If I’m being honest, the days leading up to my semester in France were full of just as much anxiety as they were excitement. Don’t get me wrong, I have always wanted to spend a semester abroad and I was always set on doing it. However, after spending my first two years of college safe in my bubble of the Charleston Peninsula watching fellow students study abroad through social media, I felt like there was this unspoken expectation that when you study abroad you should travel nearly every chance you get. 

I completely understand the appeal of this, as it is far cheaper to explore new cities in Europe once you have already made the expensive journey across the pond. However, it is not completely free. Weekend trips can really add up. Before I even left the states, I looked into airfare from Nice to other cities in Europe that I was eager to visit during my fall semester. I quickly realized I would not be able to do it all on my budget. But, I still wanted to explore new places in my free time.

I picked up my laptop and started googling. Before I knew it, I had a laundry list of day trips from Nice to surrounding cities and villages that would cost me literally under 15 euros each to pull off. Thankfully, I picked a perfect location for this kind of exploring. Nice is the capital of the Cote d’Azur and located just a short bus ride or train ride away from so many special spots.

Below is a list of my top 3 favorite day trips I took from Nice this semester!

Saint Paul de Vence

For 1.50 EUR you can take the 400 bus from the stop right outside of my school, EDHEC, to a village called Saint Paul de Vence. The Village is surrounded by medieval walls and every narrow street is lined with art galleries, boutiques, and other shops and restaurants. Be sure to visit the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs also known as the Folon Chapel. It was redesigned by Jean-Michel Folon, an artist who spent much of his life in and drew inspiration from Saint Paul de Vence.

Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild

This Villa is located on a peninsula just outside of Nice called Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. You can take a bus 15 or 100 from Nice for 1.50 EUR and entrance to the villa is discounted for students at 12 EUR. The villa was home to Beatrice Rothschild, a daughter of the famous Rothschild banking family. When touring the gorgeous pink villa and its massive gardens, I recommend you use the free audio guides which tells you all about Beatrice’s dramatic and fancy life. 

Monaco

Of course, I have to mention Monaco. For about 6EUR you can take a train from Nice to Monaco, the ride is about 20 minutes. Exploring Monaco is like being in a different world. Window shop at the designer stores, admire the fancy cars parked outside of the Monte Carlo casino, take in the sunset and watch the city light up from the square in front of the famous Prince’s Palace. While the lifestyle of the citizens of Monaco is a bit over budget for me, it was more than affordable, and admittedly very fun to go catch a glimpse of it for an afternoon or evening. 

(Disclaimer: All of the day trips I took were lovely and I wish I had room to list them all! Beyond this list, I would also suggest visiting Cannes, Antibes, and Menton.)