Would you like to vacation in a sunny place, but are not sure whether Nice or Marseille is the best choice for you? Both of these southern cities attract many tourists, so we will help you choose your next destination based on several criteria: weather, transportation, tourist activities, etc.
We will assign ⭐ points to both cities to determine a final ranking for each. Ready? Let’s go!
Weather
Nice and Marseille are both sunny cities with very similar temperatures and weather.
However, Marseille seems to have a higher sun rate than Nice.
Here is a comparison table to give you an idea of the weather in the two cities and help you choose the best month to go.
| Nice | Marseille | |
| Average temperature in January | 5.2°C | 7.3°C |
| Average temperature in April | 11°C | 13.3°C |
| Average temperature in July | 21.5°C | 23.5°C |
| Average temperature in October | 14.3°C | 16.4°C |
| Average rainfall | 894 mm | 96 mm |
| Month with the least rain | July | July |
| Average water temperature | 18.2°C | 14.4°C |
Source: climate-data.org (website in French)
In short:
The temperatures and weather are similar, but it is slightly warmer in Marseille than it is in Nice. However, if you want to swim, it seems that the water is much warmer in Nice. Finally, if you plan to travel outside of the summer, watch out for rain in Nice!
1 ⭐ point for both cities
Cleanliness
Whether in Nice or Marseille, cleanliness often leaves something to be desired: there is garbage in the streets, public transportation is dirty, and some neighborhoods aren’t cleaned regularly.
Only the most tourist-friendly areas are kept relatively clean.
In short:
Cleanliness seems to be a problem in both cities.
0 ⭐ points for both cities
Friendliness
Nice
The residents of the town of Nice are often perceived as unfriendly and cold.
Apparently making good friends can be complicated, and you might be looked down upon if you aren’t part of the jet set.
In the evening – especially during the tourist season – the streets can be noisy until late at night.
Marseille
The locals seem to be more friendly in Marseille than in Nice, especially in the 2nd district.
People, especially shopkeepers, are friendly and easy to talk to… even if they can be a little extravagant and excessive. It is, after all, a Marseille specialty.
However, if you go to districts that are less safe, you may be faced with more aggressiveness and rudeness.
In short:
The people in Marseille seem to be more friendly than those in Nice, who are generally colder and more reserved.
1 ⭐ point for Marseille
Public transportation
Nice
You can easily get around Nice by public transport thanks to the Reseaux Lignes d’Azur network.
The network provides more than 3,000 bus stops across the 49 towns in the Nice – French Riviera area.
Tramway
There are three tramway lines in Nice that allow you to move around the city seven days a week between 4 am and 1 am.
Line 1 provides a east/north line that goes through the city center by way of Avenue Jean Médecin and Place Masséna.
Line 2 runs east and west from the airport to the Nice port and also passes through the city center.
Line 3 runs from the airport to Saint-Isidore after passing by the Allianz Riviera Stadium.
You can use the same ticket to travel by bus or tram and to make connections.
A single ticket is valid for 74 minutes and costs €1.50. You can also buy a 10-trip ticket, a 1-day or 7-day pass, or a round-trip ticket.
Eight free parking lots are available; you can then reach the city center by tram.
Bicycles
The Nice Vélobleu and e-Vélobleu bicycle networks are available 24/7. There are 160 Vélobleu stations spread across Nice, Cagnes-sur-Mer, and Saint-Laurent-du-Var.
To rent a bike, you will need to create a customer account and enter your credit card information. You can then purchase a subscription for one day, one week, one month, or one year. You must also include the bike rental in the total cost.
Here is a table to help you get an idea of the cost to rent a bike:
(For example, if you purchase a 1-day subscription and you ride for 2 hours, you will pay €4.50).
| Subscription price | Rental price | ||
| 1 day | €1.50 | 1st half-hour | Free |
| 7 days | €5 | 2nd half-hour | €1 |
| 1 month | €10 | Each hour after the 1st | €2 |
| 1 year | €25 |
Here’s the e-vélobus price table:
| Subscription price | Rental price | ||
| 1 day | €3 | 1st half-hour | Free |
| 1 year for the general public | €40 | Each hour after the 1st | |
| 1 year for Vélobleu, Lignes d’Azur, or TER subscribers | €10 |
Marseille
In Marseille, the Régie des Transports Métropolitains (RTM) is in charge of the public transportation network.
The network is composed of three tramway lines, two metro lines, and 93 bus lines that all operate every day of the year except for May 1st.
Tramway
The tramway operates from 5 am to 12:30 am and serves the center of Marseille.
- The T1 line provides an east/west line between Noailles and Les Caillols.
