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Public Transportation to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport on the French Riviera

January 2, 2021 by Henk Bekker in Côte d'Azur Riviera, France

Getting to Aéroport Nice-Côte d’Azur (NCE) on the French Riviera is easy by bus, tram, train, helicopter, taxi, and airport shuttle vans. Public transportation is cheap and often very convenient.

Antibes on the Côte d'Azur

Getting to Aéroport Nice-Côte d’Azur (NCE) on the French Riviera is easy by bus, tram, train, helicopter, taxi, and airport shuttle vans. Public transportation is cheap and often very convenient.

Aéroport Nice-Côte d’Azur (NCE) is very easy to reach by car, bus, tram, train, or helicopter from many other towns on the French Riviera and Monaco. Tram 2 provides the cheapest transportation from the airport to Nice Gare SNCF train station, downtown Nice and the Promenade des Anglais. Express buses are often the best way to travel to Monaco, Menton, Cannes, Antibes, and Golf Juan. Regular buses are available to Nice, Grasse, St Martin Vesuble, Auron, Isola 2000, and Valberg. To other destinations, it is generally easiest to transfer to trains or use the huge number of bus connections available from central Nice. Helicopter transfers from the airport are a quick way to Monaco and Cannes.

Taxis and airport shuttle vans are often worth the splurge especially at odd hours or when traveling as a small group or family with luggage. Suntransfers gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.

Driving to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport in France

Google Map Nice Airport

Nice-Côte d’Azur Aéroport (NCE) is the busiest French airport outside Paris. The airport is very conveniently located on the seafront just to the south of the city Nice allowing fast and easy access from many French Riviera towns – it is generally worth using the toll road highways to bypass Nice. Autoroute A8 exit 50 is right at the airport.

For groups, families, and travelers with luggage, taking a taxi or pre-booked airport shuttle van service may be a good idea and not that expensive. Taxis are according to the meter (with surcharges allowed for luggage, Sundays, and night times (19:00 to 07:00)). Expect to pay around €30 to Nice Center (less to Promenade des Anglais), €50 to Antibes, Sophia-Antipolis, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Villefranche, and €75 to Monaco or Cannes.

Driving distance and times using the highway from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE):

  • Nice Downtown – 9 km / 0:30
  • Antibes – 17 km / 0:25
  • Cannes – 30 km / 0:35
  • Monaco – 32 km / 0:40
  • Menton – 42 km / 0:45
  • Saint Tropez – 110 km / 1:30
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By Tram 2 to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)

Tram 2 is the cheapest and best public transportation option to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport. Tram 2 runs from Airport Terminal 2 and Airport Terminal 1 along Avenue de Californie (parallel to Promenade des Anglais and the seafront) then via Jean Médicin and Garibaldi in Nice’s city center to the terminal at Port Lympia.

Tram 2 is the best public transportation to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) with frequencies as high as every three minutes.

In contrast to the previous airport express buses 98 and 99, the tram has no airport surcharge and thus cost the standard fare (€1.50) with free transfers to further buses for 74 minutes. Travel on the tram between the two airport terminals and to Grand Arenas is free.

See By Tram to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport for more details.

By Public Bus to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)

Buses often provide the cheapest and best public transportation options to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) from nearby towns. Airport Express buses stop at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Other regular buses do not stop at the airport terminal. Some stop at Aeroport Promenade outside the airport perimeters — a short walk from terminal 1. (Use the tram to travel for free between terminal 1 and 2 — walking is not possible.)

The pricy Airport Express buses 98 and 99 have been replaced by the cheap Tram 2 for travel from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport to destinations in Nice city center and the Promenade des Anglais.

Buses to Nice Downtown and Stations from the Airport

Tram 2 replaced express buses 98 to Nice Gare SNCF train station and 99 to Nice Promenade des Arts (via Promenade des Anglais). The only regular municipal bus stopping outside the airport that could be of interest to tourists is bus line 12 that runs along Promenades des Anglais to the old town. The tram is usually a better option, especially when traveling with luggage.

