From Nice Airport To Central Nice

Public Transport

If you've been to Nice before 2019 or are following advice in an old guidebook, note that the former airport buses 98 and 99 are no longer in service. Now, it's all about Nice tramways. Tramway Ligne 2 now connects Airport Terminals 1 and 2 with Port Lympia in central Nice via Jean Medecin and Garibaldi where there's a connection to Ligne 1. Ligne 1 takes you to north Nice, the Nice train station, Nice old town and east Nice.

[See a Nice tramway map]

Local bus No 12 links Terminal 1 with the Promenade des Arts via the Promenade des Anglais. (There's a free shuttle between Terminal 1 and 2).

Book a private transfer to/from your Nice hotel

At the Airport
Espace de vente, Nice Airport
Tram and bus tickets are not sold on board the tram but must be purchased in advance. The easiest way to buy tickets is to get them from the Espace de Vente located inside Terminal 2 Arrivals and just outside Terminal 1 Arrivals. The price of a single tram or bus ticket is €1.50 but I recommend buying a MultiVoyage card for €10 which gives you 10 tram or bus rides anywhere in the city. If the lines at the Espace de Vente are too long, a single ticket or MultiVoyage card can be purchased at the ticket machines next to the tram tracks. Whip out your credit card or have coins handy though as the machines don't accept banknotes.

Ligne 2 stops right outside Terminals 1 and 2. To board Bus 12 cross the parking lot right outside Terminal 1 and take the pedestrian walkway to the bus stop Aeroport/Promenade.

To the Airport
Make sure to board the tram marked "Aeroport", not the tram marked "CADAM" which goes to the Nice administrative centre. Should you make a mistake you have until the Arenas stop to rectify it as it is at Arenas that the branches diverge.

Taxis

Hailing a taxi at the airport is the worst way to get to or from central Nice. Nice taxis are among the world's most expensive and Nice taxi drivers are among the world's most unscrupulous. Taxi scams are ubiquitous. Theoretically, there's a flat rate of €32 (including four passengers plus luggage) to go from Nice Airport to central Nice (7km). In fact, taxi drivers start the ride with €32 on the meter and then let it run. The final bill could be €45 or €50!

Tramway at Nice Airport
courtesy Nice Airport

Taking a taxi to the airport entails a host of similar problems as the driver will charge (illegally) for the drive from the taxi stand to your pickup point. In any case, you will pay far more than Nice taxi official rates.

Fortunately there are alternatives! By far the best way to organise private transport to and from the airport is to book in advance, using Uber or a car service. Uber rates are somewhat less than taxi rates and scamming is rare. Car services charge about the same, if not less, than a Nice taxi and are friendly and reliable. In either case, you will know the rate before booking and can usually pay by credit card.

Book a private transfer to/from your Nice hotel to Nice Airport

From Nice Airport To Cannes

Public Transport

Bus 81 (formerly bus 210) is an express bus to Cannes that runs roughly every half hour from 8am to 10pm from Terminals 2 and from 7am to 7:45pm from the Cannes train station (Gare SNCF) and Le Cannet (Place Benidorm). The ride takes 45 minutes and costs €19. Buy tickets online at niceairportxpress.com or in the Espace de Vente in Terminals 1 and 2.

Bus 620 (formerly bus 200) runs from the Aeroport/Promenade stop outside Terminal 1 to Cannes train station daily from around 6.30am to around 10pm. A ticket costs €2.10 and can be purchased from the Espace de Vente or on board.

Bus 621 runs Friday and Saturday evenings from Parc Phoenix to the Cannes train station from 11:15pm to 2:15am making stops according to demand.

Another possibility is to take the train from the St Augustin station. To get to the St Augustin station take tram line 2 one stop to Grand Arenas and follow the sign to the train station which is only steps from the tram stop. Or, you can walk it in about 15 minutes. Buy your train ticket online at thetrainline.

Taxi

There's a fixed rate from the Airport to Cannes of €80 which taxi drivers routinely ignore.

Book a private transfer to/from your Cannes hotel to Nice Airport

From Nice Airport To Monaco

Public Transport

Nice Airport Express runs bus 80 (formerly 110) from Terminals 1 and 2 to the Place d'Armes, Casino and Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and going on to the Menton bus station every hour or so starting at 8.15am and ending at 8.35pm. The ride takes about 45 minutes and costs €22 (€33 round trip).

At night, there's the bus 601 (formerly 100N) which runs from 9:30pm to 2.30am and connects Parc Phoenix with Menton, Monaco, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Roquebrune for €2.10. Parc Phoenix is less than a kilometer from Terminal 1. Until about 12.30am it's possible to take tramway line 2 from Terminal 1 or 2 to Parc Phoenix where you can buy tickets on board.

Another possibility is to take the train from the Saint Augustine train station. To get there, walk or take tramway line 2 from the Airport to the Grand Arenas stop. The train station is only steps away.

Buy your train ticket online at thetrainline.