Are you planning to visit the Côte d’Azur and wondering whether to go to Nice or Menton?
We love both destinations. The choice is difficult, but we’re here to help you with our opinions on specific criteria.
Here’s our Nice vs Menton battle with tips and photos:
- Atmosphere
- Beaches, monuments and museums
- Location
- Hotels and restaurants
- …
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Nice or Menton: comparison summary
Short answer
Both cities have a lot to offer, but Nice is much bigger.
Nice offers a blend of historic charm and modernity, with numerous top-class art museums and an elegant ambience.
Menton also offers an old town, but with colorful buildings and an Italian influence. Its long waterfront is also very pleasant.
Depending on what you’re looking for…
- for the most beautiful beaches: Menton
- for young children / families: equality
- for the most beautiful hotels: Nice
- for a romantic break: Menton
- for gastronomy: Nice
- for the city’s charm: equality
- for nightlife: Nice
- for the surrounding area: Nice
- …
See the top-rated accommodations in Nice.
See the top-rated accommodations in Menton.
Access + Location to explore the region
Both towns are located on the eastern half of the Côte d’Azur.
Menton is at the eastern end, so Nice is more central for exploring the region.
Here’s some road map to help you make a better assessment:
- Nice to Menton = 40 min drive
- Nice to Monaco = 30 min drive
- Cannes to Nice = 45 min drive
- Monaco to Menton = 25 min drive
- Nice to Saint-Tropez = 1h45 drive
Nice-Côte d’Azur airport is the main international airport serving Nice and Menton.
Nice airport: 15min drive
Menton airport: 40min drive
Compare available flights.
Both towns also have railway stations. The train to Menton passes through Nice.
Book your trains.
OUR TPS FOR RENTING YOUR CAR IN Provence
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is powerful enough (the roads are steep) but compact (some passages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Best hotel offer: Menton vs Nice
Hotels in Nice
The variety and quality of hotels in Nice are undeniable: luxury hotels overlooking the sea, charming Art Deco hotels, quieter Aparthotels close to attractions…
Here are some of our favorite accommodations:
- Luxury: Anantara Plaza Hotel Nice – see photos and availability
- Art Deco: Hôtel Le Riviera Collection Best Western – see photos and availability
- Poetic: Hôtel Apollinaire – see photos and availability
Read our article on where to stay in Nice.
Hotels in Menton
Mentone offers a wide range of hotels. These are rather small, charming hotels.
Here are some of our favorite hotels:
- Luxury: Hotel Villa Genesis – see photos and availability
- Charming: Hotel de Londres – see photos and availability
- Sea view: Hotel Riva Art & Spa – see photos and availability
Read our article on where to stay in Menton.
Our review
Nice offers a wider range of hotels and establishments with sea views.
Our winner: Nice
Attractions, museums and monuments
Nice Attractions
Nice’s main attractions are..:
- The seafront promenade (Promenade des Anglais)
- The old town with its Italian influence
- The ancient heritage
- Numerous museums, especially art-related: MAMAC, Musée Matisse, Musée Chagall…
- Views from Colline du Château
- Belle-Epoque and Art-Déco architecture
- St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral
- …
Find out more in our article on Nice’s top attractions.
Attractions in Menton
- Plage des Sablettes in the heart of the city, overlooking the colorful old town
- The staircase to Saint-Michel Basilica
- Jean Cocteau Museum
- Views from the old castle cemetery
- And the Lemon Festival, if you’re visiting (second half of February)
- The villages of Sainte-Agnès and Roquebrune
See our article on the best attractions in Menton (coming soon).
Our review
The winner is Nice, with a much wider choice.
HAVE FUN WITH THESE activities
- Great kayak trips in:
Saint-Tropez to the Ramatuelle reserve
Cassis to the calanques - Helicopter flight from Cannes
- Shuttle service along the coast between Nice and Saint-Tropez
- Bike tours: eBike in Nice – Mountain biking in the Esterel massif
Most beautiful beaches: Menton or Nice?
See our article on Monaco’s most beautiful beaches.
