Nice Travel Guide: How to Take the Tram from the Airport to the City for €1.7
Many travelers visiting Nice in the south of France use the tram to travel from the airport to the city center.
The tram is convenient, but you need to be careful when buying tickets at the airport.
Normally, a tram ticket costs €1.7. At the airport, however, only a €10 round-trip ticket is sold.
In this article, we explain a simple way to travel from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to the city center for just €1.7.
Are you protected if your checked luggage goes missing?
At European airports, one in every 100 travelers experiences lost baggage.
Travel insurance with baggage loss coverage, along with medical and theft coverage, helps you travel with peace of mind.
Get your quote in minutes on the official website now!
Tram Line 2 connects Nice Airport directly to the city center
To travel from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to the city center, take Tram Line 2.
You can board the tram from either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, and it goes directly to Jean Médecin station in the city center.
One important point to note is that Tram Line 2 from the airport does not stop at Nice-Ville station.
Many travelers mistakenly think they can reach hotels near Nice-Ville station directly by tram from the airport, so please be aware of this when planning your route.
IC Card Called “La Carte” is Required to Ride Trams in Nice
In Nice, paper tickets have been discontinued. To ride trams and buses, you need to load fare credit onto an IC card called La Carte.
- A shared IC card used for trams and buses in Nice
- A €2 card issuance fee is required when you first get the card
- You load single-ride tickets or multi-ride tickets onto the card before boarding
- When boarding, tap the card on the reader inside the vehicle
- One ride allows unlimited transfers within 74 minutes
⚠️ Please note that if you forget to tap your card when boarding, you may be fined.
The types of tickets that can be charged to La Carte are as follows:
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| 10 trips | €17 |
| 1 trips | €1.7 |
| 2 trips | €3.4 |
| 3 trips | €5.1 |
| 4 trips | €6.8 |
| 5 trips | €8.5 |
| 6 trips | €10.2 |
From Airport to the City Costs €10, but there is a €1.7 Option
When traveling by tram from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to the city, the ticket machines at the airport sell only a round-trip ticket between the airport and the city for €10.
Because of this, many travelers believe that going from the airport to the city always costs €10.
However, if you have a little extra time, there is a way to reach the city for just €1.7.
The key is to get off at Grand Arénas station, which is the next stop after Terminal 2.
The section between the airport and Grand Arénas station is free to ride by tram. At Grand Arénas station, you can buy a regular single ticket for €1.7.
- Take Tram Line 2 at Airport
- Ride to Grand Arénas station
- Get off at Grand Arénas station
- Buy a La Carte card and a single ticket
- Take the tram again to Jean Médecin station
By using this method, you can reach the city without buying the €10 round-trip ticket at the airport.
Please note that the €2 issuance fee for La Carte is required separately and is not included in the €1.7 ticket price.
How to Buy Tram Tickets in Nice
Once you arrive at Grand Arénas station, you can buy a single-ride tram ticket. Below, I explain the ticket purchase process while looking at the actual ticket machine screen.
At ticket machines located at stations other than Airport, the following screen will appear.
To buy a ticket, you need a La Carte card. Tap the option in the center of the screen that says “I don’t have a card. I’m purchasing my ticket”.
You will then see a list of available ticket types.
First, select the single ticket for €1.7 (1 trip).
After tapping the ticket you want to buy, the screen will show the La Carte card issuance fee, the ticket price, and the total amount.
You can pay using contactless credit or debit cards.
Once the payment is complete, a La Carte card with the selected number of rides loaded onto it will be issued.
La Carte does not have an expiration date. The loaded tickets also do not expire, so you can use the same card again if you visit Nice in the future.
That’s all!
