Parking in Nice: Short & Long-Term Guide
If you come to Nice by car, parking is usually the main difficulty. This guide helps you choose short- and long-term options.
Hotels with long-term parking in Nice
As you will see in this article, parking a car in Nice is quite complicated and can be expensive. We recommend using our search engine to compare hotels and book one that offers parking:
General information about parking in Nice: parking your car
Be aware that most tourist areas are saturated with vehicles almost all year round and that it is often very difficult to find a parking space, at least during the high tourist season. The people of Nice are well aware of how difficult it is to park in the city and do not hesitate to take their bikes or... to double or even triple park while they run an errand.
For tourists, who are unfamiliar with the areas where it is safe to park and who do not know "how far they can go", it is best to opt for official parking spaces, underground car parks or to travel into town by bus from your hotel.
Here is an overview of the parking options available to you.
"Wild" parking
Tourists who venture to park "illegally" will often have to deal with the discontent of locals... and the police, who will not hesitate to issue you with a fine (€11, €35 or €75 depending on the type of offence). However, please note that wheel clamps are not used in France. Instead, your vehicle will be taken straight to the impound if it is causing an obstruction. You will have to pay a hefty "ransom" and expect a long wait at the administration office to get it back.
You are asking for trouble if you park in a disabled space, on a pedestrian crossing, in a space reserved for the fire brigade or... the police (as Chevalier and Laspales say, "some people have tried it, and they've had problems").
Tolerated behaviour: free parking in Nice
Overall, given the difficulty of parking in the city, the police have ended up adopting a certain tolerance. You should know that it is relatively tolerated to park your car:
- By slightly encroaching on a prohibited space, as long as you are not obstructing traffic and most of your vehicle is located in an authorised space
- In a place that is neither a parking space nor prohibited, as long as you do not obstruct traffic or a private property exit (garage, gate, delivery area)
- (surprisingly) on the yellow lines marking bus stops
In addition, it is possible to park for free on the sea side of the Promenade des Anglais near Old Nice, even though there are no official parking spaces and the opposite side is... paid parking!
Secure car parks for short-term parking in Nice
For short stays of a few hours, feel free to park on the street, remembering to pay the parking meter. Payment is made with coins and may be limited to a few hours. There is no particular risk in parking your vehicle in the city centre.
Covered car parks are a little expensive but sometimes the only solution. Avoid the Nice Etoile car park, which is completely overpriced.
Long-term car parking in Nice
In France, a vehicle cannot remain parked without moving for more than 7 consecutive days. To park a car for several days, you have two options:
- Park in one of the many Vinci Park car parks (a paid underground car park company)
- Leave your car in the airport's long-stay car park and take the bus to the city centre. The latter option is certainly the cheapest.
Useful car parks (selection, Open Data OTM)
Some central or convenient car parks (check prices and availability on the official website):
- Interparking Grimaldi — 11 rue Maccarani — website
- Interparking Nice Thiers (near the station) — 12 av. Thiers — website
- Nice Azur Parking Palais de Justice — 19 rue Alexandre Mari — website
- Nice Azur Parking Promenade des Arts — 18 av. Saint-Jean-Baptiste — website
- Parking Indigo Arénas (airport) — 455 Promenade des Anglais — website
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