Beaches of Nice
Nice boasts several magnificent beaches along its coastline. Pebbles, sand, the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea: the choice is yours if you want to swim, stroll or take a break in front of the azure immensity! Restaurants are located near most public and private beaches, but you can also bring your own packed lunch.
Beaches of Menton
All along the seafront, you’ll discover large sandy beaches with shallow waters.
The Sablette beach is the best known, right at the foot of the colorful houses.
See our article on Menton’s beaches (coming soon).
Our review
We prefer the beaches of Menton. Especially if you’re traveling with children.
Excursions around the cities
Excursions from Nice
From Nice, you can visit:
- The magnificent village of Èze – see our article
- Monaco, Cannes, Antibes and Menton
- Cap Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi
- Spend a day in the village of Èze, then stop off in Monaco and Monte-Carlo, the must-sees of the Riviera – see photos, details and availability.
- Visit the fortified town with its 16th-century ramparts, opt for a day trip to discover beautiful Antibes and its Fort Carré, then head inland – see photos, details and availability.
- Explore the Gorges du Verdon, its cliffs and transparent waters, then stroll through the lavender fields. A magical experience – see photos, details and availability.
See our article on the best excursions from Nice (coming soon).
Excursions from Menton
From Nice, you can visit:
- The village of Sainte-Agnès
- The village of Roquebrune and its castle
- The magnificent village of Èze – see our article
- Monaco, Cannes, Antibes
- Or crossing the Italian border, or a small cultural change.
Our review
The winner: Nice. It is more centrally located and offers many guided excursions.
Best gastronomic offer
Restaurants in Nice
Nice has a wide range of restaurants to suit all tastes. You’ll discover a cuisine of land and sea, based on local Provencal produce, blended with Mediterranean notes and flavours, but that’s not all! Reservations are strongly recommended for all establishments where possible.
Among our favorite restaurants:
- Restaurant JAN (1 star): a sensory and poetic dining experience
- Restaurant Sweet Sisters: a colorful place to enjoy a healthy meal in Nice
- Restaurant Peixes: for seafood lovers
- Restaurant La Storia: for specialties from Nice
Discover our selection of the best restaurants in Nice.
Restaurants in Menton
Menton is famous for its lemons. You’ll find it in an infinite number of restaurants, especially with fresh fish and seafood.
Among our favorite restaurants:
- Restaurant L’orangeraie: orange and lemon in all their forms
- Restaurant Case Fuego: for meat lovers
- Restaurant Mirazur: 3 stars, voted best restaurant in the world in 2019
Discover our selection of the best restaurants in Menton. (coming soon)
Our review
Nice. As it’s a big city, the offer is much more varied.
Ease of getting around these cities/regions
Getting around Nice
Nice is a fairly large city that you can explore on foot (for the old center), by streetcar or by bus.
We found it quite easy to get around.
Nice also has a hop-on-hop-off bus to see the main places of interest – save time, buy your ticket.
Getting around Menton
It’s easy to explore the lower town and waterfront on foot. However, as soon as you want to get away from the water, the slopes are steep.
Can we visit Nice and Menton on the same trip?
The two towns are very close.
By car, 40min drive.
If you’re staying in Nice, you can visit Menton on an organized tour – see prices, photos, and availability.
And why not other cities/regions?
On the Côte d’Azur, there are plenty of other great towns to discover. You can read our comparison:
Or see our list of the most beautiful towns on the Côte d’Azur.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO THE Côte d’Azur
- Inspiration
The most beautiful landscapes in 30 photos
Best things to do on the Côte d’Azur
Most beautiful villages
Best beaches on the Côte d’Azur
Most beautiful gardens
Best boat tours (coming soon)
Most beautiful islands
Secret places
- Practical advice
Successful travel on the Côte d’Azur (coming soon)
Rent a car in Provence – in Nice – in Cannes – in Marseille – in Aix-en-Provence.
Itineraries: 5 days – 1 week – 10 days
Weekend ideas: best-of – romantic – luxury – unusual
- Where to stay
Where to stay on the Côte d’Azur
Best luxury hotels on the Côte d’Azur
Hotels by the sea
Best boutique-hotels
