Nice or Cannes: where should you stay?
Nice or Cannes? Good news, neither city will collapse if you choose the other.
Choose Nice if...
You want a real city, more neighbourhoods to explore, broader culture and a very practical base for travelling east or west.
Choose Cannes if...
You want somewhere more compact, polished and focused on beaches, hotels and a particular idea of glamour. Cannes knows what it sells. It has had decades to work on the packaging.
Sandy beaches are also a genuine advantage if you have a difficult relationship with Nice pebbles.
Our pick for a first trip
Nice, especially for three nights or more. It has more contrasts and works better as a general Riviera base.
The useful question is not “which city is prettier?” but “what do you want to do once you get there?”. Less dramatic, much more helpful.