In spite of having been profiled as an expensive city and region throughout decades, mostly due to the high concentration of jet-setters vacationing here, there is plenty of things to do and to see in Nice without paying a penny for it.

A good way to start your budget-friendly stay in Nice could be by relaxing on the beach, sunbathing and cooling off by taking a swim in the turquoise ocean. There are a few public beaches which are free of charge; however this comes with a downside. The public beaches are not sandy. They are mostly covered in flat stones which look like they could have been created for the sole purpose of hurting peoples’ feet. Make sure you bring something relatively thick to set camp on, or your lovely stay on the beach can turn into a painful experience. This is why the Nice public beaches wouldn’t be an ideal place to bring children. Instead, if you have children you can visit the public beaches in other towns such as Villefranche-sur-Mer and Antibes. These are for the most part sandy and children-friendly.

What also come entirely for free are the beautiful landscape and the beautiful Old Town. I encourage you to stay on foot and experience the city by simply walking. Take a moment to relax and enjoy the beautiful architecture and remarkable window-shopping on the more lavish streets. The Old Town is pretty much a labyrinth of little streets and alleys, so you’ll have plenty to see. For the culturally inclined there are two interesting museums that have no entrance fees. Musee Matisse on 164 Avenue des Arenes de Cimiez offers you a great perspective on the works of famous artist Matisse. This museum, hosted in a 17th century style villa is rife with sculptures, paintings and drawings. Musee Matisse is definitely worth a visit and of course, completely free of charge. Nonetheless, if Matisse is not exotic enough for you, there is the Museum of Asian art on 405 Promenade des Anglais. You’ll need a considerable amount of time to discover this museum. There is a wide variety of Indian, Chinese and south-eastern Asian art to discover. Also free of charge and an imperative on every tourist’s “to-do” list.

Accommodation

Housing rarely comes for free. The cheapest alternative would be to stay in a hostel. But if this is still too expensive for you, there is actually another way. You can become a so-called “couch surfer” which basically means that you register with www.couchsurfing.org, you search for the city in which you wish to stay and hopefully there will be somebody offering tourists just like yourself a night or two on said person’s couch. However, being a couch surfer you are expected to return the favour to people wanting to tourist in your home town. All this of course free of charges. This is so far, unless you already know someone in your destination, the only completely free alternative as far as housing is concerned. Listed here on Europe Cities are nevertheless some cheap alternatives; in case you decide couch surfing is not for you. A good example of a cheap, centrally located hostel providing satisfactory quality of facilities would be Backpacker's Hostel Chez Patrick on 32 Rue Pertinax.

Getting There

Experiencing Nice and the French Riviera may be free, getting there is not. If you arrive by plane I would recommend taking the bus into the city. It costs about three Euros and sure, it is a bit uncomfortable, it can get crowded and it can take a considerable amount of time, but it’s definitely the cheapest alternative and brings you from A to B. Also, there is a free shuttle bus between terminals.

If you arrive by train it’s really not a lot more to it. You arrive in the city and you have to set out from there. Car on the other hand, a very comfortable alternative, nevertheless costs money to park and particularly on the French Riviera, this is not cheap. If you arrive by car and want to save money, park outside the city where the rates are relatively low and catch a bus back to the city. This can become slightly cumbersome, but it does save money.

Nice and the Riviera don’t always have to be about money. Actually, in my opinion it could be an advantage to have a very limited budget. This way you prioritize differently, you discover things you wouldn’t have if you arrived with a thick wallet.

My advice to the money-saver: Become a couch surfer, use public beaches, indulge in the cultural scene and enjoy the landscape and the truly beautiful city by all means you can. Hiking along the seaside is also recommended as it gives an entirely different perspective on the coastline.
Nice for free will not disappoint you.