Mont Boron?

We are thinking about holidaying in Nice next August. We are a family of 4 (children aged 8 and 6). From what I have read, there seems to be something for everyone in the area, so I am hoping the children will enjoy it.

I just wanted some recommendations for accommodation. We have found an apartment within our budget that looks good, but it is situated in the Mont Boron area. Ideally we would like to walk or use the bus to get around - we are just wondering how close (or far!) we are to main attractions in Nice.

Never having been there at all, I would be interested in opinions of best places to stay. We want somewhere central, where we can walk to shops, restaurants, nightlife, etc. Close to the beach. Close to public transport. Self catering, at least one bedroom, and with a pool.

Any recommendations or useful information would be great. Thanks!

|||

Greetings ckirby25,

I might reconsider your staying in the Mt. Boron area with 6 and 8 year olds, and try to locate yourselves more in the center of town, where there is much more activity for the children, and definitely closer to the beaches, and eating facilities. Yes, there are great views from Mt. Boron, but you can enjoy the views from Colline du Chateau, which is in town, and a park like atmosphere, that the children would enjoy. An elevator ride to the top, would as well make the climb that much easier for yourselves, and the children. I am sure other travel advisors may offer some suggestions to children friendly accommodations, but you may want to do some homework yourselves. Whatever, or wherever, enjoy!

|||

I%26#39;m with funkster on this one - Mont Boron area is quite detatched from the attractions of Nice - its a posh residential area, mostly for people with their own car, as the walk into the centre is quite unforgiving. Reconsider.

Where? Anywhere central, where you are able to access all the attractions, within a five-ten minute walk.That must be around a thousand hotels?

|||

Hello, it depends where in Mont Boron. If you are just past the Port, eg on Boulevard Carnot, it IS walkable into the centre but bear in mind once you are past the port, the roads start to climb and you will start to dread the walk home, up hill, in the sun. Check out the bus routes on lignedazur.com and see if there is a stop near your accommodation. The nearest big group of restaurants are in the Port - there is a large selection, you are also close-ish to the Chateau Hill and the Old Town. the modern city centre is the furthest away.

It%26#39;s a pay off really, for children that age, then a pool, and space may override the distance from the centre. If you are central, some of the apartments on the Prom have roof-top pools, this might be a compromise. I agree, don%26#39;t have a car; it%26#39;s a liability in August. There are some good walks around Mont Boron, and depending where you are, you can walk into Villefranche - nice beach for children. The beaches in Nice are pebbles and the sea is very shelved getting in -not easy for children or adults - jellies for the children are essential.

I would normally agrees with the first two postings but having spent the last few summers with a child in the centre of Nice, I can see the attraction of a villa/apartment with pool! You can always do the walk into Nice and then get a taxi (there are several ranks around Nice) back home. There is also a great park on Mont Boron - aux deux Rois - it%26#39;s in the Inside pages of tripadvisor. If you let us know more details about the location of your apartment, it would be easier to make suggestions.

best wishes

|||

I used to have a flat in Mont Boron, which has the best views in Nice but almost nothing else. There are two bus routes which provide a reliable service until about 6.00 pm. After that it is a steep up hill walk or get a taxi. Most apartments in Mont Boron are bought by well off locals or retirees from other parts of France as permanent homes and very few have a pool.

You might consider having a look at Villefranche, much better beach and good train, seven mins to Nice Ville, and bus, about 15 mins to to Nice old town. Again pools are few but the bay, the Rade de Villefranche, is excellent and safe for swimming.

If I had children of that age I would much prefer Villefranche to Nice.

|||

I would also not recommend Mont Boron, it is very high up and out of the way. Several apartments do have pools, Risso 1 and 2 for example on the www.nicepebbles.website for example, these are just on the top edge of the old town, a flat walk to the beach. However the beach is pebbles and very narrow and will get quite crowded in the summer months. Also the town itself could get very hot. If the children rollerblade then the seafront offers a lot of opportunity, The old town is full of restaurants and shops and the daily market on Cours Saleya will offer a different experience. You might also like to consider going on the train into the hills behind Nice one day. I would however also look at Villefranche as another poster has recommended, it is easy to get into Nice and you might have a bigger choice of property.

|||

Hi

Nice and the surrounding areas are very busy in August and are best reached by train as the buses get caught up in the traffic. With children of your ages perhaps a good beach is the most important thing. If so you might like to look at the beach resorts in the Var. You would not get the museums that you have in Nice but you do have great long sandy beaches. They are where many French families go on holiday and are very %26quot;family friendly%26quot;. If you need anymore information just ask.

|||

Thanks everyone for your messages, it is very useful and I think we may be best to reconsider location!

We really want self-catering if we can, with a pool, within walking distance of nightlife of some description (restaurants, bars, shops).

We are after somewhere to have as a %26quot;base%26quot; where some days we can lounge around the pool, other days go to the beach, and other days go sightseeing (on a bus/train) and visit places like Monaco.

The apartment we found is in Le Baccarat on Boulevard Carnot. The owners are very helpful, but I did wonder what the %26quot;15-20%26quot; minute walk to the port was like. Tired children, late nights, long walks and hills don%26#39;t tend to mix well!

I guess we will start looking at nearby towns as suggested then. If anyone has any particular recommendations of anything suitable, we%26#39;d be very interested.

Also, we tend to look for self catering as a cheaper option and also to have the choice of putting children to bed and staying up a bit later ourselves. I guess a hotel with adjoining rooms might be an option, although I would also guess this will be more expensive.

Thanks again - very very helpful posts!

|||

hello, when I googled le baccarat, this apartment came up:http://www.cote-dazur.co.uk/facilities.htm I%26#39;m not sure if it the the apartment you are considering but I assume it is the same %26#39;Residence%26#39; There is a location map given which is quite helpful as boulevard Carnot is a long road! It%26#39;s actually not that far from the Port. The climb only starts at the bottom of Carnot so it is a shortish sharp clibb to get home, perhaps a bottle of cold wine or a few beers in the fridge will spur you on a bit. My very first trip to Nice was to stay on Carnot - we stayed in the Hotel Agata with a 4/5 year old. She still squeezed herself into a buggy which helped a bit with the walk back home. We manged fineand fell in love enough with Nice to buy our oun studio that same holiday! You will quickly discover a small public beach on the east side of the Port - La Reserve by the Club Nautique - your children might like sailing lessons next door - they do courses for children in tiny %26#39;toppers%26#39;. I would still consider this location, there are some bakeries and a small grocers near by, plenty of restaurants a block behind the Port with a larger Intermarche supermarket on Lech Walessa. A friend of mine who has 2 small boys uses an english baby-sitter (she lives in NIce) when she comes to Nice and speaks very highly of her, If you are looking to escape into Nice for an evening or a quite meal I could let you have a contact number for her, send me an email if you want her number through my site allaboutnice.com

best wishes

|||

Thanks for your help. I%26#39;m wondering if we would be better to stay at a beach resort further away, then travel to Nice for daytrips.

There are a few areas I have found - can you comment on any of them?

Marina Baie des Anges

Cannes

Antibes

Ideally, we%26#39;d like a sandy beach in walking distance, shops and restaurants within walking distance, bus stops or train station within walking distance, and a property with a pool!

Thanks!

|||

Cannes has some good sandy beaches, as does Antibes. But if you want a really child-friendly place, consider Ste-Maxime, a great favorite with vacationing French families. St-Raphael would be another option.