Last Updated on November 11, 2023 by Allison Coe
In a total shake up, Nice just completely reorganized (and raised!) all bus and tram fares to 1.70€ a trip (…goodbye 10-trip cards!), and got rid of the old paper ticket system, replacing it with more eco-friendly 2€ rechargeable (and refundable) cards.
You get and recharge your card (La Carte) from the machines at every tram stop in town… except one.
In a blatant ploy to skim a few extra bucks off arriving tourists, the airport ticket machines do not sell the cheap rechargeable cards, but only sell a ‘special’ round-trip paper airport ticket for 10€!
This might seem like a reasonable price if you are not ‘in the know (…after all, in the pre-tram days, the airport bus was 6€ each way), but is actually kind of a rude tourist rip-off as a trip to or from the airport actually only costs 1.70€.
So here’s the insider scoop (and there is no sign at the airport to tell you any of this!) You can ride the tram for free to the first tram station outside the airport, Grand Arenas, where there are normal machines (in English) that sell the cards, and at the much cheaper fares.
But after a long flight, it might just be easier to spend a little more and chill. Up to you. At least now you know.
Oh, and by the way, at the end of your trip you can turn your card in for a refund of the 2€… oh, except if you are using your last voyage to get to the airport, because of course there is no place at the airport to get that 2€ back so you’re out of luck.
Thanks for visiting Nice!
For more on the new bus/tram cards, all the fare options (day/week passes, etc.), and a few insider tips on how to use them, go to Buses in Nice 2023, and more on Getting to and from the Nice Airport