Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
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Nice to Cannes Transportation
Nice and Cannes are two of the most beautiful places on the French Riviera. If you want to visit Cannes while traveling in Southern France, getting there from Nice is relatively simple. Cannes is known to host many celebrities for their breakaway in the sun, and it is a fantastic place to visit!
Catching a flight, a train, a bus, a taxi, or a private car to travel from Nice to Cannes all depends on your budget and your preferred mode of transport. The distance between Nice to Cannes city center is 33.3 km.
Below, you will find all the Nice to Cannes transportation options, public and private, from Nice airport and from Nice city.
TIP: if you want to visit Cannes for the day, why not take a guided tour? This day tour Best of French Riviera is a best seller and visits Cannes, Antibes, Eze, Saint-Paul de Vence, and Montecarlo.
How to Get from Nice Airport to Cannes
The closest airport to Cannes city center is Nice Cote d’Azur Airport (NCE) which is at a distance of 28.5 km away from Cannes. Nice Airport is one of the busiest airports in France, especially in the summer months, and it serves pretty much the whole of the French Riviera. Once landed, you will have many options for transfers from Nice Airport to Cannes.
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1. Nice Airport to Cannes Transfer
Hiring a private car is undoubtedly the easiest way to transfer from Nice Airport to Cannes.
As it is with the taxi, the great advantages of hiring a private car are the 24/7 availability of the service and the personalized drop-off location.
Generally, a private transfer will cost you less than a taxi, but the price depends largely on the road traveled, how many people are in the car, and the amount of luggage.
You can pre-arrange a car service and avoid the sometimes long lines in the taxi queue. Welcome Pickups offers one of the best private transfer services in France, which has competitive prices and English-speaking drivers — Click here to book your transfer with Welcome Pickups
2. Taxi from Nice Airport to Cannes
Taxis are among the most efficient methods to go to Cannes from Nice. A great advantage of these services is the personalized drop-off option; however, they are quite expensive.
A taxi from Nice Airport to Cannes will cost around 100-130€ for up to 4 people (including luggage) and takes approximately 23 minutes if there is light traffic. Paying in cash is usually appreciated by drivers, but most taxis have card machines.
Taxis are available outside Nice Airport arrivals at both terminals. You just need to follow the signs for the taxi ranks and wait in line until it’s your time to get on the taxi. Taxis are available 24/7 from Nice Airport: it’s a great door-to-door service, and you will be driven directly to your accommodation in Cannes (or every other location you choose).
3. Bus to Cannes
If you prefer a cheaper way to go from Nice to Cannes, there are different bus operators that serve the route from Nice to Cannes.
The most common is the public bus line 200. This ride is particularly slow as there are more stops, and the journey can take up to 90 minutes. However, taking the bus 200 is an incredibly cheap option, with the ticket costing 1.50€, which you can purchase directly on the bus from the driver.
The 200 line works daily from 6 am to 9 pm, with limited night services. The public bus is available at Terminal 1: you need to follow the bus signs and cross through the parking lot to get to the bus stop.
Another bus operator is Flixbus: departing from Terminal 2, this ride will last around 40 minutes for an average price of 5€ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at the airport, on board, or online. The Flixbus buses travel four times daily, and you will get off at Gare SNCF in Cannes.
4. Shuttle Nice Airport to Cannes
The best bus option to get from Nice to Cannes is the Express Bus Service, line 210, Nice’s Airport shuttle.
Although more expensive than the bus line 200, it’s a much faster journey: the shuttle will arrive at Cannes’s Le Cannet Paul Doumer station in around 45 minutes.
The Shuttle Bus departs from Terminal 2 every 25 minutes from 8 am to 8 pm. The Express Bus Service will cost 22€ per person for full fare, with discounts for younger passengers. Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver or online.
5. Car Hire
Renting a car is an additional option you can consider when in need of a transfer from Nice to Cannes. However, hiring a car is convenient only if you are going to go on a road trip to the French Riviera and Cannes is one of the stops.
The prices of car rental change depending on which type of car you choose, for how long you want to rent it, and if you will drop off the car in the same location you pick it up.
A great website you can look up for renting a car is DiscoverCars (good availability and best prices) and here are our best tips for renting a car in France. If you go for this option, check out our quick guide to driving in France — Click here to rent a car at Nice Airport
How to Get to Cannes from Nice City
Besides arriving by plane, you can travel from Nice to Cannes by train, or decide to visit Nice before heading to Cannes. Here are all the ways to travel to Cannes from Nice city.
1. Train Nice to Cannes
If speed and convenience are a priority for you, then catching a train to Cannes from Nice is your best option. The journey by train from Nice to Cannes lasts 30 minutes with prices starting as low as 7€.
Nice to Cannes by train is straightforward: trains depart from Nice-Ville train station around three times every hour. The first train leaves from Gare de Nice-Ville as early as 5:56 am, and the last one at 11:56 pm — Click here to book your train from Nice to Cannes
2. Taxi
If you are already in Nice and would make your way to Cannes, you can opt to take a taxi. The drive will last for 30 minutes with light traffic and costs 120-150€.
A taxi is indeed a pricey option, but it has the big advantage of being always available, and the taxi will drop you off wherever you prefer in Cannes.
3. Car Hire
If you have already explored Nice and are ready to travel south along the French Riviera, you should definitely be renting a car. While having your own car, traveling from Nice to Cannes will be so much easier! However, consider that hiring a car is a rather expensive option that is worth it only if Cannes is one of the stops of a bigger road trip.
A great website you can look up for renting a car is DiscoverCars (good availability and best prices) — Click here to rent a car at Nice