How to get online in Nice? For routine web surfing, facebook updating, tweeting and emailing, you'll only need wifi access for your smartphone. (see more about using a smartphone here) More and more hotels are providing free wifi access as part of the room package. Obviously, that is a major convenience. (see more on hotels in Nice).
Even away from your hotel, there are a number of places that offer free wifi access. McDonald's restaurants provide free wifi for its customers. The most convenient locations are on the corner of ave Jean Médecin and Place Massena and on the corner of the Promenade des Anglais and ave de Verdun. Here is a list of other McDonald's locations in Nice.
The shopping center Nice Etoile on ave Jean Médecin is another convenient location with free Wifi.
There are also plenty of other restaurants, bars and cafes offering free wifi access for their customers. Wificafespots provides a handy list with a map and also a smartphone app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
A couple of beach-restaurants in Nice also allow you to get online while sunbathing. Florida beach and Hi Beach are the only ones so far but more are sure to come.
But what about really free wifi access where you don't even have to pay the price of a coffee? The city of Nice is just putting into place free wifi access in three public spaces: Jardin Albert 1er; Cour Saleya; place du Palais de Justice. You have free access for 30 minutes renewable between 8am and 10pm. The system should be operational in 2013.
Nice Airport also offers a free wifi connection throughout Terminal 1 and 2 except in the "Internet Space" which offers paid access via computer.
Once plentiful, cybercafes are now increasingly scarce in Nice. Near the train station, look for Riviera Net (10 rue de Belgique) ; in the Old Town Master Home (11 rue de la Prefecture) is conveniently located; and, near ave Jean Médecin Webstore (12 rue de Russie).
