Help!!! It’s raining on the French Riviera!

It's raining today on the French Riviera? You don't want to spend the day in the hotel? Here's what you could do with a bit of imagination even under the rain...

After spending 7 years on the French Riviera, if there is one thing the inhabitants of the French Riviera and tourists are struggling with, it’s the rain. Knowing that the department is the third sunniest of France, we must admit that the Côte d’Azur’ inhabitants are more used to the sun than the rain. And tourists coming to the region obviously hope to find the sun instead of the rain. Yet, although the sun is the king on the French Riviera, the department suffers of more than 80 days of rain a year.

It’s not that we do not like the rain in the south, since we actually enjoy a bit of freshness especially after weeks of heat and sunshine (last year, temperatures soared up to 38 degrees celsius in August). This is more that the French Riviera’ people do not know what to do when it’s raining, it’s almost as if th whole region was suffering from a bad cold and that everyone decided to stay at home. And it is quite applicable to tourists completely unprepared for this situation!

“What? It can rain on the French Riviera during summer?”

As a result, it creates huge traffic jams even when it’s raining only a little, which is pretty funny (when you are not in a hurry of course). This is particularly noticeable in spring and summer, when tourists flock to the French Riviera. We really have the impression that the rain is taking everyone by surprise. On the French Riviera, you have the feeling no one is ever ready for bad weather…

We now live in the Netherlands. So we have an entirely different conception of what is a bad weather. When I talk to my mother or my grandparents about the weather who live in Nice area, it’s a different story. For my grandparents, when it rains more than 2 hours straight, it is a disaster. In that case, it feels like the wold is ending “we can’t take the car” “we can’t move out of the house”!

It almost feels like the shops could close because of  the lack of customers! There is one place though, where you will find the most courageous, who decided to brave the weather, and this place is the movie theater. I do not know why but when the weather is bad on the French Riviera, everyone goes to the movie. And yet there are quite a few other fun activities to do on the Côte d’Azur even if there is no sun.

1. Visit an Art Museum

In our top 3, you’ll find the Marc Chagall Museum, the Museum of Classical Art in Mougins and the Picasso Museum. Beautiful museums to visit, with a good or bad weather !

Price : between 6 to 12€ depending on the museum

2. Go ice skating at the Espace Jean Bouin in Nice

It rains so much, so why not do an activity that is completely off-season like ice skating? The ring is open year round and if you had not planned gloves, you can rent some for € 4.

Price: 4€

3. Visit the only indoor amusement park in Europe, Luna Park in Nice

When it rains in general, the fairgrounds are deserted. Well, there is a solution, Luna Park at the Palais des Expositions of Nice. Unfortunately, the park is only open in December.

Price: depends on how many attractions you want to enjoying. Starts from 2€

4. Go to watch a movie in one of the most advanced movie theater

In Nice Gare du Sud you’ll find the newest movie theater of the French riviera with the Dolby sound and quality in a comfortable seat, you will definitely enjoy the moment, the former Gare du Sud, located next door, is going to open as a food court with popular regional products.

A second movie theater located in Nice Lingostiere offers 4K experience, meaning your seats will actually move and you will literally “feel” the movie. All movies come in original versions, so it should be an issue for you to go.

5. Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

Very interesting museum, renovated in 2010, where you can discover the marine life biodiversity with 350 species of fishes . The goal of the museum is to educate people to better understand and thus better preserve life diversity in our oceans.

Price: from 11€ to 16€ depending on the season

6. Play to Escape game

This game became very popular the last two years, you will find rooms where to play anywhere between Marseille and Monaco. It’s expensive (between 20 and 30 euros per person per hour) but you will have a great time with friends or family.

Price: 25€ in average

7. Play a laser game ou un bowling

The Bowling in Nice Acropolis is probably the most famous one. There is also a laser game. From 7 euros an hour for the laser game during weekend to €8 for a  bowling

Price : from 7 euros

8. Visit a Provençal perfumery

Fragonard, Gallimard, Molinard, those names remind these great historical perfumers of the French Riviera. You can visit them, you will learn how perfumes are created from the natural oils to the bottle and the fascinating history of perfumes in the region.

Prices: Free at Galimard and 7€ for Fragonard

9. Attend a show in Nice Opéra

Discover this wonderful opera by attending a show, ballet or opera. Beautiful place in the heart of Nice, which will delight you. The program is on their website.

Price: Depends on the seat but prices start from 8€

10. Visit the Cannes Tourist Office

and climb the stairs under the rain. You will find all the activities proposed by rainy weather and season in the Office

Price: Free

11. Relax 🙂

Dozens of spa and beauty salons are on the Riviera so why not enjoy the rainy days to treat yourself with a good massage or a care that will perk you up after long sunny days under the sun attacking your skin ?