Train stations in Nice

Book Nice-Ville for most trips, use Saint-Augustin for the airport, and check the full station name before paying.

Nice-Ville is the default station

Choose Nice-Ville for long-distance trains and the simplest arrival in central Nice. SNCF Connect often shows the station simply as Nice; its address is Avenue Thiers. A city-wide search can also return Nice Saint-Augustin or Nice Riquier, so open the train details before paying.

Direct TGV INOUI, OUIGO and Intercités de Nuit services from Paris terminate at Nice-Ville. Regional trains also run from here to Cannes, Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia. Use another Nice station only when your ticket or accommodation gives you a clear reason.

The station has SNCF and ZOU! ticket offices and machines, along with lifts, escalators and staffed assistance. La Bag Mobile is in the east hall near the waiting room. Check the live equipment status, arrange assistance when needed and confirm the luggage desk's opening hours before relying on these services for a tight connection.

Saint-Augustin works best for the airport

Choose Nice Saint-Augustin when your regional train stops there and the timing works for your flight. It is not inside the terminals. A dedicated pedestrian route runs for less than 500 metres between Terminal 1 exit A0 and the station. The walk takes about seven minutes.

Tram lines 2 and B provide a free link between Terminal 2, Terminal 1 and Grand Arénas beside the railway station. If the next regional train is inconvenient, line 2 runs from both terminals towards Jean Médecin and Port Lympia. Compare the live train and tram times. The train is not automatically the quicker option.

Allow more than seven minutes when travelling to the airport. You still need to leave the platform, reach the correct terminal and complete airport checks. A sensible flight margin matters more than saving a few minutes on the city transfer.

Riquier is useful for eastern Nice

Nice Riquier can avoid a backtrack when you are using a ZOU! regional train and staying near the port or in eastern Nice. Current departures run towards Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia in one direction, with Cannes, Grasse or Les Arcs among the destinations in the other.

Use Riquier only when the exact train stops there and the final address makes it the better arrival. Paris long-distance trains use Nice-Ville. Nice-Ville is also the clearer choice for accommodation near Avenue Jean-Médecin or the western Promenade des Anglais.

Nice CP belongs to a separate railway

Nice CP is the Chemins de fer de Provence terminus at 4 bis rue Alfred Binet. It is not Nice-Ville at Gare Thiers. Use Nice CP for the Train des Pignes towards Puget-Théniers and Digne-les-Bains, not for TGV, Intercités or coastal ZOU! trains.

A transfer from Nice-Ville means changing stations. Leave time for the street journey and check the separate Chemins de fer de Provence timetable. Interrail and Eurail include Chemins de fer de Provence, but exclude OUIGO. Add the correct journey to your pass and confirm the train before travel rather than applying one Nice ticket rule to both stations.

Paris trains offer three different trade-offs

Direct TGV INOUI trains from Paris Gare de Lyon reach Nice in roughly 5 hours 40 minutes on the fastest departures. Direct OUIGO services use the same Paris station and can take a similar time. The overnight Intercités de Nuit leaves Paris Austerlitz and reaches Nice the following morning. Check the Paris station as well as the train type before setting out.

Look beyond the headline OUIGO fare. The included luggage is restricted by number and size, extra or bulky bags cost more, and standard tickets are non-refundable with paid exchanges. OUIGO is also excluded from Interrail and Eurail. TGV INOUI is the better comparison when pass use, ticket conditions or baggage flexibility matters.

The night train offers reclining seats and four- or six-berth couchette compartments. Choose a couchette when sleep matters. Pass holders still need a reservation, and places for pass holders on popular French high-speed and night trains can sell out. Secure the reservation before activating a travel day.

Coastal trains are best for Monaco, Cannes and Ventimiglia

Use regional ZOU! trains for short trips between Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia. Trains run every 15 minutes on the core Cannes to Menton corridor, with longer operating hours at weekends. Not every departure serves every stop, so search the exact stations and date.

Reservations are normally unnecessary on these regional trains. Vintimille on a French display and Ventimiglia on an Italian display refer to the same border station. Italian trains continue from Ventimiglia to destinations including Milan, making the practical coastal route a ZOU! train from Nice followed by a Trenitalia service. Allow a real connection margin and check disruption with both operators.

Marseille regional trains are run by Transdev

Transdev Rail Sud Inter-Métropoles has operated the Marseille, Toulon and Nice regional service under the ZOU! brand since June 2025. The service runs once an hour, with 14 return trips on weekdays and 16 at weekends. Check the exact departure and current timetable before travel because the pattern can change.

If disruption affects the trip, check the company shown for each leg and keep the complete itinerary, particularly when a journey combines a Transdev train with another regional or long-distance service.

Tickets and passes depend on the train

French long-distance fares change by departure and booking conditions. Compare TGV INOUI and OUIGO for the same date, then read the exchange, refund and luggage rules before choosing. A low fare is poor value when its restrictions do not fit the trip.

Interrail and Eurail cover TGV INOUI and Intercités de Nuit, but compulsory reservations cost extra. OUIGO is excluded. They also cover Transdev ZOU! regional trains and Chemins de fer de Provence, while regional reservations are usually unnecessary. Check the exact train in the pass planner because a shared route or brand does not make every product interchangeable.

For repeated local travel, compare individual tickets with the regional passes. Pass SudAzur Explore costs €35 for 3 days, €50 for 7 days and €80 for 14 days for an adult. It covers trains, trams and buses across Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco, including Chemins de fer de Provence only between Nice and Puget-Théniers. The Côte d'Azur Pass Journée costs €30 for one day of TER travel across Alpes-Maritimes and Var, and it cannot be used on TGV or Intercités. Confirm the current price and coverage before buying, especially for an airport, border or Digne journey.

City access depends on luggage and destination

Tram line 1 serves Gare Thiers, about 200 metres from Nice-Ville. Tram line 2 serves the airport and Port Lympia from Jean Médecin, about 800 metres from the railway station. Pick the nearest useful stop for your final address. The two tram lines do not leave from the same station entrance.

Walking can work with light bags, but check the final hotel entrance before setting off. Use the tram or a taxi when luggage, mobility or the actual street route makes the map distance misleading.

At Nice-Ville, check the live lift and escalator status and arrange station assistance for the exact journey when needed. When changing between Nice-Ville, Saint-Augustin, Riquier and Nice CP, allow for the station exit, street movement and a new platform. A short train ride does not make a short station transfer.