The plan
City and culture first
Nice, Menton, Monaco, museums and restaurants. Shorter days; some beach services run only in season.
Very good if you are not chasing a beach week.Best balance
Longer days, easy day trips and less pressure than peak summer. Swimming is a different proposition in April and late June.
Our easiest window for an active first trip.Sea, heat, pressure
Beaches and evenings at full volume; prices, traffic and booking pressure too. Start early, reserve what matters, cut the rest.
Excellent if summer is the trip, less so if you hate planning.The Riviera exhales
The sea is still central early on, the pace softens and good days are common. Later on, check the weather and what is still open.
A very strong window, especially September.For a first 3-7 day trip where you actually want to move around, May-June and September remain the easiest windows to recommend, provided you book early: September is now as full as August. For the best balance of light, price and space, look at April and early October. July-August work very well if beach, heat and booking pressure are part of the trip you want.
Month by month, in numbers
Seasons are easier to judge with numbers than adjectives. For each month: the sea, the sky, how full Nice hotels actually were, and what changes on the ground.
| Month | Sea in Nice | Air (high) · rain days | Nice hotels: occupancy · average rate | What changes | Big dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.5°C | 13.5°C · 6 days | 49% · €96 | Nice’s cheapest month. Villa Ephrussi on winter hours. | Sainte-Dévote in Monaco (27 January). |
| February | 13°C | 13.5°C · 5 days | 61% · €98 | Festivals fill Nice and Menton despite the season. | Mimosa festival, Mandelieu (10-14 Feb 2027); Nice Carnival (9-28 Feb); Lemon Festival, Menton (13-28 Feb). |
| March | 13.5°C | 15.5°C · 5 days | 67% · €115 | Monaco circuit build-up: traffic changes until summer. | MIPIM, Cannes (16-19 March 2027). |
| April | 15°C | 17.5°C · 6 days | 81% · €146 | Long days, prices still reasonable. | Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (3-11 April 2027). |
| May | 18°C | 21°C · 5 days | 87% · €228 | The most expensive month in Monaco; in Cannes, on a par with July-August. | Monaco E-Prix (1-2 May 2027); Cannes Film Festival (11-22 May). |
| June | 22°C | 24.5°C · 4 days | 90% · €262 | Nice’s most expensive month. | Monaco Grand Prix (4-6 June 2027); Cannes Lions (21-25 June). |
| July | 23°C | 27.5°C · 2 days | 91% · €255 | Lifeguards on Nice beaches from 1 July. | Nice Jazz Fest and Jazz à Juan (2027 dates not yet announced). |
| August | 23.5°C | 28°C · 2 days | 92% · €244 | Peak occupancy; 15 August is a holiday. | · |
| September | 22°C | 25°C · 5 days | 92% · €231 | As full as August in Nice. Lifeguards until mid-September. | Ironman France, Nice (12 Sept 2027); Monaco Yacht Show (22-25 Sept). |
| October | 19.5°C | 21°C · 7.5 days | 81% · €157 | Autumn rain arrives; clocks go back late October. | MIPCOM, Cannes (mid-October). |
| November | 17.5°C | 17°C · 8.5 days | 55% · €106 | The wettest month. No Sunday Riviera Lines boat to Sainte-Marguerite. | Nice-Cannes marathon (8 Nov 2026); Monaco National Day (19 Nov). |
| December | 15°C | 14°C · 6 days | 54% · €110 | Town, lights and museums rather than beach. | Nice Christmas village (27 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027). |
Sea: indicative averages. Air and rain: Météo-France 1991-2020 normals, Nice station. Hotels: 2025 MKG barometer for the Nice tourist office, average room rate excluding tax. Events: official dates announced as of 11 October 2026.
What the numbers say
September is no longer low season. In 2025 Nice hotels were 92% full in September, exactly as in August, at a barely lower average rate. The sea is still 22°C; the calm has gone.
June is Nice’s most expensive month; May is Monaco’s. In Cannes the Film Festival lifts May to summer levels: in 2025 an average night there cost over €690 in May, as in July-August, against €194 in January.
April and October are the best value. Around 81% occupancy in Nice, average rates near €150, long days in April and a sea still warm enough to swim in early October. November is the wettest month: 138 mm on average in Nice, more than January.
There is no truly empty month any more. In 2025 Riviera hotels set an occupancy record, and no month fell below 40%. Winter is quiet, not empty.
What Riviera Fit does with this
Season is not decoration. It can change the recommended base, how much hassle to expect and what to cut. That is why it is one of Riviera Fit’s five criteria.
For concrete weather and dated closures, use Practical and Right Now. This page is about deciding when to go. Before the beach, read Swimming; before booking visits, Closures and opening hours.