Staying near Nice Airport is a great option for an early morning departure or late-night arrival. Or the reverse! Nice tramway line 2 is a great way of getting to and from Nice airport but the line doesn't start running from Port Lympia until 4:45am which means it will arrive at Terminal 1 almost a half-hour later. The last tram from the airport into town is at 11.55pm weekdays and 12.15am weekends. Bus line 12 also stops across from Terminal 1 but the hours are even shorter. Staying in a hotel near Nice airport insures you'll get to your flight on time.
Here's what you need to know about staying near Nice airport:
Know that all the hotels below are within a few minutes walk from Terminal 1 but Terminal 2 is a about a kilometre away. No problem! Tram line 2 connects the two terminals for free and there's also a free shuttle bus between the two terminals that runs from 4.30am until 1.15am. All the hotels are an easy walk from the Saint Augustin train station which will whisk you to Cannes, Monaco and elsewhere.
The hotels are located in the new Arenas business district that is still under construction. There are not yet any dining or drinking options in or near the Arenas. Several of the hotels have restaurants however and all serve breakfast whether or not you're a guest.
All the hotels have double-glazed windows. Because of the positioning of the runways in relation to the hotels, noise from take-offs and landings is barely audible.
No beaches are within walking distance of any of the hotels but are easily reachable on tram line 2. Any stop between the airport and Magnan is across from a beach.
There are not a lot of things to do around the Airport but the botanical gardens of the Park Phoenix are well worth a visit.
The easiest tram stop is the Nice Terminal 1 tram stop. From Terminal 1 most of the hotels are instantly visible. The Grand Arenas tram stop is also a possibility but as there are no signs to the hotels it can be more complicated to find your way around.
The photo above was taken from Terminal 1. The yellow building straight ahead is the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express. The modern structure to the right is the Sheraton. Novotel, Ibis and Campanile are further to the right. The Radisson is behind the building on the extreme left.
To the right of the wall are two walkways. One goes under the busy road (follow the sign to Gare SNCF) and emerges next to the Sheraton. The other (follow the sign "Toutes Directions") leads to crosswalks across the road and also emerges between the Sheraton and Crowne Plaza.
This four-star hotel has a rooftop swimming pool and a spa/fitness center. There's a restaurant, bar, snack bar and coffee shop. Easy to find food! Some rooms have sea views. There's no transfer service but it's hardly necessary as the hotel is right across from Terminal 1. BOOK NOW
This large four-star hotel is also straightforward to access from Terminal 1. There's no swimming pool but some rooms have city views and there's a restaurant. Coffee and tea-making facilities are in each room. BOOK NOW
This three-star hotel shares the building with the Crowne Plaza and provides good value at a budget price. A continental breakfast is included and of course the Crowne Plaza restaurant is available. BOOK NOW
To get to the Novotel take one of the two paths to the other side of the road, turn right after the Sheraton and walk a hundred meters. Too much? This four-star hotel offers a free transfer service 24/7. There's an on-site restaurant and breakfast starts at 6am which is convenient. BOOK NOW
Just need a place to lay your head before your flight? The budget two-star Ibis is for you. It's next to the Novotel and thus a short walk from Terminal 1. There's no shuttle service and no restaurant but there's no problem eating dinner at the Novotel or nearby Campanile. Breakfast is available. BOOK NOW
Follow the same path to the Novotel and keep going to the three-star Campanile. It's a no-frills option but there's a free airport shuttle and an on-site restaurant. BOOK NOW
This new four-star hotel is beautiful but it is the farthest from the airport. To get there, follow directions to the Crowne Plaza (seen above in the bottom right) and turn left either in front of or behind the Crowne Plaza. Fortunately, there's a free transfer service between the hotel and the airport. There's also a restaurant, snack bar, bar and coffee house. BOOK NOW
If your flight times allow, consider the Radisson Blu which is on the Promenade des Anglais, and across from a tram stop that will take you to the airport in 15 minutes.
