Getting To Nice

The most popular transport option to Nice from elsewhere in Europe is to travel by plane. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is only a few kilometres from the city and is well supplied by public transport, with buses, trains and taxis all available. The next best option for getting to Nice is by train. High-speed trains run direct to Nice from Paris in 6 hours and they also run from Marseille. Excellent roads make driving here another option, while long distance bus travel can be cheap but uncomfortable.

By car

Nice is on the main A8 motorway that links Genoa in northern Italy with Marseille. The A8 bypasses the city to the north and is well connected to the N98 coastal road, which itself runs from Monaco, through Nice and past Cannes while hugging the coast. Those heading to Nice from northern Spain should take the A7 north to the French border and join with the A9 to Nimes. From here, head east along the A54, A7 and A8 for Nice. Common road distances: from Paris, 933kms; Barcelona, 644kms; and Genoa, 193kms. 

By rail

Visitors can reach Nice by train and the journey from Paris by high-speed TGV is comfortable and fast. The service is run by SNCF and tickets can be booked online. The journey time from Paris to Nice aboard a TGV train is just 6 hours. Services also arrive from Lyon and Marseille among other destinations and the main train station, Gare SNCF, is situated to the northwest of the town centre.

By bus

Buses run to Nice from other major centres in France and are operated by Eurolines. Journeys are long and can be tiring. Buses come into Nice from many regional destinations including: Antibes, Cannes and Monaco. The bus station is located at 5 boulevard Jean Jaurès.

By air

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is only three or four miles to the west of the city and is well connected to the rest of Europe by many major airlines. Trains run to Nice every 45 minutes and there are also reliable bus services, with the airport bus running to and from the intercity bus station and Sunbus route 23 also serving the airport. Taxis are also available, but are fairly expensive, while highway N98 runs directly to the city centre.

By ferry

The only ferries that sail to Nice depart from various locations on the island of Corsica, 100 miles to the southeast. There are five different ferry routes including from: Bastia (northeast Corsica); Ille-Rousse (northern Corsica); Calvi (northwest Corsica); Ajaccio (west Corsica); and Propriano (southwest Corsica). The port in Nice is on the eastern side of the city and is connected to the centre by bus services 1 and 2.

Nice Cte dAzur Airport

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is one of France’s busiest, with convenient direct connections from cities worldwide. Most of the world’s major airlines fly here including low-cost carriers, and two terminals divide the traffic. Those flying in with Air France will arrive at the newer Terminal 2, along with easyJet passengers. The two terminals are linked by courtesy shuttle buses and have good passenger facilities including cash machines, money changers and banking facilities. Both terminals also have a good complement of restaurants and bars, and there is an excellent range of duty-free stores.

Nice Cte dAzur airport transportation

Nice town centre and Promenade des Anglais are only a few minutes’ drive from the airport and the nearby A8 motorway provides direct access with Monaco, Italy, Cannes and Marseille. SNCF run trains to Nice every 45 minutes and to Cannes every 30 minutes, while bus numbers 98 and 23 run to central Nice throughout the day. Taxis are available at all hours yet they may prove expensive. Those with deep pockets can make use of the helicopter service travelling to Cannes and St Tropez.