The Côte d’Azur or the French Riviera is one of those bucket list destinations. The beautiful beaches, the crystal clear water, and the stunning mountainous landscape make for a wonderful getaway. And that’s not even mentioning all of the incredible French food you can get in the region! Nice, one of the most popular towns in the area, is a great place to base yourself. The airport and the great public transport around Nice were major factors when we chose it as a base.

Learning how to use the public transport in a new city can be overwhelming. We’ve done all the hard work in figuring it all out for you. We’ll tell you everything you need to know, from the modes of transport to the cost of travel, and how to figure out what route to take. You’ll be able to make the most of the public transport around Nice as soon as you arrive.

In this post:

1. Modes of Transport
2. Buying Tickets
3. Cost of Transport
4. Getting Around Nice
5. Going on Day Trips
6. Finding Timetables and Routes
7. Important Things to Know

For public transport around Nice, you will mostly be relying on buses and trams operated by Lignes d’Azur. With these, you can get anywhere you need to go in Nice, and several places outside of Nice too. There are also three major train stations in Nice, with trains to other towns or cities (or countries!) in the region.

Buses are very extensive in Nice and in the wider Côte d’Azur area. There are 140 bus routes that serve over 50 towns in the region. Along with all the day time services, there are also many night services, so you won’t be stuck after dark.

The buses themselves are different depending on the route. For the local routes around Nice, the buses are a standard public transit bus. However, the buses to other towns in the region may be more of a coach style. Similar to many bus systems around the world, you’ll need to signal to the driver at the bus stop. There are also red buttons on board to request the next stop.

From our experience, the buses tend to be on time, but they can be very busy depending on where you’re heading. We would recommend getting to the bus stop early if you are going out of Nice on a day trip.

There are four tram lines around Nice, with three of them travelling through the city centre. Unless you are staying outside of the city, you’ll likely only need the tram to or from the airport.

The trams, like the buses, tend to run on time and are very efficient. Tram stops may be above ground or underground, and are well signed with the available lines. The tram stops we used also had real time information on when the next tram was due to arrive.

If you’re planning any day trips from Nice, you may want to consider the train, operated by TER. The trains in the Côte d’Azur region run from Cannes all the way to Ventimiglia in Italy, with stops in most major towns on the line. In Nice, there are three train stations. Nice-Ville is the main one, where you will likely go as it is in the centre of town. Nice-riquier is to the east, and the train to Monaco stops here after Nice-Ville. Nice St-Augustin is roughly a 10 minute walk (or a free tram ride) from Nice Airport.

Like other public transport around Nice, the trains were clean, punctual and efficient. They can be crowded in high season, especially between Nice and Cannes and Nice and Monaco due to day trippers. It’s definitely worth planning ahead and getting to the station early to secure your spot on the train you want.

There are several ways that you can pay for the public transport around Nice. The buses and trams use the same payment system as they are operated by the same company, Lignes d’Azur. As the trains are part of a larger network, they have a different ticketing system.

For the buses and trams around Nice, you can buy a contactless card to pay the fare or use the app (if you have an Android – more on this in a moment). With both the app and the cards, you will need to tap on each time you board a bus. For trams, where you pay will depend on the kind of station. Underground stations will have entry barriers, while you will pay on board at over ground stations.

NOTE: If you are catching the bus to Monaco, this is not included in the Lignes d’Azur system. For this bus, you will need to purchase a ticket from the bus driver.

The cards come in a few varieties. The one most suited to tourists is the anonymous “La Carte”. It costs €2, which is refundable if you return the card, however there is no return point at the airport. This means if you’re departing Nice by plane, you won’t be able to claim back the €2. There is also a personalised version of this card, with your name and photo, called the “Ma Carte”. Unless you’re staying for an extended period of time and would need to buy a seasonal ticket, there’s not much reason to get this as a tourist.

There is also a “Solo Secours” card which is only available on buses, and is only valid for bus travel. This card costs €4, and we would only recommend using it if you find yourself stuck with no other option.

The final card type is the Airport card, which provides a return trip from the airport to the city centre for €10.

There is also a Lignes d’Azur app, which you can use to reload your La Carte if you choose to buy one. If you have an Android phone, then you are lucky enough to be able to use to most simple and most cost-effective payment method, which is to buy and use tickets directly within the app. This cuts out the €2 cost of a reusable card, and also means you can get your tickets before you arrive, allowing you to make a quick departure from the airport. Unfortunately, this feature is not available on the iPhone version of the app.

Both the La Carte and the android app are shareable between people, meaning that if you are travelling with others, you can share the same card/device. This was very useful for us, as Katherine has an Android while Krissie has an iPhone. We were able to buy tickets for each of us in Katherine’s app, and simply tap on twice each time we boarded the bus or entered a tram station. This gets a little bit trickier when you need to transfer from one tram or bus to another though. While you need to tap on for each person to start each journey, you only need to tap once in total when you transfer.

For the TER trains, you will need to buy a physical or digital ticket before you can enter the station. At the stations, there are ticket machines that you can use to purchase tickets. When you buy a ticket, you will need to put in a lot of details, including the name, email address, and phone number of every passenger. This means that using the machines can take a long time, especially for large groups. The lines can get VERY long at peak times, and with each group taking several minutes, it can be a long wait.

For this reason, we would highly recommend you book your train tickets online in advance. Services like Trainline are amazing for finding the various train options and prices. You can also book your TER train directly through the SNCF website. As of September 2025, you are able to use your ticket on any train for the route on the date you have selected. This is useful if you don’t quite know what time you will be travelling.

Note: These prices are accurate as of September 2025.

Public transport around Nice is very affordable! Buses and trams are priced per journey at €1.70. For this price, you can transfer as many times as you need within 74 minutes, as long as you’re heading in the same direction.

