Nice’s Lignes d’Azur network links Place Masséna, the airport and Port Lympia by tram, while Bus 5 climbs to Cimiez’s museums. The practical decisions are which direction to board, which ticket covers your journey and how to validate it when you change vehicles.
Walking, tram or bus?
| Criterion | Walking | Tram | Bus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Useful journeys | Default for nearby central sights | Centre, airport, port and stadium | Cimiez museums and gardens |
| Hills | Uphill effort | Along tram corridors | Uphill access to Cimiez |
| Luggage | You carry it throughout | Permitted bags only | Permitted bags only |
| Cost | Free | Metropolitan or airport ticket | Metropolitan ticket |
Place Masséna gives you a useful sense of the centre’s scale: Cours Saleya, the Old Town’s market street, is about 550 metres away, a walk of about 7 minutes. The square and market make a natural pair of stops without needing to board a vehicle.
Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Tram lines and useful stops
| Stop | Line | Board towards | Place served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gare Thiers | 1 | Hôpital Pasteur | Nice-Ville station |
| Masséna | 1 | Hôpital Pasteur from Gare Thiers | Place Masséna |
| Opéra–Vieille Ville | 1 | Hôpital Pasteur from Masséna | Old Town |
| Jean Médecin | 2 / 3 | Port Lympia | Central shopping streets |
| Port Lympia | 2 / 3 | Port Lympia | Port |
| Stade | 3 | Saint-Isidore from port | Allianz Riviera |
Line 1 crosses the centre between Henri Sappia and Hôpital Pasteur. From Nice-Ville station, walk about 250 metres, about 3 minutes, to Gare Thiers. Board towards Hôpital Pasteur for Masséna, a journey of about 4 minutes.
- Name
- Gare Thiers tram stop
- Location
- Nice Maps
julienmagne · CC BY 2.0 · Edited
Line 2 links the airport and Port Lympia, while Line 3 links Port Lympia and Saint-Isidore via Stade. From Jean Médecin, the shared corridor reaches Port Lympia in about 9 minutes on Line 3. From the port, Line 3 towards Saint-Isidore reaches Stade in about three quarters of an hour.
At Jean Médecin, follow the signed pedestrian connection from surface Line 1 to underground Line 2. Allow for that walk before joining the platform. The times below are departures from termini, not the times trams pass intermediate stops.
| Line / departure point | Days or season | First | Last | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Henri Sappia | September–May · Sunday–Thursday | 04:25 | 00:00 | — |
| 1 · Hôpital Pasteur | September–May · Sunday–Thursday | — | 00:45 | — |
| 1 · Henri Sappia | September–May · Friday–Saturday | — | 00:50 | — |
| 1 · Hôpital Pasteur | September–May · Friday–Saturday | — | 01:35 | — |
| 1 · Henri Sappia | June–August · daily | — | 00:50 | — |
| 1 · Hôpital Pasteur | June–August · daily | — | 01:35 | — |
| 2 · Airport → Port Lympia | Daily except 1 May | 04:05 | 00:35 | About every 7 minutes |
| 2 · Port Lympia → Airport | Daily except 1 May | 04:45 | 01:15 | — |
| 3 · Saint-Isidore → Port Lympia | Sunday–Thursday | — | 23:54 | — |
| 3 · Port Lympia → Saint-Isidore | Sunday–Thursday | — | 00:45 | — |
| 3 · Saint-Isidore → Port Lympia | Friday–Saturday | — | 00:25 | — |
| 3 · Port Lympia → Saint-Isidore | Friday–Saturday | — | 01:00 | — |
Airport trams
| Line B departure point | Operating days | First | Last | Weekday frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CADAM / Centre Administratif → Airport | Daily except 1 May | 05:05 | 00:00 | About every 10 minutes |
| Aéroport Terminal 2 → CADAM | Daily except 1 May | 05:22 | 00:17 | About every 10 minutes |
The free tram segment covers Aéroport Terminal 2, Aéroport Terminal 1 and Grand Arénas only. Continuing into central Nice is paid travel. Each terminal has its own Line 2 stop: board towards Port Lympia for Jean Médecin, rather than Line B towards CADAM / Centre Administratif, which serves the airport-area corridor.
From Aéroport Terminal 2 to Jean Médecin on Line 2, the journey takes about 32 minutes. At Jean Médecin, leave the underground station and continue on foot to your address or onward connection. Choose the airport return product or an eligible loaded Lignes d’Azur card as explained under Buying a ticket.
