Travel Spending Diary: A Long Weekend in Nice, France
Nice is full to the brim with incredible restaurants and beautiful tiny boutiques, so there are no shortages of places and ways to spend your money.
I was intrigued (and a little frightened) to track my budget over a long weekend in the south of France. This money diary covers the first four days of a longer group holiday road-tripping around the Côte d’Azur.
Pre-trip Spending
Flights: €160.28 return with Aer Lingus (flying from Dublin into Nice and out of Marseille)
Accommodation: €110 for Airbnb (this was my portion, total cost was split between the group)
Car rental: €93.40 (for the four days of this money diary). This includes insurance and a refill of the tank
Total: €363.68
On the Ground
Friday
Total: €54.44
3pm: I land in Nice airport and head into the city centre to meet my friends who arrived yesterday. The tram costs €1.50 to Magnan. I picked up water, an orange and a chicken baguette (€4.05) for lunch at a corner shop while waiting on the promenade, enjoying the heat and the sparkling sea. I will fill up this water bottle for the rest of the holiday to avoid creating more plastic waste.
5pm: Our apartment is in the Libération neighbourhood. We opt to leave the car here for the next couple of days as driving and parking in Nice can be quite frustrating. We crack open a bottle of rosé my friends brought. I’m not normally a rosé drinker, but it’s a specialty of Provence and perfect for the heat. Our Uber cancels, so we stroll into the old town. It takes nearly an hour, but we walk on the promenade, catching up and taking in the sights.
7.30pm: After exploring the old town, we decide to stop for a drink. Using the Guides app, I lead us to Les Distilleries Idéales and we all order another glass of rosé (€3.89). There are no seats left outside, but we don’t mind sitting inside next to a very fat, very happy sleeping pub cat.
9pm: On a recommendation from a friend, we go to a wine bar called L’Autre Part near the port for dinner. Staff are really friendly and kindly explain the menu after noticing our poor French skills. We all order a glass of different red wine and go on to order a bottle of Beaujolais. We share a charcuterie board filled with pork rillette and saucisson, as well as hummus and enough bread that the staff seem a bit concerned. We split the bill, and with tip, it comes to €39. We grab an Uber afterwards which costs €6 each.
Saturday
Total: €102.50
8.30am: I’m up bright and early with the excitement of holidays, leaving everyone else to sleep in. I wander through Libération, passing through the market full of flowers and food. Further towards the centre, I settle on Fleur Cafe for breakfast as it has outdoor seats in the sun. After a French breakfast of coffee, croissant, fruit, toast and juice (€11.50), I wait for my friends to arrive and enjoy another cappuccino while reading.
12pm: After visiting the beach, parks, and some of the old town, we’re in the mood for food. I’ve heard the restaurants on Cours Saleya can be tourist traps, but after doing some research, we take a chance on Le Safari, which offers a great view of the Saturday market. I order a Nicoise salad and a big glass of rosé. My poor French, combined with cheap wine prices, means I’ve accidentally ordered a bottle instead. We drink my mistake happily, enjoying the sun and atmosphere, and split the bill (€26).
1.30pm: After browsing nearby DZ Galerie (free) and admiring the architecture, we’re tempted by the unbelievable spread of ice-cream flavors at Fenocchio. I choose one scoop of passion fruit sorbet and one of cappuccino, and they are both amazing (€5).
3pm: We meander towards the port and decide it’s time for some people-watching. We sit outside La Shounga. Two of my friends order a late lunch while I opt for two small beers (€8).
5pm: We decide to walk up to the hilltop park of Colline du Château. At the top, there’s an artificial waterfall and stunning views of Nice beach. On our way back down, it’s time for more people-watching! We sit outside a beach bar called Topaze to watch the world go by as I order a coffee to revive myself, followed by another small beer (€7).
8.30pm: We arrive for dinner at La Femme du Boulanger, which we booked based on a friend’s recommendation. I opt for the full French experience, ordering duck à l’orange followed by crème brûlée and sharing a bottle of Malbec with a friend. We split the bill, and with tip, it comes to €45. We’re all stuffed and take a stroll home to try to walk it off. The food and wine today have made it pricey, leaving me with an undignified attack of hiccups, but it was well worth it.
Sunday
Total: €81.60
10am: Beach day! We hop in the car and head to Antibes for the day. My other friend and I split up; he buys lunch at the supermarket (bread, meat, cheese, hummus, crisps), while I go to the nearby boulangerie for coffee, croissants, and pain au chocolat for four people. It works out to €5 each.
11am: We pass a toll, and I pay this one (€1.60).
12pm: After another nightmare finding parking, we’re at the beach. We’re tempted by the fancy loungers and umbrellas for shade, so we pay €20 each for the day. However, they ask us not to eat our own food there, as there’s a restaurant on-site, so when we get hungry later, we walk to the promenade and make sandwiches. Later in the afternoon, another friend joins us straight from the airport, making our group five.
6pm: Back in Nice, we find a parking lot that is free on Sundays. We indulge with a €4 bottle of rosé from the supermarket next door to drink on the balcony while getting ready for dinner. Craving seafood, we walk down to Cafe de Turin. Some friends try the famous seafood platter while I split two of the daily dishes with another friend: scallop linguini and sole with risotto. We order a giant bottle of rosé for all five of us and share two desserts: a chocolate mousse and an incredible hazelnut fondant with salted caramel ice cream. My portion, with tip, comes to €40.
9pm: After getting lost in Nice’s old town for a bit, we enjoy a drink at Shapko. There’s live jazz, creating a cool atmosphere. I get a small beer for €5. Afterwards, we share an Uber back to the apartment (€6) to pack our bags ready for tomorrow’s move.
Monday
Total: €32.60
9am: We’re on the move to go hiking in Gorges du Verdon, with another person arriving tonight, so we first drive to the airport to collect a bigger rental car. We breakfast in the car on pastries my friend bought and leftovers from our beach food yesterday. Tolls amount to €5.
12pm: We stop en route in a town called Draguignan, known for its military history. It’s charming but, as seems common in the south of France during this time of year, there is lots of construction. After a wander, we sit outside Cafe Des 2L for an early lunch. I savor a gorgeous coffee and chicken caesar salad that amounts to €20 including tip.
The Final Tally
Overall spend: € 271.14 + flights (€160.28) + accommodation (€110) + car rental (€93.40) = €634.82
Notes: The car rental significantly increased pre-trip spending and wouldn’t typically be a regular expense for a weekend break. Nice offers plenty of brilliant shopping opportunities if you fancy a wander in the boutiques, but I prefer to simply sit and soak in the atmosphere, which means all my spending went on food and drink, which I didn’t find as expensive as expected. Since it was a group trip, everyone brought their Revolut card, making it super simple to split bills and track spending.
