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Getting around Nice

Trains

Nice's main station, Nice-Ville SNCF (Tel: +33 (0)8-9235-3535), is on Avenue Thiers near the northern end of the main Avenue Jean Medecin shopping street. From here it's a 15-minute walk down to the sea.
The local connections are superb. Trains depart at least every hour from 06h30 until 24h00 for destinations along the coast such a Cannes, Antibes and Juan-Les-Pins to the west, and Villefranche, Monaco and Menton to the east. The line is inexpensive, efficient and extremely pretty.

Faster connections link Nice with many of France and Italy's main cities such as Paris, Marseille, Milan and Rome. Change trains at the interesting Italian border town of Ventimiglia (Vintimille in French) for trains to Venice, Cinque Terre, Rome and Portofino.

Trains run from Nice Gare SNCF to the hill and ski centres in the Alps including Sospel, Digne and Tende. Buses run from the Gare Routiere to several of the purpose built ski resorts, including Isola 2000, Valberg and Auron.

Bus

Sunbus (Tel: +33 (0)4-9313-5313) runs an efficient bus service throughout Nice. Tickets cost ?1.30 for a single ride of any distance. Day and week passes, as well as carnets of tickets, are available from the Sunbus station next to the Gare Routiere central bus station near to Place Massena.

Buses 5 and 15 run north up to the museums in Cimiez and buses 8, 9 and 11 run along the Promenade des Anglais. All buses running down Avenue Jean Medecin from Nice-Ville rail station will take you to the heart of Nice at Place Massena.

The main coach station for connections along the coast such as Cannes, Monaco and Menton is the Gare Routiere (Tel: +33 (0)4-9385-6181) on Boulevard Jean Jaures. Routes run from 06h00 until 22h30 and are slightly cheaper than the train and just as comfortable.

Destinations west such as Cannes, Juan-les-Pins and Antibes are serviced at least hourly, or at least every 30 minutes throughout most of the day. Services east such as Villefranche, Monaco and Menton are served at least half hourly, or every 15 minutes throughout most of the day. Avoid taking the bus during rush hour if you can.

Driving 

A national driving licence issued in EU countries is permitted for driving in France. An International Driving Licence is recommended for citizens from countries outside the EU. The minimum driving age is 18. Driving is on the right and you must overtake on the left-hand side. The driver and all passengers in the front and rear of the car must wear seat belts where fitted.

Children under ten are not permitted to travel in the front seat. The speed limit is 130km per hour (81miles per hour), on motorways with a toll, 110km per hour (68mph) on motorways with no toll or when wet, 90km per hour (56mph) on major roads outside towns and 50km per hour (31mph) in urban areas.

The minimum speed limit for cars travelling in the left lane on the motorway is 80km per hour (50mph). Some motorways in France are toll paying. Payment is made by credit card or cash and depends on the distance travelled. You will be given a ticket on entry and produce it later for payment.

You should be aware that there is a time on the ticket and paying for a ticket one hour later, some 150km down the road shows you must have exceeded the speed limit. On the spot fines of up to ?1,000 can be demanded for speeding offences, so it is wise to adhere to restrictions. Please note that flashing your headlights means, "I am going first" and not "I am giving way".

Several international car hire companies have locations in Nice, amongst them are:

Europcar
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport
Tel: +33 (0)8-2581-0081
3 Av Gustave V
Tel: +33 (0)4-9214-4450

Avis
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport
Tel: +33 (0)4-9321-4280
2 Av Phocens
Tel: +33 (0)4-9380-6352

On foot

Nice's main areas can easily be explored on foot, with a pit stop at one of countless cafes if the going gets tough. Walks along the Promenade des Anglais, in the winding streets of Nice Old Town and along the Port area are particularly memorable. The three main shopping areas of the Zone Pietonne, Avenue Jean Medecin and Nice Old Town can be covered without the need for public transport. High quality free maps are given away at the several Tourist Information offices dotted around town.

By bicycle

Station (49 Quai des Etats-Unis; Tel: +33 (0)4-9362-9905), set back from the beach near the old town, rents rollerblades, scooters and bikes by the hour, day and week. Mountain bikes cost ?5 for an hour, or ?15 for a day. Dedicated cycle routes stretch around Nice, including right along the Promenade des Anglais.

Details of some of the places to visit around Nice can be found in the around Nice section.