Transportation from Cannes to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) in France

Published on

by Henk Bekker

in Côte d'Azur Riviera, France, N24

Getting to Cannes from Aéroport Nice-Côte d’Azur is possible by helicopter, bus, train, and airport shuttle vans, cars, or limousines. Zou! Airport Express Bus 81 (previously 210) at €20 is often the best public transportation choice for traveling between Nice Airport and Cannes.

Cannes Beach is easily reached on public transportation from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE)

Cannes can easily be reached from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) by public transportation or pre-reserved cars and shuttle van services. Helicopters are the fastest way to one of the most glamorous resorts on the French Riviera but most solo travelers will find express buses (81, formerly 210) more affordable. Trains offer a reasonable alternative while regular municipal and inter-city buses are cheap but slow. Taxis are available but a pre-booked limousine or airport van shuttle service may be cheaper with a guaranteed price and assured availability.

By car, traveling time is around half an hour if using the toll highway. Expect to pay around €80 for a pre-booked car and €150 for a minivan — taxis charge according to the meter. Welcome gives online quotations for private airport transfers without first requiring personal details or flight numbers.

By Zou! Express Bus 81 (previously 210) from Cannes to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport

Zou! Airport Express Bus 81 (previously 210) is often the best public transportation choice for traveling between Nice Airport and Cannes. The express bus connects Airport Terminal 2 and Cannes directly and via the highway so traffic is less of a concern.

Express Bus 81 generally runs every 45 minutes with the first (last) departure from Cannes at 7:00 (19:45) and first (last) departure from the airport at 8:00 (22:00). Traveling time is around 45 minutes.

Express bus 81 departs from Terminal 2 (use the free tram or free navette shuttle buses from Terminal 1 — walking is not an option). In Cannes, the bus stops at Le Cannet (Paul Doumer / Place Benidorm) and at the Gare SNCF (station).

Express buses have a special price structure and not the €2.50 standard ticket on ZOU! buses in the Alpes-Maritim département. The basic single one-way ticket is €19.90. Discounted tickets for small groups, e.g. €41.80 for a group of 3 or €79.60 for 8 are only sold at agencies (Safebag shops at the airport) or on the bus. (Add 40c to any ticket bought on the bus. A ten-trip card is good value at €133 but may only be used by one person at a time. Children 4 to 11 pay half fare, and under 4 travel for free.

Tickets may be bought from Safebag Aéroport shop (Terminal 1: Gate A0 and Terminal 2: between gates A1 and A2) or directly from the driver (with a small surcharge), or online (single tickets only). The ticket is valid for a particular day and does not guarantee a place on a specific bus.

By Train from Cannes to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport on the French Riviera

Fort Carré in Antibes seen from a TER Train

Trains offer a reasonable alternative to using express buses from Cannes to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport. Trains are cheaper but as there is no train station directly at the airport, a bit of hassle is added, especially if traveling with luggage.

Nice-Saint Augustin is the closest train station to the airport. Use Tram 2 to Grand Arénas — the first tram stop after the airport. Travel is free on the tram from any airport terminal to Grand Arénas, which is a block from the station. See Traveling to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport by Train for details.

Train travel from Cannes to Nice-Saint Augustin on TER trains takes only 36 minutes and costs around €7 (standard, second class one-way ticket).

Trainline is simpler to use than the official websites of French Railways — SNCF-connect and RailEurope.

By Bus 620 (ex-200) from Cannes to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport

Ligne d'Azur bus in Cannes from azur airport

The budget alternative for the cheapest travel between Cannes and Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport is bus 620 operated by Zou! (previously bus 200 by Lignes d’Azur) which connects Cannes and Park Phoenix in Nice generally twice per hour.

Bus 620 bus does not stop at the airport terminals itself but at Aéroport/ Promenade on the main street outside the airport near the Sheraton Hotel. From here, walk to Terminal 1 (and use the tram to Terminal 2).

Bus 620 is a standard municipal bus with no special space for luggage. At busy times, the bus gets full fast and won’t pick up additional passengers. At times it may be full with travelers from Nice even before it reaches the airport — it may be sensible to use tram 2 to Parc Phoenix, which is the terminal for bus 620.

Traveling time very much depends on traffic. Early morning or late night it can be as fast as an hour but at peak traffic, it can take closer to two hours.

Bus 620 runs mostly three times per hour on Sundays and every fifteen minutes on weekdays and Saturdays. First buses from Nice city pass by the airport around 6:10 (7:00 on Sunday).

The standard fare in early 2025 is €2.50 (€2.90 if bought on the bus). A second piece of hand luggage adds €1 and a suitcase incurs a hefty €5 charge, which makes the train the cheaper (and faster) option.

By Helicopter to Cannes from Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport in France

Helicopters allow well-heeled travelers to whisk between fashionable Cannes and Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport in seven minutes. Several companies offer scheduled helicopter flights between Cannes Airport (CEQ) and Nice Airport (NCE) with further flights available to Saint Tropez and Monaco.

Prices for shared scheduled helicopter transfers are around €120 per person. A private helicopter with up to six seats is around €400 to Cannes Airport (just outside town) and around €500 to arrive at Cannes Heliport closer to the town center.

The fares usually include transportation from the heliport or Cannes Airport to the final destination.

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