Nice has a mild and pleasant climate year-round. Temperatures are regulated by the sea breezes, which cool the air in the summer and warm the air in the winter. During July and August, average daily temperatures may be as high as 23 degrees Celsius, while winter temperatures may sink as low as 9 degrees Celsius in January. Precipitation is minimal, rarely exceeding 1 cm for any month other than October and November.

French Riviera Chamber of Commerce

Brazil

Most large hotels also have business centers that offer many of the same services that independent centers provide.

Acropolis Palais des Congrès

ATTIC

Agence Tradutec Méditerranée

TNT

DHL

FedEx

UPS

All upper-range and most medium-priced hotels are equipped with dataports that allow guests to use laptop computers. Many hotels also offer business centers equipped with computers and Internet access. Outside hotels, cyber cafes are available including:

Citizens of Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the U.K., and the U.S. do not need a visa to enter France. Citizens of the People's Republic of China must apply for a visa.

Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits with an alcohol content exceeding 22% by volume or 2 liter of spirits or liquors with an alcohol content not exceeding 22% by volume; 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette and; personal goods up to the value of EUR183. However, there are now no limits imposed on tobaccos and alcohol from one EU country to another.

The International Dialing Code for France is 33. The city code for Nice is (0)4.

Police 17

Fire 18

Ambulance 15

SOS Help (English-language crisis line) Tel.: +33 01 46 21 46 46

When making calls within France, you need to add "0" in front of the area code. You do not need to dial "0" when calling Nice from abroad. Directory assistance is 12. Toll-free numbers begin with "800," while premium numbers begin with "08". Public phones are widely available, and most public phones accept only calling cards.

Cellular numbers start with "06". GSM is the cellular standard in France. SFR, Orange France, and Bouygues Telecom are the main cellular providers. If you choose to bring your cellular phone into France, be sure to check with your home cellular service provider to establish compatibility of your phone with systems abroad. Rent a locally compatible cellular phone before you arrive to obtain reasonable rates and reliable service.

As of January 1, 2002, euro became the official currency. Euro notes are available in denominations of EUR5, EUR10, EUR20, EUR50, EUR100, EUR200, and EUR500, while coins are in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, and EUR1 and EUR2. The euro is divided into 100 cents. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, hotels, airports, train stations, and authorized foreign currency exchange offices. ATMs are available throughout the country. Traveler's checks are accepted widely. Most businesses accept Visa. MasterCard, American Express, and Diners Club are less common. You may be required to enter your four-digit PIN number, so you should be sure to have this information.

France is in the Western European Time Zone, which is Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour. It observes Daylight Savings Time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

VAT is 19.6% and is always included in the posted price.

Electricity is 220-240V AC, 50Hz. Plugs are round with either two or three pins.

Renting a car is not recommended. Nice has an excellent public transit system that is clean, safe, and inexpensive. Bus services reach every corner of the city. Taxis are common and can be either hailed from the street, found at taxi stands, or telephoned. Night rates apply from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

France requires no special immunizations or health precautions. France has one of world's top healthcare systems, and the emergency rooms are well equipped. Pharmacies in Nice take turns staying open after hours--lists are posted in the pharmacy windows. Access to prescription and over-the-counter drugs in France are excellent.

Chantecler is one of Nice's best tables and its chef Dominique Le Stanc will give you a good idea of how sublime Niçoise food can be. L'âne Rouge is known for its tasty seafood dishes and its charming view. Located in the Hotel Aston, The Café de l'Horloge offers cuisine with Southern French accents in a Art Deco-inspired setting. The heavenly food at Restaurant Château des Ollières is served in an elegant interior with breathtaking views. Melisande in the Palais Maeterlinck features innovative Mediterranean cuisine amidst stunning views from the seaside cliffs of Cape de Nice. In an elegant dining room with light wood panelling Les Viviers features an upscale cuisine based on fish and seafood. Texas City is a favorite for its Tex-Mex cooking and Texan atmosphere.

Perfume, faience (glazed earthenware), colorful Provencal fabrics, glass and ceramic items and traditional handcrafted santons (Provencal figurines) all make good gifts. The best selections of such items are often found in some of the small towns near Nice. Grasse is famed as the perfume capital of France; St Paul is home to many charming shops offering artisans' creations; and Biot and Vallauris are noted for glass and ceramics shopping.

Nice offers a range of leisure activities, and its consistently good weather and friendly locals make it easy to enjoy a trip to this city. Nice's Old Town, packed with cafés, restaurants and shops retailing local artisans' ware, is a good area for a stroll. The famous Promenade des Anglais, beside the Bay of Angels, is an 8-km long expanse of beach and chic shops, hotels and restaurants. Nice's Museum of Modern and chic shops, hotels and restaurants. Nice's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is a highly respected institution. Other museums that merit a visit are the Fine Arts Museum and the Chagall and Matisse Museums. L'Eglise du Jesus is a stately, peaceful church. Climbing to the top of one of Nice's hills provides you with spectacular views of the city.

Not far from Nice is Grasse, famed as France's perfume capital, and the chic Riviera towns of Cannes and Monaco are short drives away. An excursion in the Gorges du Verdon is often a favorite activity for nature buffs.