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Car Hire Nice Airport Terminal 1
Hiring a car at Nice Cote d’Azur Airport gives you a glimpse of the glitzy side of life. Collect your rental car and avail of the airport's excellent motorway connections to travel onto the cosmopoiltan centre of Nice itself (via the Promenade des Anglais), the wonders of southern France, or further afield to Monaco or even Italy.
When you land at Terminal 1, you will find the car hire companies in the arrivals area to the right of the information desk. A free airport shuttle connects both terminals and the car parks. Both vehicle pick-up and drop-off are at the Car Rental Centre located in Terminal 2 behind P5 Car Park. All the major car hire companies are represented at Nice International Airport, but your specific company will be named on your Nova Car Hire booking confirmation document.
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport is one of France's busiest and most idyllically appointed airports. Located 7km west of Nice, it offers landing and departing passengers fabulous views of the French Riviera. Most flights land at Terminal 1, apart from those operated by Air France and Easyjet. Italy and Monaco are accessible northward via the A8, and Cannes and Antibes are reached via the RN98 heading west. If you’re travelling to somewhere on the coast, take the RN7 National Route, which runs parallel with the airport. Digne and Grenoble are north of Nice on the RN202.
About Nice
The biggest city on this justifiably famous stretch of coast, Nice has been dubbed the “Queen of the Riviera.” It is also one of the oldest, having been established by the Greeks, who were so impressed they called it Nike (Victory). Nice continued to captivate, enticing Russian aristocrats and even the British royalty to stay here in the 19th century.
Nowadays, Nice is considered less exclusive than Cannes or St. Tropez, but it is none the worse for that. The most laid-back of all the major French resorts, Nice focuses on great food and exceptional culture, being home to more museums than any other French city outside Paris. The city centre urban park opened in 2013 is one of the largest public spaces in the region.
Renting a Car Around Nice
This part of southern France is a dream driving location. The A8 autoroute offers endless possibilities right across southern France and on to Italy or Spain. There are three stunning, cliff-hugging routes between Nice and Menton — the Grande Corniche through la Turbie, the Moyenne Corniche through Eze, and the Corniche Inférieure along the coast. Enjoy awe-inspiring views of mountains soaring to the sky and cliffs plunging to the Mediterranean. These coastal routes can become busy in high season, but during October and November you will avoid the crowds and the intense heat.
Image: Nice by Stuart Gelger & Nice beach by Sharon Hahn Darlin