Car Rental in Nice

Why rent a car in Nice?

Nice is a great destination to visit by heart. Located in the heart of French Riviera, it offers easy to access to all the main attractions of the area, and is an interesting city in its own right.

Top ways to enter Nice

• Nice Airport: The third-busiest in France (and busiest outside Paris), Nice Côte d'Azur Airport handled 13.8 million travelers in 2018. The airport has flights by more than 20 different airlines, including low-cost carriers like easyJet and Wizz Air. Located just 8 km (5 mi) west of Nice city center, the airport can be reached in about 15 minutes.
• Toulon Airport: Also known as Toulon–Hyères, this small international airport is especially active during the summer months when it hosts flights by nine different airlines; during winter, only domestic flights and flights to Charleroi in Belgium are active. Toulon Airport is 155 km (96 mi) southwest of Nice and can be reached in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Marseille Provence Airport: Serving France’s second city and the surrounding region, Marseille Provence Airport handled 9.3 million travelers in 2018. In addition to many European connections, the airport also hosts flights to and from countries in Africa, the Middle East, and North America. Located 199 km (124 mi) west of Nice, Marseille Airport takes two hours to reach by car.
• Lyon Airport: Located near the border with Switzerland and serving Lyon, France’s third largest city, this airport handled 11 million travelers in 2018. The airport is a hub for Air France, as well as low-cost carriers like easyJet and Transavia. Located 475 km (295 km) north of Nice, the airport can be reached in about 4 hours and 30 minutes.
• By rail: If you’re arriving in Nice by train, you can conveniently pick up your rental car at the Gare de Nice-Ville Train Station.

City facts

• With an urban population of more than 1 million, Nice is the fifth largest city in France.
• The main language of Nice is French. The knowledge of English varies among the local population, but many people working in the service industry speak it.
• With mild winters but hot summers, Nice is a typical Mediterranean destination. The precipitation is generally low and sometimes almost non-existent during July and August.

Top sights and activities

• Promenade des Anglais. The most famous landmark of Nice. Walking the whole length of 7 km (4.2 mi) of this seaside promenade is a great way to get your first impressions of the city.
• Colline du Château. The castle hill offers a very scenic view of the harbor and the rest of the city. The castle itself has fallen to disrepair but is nevertheless interesting to observe.
• The old town (Vieux Nice). Always full of life, the original settlement of Nice has something for everyone, from the local cathedral, the Baroque Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC), to a market where you can buy fruits and other produce from local farmers.
• Museums. Although primarily known for its scenic coastline, Nice is also home to many interesting cultural institutions that are worth a visit. These include the Chagall and Matisse museums (both of the world-famous painters spent notable parts of their lives in the city), the Museum of Archaeology, which has artifacts left by the original Gallo-Roman inhabitants of the area, and the Museum of Asiatic Arts.

Traffic and parking

• The speed limit in cities is 50 km/h, although in certain areas the speed limit may be reduced to 30 km/h. Unlike with inter-city roads, the urban speed limit is unaffected by weather.
• Outside cities, as of July 2018 the speed limit depends on the type of the road. Highways are limited to 130 km/h, 4-lane expressways to 110 km/h, and 2- or 3- lane roads to 90 km/h. During the rain the limits are respectively lowered to 110 km/h, 100 km/h, and 80 km/h. The general speed limit is lowered to 50 km/h during heavy fog or other cases of bad visibility.
• The insurance and car documentation needs to be in the car whenever you’re driving.
• If you’re the driver, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
• As of 2018, hands-free mobile phone use is banned in France, and the fines are hefty.
• The legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for experienced drivers and 0.02% for novice drivers.
• The emergency number is 112.
• If you're an American, it is recommended that you carry an International Driving License. You can easily get one from AAA stores for $20.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to drive in France.

