Leaving Paris (Way Too Early… Again)
Audrey and I are the people that wake up at 6-something without alarms. So this morning that was helpful since we had to be up, packed, and walking to the train station by 7:30 a.m. It was a bit of a haul with luggage—but honestly, it doubled as a peaceful, slow goodbye to Paris. The streets were quiet, the bakeries were just setting out their pastries, and it felt like a little bonus chapter before switching cities.
The Train Ride: A Surprise Favorite
I did not expect the train ride to Nice to end up being one of my favorite parts of the entire trip, but here we are.
The countryside rolled by like a movie—tiny towns, vineyards, open fields—each one tempting enough that I wanted to yell, “STOP! Let’s get off and explore this one too!”
The kids settled in with snacks and books, and somewhere around hour three or four, Reese “borrowed” my phone and filmed a full dance routine in the aisle—because her little device had been lost in the Metro and the girl had content to create.
It was peaceful, beautiful, and honestly exactly the kind of forced rest every family needs in the middle of a big trip.
Arrival in Nice & Our Airbnb Adventure
We pulled into Nice around 2 p.m., and right away noticed how different the air felt—warm, breezy, coastal. Our Airbnb was only a few blocks from the station, so we walked over easily.
Our host met us at the building and spoke almost no English, which meant I became fluent in holding Google Translate up like a microphone. And truly? It worked flawlessly. Appliance instructions, key rules, everything.
The elevator, on the other hand…
Comically. Tiny.
It fit one adult and one suitcase if the adult inhaled sharply and didn’t exhale until the doors opened. We made several trips, sometimes opting for the stairs, and laughed the entire way up.
Once inside, we went on the balcony and just stood there in awe. The view was unreal and exactly what we had been dreaming of since the first reservation was made.
First Walk & First Dinner in Nice
Once we settled in, we left to explore and immediately found the rocky beach. This was a big win for Greg and the girls—they love rocks, shells, driftwood, all the nature treasures.
Walking on a rocky beach barefoot, though? We quickly learned that it is physically impossible to look graceful doing this. People were trying. People were failing. We kept our shoes on.
We wandered through the neighborhood until we found an outdoor restaurant for dinner. It was slightly more touristy than we usually prefer, and there was one extremely loud American nearby ensuring everyone knew his life story—but the food was good, the breeze was perfect, and it was the kind of easy evening we needed after a long travel day.
By the time we walked home, we already knew:
We were going to love Nice.
Takeaways for Your Travel Day to Nice
- Take the train instead of flying. It’s scenic, comfortable, and so much less stressful.
- Download Google Translate and learn how to use the conversation tool. It made our Airbnb check-in seamless.
- Don’t overpack if your accommodations might have a tiny European elevator. (We laughed, but wow.)
- Staying near the train station is a huge convenience. Quick arrival and easy transitions.
- Expect rocky beaches in Nice. Wear sturdy sandals unless you want to wobble like a newborn giraffe.
