The Best Ways to Go to Nice from Paris

The Best Ways to Go to Nice from Paris

Paris to Nice is a popular route choice when planning a French vacation itinerary. Both of these cities are renowned worldwide, so making time to visit both while in the country is very common. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the best way to get from Paris to Nice, depending on how much time you have to spend and budged you have to adhere to. I’ll break down all of the different transportation options at the end of this piece — read on!

Nice – by Ádám Berkecz – Unsplash

Nice

First thing’s first, where is Nice anyway? Nice is located on the idyllic French Riviera, right on the Mediterranean coast of France. It is the second largest city in the country, and has a vibrant economy that is centered around recreation and the finer things in life. 

In the European summer, there are few better places to be if you’re interested in yachts, nightlife, fine dining, adult playgrounds (casinos, theaters etc) and beach time. Nice is often compared to Cannes in this sense, however Nice remains slightly more low-key and accessible to people of all incomes.

Nice – by Callum Galloway – Unsplash

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Nice has always been an attractive city for artists from around the world. The allure of the old-style buildings against the pebble shores won the heart of many a famous painter, including former resident Henri Matisse.

Above all, Nice is picturesque unlike anywhere else. The coast is any photographer’s dreamscape and one can easily see why so many movies chose to locate their story from this very region.  

Getting There

Being on opposite ends of the country, the journey itself crosses over 930km inland. If you have the time and energy to do a ground journey, I would highly, highly recommend it.

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This trip crosses so much French territory, and you’ll get to see the most beautiful parts of the country all from the comfort from a train, bus or car window. It’s the epitome of the scenic route, but it does take some commitment and planning. 

Transport Options

To get from Paris to Nice, you’ll have four transportation options. I’ll deep dive into the logistic of each shortly, but I encourage readers to carefully consider all aspects when choosing between the lot. 

While budget and ease are both important factors, don’t underestimate the value in splurging a few extra euros for even just a few extra hours in Nice (if your visit is already destined to be a short one). 

Train

Departing from Paris’ Gare de Lyon station, there are over 6 trains to Nice daily that are open to the public. While there are various routes available, they average around 6 to 7 hours in length. 

There is one route that gets you to Nice in just under 14 hours. It’s an overnight train and designed to allow travelers to sleep through the night and wake up across country. 

Trains from Paris to Nice are usually around €100 – €200 per person. This includes any luggage that you’d like to bring along with you. 

Plane

To save on time, many opt to fly from Paris to Nice instead. The flight itself is only an hour and 30 minutes, and the tickets can be as low as €20, or upward of €200 (depending on the season). 

You will, however, need to make time to get from Paris to Charles de Gaulle airport, which is roughly an hour journey. There you’ll wait an hour before your flight. Once in Nice, the city center is a 25 minute journey from the airport. All in all you’re looking at around a 5 hour journey total. 

Nice – by Callum Galloway – Unsplash

Bus

Traveling on a budget? Don’t worry, you too can enjoy the wonders of Nice at almost no cost (well, at least not for transport). 

A bus to Nice costs about €20, and the journey itself lasts for roughly 13 hours. These trips are usually done overnight, so that passengers can try to sleep the majority of the hours away and arrive bright and early in a new city. 

You’ll want to book well in advance in the summer — these tickets sell like hotcakes.

Car

My top recommendation for anyone who wants to see the South of France, is to rent a vehicle, pile people into it, and make your way across the landmass together. 

This option is generally just better in terms of saving money, and general enjoyability along the way. If you’re already traveling with friends, then you’ve already got people to split the driving time and costs with, making this option cheaper than a plane or train. 

If you need to rally people together, use sites such as Couchsurfer or Airbnb to offer up a shared trip to anyone in need. 

Traveling to Nice by car is fantastic because you get to determine your route and schedule. While the journey would take around 9 hours nonstop, having a rental car means you can visit other French villages and towns along the way, and extend your exploration even further. 

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