Airport of Nice – Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE) is the second busiest airport in France after the Paris pair, and the gateway to the whole Riviera. It sits on reclaimed land at the western end of the Promenade des Anglais, 7 km from the centre of Nice — closer to its city than almost any other airport in Europe.

The approach along the coast is worth a window seat.

The two terminals

T1 and T2 are about a kilometre apart, linked by a free shuttle every few minutes and by the tram. Airlines move between them periodically, so check your terminal on the day rather than trusting an old booking confirmation.

T2 is the larger and handles most long-haul and full-service traffic; T1 has more of the low-cost airlines. Both are on the same tram line, so an arrival at the wrong one costs minutes rather than an hour.

Getting into Nice

Tram line 2 — the answer for most people

Line 2 runs from both terminals into the city, reaching Nice-Ville station and the port. It takes about 25 minutes to the centre, runs every few minutes from early morning to late evening, and costs a couple of euros. There is luggage space and it is nearly always quicker than a taxi in traffic.

Buses along the coast

Express coaches run from the airport directly to the other Riviera towns without going through Nice:

• Monaco — about 45 minutes
• Menton — about an hour
• Cannes — about 50 minutes
• Antibes — about 35 minutes
• Saint-Raphaël — about an hour and a quarter

These leave from outside the terminals and are far cheaper than a taxi. If your destination is along the coast, do not go into Nice first.

Taxis

Fixed fares to zones are posted at the rank, with a supplement at night and on Sundays. To central Nice a taxi is worth it with heavy luggage and a waste of money otherwise; to Monaco or Cannes it costs several times the coach.

Trains

There is no railway station at the airport. Take the tram to Nice-Ville and the coastal line from there — see trains in Provence.

Helicopter to Monaco

Seven minutes, and a genuine option rather than a novelty for anyone going to Monaco with a schedule. It costs what you would expect.

Hiring a car

All the desks are in a dedicated building between the terminals, reached by the shuttle. Two things worth knowing:

• You probably do not need one for the coast. The railway from Cannes to Menton is frequent and cheap, and parking on the Riviera is expensive and scarce. Hire a car only if you are going inland — to Grasse, the Verdon or the hill villages.
• Crit’Air — Nice has a low-emission zone; hire cars carry the sticker, foreign cars must order one in advance.

See driving in Provence.

Practical

• Allow time in summer. July and August put the airport well over its comfortable capacity and security queues get long.
• The Promenade des Anglais runs from the airport into town — with hand luggage and good weather, walking or cycling the 7 km along the sea is a real option and a good introduction to the city.
• Left luggage is available in T2.
• Arriving late — the tram runs until around midnight; after that it is a taxi.

Where it takes you

• Nice — 25 minutes by tram
• Villefranche, Èze, Cap Ferrat — via Nice, or the coastal bus
• Saint-Tropez — about two hours by road, or a coach to Saint-Raphaël and the boat
• Gorges du Verdon — two and a half hours inland, and this is what the hire car is for

See transport in Provence.

Image source: Aerial view of the airport — photo: Abxbay / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Weather in Aéroport de Nice

Updated: 8 October 2026