Why is aholiday to Nice so expensive?

Am looking to go somewhere end of May/early June 2008 and would like to go to NICE and Monaco for a week.

Firstly there seems to be no package deals for this place i.e no Tour operators offering holidays here nor does there seem to be any special deals on the internet for Nice.

The only way I have found a price is to go to expedia and to click the flight and hotel option. The problem with this is that firstly none of the top rated hotels on the Trip Advisor list appears to be picked up by Expedia i.e. the top 20 list and secondly the prices being displayed are shocking.

Flights and Hotel for a 7 day stay at a recommended 2 star/ 3 star hotel is around £500. Take into account the cost of buying food and various trips and the true cost would easily shoot up.

Given that France is literally next door to England I would have expected a much cheaper holiday. In fact before I did my research I would have expected perhaps £250-£300 flights, hotel and transfer to a good 3 star hotel.

With prices like these I may as well go to somewhere exotic like the Maldives for £800-£900 all inclusive 4/5 star.

Can a decent trip to Nice for a week be had for less than £400 all in, staying at a decent ish hotel or should I just give up now?

I tried the apartment route hoping to find youth hostel prices but these seem to be more expensive than the good 2 star hotels.

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France might be %26quot;next door to England%26quot; but France is a massive country in size and Nice is certainly not next door to England. Pop into WH Smiths and you will be able to see that on any atlas. There are operators who go to Nice; you%26#39;ll have to find a small travel shop not one of the big ones like Lunn Poly.

We always use Expedia to Nice and Monaco and the prices you quote are about right. HOWEVER, Expedia don%26#39;t use Easyjet, now one of the main flyers into Nice. We now book hotel with Expedia and flight direct with Easyjet. Flights MAY be very cheap if you book well ahead.

However you are talking about just about the most expensive and desirable spot in Europe. In Monaco the cleaners have BMWs and Mercs; the locals (eg David Coulthard?) have Maseratis; Bentleys; Ferraris; McLarens; etc.

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For late May/early June %26#39;08.Easyjet return flights London Luton to Nice (4 per day) available for £55 return incl taxes. Hotel Rex (recommended by TA members -see Nice Hotel Reviews using Search box)£55 per day. Regular bus service No 98 from both Nice Airport terminals to Nice 4 euros.Not quite the £400 package for flights/hotels/transfers you were seeking but close.Book early.

You mention the Maldives as an alternative.Lie back in the sun all day and chill. Sightseeing? Not a lot.

Nice-so different it%26#39;s not true. But don%26#39;t think of going there if all you want to do is lie in the sun and indulge because that would be such a wasted opportunity to see one of Europe%26#39;s best cities for tourists. Local transport is clean, cheap and reliable and there is plenty to see.

Best way to see Monaco on a budget is not to stay there. Regular train service from Nice or buses at a fraction of the cost.

Eating out in Nice is very reasonable.So much to choose from and that is what keeps the prices competitive.

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There are plenty of decent hotels in Nice for around £50 a night and hundreds of flights for around £50 return. I recently booked my next three trips with Easyjet for £47 each return. So two people sharing a room can get a week for about £225 plus food and eating out in Nice is the best value of anywhere I know.

Local travel is incredibly cheap compared to the UK, with all buses right along the coast, ex airport special, one euro.

I am delighted that Nice doesn%26#39;t feature on the British Booze cruise/stag do programmes, meaning that we can avoid the drunken yobbo problem common in many parts of the Med.

In my view, with the completion of the new tram and the reduction in pollution which has resulted, Nice now ranks as one of the top two or three resorts in the world, so it is not surprising that the best hotels charge top dollar. Go now if you can because when people become aware of how much it has improved prices are bound to rise.

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Your problem could be down to the fact that the Monaco Grand Prix is being held the last weekend of May so the hotels along the Riviera will be much more expensive then - if not already fully booked. The same with flight costs.

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AND Cannes Film Festival - I book my flights a year in advance for late May because the combination of the Film Festival and Grand Prix week means anything close to the day skyrockets.The paparazzi, journo%26#39;s and racefans book everything for miles.

Normally you can Easyjet a round trip for under £85 and a two-star at £40 a night - approximately

Go Nice, escape from the stag %26#39;n%26#39; hen crowd, lads first holiday away, gap year trekkers, ..... get a bit of European culture. Nice is up for European City of Culture 2012 - and deserves it.

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Hi

I think Expedia are expensive! I always book easyjet flights then book direct with the hotel. Why would you want to book a %26#39;package deal%26#39; with a tour operator for Nice anyway?

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To add to ZebFrance%26#39;s point .

The Cannes Film Festival is still on the same weekend as the Monaco Grand Prix (25th May) plus it%26#39;s a Bank Holiday in the UK. All will contribute to inflated prices and reduced availability on the whole Riviera.

Beginning of June should be better value.

Check tour operators who specialize in %26quot;City Breaks%26quot; if you%26#39;re after a package holiday to Nice e.g.

www.kirkerholidays.com

www.direct-line-citybreaks.co.uk

DIY probably cheaper though

Hope you find something suitable

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There are 17 low-fare companies that land planes in Nice, including EasyJet. So there%26#39;s usually a good fare to be found for Nice.

As culturally exciting and well-deserving as it is, Nice won%26#39;t be the European City of Culture 2013 however. Only Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse remain in the French race for the title at this point... We%26#39;ll see which is selected for France in Oct %26#39;08.

AzurAlive.com

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This will be my fifth summer break in Nice and have never felt I%26#39;ve been %26quot;stung%26quot; financially. Great value for money and have been raving about it for years to my friends.

This year have booked both flight and 4* hotel for 9 nights in late July for just over £510 pp.

It pays to book flights in January if possible and shop around on internet for cheapest hotel rates - with Tripadvisor, given lots of options for our hotel and ended up with great deal which included breakfast.

Having said that, have stayed in a 2* hotel in centre of Nice for last couple of years - so inexpensive and perfectly acceptable.

Roll on July!

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Is that 500 pounds each, or 500 pounds total. I personally don%26#39;t see why that seems so expensive to you, it sound pretty cheap to me. Especially for a 2or 3 starred hotel.

I do think one can do better by booking hotels on their own, I have never used expedia and ilk as they often use big chain hotels , or smaller hotels that are not that central.

Anyways, a holiday in the sun, with hotel and air for the equivelent of 650 euros or 977. Canadian dollars is a good price per person where I live.,,, maybe you guys are just spoiled!