The cost of trains out of Nice to other areas will obviously depend on where you are going and from which Nice station. From Nice-Ville, it would cost you €5.90 one way to Monaco, €7.40 to Menton, or €9.40 to Cannes.

Nice is actually a very walkable city, so it’s unlikely you’ll need to get public transport around Nice if you’re staying in the city. We would definitely recommend staying within walking distance of Old Nice to be able to make the most of the walkability. We stayed in the Thiers area, which was the perfect blend of being close to the sites without being too busy. It’s also near Nice-Ville station, perfect if you’re heading out on any day trips!

However, if you’re staying outside the city, want to visit something on the other side of town, or are arriving or departing via the airport, then you will need the local transport.

Getting to and from the airport is super easy. While you’re still in the airport, you will see signs for the tram. Follow these, and board the L2 (blue) towards Port Lympia. This tram takes around half an hour to reach the city centre. Depending on where you’re staying, you can also swap to the L1 (red).

Nice is perfectly situated in between several other towns and cities that are worth a visit. While there are other options, these are the most popular day trips that you can do using public transport from Nice:

The best way to get to Èze from Nice is via bus. While it may seem like you could just as easily catch the train to Èze Sur Mer train station, this is actually down on the coast, while the town of Èze is in the mountains. This is an option if you’re feeling adventurous and want to experience the hour long hike up, but if you’re after an easy day trip, the bus is for you.

To get to Èze, you can catch either the 82 towards Plateau de la Justice or the 602 towards Office du Tourisme. You can pay for these with your contactless card or app at the journey rate of €1.70. Both go from the eastern end of Nice, so you may need to catch a tram or another bus from where you are staying. Keep in mind that as long as you board the bus to Èze within 74 minutes, it won’t cost you any extra.

The queue for the bus to Èze can be quite long, so make sure you arrive early. The 602 runs every two hours, and the 82 runs every 45-60 minutes depending on the time of day. This is not the kind of day trip you can play by ear unfortunately, so make sure you’ve chosen a bus and arrive at the stop at least 15-20 minutes before its scheduled departure.

Èze is also included in many organised day trips from Nice around the French Riviera. This half-day tour from Nice visits Èze and Monaco, while this full-day tour goes to several towns in the French Riviera, including Èze.

If you’re heading from Nice to Monaco for a day trip or to stay, you can catch the train or the bus. Trains cost just €5.90 each way, and only take 23 minutes from Nice-Ville. The station in Monaco is in Monte-Carlo, the perfect starting point for a day exploring the world’s second smallest country. The train also travels along the coast, making for some beautiful views along the way. This is how we got to Monaco for our day trip.

You can also catch the 600 bus towards Gare Routiere which leaves every 15 minutes from Nice right into the centre of Monaco. The bus takes an hour, and travels a similar route to the train. If you want to combine day trips, you could also take the 602 from Èze into Monaco. This isn’t recommended from Nice, as it is a longer route than the 600.

Because these buses cross into Monaco, which has a different bus system, tickets work a bit differently. You will need to buy the €2.50 ticket from the driver as you board. You can pay with exact cash or by card.

There are also buses within Monaco, but we found the country so walkable that we didn’t use any of the local buses. They are there for you if you need them though!

If you’d rather have your transport and activities organised, a half-day guided tour of Monaco from Nice could be a great option for you.

Similar to Monaco, you can get to Menton from Nice via train or bus. The TER train that goes through Monaco continues along to Menton. Tickets cost €7.40 each way from Nice-Ville and it takes 38 minutes. You can board this train at any of the Nice stations, but prices and times will vary.

The 600 bus also continues along the coast to Menton, taking an hour and a half from Nice. Tickets cost the same amount as to Monaco, €2.50, and are purchased directly from the driver.

Getting to Cannes from Nice-Ville takes around 35 minutes on the train and costs €9.40 each way. You can catch the train from Nice-Ville, Nice Riquier, or Nice St Augustin, and the station in Cannes is right by the centre of town. This train runs along the coast, so you would get some lovely views out the left hand side on the way there.

Of course, there are also organised tours you can take, which will allow you to see more stops along the way and get some great insight into the region. This tour to Cannes, Antibes & Saint-Paul-de-Vence or this wine tasting and countryside tour from Nice to Cannes are two fantastic options.

If you’ve ready any of our other public transport guides, you know how much we love a transport system that’s integrated with Google Maps. Luckily for us (and you!), Nice is one of those cities. You can simply put in your destination and then adjust the time and date as needed, and you will get all the possible options for your journey. We found Google Maps to be accurate during our visit.

There are also local apps you can use, including the Lignes d’Azur app that you can use for your tickets. However we always find that Google Maps is the easiest for us as we’re already familiar with the interface, and we don’t have to worry about translation issues.

Once you’re on the ground in Nice, you can also find information about routes and timetables at bus, tram and train stops.

• Do not try to evade the fare – we saw tourists getting fined for not having a ticket on a bus, and saying you didn’t know you needed one is not an excuse they’ll accept.
• If you’re using the Android app and sharing it between multiple people, you will need to tap on once for each person. When transfering, you will only need to tap the device once, which will cover all tickets transferring.
• Public transport around Nice and to other areas can be very busy during high season. Plan in plenty of time to get to the stop or station early, as queues can often form for the next bus or tram.

We found the public transport around Nice to be very easy to use, affordable, efficient, and clean. It’s such a great resource to have while you’re visiting the city, and is great for day trips as well.

If you’re interested to know what we got up to during our time in Nice, check out our vlog from our trip:

• The Best Budget Nice to Monaco Day Trip
• Our Top Paris Itinerary: How to Squeeze the Highlights Into Two Days
• How to Spend the Perfect Day in Annecy From Geneva