Aéroport Nice-Côte d’Azur is a short walk or fast bus ride from Saint Augustin and Nice Ville Gare SNCF main train stations with fast connections to French Riviera resorts.
Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) is not directly linked to the French railway system. However, it is a short walk from the airport terminal to Saint Augustin station or a fifteen-minute express bus ride to Nice Ville Gare SNCF central train station. Almost all regional TER trains call at both Nice-St Augustin and Nice-Ville stations. TER trains are generally faster than buses and stop at most French Riviera resort towns including Mandelieu, Cannes, Antibes, Nice-St Augustin, Nice-Ville, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Merton, and Ventimiglia. Intercity and TGV trains depart only from Nice Ville.
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Traveling to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) by Train
As trains do not stop directly at Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport, a bus transfer or short walk is always required. The closest train station to the airport is Nice-Saint Augustin, where almost all TER regional trains call. Nice-Ville station is a 15-minute bus ride away and offers not only TER but further long-distance connections.
TER train tickets can be bought from the bus ticket windows just outside the airport terminals. This is a good option as there may be longer waits at the station and often a need for small change to use vending machines.
French train tickets are available for print at home from the official English websites of French Railways – Voyages SNCF (UK & Europe) or RailEurope (USA).Use “Nice St Augustin” for the station closest to the airport and Nice for the main train station.
From Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) to St Augustin Train Station
It is possible to get to St Augustin station from Nice Airport by walking or taxi. It is not Nice’s nicest area but safe enough during the day or when in a group. Bus 23 no longer stops here (or at the airport terminal itself).
It is around ten minutes walk from Terminal 1 to the station. The route is not well marked – download the pdf map from the airport website. The area was designed with cars in mind making walking less optimal at night, in bad weather, or when carrying bulky luggage.
Using the navette is also the best option from Terminal 2 – walking between the two terminals is not advisable.
From Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) to Nice-Ville Gare SNCF Railway Station
Nice-Ville train station, often referred to as Nice Gare, or Nice SNCF station, is in the center of Nice city. A special airport express bus 99 connects both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with the station twice per hour in 15 minutes.
Bus 99 stops directly at the terminal and train station making it a better solution when traveling with luggage or at odd hours. However, bus 99 requires an Aéro Ticket (€6). This areo ticket not longer functions as a day ticket but is valid for travel on the local buses and tram network for up to 74 minutes, which is probably of limited use to travelers using the railways rather than buses to their final destinations.
TER Trains from Nice to French Riviera Towns
The most useful trains when traveling to French Riviera resorts are the regional TER trains. These trains usually run twice per hour (more often at peak times). Almost all trains stop at St Augustin too, except trains starting only from Nice towards Italy.
TER train traveling times from Nice-Ville Gare SNCF train station in minutes are around:
- 50 – Mandelieu
- 41 – Cannes
- 28 – Antibes
- 12 – Cagnes sur Mer
- 5 – Nice-St Augustin
- 0 – Nice-Ville Gare SNCF Central Train Station
- 4 – Nice-Riquier
- 8 – Villefranche-sur-Mer
- 11 – Beaulieu
- 15 – Eze
- 19 – Cap d’Ail
- 24 – Monaco
- 36 – Menton
- 51 – Ventimiglia
Trains operate from around 5 am to 11 pm, which makes them also useful at night when bus services have ended. Although the train is generally more expensive than the regular bus, they do tend not to overfill to the point of having to wait for the next service.
Trains are often cheaper (with no luggage surcharges) and as fast as the special airport express buses but require a transfer, which may be a drag when traveling with luggage.
Bearers of TER trains tickets can ask for a discount tariff when buying admission tickets to amongst other the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, the Greek Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat.
See Also:
- Public Transportation to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
- Book Day Trips and Excursion Tours in the Nice Region
- By Bus from Nice to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport to Downtown
- 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