Driving in Nice: Traffic, Parking & Tips
By car
Driving around the Riviera can be enjoyable, but using a car inside Nice itself is often not the most practical option.
Driving in Nice
If possible, we advise you to avoid this mode of transport in Nice itself. In high season, the city is often hit by traffic jams. The many tourist buses do not help matters. The result is difficulty reaching the centre and finding somewhere to park. Free parking spaces are rare and often limited to the outlying districts.
In the centre, your only options will be the numerous, but expensive and often crowded, paid car parks. Visit the Vinci Park underground car parks website for information on this type of parking. Overall, expect to pay more than 4 euros for two hours of parking.
If you have come by car, the simplest option is to leave it at the hotel and use public transport to get around the city, even if you are travelling with family.
Driving around Nice
The car, on the other hand, is an excellent means of transport, if not the best, for excursions around Nice and to enjoy the scenery offered by some of France's most beautiful roads, combining sea, palm trees and mountains.
It would be a real shame not to be able to drive them or to stop at one of the many tourist destinations around Nice. It is unthinkable to leave the Côte d'Azur without having driven around its surroundings.
Precautions to take on the road
Driving in Nice and more generally on the Côte d'Azur is quite particular. Remember that we are close to the Italian border! Failing to give way to the right, running red lights, drivers on the phone and not using indicators are common.
If you drive in the city, be vigilant, and pay particular attention to the many two-wheelers that do not hesitate to weave between cars.
