The second tram line in Nice (T2) is finally connecting Nice airport to Place Masséna and the old town. This is a significant improvement for anyone visiting the city as it will now be faster and cheaper to reach the city center. The tram is easily accessible from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, as there is a separate stop at each terminal.
The tram ride from the airport to the city center is pleasant and takes about 25 minutes
Tram Operating Hours
Operating hours have been extended and Line 2 of the tram runs from 5:10am every day until midnight. On weekdays from 7:27am to 8:06pm the tram will run every 4 to 5 minutes, on Saturdays it will run every 5 to 6 minutes from 7:02am to 7:56pm, and on Sunday every 8 to 9 minutes from 8:02am to 8:56pm – so expect a short waiting time during the day. The longest you would every have to wait for the tram at the airport is 15-20 minutes in the early and late hours
Where does the tram stop in town?
As of August 2019, the new tram line ends at the Jean Médecin stop, which is located by the Nice Etoile shopping center (corner of Boulevard Victor Hugo and Jean Médecin) and about 500 meters away from the Apollo statue at Place Masséna. In November 2019, a further three final stops will be opened connecting the airport with place Garibaldi and the port.
Several stops of the T2 tram line in the city center are deep underground and really feel more like the subway
From the Jean Medecin tram stop, you have another five minute walk to Place Masséna. Alternatively, you could take tram T1 (from the same stop, but overground) down one stop to Place Masséna or anywhere else on the T1 line.
What is the cost?
Tram tickets, are the same as normal bus tickets in Nice and are 1.50 Euros, and you can get a pack of 10 tickets for 10 Euros (working out to 1 Euro/ticket).
Before the T2 tram opened last week, the best public transportation option from the airport was bus 98, but it has now been suspended. The tram is cheaper, more modern and faster!
Based on a study of hotel occupancy at 2’700 hotels in 30 French cities, foreign tourists booked stays for a total of 2.65 million hotel nights in Nice in 2016. Marseille and Strasbourg come in second and third in the ranking with 1.3m and 1.1m nights booked. Foreign travelers represent almost 30% of the demand, while locals make up the remainder. The data also shows that foreigners have come in smaller numbers in 2016 than in the previous year (-2%), while French tourists traveled more (+5%).
What is not surprising is the seasonality visible in the data, given that most tourists prefer to come here during the warm summer months. Peak summer seasonality is over 20 percentage points higher than occupancy in the winter. Although not covered by this study, hotel room pricing follows a similar path with prices in the summer 60%-100% higher than during the low season.
