Riviera Pebbles Blog: Nice airport to downtown Nice in 20 minutes

Posted on 23rd Aug 2016 in Nice News

Tram arriving in Place Massena

Regular visitors to Nice may well have shared the pain of the excavations for the new tramway. If you’re new to Nice, lucky you. Most of the major work is now over, and the clock is now ticking for the grand opening. This time next year, the new East-West tramline is set to be up and running. Forget taxis, just jump on a tram that takes you from the airport to the Port in just 26 minutes. Or less if you live near any of the other 18 stops like Place Garibaldi or Avenue Victor Hugo.

Two-thirds of the Nice population will be within walking distance of Tramway 1 and 2 as well as 85% of hotels. For our 150 plus centrally located holiday rentals the figure is even higher.

Costing a whopping €650 million it’s no wonder it’s impressive. Over 77,000m2 of green spaces will be created and 2,400 different tree types planted.

Could it get any greener? Yes, the air will be fresher and more peaceful thanks to the 20% reduction in traffic on the Promenade des Anglais. So, you can enjoy your Apéro on the beach in a little more peace. Who knew Nice could get any better?

Not only does this new tramline save time, – with a service speed of 25km/h, one of the fastest in France - it preserves Nice’s architectural character, public spaces and the local economy. With easier access to shops and services, it goes without saying that new job opportunities will blossom and the economy will be boosted.

Whilst this is bound to cut down on traffic and taxis scooting back and forth down the Promenade, if you’re a keen cyclist, don’t panic, there will still be Vélobleu stations. By every tram stop in fact. So you can simply jump off the tram, pay a euro and spend a leisurely afternoon cycling through Nice.

What does this mean for you? Other than saving a bucket load of money getting to your apartment from the airport, everywhere will be so much more accessible, cleaner and greener than before. The tram will link the four main hubs of activity; the airport, the port, Palais des Congrès and Palais des expositions. With 1 tram every 3 minutes, you won’t be left hanging around! And for revellers, trams run until nearly 2am.

If you haven’t booked a stay for next year yet, now’s the time to book before prices near to tram stops are inevitably raised, especially those who fancy a Portside view.

View & Download Tramline leaflet No.1 (1.71MB PDF)

View & Download Tramline Leaflet No.2 (3.59 MB PDF)