As someone who lived in Nice and frequently traveled into and out of the airport, I thought it would be helpful to provide Nice airport information that is current, accurate, and useful for arriving visitors. The details that appear below are correct as of June 7, 2024.

Overview

This blog post covers the following:

• Bureaucratic Checkpoints within the airport
• Services available within each terminal
• Transport from the airport into Nice

If you want to head into the city center, we strongly recommend taking the metro that stops in front of both terminals. Traffic along the seafront in Nice can be heavy and the bus will take longer and be much less convenient. However, if the metro isn’t running when you arrive, and you’re forced to take the bus into the city center, the following detailed information appears in this blog post:

• Where to catch the airport bus for Nice Ville station, Nice Downtown, and Menton via Nice at night
• How often the airport buses run
• Where to buy tickets for the airport buses
• What to do with the tickets after you buy them.
• The website URL for Lignes d’Azur (Nice’s city-wide bus system) so that you can find out which bus stop you need to get off at.

Bureaucratic Checkpoints

Depending on which airport you arrive from, you might need to go through Passport Control and then Customs before leaving the secure area. Although I speak only basic French, in all the times I’ve passed through these checkpoints, I’ve never had any trouble with either. I’ve also never seen anyone else having trouble. As with all airport-related procedures, the key is to pay attention and not do anything to cause problems.

Passport Control / Contrôle des Passeports

To make your movement through Contrôle des Passeports (Passport Control) as smooth as possible, do the following:

• Make sure your phone is turned off.
• Have your passport out so you don’t have to dig in your bag for it.
• Remove your sunglasses and/or hat before approaching the control booth.
• Know the address of where you’ll be staying in Nice in case the official asks for it.
• Answer any questions you get asked honestly and fully.
• Never make jokes about anything.

Baggage Claim / Livraison des Bagages

After you pass through Passport Control, you’ll move on to baggage claim. The process is the same here as it is in every other airport, so there should be no surprises. After collecting your bags, you’ll walk through Customs before you exit the secure area.

Customs / Douane

In French, the word for Customs Department is Douane. If you were given a Customs declaration during your flight to Nice, have it out and ready to present to the customs official. As with Passport Control, the key to getting through smoothly to be organized, polite, and accommodating.

Note that if you’re arriving from within the European Union, you likely won’t have to go through either Passport Control or Customs. The main exceptions are flights from Ireland and the U.K. since they are not Schengen Area countries. If you’re arriving from Ireland or the U.K., you’ll need to present your passport, but you won’t be subject to Customs inspections.

Armed Patrols

Throughout the airport and the city of Nice, you will frequently see armed military personnel doing security patrols. This is not an indication that anything bad is currently going on, it is only a precautionary measure. So don’t be alarmed. Also, don’t try to take their photographs without asking in advance.

Services

ATMs

There are ATMs in the baggage areas of both terminals. There are also additional ATMs in the main concourses of the public, non-secure areas of both terminals.

• In Terminal 1, turn right as you exit the secure area. The ATM is on your right just past the Interchange currency exchange booth, directly across from Trib’s Cafe. A second ATM is further along past the security checkpoint for the Departures area. The ATM is located on the right side, just across from the Relay souvenir shop.
• In Terminal 2, turn right as soon as you exit the secure area. The ATM is on the left, just past Chez Jean cafe. A second ATM is located 20 feet away, around the corner. And a third ATM is straight ahead as you exit the Non-Secure Arrivals area, near Baggage Carousel #2.

Car Rentals

The following agencies have desks at Nice Airport:

• Alamo/Enterprise/National
• Sixt
• Budget/Avis
• Hertz/Thrifty
• Europcar
• Goldcar
• Firefly

To get to the car rental desks, do the following:

• In Terminal 1, turn left as you exit the secure area and walk ahead about 100 feet. All of the desks are on the left just before the stairs and ramp going up.
• In Terminal 2, walk straight ahead from the Secure Arrivals area and exit the building. Keep walking straight and cross the roadway toward the car park. The rental counters are clearly marked within the car park.

Currency Exchange

Both terminals have an Interchange currency exchange booth in the public areas.

• In Terminal 1, turn right as you exit the secure area and walk about 50 feet. The exchange is directly across from Trib’s Cafe.
• In Terminal 2, walk ahead as you exit the Secure Arrivals area and veer to the left. You’ll see the bright orange booth about 50 feet in front of you.

Hotel Information

Information on local hotels is available via an electronic bulletin board located directly ahead of you as you exit the secure areas of both terminals.

