Nice Transportation
Overview of Nice Cote d’Azur Airport at seaside; credit Olivier Cleynen/Wiki Commons
Airport
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) is an international airport serving the French Riviera, including Monaco. It is relatively small with only 2 terminals and easy to navigate.
Most other Americans arrive by international flight at Paris CDG Airport or LHR Airport, then take a connecting flight to NCE Airport. Philadelphia, New York JFK and Washington-Dulles and Atlanta airports have direct flights to Nice.
NCE Airport is served by Aegean, Air Baltic, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, EL All, Iberia, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air, Swiss International, and Turkish Airlines.
Some visitors arrive by international flight at Paris CDG Airport, then take a 6-hour trip via high-speed train to Nice. If that is you, carefully look at Paris CDG Airport signage to locate CDG Airport Train Station located between Terminals 2E & 2F. It has a mezzanine level to watch approaching trains and a Train Schedule LED.
NCE Airport has WiFi, plenty of electric outlets and restrooms within its terminals. For power, you will need an European plug adapter.
Travelers can reach duty-free stores and border control posts on the 4th floor by tunnels passing under the tarmac to the terminal sections where boarding gates are located. Follow the signs for baggage claim and customs. In French, “Sortie” means Exit, and “Toilettes” means Restrooms.
Most visitors go to central Nice. If you have light luggage, consider riding Airport Tram 2 to central Nice or Port Lympia. It costs only €2 and runs daily every 2 minutes from 4:00 am to Midnight. As a visitor, you are unlikely to want Airport Tram 3 directly north to the stadium.
Tram 2 goes from NCE Airport to this station at Port Lympia; (c) Soul Of America
Tickets for Airport Tram 2 can be bought individually or as multiples. For simplicity, purchase a €10 rechargeable pink card. We recommend adding a few Euros to ride Trams to many parts of Nice.
If you have medium or large luggage, we recommend a Taxi or Uber/Bolt ride shares. A taxi will cost you €36 to central Nice. Uber will cost you €22-38 to central Nice, depending the type of vehicle you choose. Bolt will cost you €18-32 to central Nice, depending the type of vehicle you choose. Their pickup spots are easily recognized outside the terminal.
This video demonstrates the ground transport experience at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.
PRO TIP: Save taxi/Uber/Bolt fare by taking Tram 2 or 3 to Grand Arenas Station next to Gare de Nice Saint-Augustin for TER regional train rides to Antibes, Cannes, Monaco and Menton.
Flights can be tiresome and you don’t want to be tired during a scenic drive on one of the corniches. Unless you know the area well, we recommend riding a Tram/Taxi/Uber/Bolt to your location in the Cote d’Azur and relaxing before driving.
If you plan to drive, consider these car rental brands at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. Budget, Avis, Europcar and Hertz car are also available at Gare de Nice Ville and Nice Ferry Terminal. Like America, you will need a credit card to rent a car.
Like America, the steering wheel is on the left-hand side and you drive on the right-hand side. Note these common miles per hour listed on signs as kilometer per hour:
50 kmph -> 31 mph
60 kmph -> 37 mph
70 kmph -> 43 mph
80 kmph -> 49 mph
90 kmph -> 56 mph
100 kmph -> 62 mph
Flight & Airport Transit Tips
Check the luggage policy for your airline and confirm your flight at least 72 hours in advance. Make a copy of your passport on your smartphone, flight itinerary & hotel reservations and leave it with someone at home.
If you take fly non-stop from America to Nice, people with long legs should purchase added legroom for the 7-hour to 11-hour journey.
Pack medicines in your hand luggage. To pack efficiently ladies, include 2 outfits or less per day. If you have a cold or problems with air pressure on airplanes, bring noise-canceling headphones or purchase air-pressure earplugs available at most airports or large pharmacies.
For the best exchange rate, exchange your U.S. Dollars for Euros at U.S. airports.
Train Stations
The Belle Epoque architecture and iconic clock of Gare de Nice-Ville; (c) Soul Of America
Gare de Nice-Ville is the main train station in central Nice. It hosts TGV high-speed trains and Zou TER regional trains along the Cote d’Azur. TGV service terminates at Gare de Nice-Ville, which also has lovely Belle Epoque exterior architecture like most of central Nice.
