Nice Cote d'Azur. Where the whole Riviera arrives.
Almost every private arrival on the coast comes through Nice. The aircraft is the simple part. What matters is how you go on, by car, by helicopter or by boat, and whether the week is an ordinary one or the middle of May.
The airport
Nice at a glance
- CodesNCE / LFMNOn the coast about 7 kilometres west of Nice, between Cannes to the west and Monaco to the east.
- Business aviation terminalBeside Terminal 2A dedicated terminal of roughly 1,500 square metres, open since 2010, with its own customs and security.
- HandlingThree companiesAviaVIP, Signature Aviation and DC Aviation G-OPS hold the handling licences. See the private terminals at Nice.
- Helicopter terminalOn the field since 2015Fourteen helicopter stands and two landing areas, with its own lounge and screening.
Nice is a fully coordinated airport. Airport slots and prior permission are required for business aviation all year, and aircraft parking is often not confirmed until around a week before arrival. Your operator handles this; we plan the ground side around it.
Journey times
From Nice along the coast
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Nice centre and the Promenade | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Monaco by road | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 90 minutes |
| Monaco by helicopter | About 7 minutes in the air | Allow 30 to 45 minutes door to door |
| Antibes and Cap d'Antibes | 20 to 30 minutes | 35 to 55 minutes |
| Saint Jean Cap Ferrat | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 65 minutes |
| Cannes | 30 to 40 minutes | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Mougins and Saint Paul de Vence | 30 to 40 minutes | 45 to 70 minutes |
| Saint Tropez | 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 | 2 hours to 3 hours |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The A8 is the only real artery on this coast: it slows from late afternoon, and in July, August and the May event weeks it can double any figure above.
The coast in practice
One airport, three ways onward
Nice is the only airport on the Riviera that takes every size of business jet, so it carries almost all of the traffic. From the ramp you have three genuine choices. By car for anywhere between Cannes and Menton, which is comfortable and predictable outside the peaks. By helicopter for Monaco, which turns a slow coast road into a seven minute flight over the sea. Or by tender if you are joining a yacht, since the ports at Antibes, Cannes and Monaco are all within an easy run of the airport.
Saint Tropez is the exception. There is no quick road: the coast road round the gulf is beautiful and slow, and the motorway route still lands you in the traffic at Sainte Maxime. Most clients who go there often either fly on by helicopter or accept a two hour drive and plan the day around it.
Peak weeks
When the Riviera is at its hardest
These are the weeks when slots, parking, cars and helicopters all run out at once. Ask early.
- Mid to late May, when the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix overlap. Nice sits between the two venues and takes the traffic for both
- Late September, for the Monaco Yacht Show and the Cannes Yachting Festival
- July and August, all of it, with Saturdays and Sundays worst on the A8
- Aircraft parking at Nice is confirmed late even in a normal week, and in peak weeks it is the first thing to run out. Your operator may need to reposition the aircraft elsewhere between legs
- Helicopter seats to Monaco also fill in event weeks. If the helicopter matters to the plan, say so at the enquiry stage rather than on the day
- Road closures in Monaco during Grand Prix week change where a car can physically reach. We plan the drop off point, not just the address
Onward
Where Nice passengers go next
Airports and heliports
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, the handler, passengers and luggage, and where you are going. If a yacht is involved, give us the port and the berth. We come back with a clear price and an honest drive time for that day. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Nice transfers
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. On the Riviera cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds the whole movement together.
Is the helicopter to Monaco worth it?
In May, in August and on any weekend afternoon, almost always. The flight itself is about seven minutes. Door to door, allow thirty to forty five minutes once you include the walk to the helicopter terminal and the short ground transfer at the Monaco end.
Who operates the Monaco helicopters?
Several companies fly the route from the helicopter terminal at Nice, among them Blade and Heli Air Monaco. We arrange the seats or the aircraft through operators we know and do not claim any relationship with them.
Can the car come to the aircraft?
Where the terminal permits it for your movement. Otherwise the car waits at the business aviation terminal door. We confirm before you land.
Should we fly into Cannes Mandelieu instead?
If your aircraft fits the weight limit and you are staying in Cannes, it can save the drive. It is a smaller field with shorter hours, so most trips still come through Nice. See Cannes Mandelieu.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter.