NICE, FRANCE

Nice is more than simply the capital of the Cote D' Azur, its the fifth largest town in France and contains a wealth of fine architecture and culture. Located on the Mediterranean coast, at the Western end of the Riviera, Nice lies between the Alps and Italy's Gulf of Genoa. The Greeks from Marseilles first established Nice around 300BC. When the Greeks conquered a neighboring tribe, they named their city NICE, after the Greek word 'NIkE', meaning victory. The opportunities for sightseeing are endless within Nice and if that was not enough, you can visit neighboring cities such as Cannes, Monaco and Monte Carlo. The weather on the Riviera is warm and dry during the summer, average temperature is around 85 degrees.

Nice has a population that nears 400,000, five times the size of Cannes, and it boasts a plethora of ruins, museums, boutiques, and a hearty cafe culture. Cafes occupy weathered 17th- and 18th- century buildings and outdoor markets crowd the old town's streets and Venetian-style squares. Like most of the Riviera, Nice has a hopping nightlife and the old city stays up latest. Its streets and alleyways offer everything from traditional Nitois dining to jazz clubs to hip-hop.

The quality of light and color of the Riviera has drawn artists to its shores for centuries. Henri Matisse spent most of his life in Nice. The MusTe Matisse houses a collection of work by the artist that illustrates the different stages of his career. Nice is situated in a great location and trains leave from the city for destinations all along the Mediterranean coast, making it a great base for daytrips.

How do I get to your school and get around in Nice
Fifty-six airlines are connecting Nice Cote D'Azur Airport with 90 cities in 40 countries. The airport is set on the Promenade des Anglais, in the west of the town, 7 kilometers away from the centre. The SNCF (French Rail) has over 20 daily links from all the major French cities and 11 regular links from abroad to Nice. The TGV (high-speed train) links Paris and Nice in six and a half hours - 2 links per day from October to May, and 3 from June to September.The local bus service is reasonable (5 tickets cost 35F, 5 day pass for 90 F). Bike rental is another option (120F a day) however the best way and probably the most fun, is walking!

Our School
Our school is located in a beautiful building off the Belle +poque, just minutes walk from the finest street in town the Rue Medicine and only ten minutes walk from both the Old Town and promenade. Nearest bus stop 7 minutes walk, "Gare Routiere". School close to main train station. The school has 8 bright classrooms and holds about 90 students.

School Accommodation
Self-Catering Apartments: a choice of single or double rooms, fully equipped kitchens and living areas. All apartments are located within a 15 minute walk from the school. Apartments are not air conditioned. Linens will be provided for you, please bring you own towels. Apartments are cleaned once every 2 weeks. No washing machine is available, however, there is a laundret 10 minutes walk away.

Host Family: choice of single or double rooms with meal options. They are normally located within 25 minutes walk of the school. Linens are provided by your family and will be changed once a week. Bring towels, they will be washed regularly.

Hotel: choice of single or doublerooms, 5 minutes walk from school. "Hotel La Fayette".

Typical Cultural Activities to Expect
City tour, French film evenings, trips to local museums (Matisse and Chagal), gallaries, parks, the local market, French cooking courses, sun bathing and day trips. It is possible to practice any type of sport in Nice, the most traditional, football, to swimming. Tennis is played in many courts and schools, volleyball and pelota. Conditions for practicing water-sports is excellent. Water-skiing, motor, sailing and rowing boats are available and of course the beaches of the CoteD' Azur.

Weekend Day Trips (optional and at additional price)
At the weekend, day trips are organized to Monaco, Monte Carlo, Antibes, Cannes or St.Paul de Vence.

Prices
Programs in Nice start from $810.00 US for 2 weeks including accommodation and tuition. We have many program options and all year round start dates. If you want more detailed pricing or start date information, we suggest you request a brochure or call us Toll Free within North America at: Tel: 1 888 526 4758 (LANGPLUS) or outside of North America at 416 925 7117.

COUNTRY TIPS
Return to Top

What is the local currency?
French Francs or "FF"

Are a passport, visa, or vaccinations necessary?
Citizens of the United States and Canada in possession of a valid US or Canadian passport, are not required to obtain a visa for France for a period of up to three months if traveling as a tourist. In case that a stay of more than three but less than six months is intended, a visa is required. If you are a resident of the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship, a visa may be required. Visitors from the U.S./Canada do not need inoculations.

Time Difference
France is on Central European Time, which is 6 hours ahead of American Eastern Time.

Should I bring local currency, traveler's checks or use credit cards?
France is still a very traditional country, so everyone is very happy to accept local currency; after all, who doesn't like cash? But for safety and convenience sake, you might not want to have large amounts of either dollars or local currency on hand and so we would suggest you bring along travelers checks, which are accepted almost everywhere, or major credit cards to obtain cash along the way as needed. Be aware that you will charged a 'service charge' each time you cash travelers checks, so convert enough each time to cover your expenses for several days. In addition, if your traveler's checks are in a foreign currency such as U.S. Dollars, you need to be aware that you will receive a much better exchange rate if they are converted at a bank.

Cash and travelers checks can be exchanged at the official exchange rate of the day at any bank or exchange counter (airports, railway stations, tourist offices--a small commission applies); travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and stores may accept foreign currency but give you a lower rate to cover their handling.

Credit cards are accepted in the major cities. In general, most larger hotels, car rental agencies, and upscale stores in the tourist areas will accept the major credit cards. Be aware, however, that many, restaurants, cafes and stores will only accept cash so be sure to ask in advance.

How much will I spend a day?
This is very difficult to answer and depends on the person, however the prices below should give you a approx. idea. Three-course meal without drink: 55-80FF
Pint of Beer: 40FF
Cafe meal: Burger and fries 48FF

Will my electrical gadgets work?
Most of France has switched to 220-230 volts AC, although a few parts may still run on 110-115 volts. Current alternates at 50 cycles, not the 60 in use in U.S.A. If you are bringing shavers, travel irons, hair dryers or whatever, take along a voltage transformer. Remember the outlet prongs are shaped differently.

How much should I tip?
Taxi drivers: Tip 10 % to 15% of the amount marked on the meter.
Restaurant waiters: Service is normally included in the bill. If not, leave an extra 10 to 15 % of the total amount.

What is the best way to phone home?
There are numerous public phones around France, which use mainly phone cards and/or coins. All these phones can be used for both local and long distance phone calls. Phone cards can be purchased in tobacco shops, post offices, and France TTlTcom stores; the tTlTcarte is now necessary for nearly all public telephones. Each card has either 50 or 120 "units", and cost roughly 40F and 96F respectively. It is also possible to find cards of 25 units (20F) but these are very rare. You'll notice that on the front/left side, they have a microchip; a "puce". This chip keeps track of the number of units left after each telephone call. To call abroad from France: first dial 00, then the country's code and then your number.

It is also smart to obtain an overseas phone card (they are usually free-of-charge) from your long distance carrier, such as MCI, AT&T or Sprint. MCI's Worldphone Program, for example, lets you phone the US/Canada from France or any other European countries at greatly reduced rates from what you would pay from the regular hotel charge. The long distance carrier will give you a special number to call when placing your call.

What major holidays are there in France?
January 1st, Easter, Easter Monday, Ascension Thursday, May 1st Labor Day , May 8th (End of world war II), Whit Monday, July 14th (Bastille Day), August 15th, November 1st, November 11th and Christmas. On those days, banks, shops and almost everything else will be closed, including the school.

What are the opening hours?
Most shops and business open around 9 am., close for lunch at noon and re-open around 2 p.m., staying open till around 7pm in the summer and 6pm in the winter. Banks are normally open from 9 am to noon and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.

THINGS TO SEE IN NICE
Return to Top

Sites in and around Nice
Opera House: Built in 1885, on the approval of Charles Garnier, this building is, in its conception, the last Italian-style theatre.
Film Library: Created in 1976 in order to promote the cultural distribution of the films from the French Film Theatre of the Palais de Chaillot, a true film museum.
Promenade des Anglais: Which stretches the length of the waterfront.
La Colline du Chateau: A beautiful green hillside park crowned with the remains of a 11th-century Cathedral.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer: The name means "beautiful place by the sea".
Cap Ferrat: Be sure to visit the Musee Ephrussi de Rothschild.
Eze: Sprinkled with picturesque Mediterranean mountains.
Monte Carlo: Monaco: Don't miss: Monaco-Ville (the oldest part of the town on a high promontory), La Condamine (where the Monegasque people live), Monte-Carlo beach, and of course....the famous casino.
Roquebrune: A picturesque fortified village with a a fairy tale castle, the Chateau de Roquebrune.
Biot: This village has been noted through centuries for its potters and more recently, glass blowers.
Antibes: One of the poshest and most famous of the Riviera resort towns. While there, visit the Musee Grimaldi- Picasso (Ancient granite castle was built on the ruins of a Roman camp) and the Musee Archaeologique Bastion St-Andre.
Cannes: Famed for its celebrities and film festival.

Museums
Cimiez Museum Of Archeology: Opened in 1989, its illustrates "Cerenemum's", as well as, the Alpes-Maritimes area's life and history with exhibits of ancient pottery, monnies, jewelry.
Museum Of Art And History: Sumptuous first empire decoration.
Museum Of Modern And Contempory Art: Emphasis is given to 1960-70 art movement.
Anatole Jakovsky International Native Art Museum
Fine Arts Museum: Vast collections, from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries (Italian seicento, french eighteenth century; Van Lou, Natoire, Fragonard) in a magnificient residence.
Franciscan Museum And Cimiez Monastary: Located in a 17th century convent.
Matisse Museum: Situated in the center of Cimiez's olive grove, this prominent museum is housed in a 17th century Genoan villa garnished with "trompe l'oeil" frescos.
Mark Chagall Museum: Located in the heart of a Mediterranean garden, the museum has a permanent exhibition of Chagall's outstanding paintings.
Prehistoric Museum Of Terra Amata: This prehistoric elephant hunter's camp, discovered in the center of Nice, has been marvelously reconstructed.
Lascaris Palace Museum: Home of the Lascaris family (Vintimillia), this Genovan style palace units a magnificent 17th residence with ornaments from the 18th century.

Theatre
The theatrical activity in Nice, driven by the Centre for Dramatic Art, which was created in 1969, has enjoyed an important boom. The National Conservatoire of the Region, the Dramatic Centre, the University, the Regional Youth and Sports Structures and the Municipal Entertainment Centres are combining efforts in order to form and reveal new artists. Today, Nice invites its public to see the national first productions, in its biggest theatre, the "Theatre of Nice".

Sports and Activities
It is possible to practice any type of sport in Nice, from the most traditional, such as football, to swimming. Tennis is played in many courts, as is basketball and volleyball. Conditions for practicing water-sports is excellent. Water-skiing, motor, sailing and rowing boats are available and of course the great waterfront of the Riviera are what have made this area one of the most visited regions of France.