Nice Airport to local train station for onward travel.

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Laramie

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We hope to fly in to Nice airport with Ryanair and then walk to the local train station to get a train onwards toward Menton.
Am I right in saying that Ryanair fly in to Terminal 1? Does anyone know how I walk to the St Augustin train station from Terminal 1. Is it an easy walk?
 
Ryanair fly into T1. The train station at St Augustin is about 15 minutes walk away and is difficult to find. It is a tiny station and I don't think many passengers arriving at Nice use it. Not all trains stop there as far as I know. There is a express bus (99)from the airport directly to the main train station ( Gare Central) It takes 25 minutes and leaves every 30 minutes. Cost €6.
 
The info on how to get from T1 to the Airport is on this Google Map posted by the Airport (linked from their site) - https://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?msid=211652217581782712738.0004373272dfe9c2b5728&msa=0 .. Explanations are in french but it's fairly obvious

I'd third the other recommendations though and definitely just get the bus to the main station .. if you're travelling to Menton you're going the right direction anyway and there's more trains and it's simpler.

Avoid the taxis at the airport .. pretty pricey
 
Walking to the train is a pain in the butt as it involves lots of crossings and is easily missed. Maybe best take the bus as other say here. The bus station in Nice is unfortunately not the same place as the train station so you can hop on the local luas to bring you there. Its actually as much as walk as the st augustin one!
On balance, as you are going onward to Menton, I think getting the train from the airport on balance is better.
 
Thanks. Paying €6 on the express bus from Nice airport to the Gare Central in Nice seems expensive to me when the fare on the train from the St. Augustine station all the way to Menton is a similar price. I know that you can get the number 100 bus just outside the airport all the way to Menton for about €3 but it takes a long time. Apparently it is a very scenic journey though.
ED I also had a look at this map.Thanks for the link.I think I will give it a try. Just wondering if anyone else has done this walk.
 
I haven't done the walk, but I did plan to last time I was in Nice however the trains ended up being on strike ( sadly not that unusual an occurrence!)

If you don't have too much luggage and are arriving during daylight then I'm sure it's not that bad
 
I wouldn't try to walk to San Augustin, unless you have no luggage and you're happy taking a few risks. You simply get the 99 bus to the central train station which goes from right outside the main exit of Terminal 1 in the airport. Yes it's 6 euro, but if you paid for a flight to Nice and then Menton, are you really in the zone of trying to save 6 euro for the risks that go with it?
 
jeff70 said:
Yes it's 6 euro, but if you paid for a flight to Nice and then Menton, are you really in the zone of trying to save 6 euro for the risks that go with it?
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I travel a fair bit and always save money where I can. I enjoy getting the local buses and trains. Some people pay for taxis, other get transfers with companies like resorthoppa etc. I was in another part of France two weeks ago and went everywhere on the local bus. Great fun. The last time I was in Nice the 99/98 bus cost me €4. I was able to use the ticket for a further two hours and visited Villefranche sur mer. I like to squeeze value out of my € where I can.
Yesterday I was searching hotels in Menton and by shopping around I see that I can make some good savings. All the €'s saved here and there add up. I am happy to splash out on other stuff so I am not a totally scabby ba****d.
 
There is another bus, I think its the 126 that covers a similar route as the 99. It leaves from Bay 6 at T1 and you would need to get off at the junction of Gambetta and Ave Theirs for Gare Central ( about 300m). It costs €1.50 and is slower with multiple stops. and runs less frequently. We visit Nice regularly and the route to St Augustin is a maze of roads as per many airports and the route is not signposted. I also think a lot of trains to Menton do not stop there so check that out. Enjoy your visit, its a great place.
 
Laramie said:
I travel a fair bit and always save money where I can. I enjoy getting the local buses and trains. Some people pay for taxis, other get transfers with companies like resorthoppa etc. I was in another part of France two weeks ago and went everywhere on the local bus. Great fun. The last time I was in Nice the 99/98 bus cost me €4. I was able to use the ticket for a further two hours and visited Villefranche sur mer. I like to squeeze value out of my € where I can.
Yesterday I was searching hotels in Menton and by shopping around I see that I can make some good savings. All the €'s saved here and there add up. I am happy to splash out on other stuff so I am not a totally scabby ba****d.
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You asked for advice from someone who knows the area and I gave you some. I suggested the hassles and risks of walking through the areas around the airport might not be worth the 6 euro for the additional risks you take. It's not a no-go zone but it's not the best either. As a tourist who hasn't travelled the route before, you might stick out as other tourists don't take this route. For 6 euro, I was suggesting it's not worth it for the extra risks. I was suggesting it might be a false economy for the amount involved. In the context of the overall holiday you are taking I was suggesting it might be a small amount for the additional ease of mind and security at the start of your trip e.g. what if you got mugged at the start of your holiday? I have no idea how you spend your money otherwise nor do I care. Enjoy your trip.
 
Laramie said:
Thanks. Paying €6 on the express bus from Nice airport to the Gare Central in Nice seems expensive to me when the fare on the train from the St. Augustine station all the way to Menton is a similar price. I know that you can get the number 100 bus just outside the airport all the way to Menton for about €3 but it takes a long time. Apparently it is a very scenic journey though.
ED I also had a look at this map.Thanks for the link.I think I will give it a try. Just wondering if anyone else has done this walk.
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I've done the walk a few times, but it's not that enjoyable. I've done it with two bags and a kid in a buggy, so it is manageable. You do need to know where you're going though, it's straighforward when you know it, but easy to take the longer route which you don't want in the heat.

Having said that, I'd say if you had backpack instead of wheeled baggage, it'd be a lot easier. There's nothing strenuous about the walk and it isn't that far, the difficulty is heat plus awkward bags really.

We do it because despite the bit of effort to get there, it's still preferable to the bus. There's usually plenty of seats on the train and it's a 20 minute journey with A/C compared to a full bus for an hour with no seats.
 
My advice is not for the bus but for the train. If you are not getting your tickets in advance (which I didn't before when going to France) I recommend confirming the train numbers of a few trains (hours before/after) to your destination around the time you expect to be there. I went to Marseille and there were long queues at the ticket desk in the train station yet there were two automated ticket machines which nobody was using. I did wonder if the queuers knew something I didn't, but after realising how slowly the queue was moving I opted for the yellow ticket machines and bought my ticket. By having my train number I at least knew for sure I was getting the right ticket. I can't remember if the machine was in English (I expect it was).

Bon courage!
 
Just come back from Nice and would certainly not recommend walking to St Augustin.

To save money take the number 23 bus to Gambetta/Thiers (it will be right behind, about 20 yards behind the number 99 bus) as you exit the airport and costs €1.50. A short walk to the train station Nice Ville and take the train to Menton.

Option 2:-

Take the 98 bus €5 to the Port and pick up the 100 bus there (€1.50) for Menton.
The bus to Menton takes a long time but it's almost worth it for the views. Sit on the right hand side of the bus
 
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