Nice is the capital of the French Riviera, a place that has a calm atmosphere and a comparatively slow pace of life. Car hire from Nice is a must – not only does the city have every sort of food, flower and fashion market you can image, but it is also the gateway to ski resorts, and a collection of small villages built from stone, where you can sample local food. The city also has a lot of historical sightseeing on offer, as well as the opportunity to indulge in water sports or just lounge on the pebbled beach by the warm ocean. Hiring a car from Nice won't disappoint you.
Cannes and Monaco (and you should definitely visit them) but there are also many other places along the French Riviera which make car hire from Nice worthwhile. An hour and a half from Nice is Saint Étienne de Tinée, an authentic village in the Mercantour National Park – the village is close to a ski resort, and also contains many unspoilt buildings and statues. Another place worth visiting if you rent a car from Nice is the Mandelieu-la-Napoule, 30 minutes away, an area of national park which contains mountains, coast and forest.