5 Tips For Living in Nice, France

Expats in Nice, France enjoy the southern part of the country on the Mediterranean Sea in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region. Some say the city is a bit too touristy, but make no mistake about it, there are quite a few expats in Nice that find there is another world outside the tourism industry.

Living in Nice

An expat living in Nice reported that "this small city caters mainly to tourists and most restaurants have a standard, jaded menu. Summer time can be horrendous here in terms of the crowds, traffic and the wait at restaurants. However, If you like buying fresh fish, fruits, flowers and vegetables from bustling markets, this might be a place for you." The expat added that "if you enjoy winter sports such as skiing (1 hour north of Nice) and lying on the beaches (very few sandy beaches though) in the summer, this might be the place for you."

Nice is Diverse... Sort Of.

An expat living in Nice reported that "while it is difficult to get to know the local population here, it does seem like there is not that much diversity in this region. It is true that there are a lot of immigrants in this region but they are mainly from North Africa and this population is largely ghettoized and separated from the 'mainstream.'"

Culture in Nice, France

Despite the knocks on it being touristy, there are actually quite a few amazing restaurants in Nice. And there actually is a ton of cultural heritage that lends itself to all kinds of fun things to do in Nice. And truth be told, outside of Paris, the museums in Nice are among the best in France.

Having a Baby in Nice, France

An expat that had a baby in Nice reported: "I gave birth to my twin boys at L'Arche Hospital in Nice. This is a large, teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Nice. I moved to France 1 week after finding out I was pregnant, needless to say my husband and I had not anticipated this when we accepted the expat position... "I was induced appropriately at 35 weeks due to cholestasis, and labored till I was 9 cm. Then I had a c-section secondary to a sudden onset of fetal distress. My sons did very well and did not need to be in the NICU and roomed in with me the entire stay, although the nurses would offer to take them at night so I could sleep." She also reported: "My only complaint was the pain management after my delivery. Because I was breastfeeding I only received paracetamol (essentially tylenol) for pain. It was terrible. I had my husband bringing in Advil for me since it worked better."

Finally, she said that "I would certainly go back to L'Arche and Dr. Bongain. However, I would be more assertive in requesting someone to translate. There were so many times I just nodded and said "qui" without having a clue what I had been told. I used the call light once in 8 days only to let the nurses know my water broke, and that my contractions had started."

Expat Health Insurance in France

Expats interested in expat health insurance should take a minute to get quotes our partner, International Citizens Insurance, a trusted expat health insurance broker. They will provide you with comparison quotes from some of the biggest expat health insurers: Cigna, Aetna and GeoBlue.

Transportation in Nice

Expats have quite a few transportation options in Nice. However, in the summer time, just be aware that the traffic and the crowds in Nice make it a hard get around. If you get aggravated by waiting, either summer elsewhere or maybe Nice isn't the perfect place for you!

Ask questions and share information about Nice on our France Expat Network.