Buses from the Airport to French Riviera Resorts

Bus 98 on Promenade des Anglais to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport

Airport Express buses are available from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) to Monaco and Menton (110), Cannes (210) and Antibes / Golf-Juan / Vallauris (250). These airport express buses cost significantly more than the €1.50 of regular buses but are much faster and generally do have more space for luggage.

Regular Lignes d’Azur buses (€1.50 to anywhere in the region) that stops near the airport at Aéroport / Promenade or Parc Phoenix include services to Cannes, Grasse, St Martin Vésubie, Auron, Isola 2000, and Valberg.

Regular tickets (€1.50) and day passes for Nice (€6) may be bought from the driver or from the ticket windows at the airport. It is worth picking up a free bus map from the ticket office, where other passes (€15 for a week ticket for all of Nice), as well as train tickets, may be purchased.

On many buses, a first piece of hand luggage is free but a second piece may be charged €1 and a suitcase €5.

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By Train to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)

Nice-Ville SNCF Train Station

Trains do not stop directly at Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) but it is often the best to walk or take a bus to the station to continue journeys to many Riviera towns. Trains are faster, less crowded, and continue later at night than local buses.

Gare SNCF Nice-Saint-Augustin is only 1.5 km from the airport and almost all local TER trains call here. Take any tram departing from the airport for the free ride to Grand Arenas — from here it is only a block to the station.

To reach Nice Ville main train station (SNCF Gare Thiers) in downtown, use tram 2 to Jean Médecin and change there to tram 1 to Gare Thiers (one-stop, direction Henri Sappia). Alternatively, especially if planning to actually take a train from Gare Thiers, start the railway journey from Saint-Augustin.

  • See By Train to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport for more details.

By Helicopter to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)

Helicopter landing at Monaco Heliport (MCM)

Helicopters provide fast and glamorous transportation from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) to top French Riviera destinations such as Cannes, Monaco, and Saint Tropez.

Helicopter flight times from Nice Airport are around 7 minutes to Monaco or Cannes. Expect to pay around €160 for a shared flight — expensive but what a way to arrive.

More on Travel to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport:

  • Public Transportation to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
  • Book Day Trips and Excursion Tours in the Nice Region
  • By Tram 2 to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport from Downtown
  • By Bus from Nice to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport to Downtown
  • By Train to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport from French Riviera Resorts
  • Transportation to Cannes from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport
  • Transportation to Antibes from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport
  • Transportation to Monaco from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport
  • Suntransfers and Welcome give online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.
  • Use RailEurope or Oui SNCF for French national railways timetables and tickets. Buying train tickets online is often easier at Omio or Trainline: from Nice-St Augustin (close to the airport) or from Nice-Ville. (Nice town center).
  • Air France for cheap flights to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
Get Your Guide
See All Nice Côte d'Azur Tours at GetYourGuide

Filed Under: Côte d'Azur Riviera, France Tagged With: 0GT, 2021J1, A4, Antibes, French Riviera, Google Map, J1, J2021, Lignes d'Azur, M3, NCE, Nice, Nice Airport, Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport, P21

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Book French Train and Bus Tickets

French railway tickets are available online from many resellers – Omio and Trainline are generally the simplest to use.

SNCF has several official websites: Oui.SNCF is the main site but visitors may be passed on to other SNCF sub-sites with many non-European-based users ending up at RailEurope sites that often sell only long-distance train tickets. Trainline and Omio are generally a lot easier to use and may include searches for competing buses, such as Flixbus, that are price and time competitive with trains on some popular routes. Also, try Ouigo for low-cost TGV trains — limited choice and routes but low prices.

Trainline and Omio also sell cross border journeys and tickets for many other European countries. Print at home tickets are generally the best option, collecting tickets at the station is time-consuming. Tickets for short journeys and trains in urban areas (RER & Metro) are usually not sold online.


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