If you’ve traveled to France from outside Europe, you’ve most likely flown into Paris. The two major Paris airports, Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY), service millions of tourists and French people every year. But for those wishing to visit the South of France, flying into Paris might not be the most convenient option. The ever-popular French Riviera is several hours by train or car from Paris, time you might not wish to spend in transit after a long-haul flight. So another popular alternative is to fly into the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE), France’s third-largest airport after CDG and ORY.
Can you fly direct from the U.S. to Nice?
If you want to fly directly to Nice from the U.S., your options will be rather limited. Currently, the only city that offers direct flights to NCE is New York, with flight durations of approximately 8 hours. Delta offers direct flights from JFK to NCE, while United (Lufthansa/Brussels Airlines) and La Compagnie offer flights from Newark (EWR) to NCE. There are usually no direct flights in winter, though, with flights ceasing at the end of October, and picking up again at the end of March. It’s also worth noting that direct flights from New York to Nice are exponentially more expensive than flights to Paris, and getting a connecting flight will offer you a lot more options.
Flights from Paris to Nice
If you cannot find a direct flight to Nice from your city, the Nice Airport can be easily accessed via Paris, which runs frequent direct flights between the two cities on Air France and easyJet. Air France flies between Charles-de-Gaulle and Nice, while easyJet offers flights to Nice out of both Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly. Flights are typically scheduled for a duration of about 1.5 hours, though time in the air is often less than an hour. While Air France tends to offer flights between Paris and Nice during the peak summer season, easyJet has flights between the two cities year-round.
Flights from Paris to Marseille
Though there are no direct flights between the U.S. and Marseille, the Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is another option to consider if you want to fly to the South of France. This small airport is currently under renovation, but is shaping up to be a useful travel hub. Air France runs direct flights out of CDG and ORY to MRS.
How to Get from Paris to the South of France by Train
You can also get to the South of France by train from Paris, or from most major French cities. TGV (high speed rail) train rides from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice-Ville take just under 6 hours, and cost between 25€ and 80€. But a more direct route would be to take a train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Marseille Saint-Charles, which takes just over 3 hours. Both cities are major hubs on the opposite sides of Provence, and you can get from one to the other by train in just under 3 hours.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman, or on TikTok @catinthekitchen.