- The T2 line provides an east/north line between Blancarde Foch and Arenc Le Silo.
- The T3 line provides a north/south line between Arenc Le Silo and Castellane.
Metro
The two metro lines run slightly farther than the tram lines but still do not go to the outskirts of Marseille. To do so, you will need to take the bus. The metro runs from 5am to 1am.
The first line runs from the northeast of Marseille through the city center to the southeast of Marseille.
The second line connects the north and the south of Marseille, and also passes through the city center.
A single ticket (which costs €1.12) can be used for the bus, the metro, and the tram. You can also buy a 24-hour or 72-hour pass.
There are 16 free parking lots from which you can reach the city center by tram, bus, or RER.
Bicycles
The Marseille Levélo bicycle network is available 24/7. It has 130 stations.
To take advantage of this service, you can choose between a 1-day to 7-day ticket or a yearly subscription.
Here is a comparative table:
| 1-day to 7-day ticket | Yearly subscription | |
| Price | €1 | €5/€1 for RTM subscribers |
| 1st half hour | Free | Free |
| 2nd half hour and each hour over the 1st | €1 | €0.50 |
In short:
Nice and Marseille are both very well served cities with many options for public transportation. Marseille is larger than Nice, so it makes sense that it has a larger public transportation system. The tramway in Nice runs longer hours than Marseille’s transportation, but it is also a bit more expensive.
1 ⭐ point for Marseille
Beaches
Nice
The beaches in Nice are mostly pebble beaches. If you want a sandy beach, you will have to travel away from the city center or even outside the city. Nice has 8 km of beaches, most of which are public.
Some beaches are more family-friendly or tourist-oriented than others.
There are also a few private beaches if you want more privacy and calm.
Marseille
The coast of Marseille stretches from south to north, alternating between sandy beaches, gravel beaches, and rocks.
If you like sandy beaches, head to the south.
The 15 public beaches in Marseille are all perfect for sunbathing.
The massifs and the creeks are also must-sees. If you are up for a long walk, you will discover many of the area’s hidden treasures.
In short:
Though Marseille has a few nice beaches, the beaches of Nice are more suitable for swimming and sunbathing. If you like coasts and rocky massifs, however, Marseille is the perfect place!
1 ⭐ point for Marseille
Activities
Nice
Museums
The city of Nice has a rich cultural offering with 12 museums and galleries for you to discover.
Like many other cities, Nice offers free access to museums for children under the age of 18.
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Here are the prices for the different museums in Nice:
| Type of ticket | Price | Museums Included |
| 3-day pass | €15 | All museums |
| Ticket “accès” | €10 | The Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art
Matisse Museum Masséna Museum Jules Chéret Museum of Fine Arts |
| Ticket “accès” | €5 | Charles Nègre Museum of Photography
Lascaris Palace Nice/Cimiez Archaeology Museum Terra Amata Museum of Prehistory Jakovsky International Museum of Naive Art |
| Ticket “accès” | €3.50 | Museum of Natural History |
| Free tickets are available for: | Minors, the unemployed, journalists, the handicapped, etc. | All museums |
Here are some museums we recommend visiting in Nice:
- The Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art (website in French) showcases modern and contemporary art from the 1950s to the present. As a tribute to the culture of Nice, you will find many of the works of Nice artists Yves Klein and Niki de Saint Phalle on display here.
- The Matisse Museum (website in French) retraces the life of Henri Matisse through his works. You will find nearly 600 works and 130 objects that belonged to this emblematic figure in 20th century art.
- The Masséna Museum (website in French), located on the Promenade des Anglais, pays tribute to the art and history of the Riviera. You will discover graphic art, furniture, and other objects from the Belle Époque.
- The Jules Chéret Fine Arts Museum highlights many of the major works that have been produced since the 15th century. You will find a large collection of paintings and sculptures dating from the 14th century to the 20th century.
- The Charles Nègre Museum of Photography offers temporary exhibitions of the work of some of the greatest photographic artists. The museum also houses a gallery dedicated to regional photographic creation.
Monuments
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Nice has several interesting monuments. Here are some places you might be interested in:
- The Notre-Dame Basilica, located on Avenue Jean-Médecin in the city center, is the largest church in Nice. Its Neo-Gothic style is inspired by the cathedral of Angers.
- The Mont-Boron Battery is a former military fort that is 400 meters long and covers a surface of 15,000 m². Built in 1886, it once protected the Bay of Angels and the roadstead of Villefranche-sur-Mer. It will soon be converted into a place of creation and architectural research.
