The FBOs at Nice. One terminal, three handlers, and a helicopter next door.
Nice does business aviation differently from London. Rather than a scatter of separate FBOs, there is one purpose built business aviation terminal with three licensed handlers inside it, and a helicopter terminal beside it that takes most of the Monaco traffic.
The terminal
Nice business aviation, at a glance
- AirportNice Cote d'Azur (NCE / LFMN)On the coast at the western edge of the city, with the Promenade des Anglais running past the perimeter.
- The terminalOne business aviation terminalOpened in 2010, with its own customs post and its own security screening for departing passengers, separate from the airline terminals.
- The handlersThree, licensed to operate thereAviaVIP, Signature Aviation and DC Aviation G-OPS each have their own space inside the building.
- HelicoptersA separate helicopter terminalOpened in 2015 with its own VIP lounge, and the departure point for the regular Nice to Monaco services.
Ground transport on the Cote d'Azur is arranged through operators we know and work with regularly. Odyssey Connections owns and runs its own cars in London and Manchester only.
The handlers
Who you will be handled by
| Handler | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Signature Aviation | One of the aviation partners Odyssey Connections works with, and the brand many of our clients already know from Luton and Gatwick. |
| AviaVIP | A long established presence in the Nice terminal. |
| DC Aviation G-OPS | The third of the licensed handlers with space in the building. |
Only these three are licensed to handle business aviation at Nice, so your operator's choice is between them. Except where a partner is named, Odyssey Connections claims no relationship with any of these companies.
Arriving here
Register the car, then everything is quick
Because all three handlers share one building, the arrival protocol is unusually consistent for a European airport. Customs and immigration are in the terminal. Departing passengers are screened there too rather than in the main building. Aircraft door to car door is genuinely short.
The detail that trips up unprepared drivers is the gate. Vehicle access to the terminal's controlled area is through automatic gates with a videophone and number plate recognition, and pedestrian access is by badge. A car whose details have not gone in beforehand does not simply drive up. When we place work here, the registration, the driver and the movement go to the handler in advance, which is the difference between a car at the door and a car on the public side of a barrier.
In July and August, and in the weeks of the film festival and the yacht shows, the terminal is busy and the coast road is worse. The arrival is still quick. It is the twenty kilometres afterwards that need the planning.
Onward
Along the coast
| To | By car | By helicopter |
|---|---|---|
| Monaco | 35 to 60 minutes | About 7 minutes |
| Cap Ferrat and Beaulieu | 25 to 45 minutes | Not usual |
| Cap d'Antibes | 30 to 50 minutes | Not usual |
| Cannes | 35 to 60 minutes | About 7 to 10 minutes |
| Saint-Tropez | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours 30, far longer in August | About 20 minutes |
| Nice city centre and the Promenade | 10 to 20 minutes | Not usual |
Realistic ranges, not promises. August on the coast road between Nice and Saint-Tropez is in a category of its own.
Worth knowing
Local detail that matters here
Most of what makes a Nice arrival smooth happens the day before.
- Vehicle registration and driver details go to the handler in advance, because the gates read number plates
- Ramp access for vehicles is at the handler's and the airport's discretion, and is arranged ahead of the movement rather than requested on the day
- For Monaco, the helicopter is usually the right answer in season and the car is the right answer at either end of it
- For a yacht, tell us the quay as well as the port: Port Hercule, Port Vauban and the Vieux Port at Cannes each have their own access rules
- Large parties in festival weeks need cars committed early, because local supply is genuinely finite
- If you are arranging the aircraft too, one enquiry covers both. See private jet charter
Request a quote
Tell us the movement
Date, tail number or operator, the handler if you know it, passengers, and where you are going on the coast. We reply with a clear price. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Nice private terminals
Which handler will I be with?
Your operator chooses between the three licensed at Nice. It matters less here than at Le Bourget or Stansted because they share one terminal, but we confirm it anyway.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
It is at the airport's and the handler's discretion and is arranged in advance. Vehicle details have to be registered for the gates in any case.
Helicopter or car to Monaco?
In season, the helicopter. It is about seven minutes against thirty-five to sixty by road, and the road is unpredictable. We can arrange the flight and have a car at both ends.
Are these your own cars?
No. Odyssey Connections owns and employs in London and Manchester. On the Cote d'Azur the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
Can you look after a week on the coast, not just the transfer?
Yes. Cars by the day, several vehicles for a group, and the yacht or the aircraft arranged alongside. See the French Riviera.
We deal with problems before you know they exist