- Name
- Airport Terminal 2 tram stop
- Location
- Nice Maps
Snoopy 31 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Bus 5 to Cimiez
| Stop | Line | Direction | Place served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 5 | Rimiez | Durandy area |
| Arènes / Musée Matisse | 5 | Rimiez | Cimiez museums and gardens |
Cimiez’s Musée Matisse and gardens sit uphill beyond the central tram corridors. From the Durandy area, walk to Wilson and take Bus 5 towards Rimiez, alighting at Arènes / Musée Matisse. The journey from Durandy, including the approach to Wilson, takes about 18 minutes. Bus 5 accepts the same metropolitan tickets as the trams.
- Name
- Arènes / Musée Matisse bus stop
- Location
- Nice Maps
Kevin.B · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited
| Days | First departure | Last departure | Evening departures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday · school days / holidays | 04:30 | 00:40 | 22:00, 22:20, 22:40, 23:00, 00:00, 00:40 |
| Saturday | 04:30 | 00:40 | 22:00, 22:20, 22:40, 23:00, 00:00, 00:40 |
| Sunday / public holidays | 05:00 | 00:40 | 22:00, 22:20, 22:40, 23:00, 00:00, 00:40 |
| 1 May | No service | — | — |
For your return from Arènes / Musée Matisse, take Bus 5 towards Deloye / Dubouchage. On weekdays, use the schedule for the applicable school-calendar period.
Evening changes and replacement buses
Do not assume the replacement bus boards at your usual tram platform: some stops are relocated or unserved. Bus lines 8+, 12+ and 57 are also alternatives. If the replacement route does not suit your return, a taxi gives you a direct journey to your address.
Buying a ticket
| Product | Price | Entitlement | Validity / transfers | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary single | €1.70 | One journey | 74 minutes from validation; same-direction transfers; no return or same-line bus extension | Urban lines; special services excluded |
| 1 Airport Return (Aéro) | €10 | One airport return trip | No ticket expiry; 74-minute connections | Airport access and connections |
| La Carte · anonymous reusable card | €2 refundable deposit | Load trips separately | Loaded product applies | General-fare airport access possible |
An ordinary ticket alone does not cover Line 2 airport travel: use the airport product or a Lignes d’Azur card loaded at the general fare.
At a tram-stop machine, buy SOLO 1 Voyage or load it onto La Carte. Machines accept coins and credit cards for purchases of €1 or more, but not banknotes. Buy your ordinary ticket before boarding Bus 5: drivers sell only an emergency ticket.
Jesmar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Phone-stored tickets require Android 6.0 or later with NFC. The operator’s ticket app tests compatibility. On iPhone, the app recharges a contactless Lignes d’Azur card rather than storing travel tickets. To validate an Android phone ticket, keep NFC enabled and the screen lit. An internet connection is not needed. An app account can be active on only one phone at a time.
Boarding and validation
Do
- Validate your purchased ticket every time you board, including when changing vehicles.
- Keep the validated card or ticket phone available for inspection.
Don’t
- Treat buying or loading a ticket as validation.
- Discard the ticket medium or put the phone out of reach during the journey.
Use the destination display to confirm the direction before boarding. Present your card or ticket phone to the validator as you enter. For inspection, show the valid ticket you validated when boarding, not simply evidence of purchase. If you use a personalised card, its photograph must clearly identify you.
Jesmar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: services, key figures, and fares and charges.
- Lignes d’Azur (Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur) — service
- FAQ – Travelling on the network – Lignes d’Azur
- Réseau de soirée
- Nice Côte d’Azur Convention and Visitors Bureau — service
- Plan des possibilités de cheminement piéton — Ligne 1
- Lignes d’Azur — key figures
- Airport access – Lignes d’Azur
- Nice Côte d’Azur Airport — service
- Line B timetable
- Fare guide 2026 (English edition, July 2026)
- Tickets au voyage – Lignes d’Azur
- Régie Ligne d’Azur — fares and charges
- FAQ – Pricing, Purchases, Subscriptions & Retail Locations – Lignes d’Azur
- Se rendre à l’aéroport
- Lignes d’Azur — fares and charges
- Tickets machine – Lignes d’Azur
- Buy tickets on your phone
- Maintenance ligne 1 du 27 septembre au 22 octobre
- Régie Ligne d’Azur — service
- Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur — service
- Infractions – Lignes d’Azur
