nice = pebbles

villefranche = very small pebbles

antibes, cannes = sand

private beach = about 15 to 20 euros for the day for one deckchair, "transat"

I am not sur if the towel and umbrella are included

but I don't think

after you will have to buy drink, food = expensive

coffee 4 euros.... lunch= 20, 30 euros

all public beach are the same in Nice ::)) a pebble is a pebble

for private beach, the design change

about 20 euros for the chair, you don't have a lot of difference for the price, no special good value

of course,you can keep all day

don't bring a lot of money on the beach, even it"s you are on a private beach and specially if you look like a tourist ::))

may be private beach have a safe, I'm not sure

The local newspaper, Nice Matin, usually does a survey of the private beaches once a year, and this year, the cheapest is the Opera Plage (37 euros), and the most expensive are Beau Rivage and Bambou Plage (49 euros). They work out the price by taking 5 standard items including a mattress, a parasol, a coffee, a coke, a salade nicoise and 2 scoops of ice-cream. You can read it in French online here:

nicematin.com/ta/…nice-opera-plage-la-moins

Each private beach has a different pricing structure, but at least this gives you the range. I've never used a private beach other than to go for a coffee or drink with friends, and I have to agree with the report that the Opera Plage is one of the best. We've always had friendly service there, tho' it can be a bit slow when busy. But because it's a family run beach, it tends to be more caring about its clients, and it opens on odd days during winter when the sun is out.

If it were me, I wouldn't go all the way to Villefranche if it's your first day and you're just killing time before checking in. Although we talk about the public and private beaches in Nice, it's really just one long stretch (there are a couple of others the far side of the port too). At the beginning of September, it will have started to calm down, as all the French families will have gone home. Choose a beach close to the hotel - the stretch near the old town where the Opera Plage is, is usually busy, and as you get further west towards the airport, it gets quieter.

I wouldn't leave valuables about even on a private beach. Take it in turns to go in the water if you have them with you, otherwise lock them in the hotel safe and take as little as possible to the beach with you.

"Tough it out in Nice"! I wish I was toughing it out there right now. On the public beaches, you'll be lying on pebbles unless you have something with you that you can lie on. On the private beaches, you get comfy chairs, parasols, easy access to toilets, drinks and food if you want them. If you've flown from NY the previous night, I'm guessing it would be really worth paying for comfort & shade, especially as you'll be there for a few hours.

I'd suggest that one of you stays with your stuff while the other goes swimming/shopping etc.

Another alternative you might want to consider is to sit at a table, have a glass of wine, then a coffee, some snacks, to be able to sit on comfy chairs without needing to do the "Full Monty" of hiring sunloungers & parasols. Staff are usually pretty relaxed about this - though they may get restive after an hour or two. But by then, you'll know whether you'd rather hire the lounger/parasol.

Hope this helps.

I'm sure your hotel will have a room by reception where you can leave your bags, so you could just take your valuables and swimming clothes to the beach.

Make sure, for Nice beaches, you have jelly shoes/crocs-type beachshoes that you can walk on the stones and swim in.

I recently returned from a vacation to Nice and I'd to share a couple of tips...?

First, and foremost - do NOT go to the private beach Bambou Plage. Our first morning in nice, we thought we would have breakfast along the promenade...but honestly, the experience could have ruined the trip. I'm really not a picky traveller. I promise. But I do have a few standards, such as - I won't eat food with maggots in it. Apparently Bambou Plage doesn't hold the same standards. When I pointed out the squirmy creatures on my plate, the manager was absolutely IGNORANT, saying that she would call the police if we didn't pay the bill. (16.50 euro by the way for 1 coffee, 1 salad and a fish with LIVE maggots.)

Secondly, while my friend and I were discussing what the best way to approach the situation would be (and reviewing our french/english vocab.) the manager SWOOPED past the table, grabbed the 20 euro out of my girlfriend's hand and then - I SWEAR to you...

snatched my sunglasses off the table. I was in TOTAL shock. "Did she just STEAL our money and my sunglasses?" "Did that just happen?" Yes. It did.

So...we ask ourselves...what do we do....well, we walked to the front of the restaurant to ask for our things back...and (the icing on the cake) she BROKE my sunglasses and then...*reliving it* SPIT on me.

Long story short - I was in tears as we walked back to our hotel at the Citea Nice Magnan, where the receptionist called the police who, after everything - couldn't do anything because the value of my sunglasses and money was less than 50.00 euros.

I gain nothing by telling this story...except the hope that other travellers will avoid this restaurant/ private beach like the Plague. Or....Bambou Plage.

I can barely believe you were so badly treated at Bambou Plage. I shall certainly give that place a miss next time we are in Nice!!

We usually use Le Galet Plage and find it very good.

It is just down from Casino Ruhl.

Mattress is 15 euros and a parasol is 5 euros extra.

You can have it for the day and come and go as you please.I usually leave a towel on the sunbed to reserve it when I go off somewhere.

There are showers and toilets at the back and the restaurant seems fine.

What a dreadful story about the Bambou Plage. We go to Nice at least twice a year and have never had anything but perfect courtesy and kindness, so don't lose heart! Of the private beaches, we like the Blue Beach best. The food is excellent - not a maggot in sight! They now refer to themselves as a 'gastro-plage' and are a bit more expensive than some, but well worth it. Now open in the evening as well.

I'm sorry to hear that. I would have called the police right there and then; borrowed somebody's cell-phone or something.

But thanks, I will avoid that particular beach. Actually we're starting our trip in quieter and sandier Antibes, and if anyone spits on me, I'm gonna spit right back. Twice! =)