourist Office ((04 92 70 74 07; www.nicetourism.com; av Thiers; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun Jun-Sep, 8am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun Oct-May) This is the most convenient, next to the Gare Nice Ville. There’s also another, less crowded office ((0892 70 74 07; fax 04 92 14 48 03; 5 promenade des Anglais; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun Jun-Sep, 9am-6pm Mon-Sat Oct-May).

Worldwide Web Service ((04 93 80 51 12; 32 rue Assalit; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat) Internet access.

The cours Saleya and the narrow streets of Vieux Nice are lined with restaurants, cafés and pizzerias. Local specialities to watch out for include socca (a thin layer of chickpea flour and olive oil batter fried on a griddle), salade Niçoise, ratatouille (vegetable stew) and farcis (stuffed vegetables, especially stuffed courgette flowers).

Chez Rene Socca ((04 93 92 05 73; rue Pairoliére; h9am-10.30pm Jul & Aug, 9am-9pm Sep-Jun, closed Mon) A lively, rough-and-ready place to sample those local specialities for around €2, including good portions of socca.

Le Pain Quotidien (cnr rue Louis Gassin & cours Saleya; breakfast from €6) The place in town to break fast. Choose your breakfast formule, enjoy the excellent hot chocolate, and take in the colour and fragrance of the adjacent flower market.

There’s a fantastic fruit & vegetable market (h7am-1pm Tue-Sun) in front of the prefecture on cours Saleya. There is a Monoprix supermarket (33 av Jean Médecin;h8.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat).

Almost all nightlife is in Vieux Nice, which throbs with activity on summer nights. The most popular pubs in Nice are run by Anglophones, with happy hours and live music.

Chez Wayne’s ((04 93 13 46 99; 15 rue de la Préfecture; h3pm-late) The best place for liquor-fuelled carousing. Happy ‘hour’ is until 9pm.