Move around
West - East
There are 3 main axes.
- The highway
The Nice bypass has a toll. Speed limit is 90km/h between the toll and the "Nice Est" exit, 110km/h elsewhere. - The "voie rapide" (urban freeway). Its official name is "Voie Mathis" (red marker on the map)
Speed limit 70km/h all way long but at both ends. 50km/h in both directions under the tunnel at the Eastern end, Acropolis side. 30km/h at the Western end from the little tunnel on westbound. Beware, there are trafic lights at both ends. Expect jamming during day hours, especially when offices close (5-6pm or in the morning when the people go to work. The jamming is often less sensible in summer, when many inhabitants are on vacation.
The voie rapide is often closed at night, completely or partially for maintenance. You have then to use the Promenade des Anglais.
The voie rapide continues the N7 road. To take it when you are on the highway coming from Cannes or Cagnes, exit the highway at "Nice Promenade", and then stay on the right lane and always make a right when you can. When you have made 3 quarters of a cirle, you'll be on the N7 road and the voie rapide will be ahead of you, 400m further.
An other way to enter it is from the seashore road. Drive until you are on the Promenade des Anglais (which continues the seashore road), and follow it for around 3km. Then on the left lane you'll see a tunnel with a sign saying : "Nice Est, Madelaine". It enables you to cross the Promenade and to enter the Voie rapide eastward. - La Promenade des Anglais
The speed limit is 50km/h everywhere but on its Western end (70km/h). When you come from Cagnes sur Mer, slow down when you pass the aiport control tower. Actually the sign is a little farther but you might miss it.
It is useful to know that the promenade benefits from a green wave moving at around 50km/h. It moves Eastward. It means that if you drive at 50km/h from a green traffic light you'll see all the traffic lights turn green when you come close. You'll be able to drive quite a long way without any red light. In the opposite direction, you'll croos the green wave but it is wide enough for you to find several green lights nonetheless.
The Promenade is dangerous because dirvers have the habit of endlessly changing lanes with the useless hope of gaining a little time.
North - South
Since the Jean Médecin street has been turned into a pedestrian street and is used by the streetcar, as the Borriglione avenue which continues it, the main North- South axis in the city is the Boulevard Gambetta. It is therefore often jammed.
More East there is the avenue Comboul - rue Pellos - avenue St Lambert - avenue Henry Dunant or avenue du Ray alternate axis.
To park
SEMIACS
You have to pay to park in the streets in the whole city center. The agency in charge of collecting the fees with parking tickets machines is the SEMIACS. Prices depends on the location. Besides on-street parking, they also have parking lots. (See above and click to get information). Note that the green ones are free during the first hour to enable you to do a little shopping.
This link will lead you to the SEMIACS official website.
In the center area the fee to park a car on a street is (in 2015) 1,30€ for the first hour and then 2,60€ for 2 hours.
Parkings relais auto + tram
An other smart(er) solution to park is to use the park-and-ride parking lots of the Nice public transportation company, Lignes d'Azur. Their name is "Parc'Azur".
Parking is free if you take a round trip ticket and use it in a bus or a streetcar when your car was parked.
BEWARE, in these parkings, it is forbidden to leave your car during the night closure. The penalty in this case is very high. These parking lots can be used only if you spend a day or the evening in Nice, not the night. Hence, they won't suit you if you stay in a hotel and want to let your car parked somewhere in the meantime.
Some bus tickets do not allow you to park for free, among them the 1 trip "SOLO" ticket. Here are the tickets, sold by the machines, which allow you to park your car for free:
- Parcazur round trip 3€
- Multi 10 (10 trips) 10€
- Pass 1 day 5€
- Pass 7 days 15€
- Aero (special fares to/from the airport) 6€
Yo will need them to exit the lots.
There are 5 Parc'azurs.
- Henri Sappia, 760 spaces
Located next to the Northern final station of the streetcar, near the Nice Nord highway exit. Open 4am - 2:30am. 20mn to Massena square by streetcar. - Pont Michel, 260 spaces
Route de Turin
Located next to the Eastern final Station of the streetcar. It is easy to reach from the Nice Est highway exit. Open from 4:55am to 1:45am. 20mn to Massena square by streetcar. - Vauban, 150 spaces
Mail des universités
Located next to the St Jean d'Angély University, not far from the Eastern bus station, in front of the "Vauban" streetcar stop and 5 mn walk from the Nice Riquier train Station. Open 5am - 1:50am. 12mn to Massena square by streetcar. - Palais des Expositions, 380 spaces
Located on the 3rd floor in the Jean Bouin public parking lot, at the eastern end of the "Voie rapide". Open from 4:15am to 2:15am. 3mn walk from the "Palais des Expositions" streetcar stop. 10mn to Massena square by streetcar. - St Augustin, 180 places
1 rte de Grenoble
Located West of the city, not far from the St Augustin train station. Several buses ride along (9,10,23, N4). Expect 40mn to the city center. In this parking lot and ONLY in this one you can use a SOLO, one trip bus ticket to be entitled to free parking.
Some more parking lots
Vinci has several parking lots in Nice. You can pay them using your Vinci highway pass (Escota, ASF...), if you have one. To see them on a map.
- Masséna Square
- Jean Bouin sport center, near the Eastern end of the "Voie rapide"
- Rue Barla
- Avenue Auber
- Boulevard Victor Hugo.
- Cours Salaya
- Palais de justice (court house)
- Hopital Lenval, 57 avenue de la Californie
A parking lot Q park is located 28 avenue Notre Dame, in the heart of the stores filled area, near the rue Jean Médecin.
A parking lot is located next to the SNCF Nice Ville train station.
Several shopping malls also have their own parking lots.
- Nice TNL, (entrances Delfino or bvd Pierre Sola). Parking is free for one hour if you buy something in the shopping mall. The shop will give you the parking ticket.
- Nice Etoile, at the corner of the rue Jean Médecin and the Bvd Dubouchage. Entrances via boulevard Dubouchage or the Lamartine et Paul-Déroulède streets. 1€30 each half an hour.