Toll roads

Most of the main highways in France (autoroute in French) are toll roads. Their names start with letter A and you can recognize them by a red number sign. The fare for taking a toll road depends on the specific route, the distance length, as well as the type of your vehicle - trailer cars and caravans have to pay more than regular cars. You can pay by a credit card or by cash. You’ll be given a ticket that you have to keep while on the toll road.

Some rental cars are equipped with toll road transporters and can use the automatic toll road payment booths (Télépéage). Ask your rental car provider to find out if they offer cars with toll road transporters.

See the official French toll road website for more information. Use the website's toll road calculator to find out exactly how much you’ll have to pay for using the toll roads on your planned route. 

Ideas for day trips

• Villefranche. Located just east of the city, Villefranche is a village and coastal suburb of Nice. Its main appeal comes from the fact that the coastline here is much less rocky than the public city beaches of Nice – and from the fact that the drive from Nice takes only ten minutes. The area gets a bit crowded during the summer months, but with a rental car, you can just continue to travel along the coast until you find the perfect beach for you.
• Monaco. Just a half an hour’s drive east of Nice, this microstate arguably has the richest population on earth. From opulent architecture to beautiful gardens, interesting museums, and harbour full of five-star yachts, it can be a fun place to explore. Although Monaco is technically not a part of the Schengen Area, it has the same entry requirements as those of France. 
• Mercantour National Park. About an hour’s drive from Nice, this beautiful nature area in the Maritime Alps has long valleys, friendly villages, and caves with petroglyphs originating in the Bronze Age.
• Cannes. Smaller to Nice and host of a world-famous film festival, Cannes achieves the seemingly impossible and is simultaneously both glamorous and cozy. Even when the festival is not taking place, Cannes is full of character thanks to its well-preserved old town, the Hand of the Stars area (something of a European version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame), and the scenic nearby twin islands of Lérins.

Most popular cars

The most popular rental car in France is the Renault Twingo, but travelers also pick the Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Fiesta a lot. The most popular rental car types are economy,  compact and mini.

Further destinations

For more about traveling around France with a rental car, check out our complete guide.

• Avignon. Known for its impressive architecture and important history – it even used to be the home of the pope during one medieval conflict within the Catholic church – Avignon remains one of the most interesting cities of Southern France. Picturesquely sitting on the Rhone river not too far from the Mediterranean coast, its historical center has been recognized as a World heritage center, and about one sixth of the city’s inhabitants continue to live within it. A car trip from Nice to Avignon takes about three hours, and it can be visited on the same trip as some aforementioned destinations like Marseille.
• Italy. The neighboring Italian regions of Liguria, Piedmont, and Lombardy should be visited not only for the sake of their famous capitals (Genoa, Turin, and Milan, respectively) but also for impressive beaches (in Liguria’s case), stunning mountains, and bucolic countryside. The drive from Nice to Genoa takes less than three hours. Do ask your rental car provider in advance if they permit crossing the border.
• The Alps. Winter resorts like Chamonix and Albertville are among the most famous in Europe, and it only takes about five hours to drive north of the Mediterranean to reach them.
• Marseille. Larger and certainly more rough around the edges than Nice, France’s second city can nonetheless be a charming place to visit – if you know where to look. Inhabited since antiquity, it boasts many classical landmarks and artifacts in its museums, and the Old Port is one of the most interesting urban areas in all of France. Located about 200 km (120 miles) west of Nice, Marseille can be reached by car in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Car rental prices in Nice

• Large cars - from $45 per day
• Premium cars - from $91 per day
• SUVs - from $44 per day
• Vans - from $68 per day
• Medium cars - from $28 per day
• Small cars - from $23 per day
• Station wagons - from $79 per day
• Convertibles - from $143 per day

Money-saving and other tips

These are the ways to get a good car rental deal in Nice:

• Compare rates of different rental car providers
• Book your rental car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit on the month when the rental prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Nice is the cheapest in March when renting a car is about 42% cheaper than the yearly average and 59% cheaper than renting a car in July.