- The Palais de la Méditerranée was a gambling hall during the Roaring Twenties. When it was constructed in 1927, it was considered to be the most grandiose casino in the world. It reopened in 2004 after three years of work and is now a 5-star hotel with Art Deco
- The Negresco is a famous hotel-museum on the Promenade des Anglais. A true place of culture and history, the many works of art that it houses retrace five centuries of history. One of the three official portraits of Sun King Louis XIV can be found here.
Amusement parks
If you want to have fun with your family or friends, you might want to visit an amusement park. Good news: there’s one just 20 km away from Nice.
Antibes Land Park offers thrill rides, themed attractions, and carnival-style games in a tiki beach atmosphere with wood and bamboo effects.
Hours: from 6:00 pm to 1:30 am and from 5:00 pm to 1:30 am on Sundays.
Price: Access to the park is free. Attractions start at €2.50, and a yearly pass is available for €6 that gives you discounts on all the rides.
Marseille
Museums
Marseille is a big city, so it is only natural for it to have many museums.
The 18 museums in Marseille offer exhibitions centered around the history of Marseille, fashion, fine arts, contemporary and modern art, and much more.
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Here are a few of the museums we recommend visiting, along with their prices:
The Musée Regards de Provence has collections of paintings, photographs, and drawings related to Marseille, Provence, and the Mediterranean region that date from the 18th century to the present.
It also hosts temporary collections of modern and contemporary art.
If you visit the museum, don’t miss its panoramic view of the La Joliette port.
| Full price | Reduced price | Handicapped price |
| €6 | €2 | €4.70 |
The Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem) is a national museum dedicated to the mediterranean region that is separated into three sites:
- At the J4 esplanade you will find two exhibitions: a permanent one on the history of Mediterranean civilizations and a temporary exhibit that changes regularly.
- By taking a footbridge over the sea, you can enjoy the panoramic view and reach Fort Saint-Jean, a historical monument. Here, the museum offers collections of art, popular traditions, and contemporary creations.
- The last site is the Conservation and Resource Center, where the majority of the museum’s collections are housed.
| Full price | Reduced price |
| €11 | €7.50 |
The Musée Cantini, a former hotel, was acquired by Jules Cantini before being donated to the city of Marseille in 1916. It is now a museum of modern art.
Post-impressionism, fauvism, cubism, and the post-cubism of the 1930s all contribute to the wide variety of works presented.
The museum also offers a photographic collection that highlights the art of the 20th century.
Price: Free
The Château Borély is home to the Museum of Decorative Arts, Earthenware, and Fashion.
The museum combines the history of the residence, 18th century art of living, decorative arts, and earthenware from the same period with contemporary decorative arts and fashion.
Price: Free
The Musée des Beaux-Arts is the oldest museum in Marseille. It has more than 8,000 paintings, sculptures, and drawings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
On the first floor of the museum there is a room entirely dedicated to the works of Pierre Puget, one of the greatest artists of the Baroque period.
Price: Free
Monuments
Marseille is a city with a very rich history, and many of its monuments bear witness to its past.
Here are some examples:
- The statue of David: This replica of Michelangelo’s legendary work of art was created by the sculptor, marble worker, and all-around patron of the arts Jules Cantini. It is located in the 8th arrondissement in the center of the Avenue du Prado intersection near the beach of the same name. Cantini gave this sculpture to the city of Marseille in 1903, and it was installed in the center of the crossroads in 1949.
- The Cathedral la Major: One of the symbols of Marseille, this cathedral located between the Old Port and the port of the city is instantly recognizable thanks to its white and black stripes. Its style, inspired by the Middle-East while still retaining Romanesque characteristics, embodies the vision of the architect Léon Vaudoyer. He wanted to incorporate the styles of both Europe and the Eastern world, which is closer to the city than it seems. It is one of the largest cathedrals in France.
- The Castle of If: Now a famous fortification in Marseille, the Château d’If was once a pirate It was then a military site before being transformed into a prison until the beginning of the 20th century. This castle hosted famous prisoners such as the Marquis de Sade and the Count of Mirabeau, and is also the setting for the novel The Count of Monte Cristo written by Alexandre Dumas: Edmond Dantes and Abbé Faria were both imprisoned here. Now a tourist attraction, there is a hole in one of the castle cells that alludes to the myth of the Count of Monte Cristo.
- The Saint Victor Abbey: A religious building in the 7th arrondissement of Marseille, the Abbey of Saint Victor houses the remains of Saint Cassian, Saint Victor, and Saint Maurice. Its chapel also conceals the face in low relief of the person who is said to be the first bishop of Marseille. Moreover, you can visit its crypts to discover vestiges of paleochristian art, sarcophagi, and tombs.
