Airport
Nice Cote dAzur Airport
IATA Code: NCELocation: The airport is situated four miles (6km) west of Nice.
Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October).
Contacts: Tel: +33 (0)8 20 42 3333.
Transfer between terminals: A free shuttle bus connects the two terminals every 5-10 minutes between 4:30am and 12:30am; but they are close enough together to be walking distance.
Transfer to the city: Buses leave regularly for hundreds of destinations between Marseilles and Genoa, and Buses 98 and 99 go into Nice every 20-30 minutes. Bus 98 goes from Terminal 1 into central Nice, while Bus 99 goes to the railway station from both terminals. Both cost EUR4. TER and SNCF trains go to Cannes and most other main towns and cities from Nice, and the stations are within a mile of the airport.
Taxis: Metered taxis are available outside both terminals, and the average fare into Nice is EUR22-30 during the day and EUR27-32 at night.
Car rental: All major car rental companies are represented in the arrivals area, including Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, National and Libertans.
Facilities: There are a number of restaurants, bars and shops, banks and foreign exchange facilities in both terminals. Other facilities include a post office, first aid station, VIP lounges, prayer rooms, meeting points, and business centre with meeting rooms, fax, photocopier and internet facilities. Disabled facilities are good, passengers with special needs should contact their airline in advance. Luggage-wrapping services (EUR8) and porters (EUR3 per bag) are available, as well as left-luggage facilities (EUR5 per day). There is wi-fi available throughout the airport, with the first half hour free.
Parking: There are plenty of short and long-term parking is available at both terminals. P9 is the most economical at EUR7, but P2 and P3 are closer to the terminals and charge EUR14. Extra-security lots G1 and G2 charge EUR25, and long-term parking is available in lot P8 for EUR44. P8 is farther away from the terminals, but there is a free shuttle bus.
Departure tax: None.
Website: www.nice.aeroport.fr
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Nice
With an international airport and the fast train from Paris, Nice is the first experience of the renowned Côte d'Azur for many tourists. The city was established by the Greeks and named for Nike, goddess of victory, but the Romans started the tourism industry here when they popularised their mineral baths on Cimiez. British and Russian aristocrats favoured Nice in the 19th century, but today it is more of a commercial centre and is not as fashionable as its smaller neighbouring resorts, such as Cannes or St Tropez. Nice still has excellent connections, but these are in the mode of transport options rather than the pedigree of its visitors.
In spite of modernization, the city retains its medieval heritage in the atmospheric Vieille Ville (old town), with its closely packed red-tiled roofs and narrow winding streets packed with shops, bars and fabulous restaurants. Next door, the famous Cours Saleya flower and food market has scores of stands, from large, professionally displayed wares to folding tables set up by family farmers with their produce directly from the farm.
Separating the Cours Saleya from the sea is a strip of low buildings. Once the repository for the fishermen's catch, they have given way largely to popular seafood restaurants, while the other side of the Cours Saleya is lined by terrace cafés in lovely old buildings.
Nice's shingle beaches occasionally disappoint visitors anticipating a classic, white sand beach holiday, but this does not mean the beaches stay empty; during summer the bright blue sea, sunshine and beautiful surroundings draw thousands of holidaymakers to this French Riviera city. The Promenade des Anglais lines the shingle beaches for about five miles (8 km) and has been a favourite for leisurely strollers since Victorian times.
