Nice Corniches

There are three Corniche roads of the Cote d'Azur, each with spectacular views.
The Grande CornicheForged by the Romans and shored up by Napoleon, the Grande Corniche is the highest of the roads along the coast, and also the most dangerous. But not only is it the least safe driving-wise (in some spots barely wide enough for two cars to pass), its altitude also often means a whitewash of fog, which does a driver no favors. Confident drivers wishing to see the Cote d'Azur at its most unspoiled will want to take this road – but only on the clearest of days.
The Basse CornicheThis road goes along the coast, often side-by-side with the train line – thus its name, which translates to the Low Cornice. Exits for all of the French Riviera towns make this a convenient route for road trippers, but this can also mean extreme congestion on the weekends and during the high season. However, if you have a car, sooner or later you'll find yourself on the Basse Corniche, and it's quite wonderful.
The Moyenne CornicheThe Moyenne Corniche is the newest of the routes along the Mediterranean, and it sits in altitude between the upper Grande and the lower Basse. Eze, the popular inland destination, is accessible via the Moyenne. It offers wonderful views of the coastline and is a tad less vertiginous than the Grande Corniche. However, it still isn’t ideal for those wary of a cliffside drive.

Practical Info

On a driving map, the Grande Corniche is the D2564; the Moyenne is N7; and the Basse is N98. There are also local buses that travel all three routes.