Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Tramway Line 2 Takes Another Detour…
It’s been a rocky road for the much-anticipated East-West Tramway Line 2 between the Airport and the Port. First it was to be on the Prom, then underground, …finishing at Riquier, …no, at the Port, no… under the Port… Well the latest … Continue reading
Isabelle Summer Train Pass plus a Secret Train Deal
With summer comes Isabelle: the 14€ summer-only train pass good for a day of unlimited travel on TER trains between Ventimiglia and Frejus, and inland to Grasse or up to Tende. Unfortunately, the Nice station is so central that the Carte Isabelle won’t save … Continue reading
Nice Transport Transformed: a Peek into the Future
Since the demolition of the Nice Bus Station last year, Nice has been in a sort of chaotic limbo waiting for the promised new transportation hub that will put the train, tram, bus station all in one place and within easy … Continue reading
Another Award: Nice wins Bronze for Rudest Drivers in France
It’s a big awards week between the Oscars and Michelin stars, so here’s another recent honor: Nice took the bronze medal for Rudest Drivers in France. The weekly magazine Auto-Plus graded 10 French cities based on 6 criteria: running red lights, surprise … Continue reading
Using the Velo Bleu Just Got Easier
The Velo Bleu share-bikes are great in concept, but in practice there have been a few… shall we say, speedbumps. One complication is that if you didn’t plan ahead, you need a cellphone to sign up, and if you are … Continue reading
Smart Parking comes to Nice
It is one of the banes of living in Nice: driving around in circles, blood pressure mounting, hunting in vain for that elusive parking space. Well relief is in sight: starting in June, the city will begin installing Smart Parking, … Continue reading
Strike Season Continues… Next Up: Air France
The good news: to better compete with low-cost airlines (to whom Air France is losing money hand-over-fist), Air France is restructuring its hub system to create mini-hubs in Marseilles (starting in October) and then in Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux (all by next spring), which … Continue reading
More Strike Fun: National Strike Day Tuesday
UPDATE: Here is a list of which bus lines are only cancelled this morning, and which are canceled for 24 hours. After all that vacation time, it’s a drag to go back to work, right? That’s why the French unions always call … Continue reading
Wildcat Train Strike Paralyses French Rail Travel
UPDATE: The Controller strike ended Friday afternoon, but there is another strike set to start Tuesday, this time by Conductors. Thursday, in Strasbourg, a controller was stabbed by a homeless crazy person and is now in the hospital… it’s a … Continue reading
Bike through the Mountains… with No Cars!
It’s a mountain bikers dream: to be able to pedal freely through the picturesque peaks and valleys with no cars to worry about… and thanks to the Conseil General, now you can! Each Sunday morning in July, one of the 5 Mercantour mountains has been designated as … Continue reading
Three Days to Avoid Nice
Be forewarned: Tomorrow there will be car chases on the Promenade… and gridlock everywhere else. The Transporter TV series, based on the film by Luc Besson, is shooting in Nice all this week, and will be transporting the town… into transport hell. … Continue reading
What, you don’t know about the Nice Grand Prix?
All eyes are on Monaco this weekend, but did you know that Nice once had its own glamorous Grand Prix, and a major world racing record to boot? The first man to break the 120 km/hr land speed barrier did … Continue reading
New Tram Track Crackdown
The police are out in force on avenue Jean Medecin: between tracking pickpockets, scam artists, and purse snatchers, they are now on the lookout for the latest menace… bicyclists blithely cruising down the tramway tracks. The new policy started yesterday, and the tickets are no joke: a whopping … Continue reading
Americans in Nice Singing the Blues… the Autobleues
An archaic French rule is going to deprive most Americans from using the fantastic Autobleue electric share cars. In a stunning policy reversal last week, Autobleue is now being forced to deny access to Americans outside of these 15 States: Arkansas, S. Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, … Continue reading
Sites for Great Last Minute Travel Deals
Tempted by an exotic weekend away at rock bottom prices? If you can read French and have a spontaneous spirit as well as a spare weekend or week to fill, then these sites are for you: Unbeatable Wednesdays on Lastminute.com: check … Continue reading
