Riviera Pebbles Blog: 28th June: Airport tram is ready for take-off!

Posted on 16th Jun 2019 in Guest Info

Tramway

For a few years now, amidst the glamour, sunshine and joli de vivre, there’s been a gremlin in Nice. Not for much longer! The dust that has plagued the city is finally being swept up, the barricades are gone from walkways and everywhere there are beaming prideful smiles as the city embraces the new airport to port tramline.

Here’s what our guests need to know:

• When’s the big unveil?

  The afternoon of 28 June 2019 will officially open the line between Nice Airport and Jean Medicin (the main shopping high street of Nice) The end of September is the expected date for official launch of the extension from Nice Airport to the Port

• Which apartments will be accessible from the airport tram?

  80% of all our apartments will be less than 5 minutes’ walk to their chosen apartment from a city centre tram stop from 28 June, embarking from the tram stops: Alsace Lorraine, Jean Medicin, Massena, Opera-Vielle Ville, Cathedrale Vielle-Vielle, Garibadli, Acropolis.

  90% of all our apartments will be less than 5 minutes’ walk to their chosen apartment from a city centre tram stop from end of September, embarking from the tram stops above plus: Segurane and Port Lympia.

  Basically, if you book to stay in the main tourist areas of Old Town, Promenade, Carre D’Or, Massena, Etoile, Musiciens, Gambetta, Port, Acropolis then you can easily use the tramway between the airport and your apartment. After launch we’ll update the How to Get There section of any of our apartment pages, and the info on the area pages, so you can check there to be sure.

• How long is the journey from the airport into the city centre?

  The longest glide into the city will be 26 minutes (to the Port). The shortest will be for guests staying around Gambetta, which will be approximately 15 minutes. The rest will be in-between.

• How long will I have to wait for a tram?

  Hardly long enough to send a text. A carriage leaves the airport station every five minutes in peak hours and during operational hours of 6:00am to 22:00 PM, the trams reach a stop every 9-10 minutes.

• How much will an average adult ticket cost?

  1.50 Euros no matter the distance travelled. Bargain!

• Can you by tickets online?

  Yes, you can download the “NFC Nice Ticket” app to your phone and if you use the NFC function on your phone, with this you can tap your phone to the ticket scanner just like you would your contactless bank card.

• I want to come before September, will there still be noise?

  Not so much, as most is now underground. If you are affected, it’s most likely to be for a short while each day – it’s hard to say. They stop and start, leave for days, come back for an hour… If it helps, the main areas still affected are around Boulevard Dubouchage (Etoile area) and the Port.

• I’m staying on the Promenade, will it be quieter or noisier with the tram?

  One of the main aims was to make the sometimes-sooty Promenade the sea front it was back in Queen Victoria’s time, ie less cars and less pollution. The new line will reuse 30% of its own electricity and is expected to reduce the number of cars on the promenade by 20,000! So, you should find the Promenade even more glorious that it was already.