Amusement parks
For those who want to have fun, there are two amusement parks just a few kilometers from Marseille: OK Corral is 35 km away, and Magic Park Land is 28 km away.
OK Corral (website in French) is an amusement park on the theme of the American Wild West. It is open every day in July and August and on weekends only from April to November, as well as during the week of Christmas. It offers more than 35 attractions for both young and old, including four water attractions to keep you cool!
The park also offers five shows per day with themes that vary throughout the year. In 2021, the themes were Magic Carnival, Western Days, Indian Summer, Halloween, and Christmas.
If you want to spend several days at the park, you can stay in a teepee or a “chuck-wagon”; as far as atmosphere is concerned, the park is not in the West!
Here are the rates for the OK Corral amusement park:
| Normal price | Reduced price (students, children under 1.4 meters, elderly) | Children under 1 meter |
| €31.50 | €27.50 | Free |
Magic Park Land has 42 attractions for the whole family in a shaded, natural setting. The park also has a Wild West atmosphere, though not as intense as the one at OK Corral. With both thrills and quiet rides, there is something for everyone.
The park also has motocross, clown, lasso, and puppet shows.
For Halloween, the park has scarier decorations and offers special shows. In the winter, you even have access to an ice rink!
The park also has many restaurants on site to make your day of fun a little easier.
Here are the rates for Magic Park Land:
| Adult | Child | Senior |
| €19 | €16 | €13 |
In short
With museums, monuments, and amusement parks, Nice and Marseille each truly have a lot to offer visitors.
Nice, however, has a more important artistic legacy. Marseille, on the other hand, is mainly focused on the history of the city and its people – you can see this in both the museums and the monuments.
1 ⭐ point for Nice
Cuisine
Nice
Culinary Specialties
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Nice has many culinary specialties, including socca (a chickpea cake with olive oil) and the famous Niçoise salad. It finds its inspiration in both Italian cuisine and regional products.
These specialties are very dear to the city of Nice, which awards the label “Cuisine Nissarde” to restaurants that offer dishes from Nice.
Restaurants
Here are some restaurants with the “Cuisine Nissarde” label:
L’Escalinada, 22 rue Pairolière.
Average price: €30
La Table Alziari, 4 rue François Zanin.
Average price: €27
Auberge de l’Aire Saint-Michel, Chemin de Châteaurenard.
Average price: €30
Restaurant Le Safari, 1 cours Saleya.
Average price: €40
Marseille
Culinary Specialties
Marseille also has many culinary specialties that are emblematic of the city. Will you be tempted by bouillabaisse, fish soup, or pastis?
Restaurants
Here are some restaurants in Marseille where you can discover the local cuisine:
La Délicatesse, 7 Bd de la Libération.
Average price: €27
Le Lauracée, 96 Rue Grignan.
Average price: €28
Les Arcenaulx, 25 Cr Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves.
Average price: €28
Chez Marinette, 27 Rue Joël Recher.
Average price: €28
In short:
Nice seems to have more specialties in terms of cuisine, so much so that it has an associated label. In terms of restaurants, however, the two cities are equal.
1 ⭐ point for Nice
Hotels
If you want to visit Nice or Marseille, it’ll most likely take a few days. Here are a few hotel recommendations:
Nice
| Address | Average price for a night | Services | |
| L’hôtel easyHotel Nice ** | 38 rue Barberis | €90 | Bar |
| Hôtel Parisien | 10 rue Vernier | €85 | Restaurant, garage |
| Résidence Lamartine | 34 rue Lamartine | €129 | Apartments, garden |
| Ibis Budget Nice Palais Nikaia | 8 Avenue Pierre Isnard | €64 | Garage, café, solarium |
Marseille
| Address | Average price for a night | Services | |
| Staycity Marseille Centre Vieux Port | 4 Place Pierre Bertas; 11 rue Sainte-Barbe | €80 | Bar, snack bar, café, gym |
| Azur Hotel | 24 cours Franklin Roosevelt | €85 | Solarium, café |
| Citadines Castellane Marseille | 60 rue du Rouet | €80 | TV area, garage, |
| Hôtel 96 | 96 avenue de la Soude | €119 | Swimming pool, bar, spa |
In short:
As far as hotels are concerned, both cities have well-located hotels for a variety of budgets.
1⭐ point for both cities
⭐ Final Score
🏆 Marseille: 5
🥈 Nice: 4
Marseille wins the duel with 1 more point!
Nice is still a beautiful city to visit, however. After all, the choice of a destination is mostly subjective! We hope this article helps you decide which city is perfect for your next vacation.
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