The station seems busy from 6:00 am to 22:00 (10 pm), since trains serving the Cote d’Azur stop here frequently.
Inside Gare de Nice-Ville you will find a modest number of seats and a few passenger amenities, since the station is much smaller than those in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. About 20 minutes before a long TGV train arrives, long lines form. Shorter lines form for shorter Zou TER trains.
Double-decker TGV train at Gare de Nice-Ville; (c) Soul Of America
To reach the opposite platform for trains headed west to Antibes, Cannes, Marseille and points north, you will travel a convenient passageway under the tracks.
Gare de Nice-Ville anchors local travel within Nice via Tram, Taxi, Uber/Bolt, and Local Bus connections.
Local Bus stops, youth hostels and budget hotels are near the train station which is a mile or so from the beach. Without bags you can walk to it in 15-20 minutes. As you might expect, nearly all 3, 4 & 5-star hotels are at or near the beachfront.
Zou TER train at Gare de Nice-Ville; (c) Soul Of America
Also remember that Gare de Nice Saint-Augustin is an option to catch Zou TER trains along the Côte d’Azur.
TGV high speed trains stop at Gare de Nice-Ville. From Nice, you can comfortably ride TGV to Cannes, Antibes, Marseille, Avignon, Valence, Lyon and Paris. The ride to Paris takes about 6 hours.
ZOU TER regional trains stop at Gare de Saint Augustine, Gare de Nice-Ville, Riquier Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Monaco and Menton.
Some trains are very long. On your print or smartphone ticket, memorize Train #, Car # and Seat #. When your train arrives, find your Car # posted in LED lights on the exterior of each car. This is particularly important when catching bi-level TGV trains. You don’t want to enter the wrong TGV car and lug large luggage through extra doorways and then up & down steps to reach your assigned seat.
Rapid Transit
Tram 1 through Place Massena heading east next Promenade du Paillon greenway in Nice; (c) iAlf/iStock
Nice has growing rapid transit options with Tram Lines 1, 2 & 3. Tram Line 4 extension to Cagnes-sur-Mer is under construction.
We recommend purchasing a Lyon City Card for convenient access to all parts of Lyon. Metro & Tram lines are named by their endpoints.
Tram 2 to NCE Airport runs every 2-4 minutes. They are safe and clean. For those reasons, Nice Trams attract high ridership from young and old. Like every rapid transit system, however, it’s good to carry hand sanitizer for germs.
Most visitors should ride Lines 1 & 2 for a taste of local flavor. Tram lines have platform displays that alert you minute-by-minute to train arrivals. Transfers between Trams & trains are common at Grand Areanas, Jean Medicin and Garibaldi stations. Note that much of Line 2 through central Nice is underground like a Metro subway.
Tram 1 on Avenue Jean Medicin passing through Place Massena at night; (c) Soul Of America
Nice Tram & Bus ticket costs €1.70 lasts for 2 hours, and permit transfers between them. Keep your ticket until you have completed your journey, as you may be asked to show it by Tram-Bus ticket inspectors who check for fare-evaders on the regular.
Use the Sortie (exit) nearest your destination. If you need assistance, ONLY ask for help from Metro station agents.
Tours & Buses
Le Grand Tour open-top bus in front of Nice Opera House on Promenade des Anglais; (c) Soul Of America
Nice Le Grand Tour is an open-top, double-decker bus option for tourists to Hop-on & Hop-off. Use them to conveniently see attractions on your first full day. Open-air seats on the top provide the best views. Le Grand Tour Bus also stops at Gare de Nice-Ville.
Having rode Le Grand Tour circuit route twice, we highly recommend it for the Mediterranean views. Since the ride includes Villefranche-sur-Mer, the fare offers good value for cost.
After the first day, you’ll want to walk more, rent a bike, and ride Trams 1 & 2 to most places in central Nice. We recommend those options too.
Though you will see motorcycles and electric bikes on the streets, we do NOT recommend renting them to explore Nice. Accidents occur more often than one expects.
The best places to catch inexpensive buses to Monaco, Eze and Vilefranche-sur-Mer are NCE Airport and Gare de Nice-Ville.