Toilets

As is the case at every airport in the world, there are lots of toilets in both the secure and public areas of both terminals. Just look for the internationally recognized man and woman symbol on the overhead signs.

Tourist Information

The Tourist Information desk in both terminals is located directly ahead and slightly to the right of you as you exit the Secure Arrivals area.

Wifi

Free wifi is available throughout both terminals. The network name is Nice Airport Free Wifi. You’ll need to sign in, after which you’re free to use the service as long as you want.

Transport

Private Transfer from Nice Airport to Nice Hotels

If you’re too tired or just not inclined to deal with public transit or public taxis, you can pre-arrange a private transfer from the airport to whichever hotel you’re staying at. The driver will then monitor your flight to make sure they’re there when you actually arrive (not when you should have arrived) and will meet you in the Arrivals area holding a sign with your name on it. For those traveling with smalll children, infant car seats are available on request during booking. Note that we at OnTheGoSolo.com get a small commission if you book this service through the link below. So although we do recommend it for it’s reasonable cost (starting from $54.48 for groups up to 3 people) and convenience, we must admit to being somewhat biased. To learn more and book this service, click the following link: Nice Airport Private Transfer

Metro

As mentioned above, if you want to head into the city center, we strongly recommend taking the metro that stops in front of both terminals instead of the slower, much less convenient bus. The metro runs from 5am to midnight 7 days a week. Tickets can be purchased on the metro platform and are 10 euros with a free return to the airport included. Note that if you just need to get from one airport terminal to the other, you can ride for free. Trams toward the port leave approximately every 8-9 minutes on weekdays.

NOTE: You must validate your card as soon as you get on the metro by holding it against the the onboard ticketing machine just below the sticker that says Validez içi . If you fail to validate and an metro inspector gets on the tram, you might get a ticket.

There are three metro lines in Nice: one that goes from the airport to the port, one that goes from the airport north to Saint Isadore (you’ll likely not be riding this one) and a third that runs from Henri Sappia to Hopital Pasteur and intersects the airport-port line in the center of Nice at Jean Medecin. About 3 1/2 miles after the metro leaves the airport heading to the port, it dips underground. The other two metro lines remain on surface streets, so keep that in mind if you are looking for a metro station or need to transfer between them.

Nice Metro map courtesy of https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/fr/nice/nice-tram.htm

Buses

With the opening of the #2 Metro line to the port, bus service to the airport has been reduced. To get from the airport to the Promenade des Anglais, the Place Masséna (Masséna square) or the Vieille Ville (old town), but not the port itself, you can catch the #12 bus, Palais des Expositions, from the “Aeroport / Promenade” stop. To get to this stop, follow the tram line as it curves and heads toward the very busy motorway running in front of the airport. Walk up the incline toward the motorway, with the tram line on your right. At the motorway, turn right and you’ll see the stop about 75 feet down. When the bus arrives, you can buy a ticket for 2 euros from the driver, but it’s cash only.

TWO IMPORTANT NOTES

• You must flag down the bus as it approaches, or it might just blow by you, especially at night.
• You must validate your card as soon as you get onboard. If you fail to validate and an metro inspector gets on the tram, you might get a ticket.

The English website for the public bus system in Nice is Lignes d’Azur. To double-check the bus schedules, click the Timetables link in the top right corner.

Taxis

The rate from the airport into Nice center is FIXED at 32 euros, which includes your luggage. You can confirm this yourself by referring to the Nice Airport website. If you’re planning to take a taxi, ask in advance what the fare will be. Walk away if the driver’s price is higher than 32 euros.

Two separate groups of houseguests reported being ripped off by taxis when coming from the airport. One group of friends was charged 60 euros to get to the port (about a 6 minute drive beyond the center) and another got in the taxi and suddenly found another couple crammed in with them — both groups being informed that the cost would be 35 euros each (70 euros total), despite sharing the cab. My friends ended up being taken first to the couple’s hotel, which was nowhere near where my friends were headed, so the trip was 20 minutes longer than it should have been.

Taxis are available directly ahead of you as you exit the secure areas of both terminals. As is common in many cities, taxis with a green light on top are available. Those displaying a red light are unavailable. Most taxis do not take credit cards, so make sure you have cash on hand before getting in the cab.

Uber

An alternative to taxis is to take Uber from the airport. A fare from the airport to Place Massena (in the middle of town) is listed as between 16 and 22 euros. This will vary depending on the time of day, the day of the week, and the amount of traffic involved. In any event, it should cost significantly less than a taxi.