The central train station of Nice is the Gare de Nice-Ville. Although there are two other train stations, Riquier and St Augustin, in east and west Nice respectively, most travellers will be using the Gare de Nice-Ville.
Built in 1867 in typical grand 19th-century style, the station has recently undergone a major overhaul to bring the station into the 21st century.
If you need to buy a ticket you need to get there early! It's a busy station, particularly in summer and lines are long.
You can buy domestic and international tickets at the ticket office but most people prefer to avoid the queue and purchase the ticket from one of the machines.
The new SNCF touch-screen machines are easy to use and support English, German, Italian and Spanish as well as French. You can buy tickets, exchange tickets and retrieve tickets purchased online (with a confirmation code). The machines accept coins and credit cards, but not bills. A credit card must have a chip in order to pay for a ticket.
Even more efficient is buying your train ticket online at thetrainline which saves time at the station by giving you a QR code that you flash to access the platforms.
There are seven quays (A through G). Quay A is at street level. To access the quays B through G, turn left after entering and take stairs, an escalator or an elevator to the overpass and then descend the stairs or escalator to your desired quay. Escalators from the quays go up to the overpass.
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Before accessing the quays, insert the ticket into the yellow validating machine marked compostage de billets. Tickets purchased online will have a QR code. In that case present the QR code to the code reader.
Trains on the Cote d'Azur are less punctual than they should be but the situation has improved in recent years. The infrastructure is vulnerable and strikes are not unknown. For up-to-the-minute information on train delays, check gares-sncf.com
Turn right from the entrance. Left luggage is open daily from 8am to 7pm and costs €5.50/7.50/9.50 daily for a small/medium/large bag. There's a special two-hour price of €5 for all bag sizes.
The lost and found office is also to the right of the entrance facing the restaurant Agora. Hours are 9am-noon and 1.30-5pm.
The tourist office is outside and in front of the main entrance. It's open daily 8 or 9am to 7pm.
There's an exchange office in the main hall and a cash machine to the left of the main entrance near the Thello office.
Toilets are to the right of the main entrance. The price is €0.80.
There's plenty of food! In addition to the sitdown restaurant, Agora, there's also pastries from Paul, a Carrefour market to buy food, a deli and a number of snack and drink dispensers.
There's a free service to assist passengers with mobility issues. Call 0890 640 650 (surcharge applies) or email accesplus@sncf.fr preferably 48 hours in advance.
Need an ID photo? Get it done in one of the photo machines. Get ready for Nice transport by buying bus/tram tickets in the ticket machine.
Buses stopping at Gare Thiers: 87, 70, 64, 57.
Nearest tram stop: Gare Thiers
From: Vieux Nice or the Promenade des Anglais: Take the tramway Line 1 along ave Jean-Medecin to the Gare Thiers stop and walk 150m west to the station.
From West Nice: take tram line 2 to the Jean Medecin stop and transfer to line 1.
From Nice Airport: take tram line 2 to the Jean Medecin stop and transfer to line 1.
This train station in west Nice is closest to Nice Airport and only steps from the Grand Arenas tram stop on the number 2 tram line. Although the ticket office is tiny and the ticket machines are likely to have lines, the Saint Augustin train station is easy to access and easy to find from the tram stop. Elevators link the ticket office to street level and to the quays. No one would say it's a pleasant place to hang out but it gets the job done. It's definitely the best station to use for those in West Nice or coming from the airport.
For taking day trips from Nice, there's nowhere more convenient than staying around the train station. (Check out more advantages of staying around the train station). Here's the best accommodation around Nice's central Nice Ville train station:
Best Hotel
Maison Durante ****
This four-star hotel is an oasis of calm in a busy neighborhood and there's parking.
Other great accommodation around the train station
Hotel Restaurant Oasis ***
This historic hotel once welcomed the Russian community. Chekhov and Lenin were among the honored guests.
Hotel Aria ***
This budget hotel is lovely and quiet. Some rooms have views over a garden or inner courtyard.
Hostel Ozz
Hostel Ozz is one of the best hostels in Nice. Comfortable and well-maintained it's a great option for solo travellers.
If you plan to take the train to the towns lying between Nice and Monaco (Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze, Cap d'Ail, Menton, etc) you should consider staying in the Les Baumettes neighborhood. (Find out more about staying in Les Baumettes)
If you board at Gare Saint Augustin, the train is MUCH less crowded and you'll be able to find a seat before the crowd floods in a few minutes later at the Nice Ville station. Here are my picks for staying in Les Baumettes:
Best Hotel
Hotel Amour ****
It's stylish and sophisticated with an ideal location near the Alsace Lorraine tram stop. Direct to the airport and the Gare Saint Augustine.
More great places to stay in Les Baumettes
Hotel Locarno ***
This friendly place provides excellent value for money in a great location near the beach.
AC Hotel by Marriott ****
With a rooftop swimming pool and only steps from the beach the AC Marriott lives up to the standard of the Marriott chain.
Yelo Promenade by Sonder ***
The spacious doubles provide a lot of comfort for the price and you can whizz out to the Gare Saint Augustine from the nearby Magnan tram stop.
Radisson Blu ****
Get away from the crowds in the comfortable Radisson Blu. The beach is right outside and the hotel is only 5 stops from the Gare Saint Augustine.
Last updated September 7, 2022
Hi! I'm Jeanne and I've been living on the Riviera for years. With my local insights your trip will be easy and fun. And, do check out my book Nice Uncovered: Walks Through the Secret Heart of a Historic City. More about me here.
