Boat Trips from Nice
The Nice Port is the hub for scenic boat trips along the stunning Riviera coastline for every taste and budget from April through October.
Coastal Cruise
Starting as low as 20€ (16€ for kids), the one-hour scenic Coastal Cruise treats you to amazing views punctuated by luxurious villas visible only by sea, arriving into Villefranche-sur-mer, the most picturesque bay on the entire French Riviera. And if you are lucky you might even get a dolphin sighting, as they enjoy jumping and frolicking in the boat’s wake…
Boat to Saint Tropez
Saint Tropez seems to be on a lot of people’s bucket lists so here’s your chance. The boat from Nice to Saint Tropez runs every day during the summer, and Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday all the rest of the year. At 74€ round-trip (60€ for kids), it seems like quite a lot, but when you consider the breathtaking coastal cruise that goes along with it, it is actually quite a bargain.
The boat leaves at 9am from quai Lunel in the Nice Port, and the 2 1/2 hour trip is a relaxing cruise with amazing views of the red cliffs of the Esterel punctuated by luxurious villas visible only by sea, and if you are lucky you might even be treated to a dolphin sighting, as they enjoy jumping and frolicking in the boat’s wake!
At 11:30am you arrive at the Port of Saint Tropez and have 5 hours to explore/gawk/eat/shop/beach and people-watch on your day trip to Saint Tropez, before you have to catch the boat back at 4:30pm.
Alternately, you can also get to Saint Tropez by taking the train ride down to Saint Raphael (very scenic) for around 38€ round-trip (can be much less if you get a discount train pass), and then catch the express boat to Saint Tropez (late April through October) which only takes an hour and will cost just 32€ round-trip (16€ for kids). This itinerary will cost a little less, cut your time spent at-sea, and give you more flexibility on return times. Click here for more on the Coastal Trains and links to the train schedule for Saint Raphael.
The town is pretty much zipped up in the winter, but there is one notable winter event, the Grande Braderie de Saint Tropez the last weekend of October, when all the shops pull their wares onto the sidewalk and mark it all down to clear-out prices. Even the boat from Nice to Saint Tropez, normally closed in winter, runs a special boat on this weekend, ferrying boatloads of bargain hunters to the shores of normally trop cher St Trop.
Island Adventure Boat
If you would rather spend less money (45/36€) and less time on the water (1 hour each way), and have a more unique and enriching island day-trip experience, I highly recommend the boat trip from Nice to Sainte-Marguerite island (just off of Cannes). Ile Sainte-Marguerite is covered by a Eucalyptus forest and crisscrossed with walking trails. In Roman times it was a military outpost and fort, guarding the Bay of Cannes and the Monastery on the neighboring island of Saint-Honorat from sea-attacks. Hike the trails to circle the island and swim in the morning, then return to the dock for a leisurely restaurant lunch (snack bar also available). Spend the afternoon exploring the extensive 
ruins of the Roman Fort and take in the Musee de la Mer which is set in the former prison where the infamous ‘Man in the Iron Mask‘ was held. After the prison cells, visit the shipwreck collection, a really well-displayed exhibit on the ancient Roman ships found sunk in the bay, what they were carrying and why, where they were coming from, why they sank, and the drama of the recovery efforts.
Another option: You can do this same island trip by taking the train from Nice to Cannes for 16€ round-trip (or cheaper with a day or week train pass), and then taking the fast boat (15 minutes) from the far side of the Cannes Port, which runs every half hour, and only costs 17.50€/11€ round-trip. So you save some money, have a lot more flexibility, and can do a day trip to Cannes at the same time.
Boat to Monaco
Going the other direction, you can get to Monaco in style with the boat to Monaco, which gives you 45 minutes of stunning coastline views and costs 43/35€ round-trip. It operates Tues/Thurs/Sat from May through October, and departs at 9:30am, giving you a full day in Monaco, and getting back to Nice at 6pm. Here is a custom itinerary of what to do for your day trip to Monaco.
Note, however, that you can also easily get to Monaco from Nice by bus, which also gives you 45-minutes of spectacular cliff-side sea views and only costs 2.50€ each way, or the train from Nice to Monaco which takes 30 minutes and costs around 4€ each way.
Special Event Boats to Cannes, Monaco and Saint Tropez
Get a ringside seat for the International Fireworks Competitions held all July and August in Cannes with the special night-excursion boat trips from Nice.
The town of Saint Tropez is pretty much zipped up in the winter, but there is one notable winter event, the Grande Braderie de Saint Tropez the last weekend of October, when all the shops pull their wares onto the sidewalk and mark it all down to clear-out prices. Even the boat from Nice to Saint Tropez, normally closed in winter, runs a special boat on this weekend, ferrying boatloads of bargain hunters to the shores of normally trop cher St Trop.
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Photo credit: Fort Royal de l’île Sainte-Marguerite, licensed under Creative Commons.