TGV train from Paris to Nice at Paris Gare de Lyon
 

Buy tickets from Paris to Nice by train

View from a Paris-Nice train on the Mediterranean coast

Forget the stress of flying.  Chill out from Paris to Nice by train & see scenery like this.  What's the train like?  What's the journey like?

Paris to Nice in 5h40 from €19

TGV Duplex high-speed trains link Paris with Nice in as little as 5h40, centre to centre from as little as €19.  With flying taking 4 stressful & disjointed hours of grotty RER train to the airport, check-in, boarding, flight, airport, luggage reclaim and cramped bus, the clever money chills out on the direct train with a glass of wine and a good book, enjoying the wonderful views down the scenic Rhône Valley, past Avignon & Marseille and alongside the blue waters of the Mediterranean on the beautiful Cote d'Azur. And there's a time-effective overnight train with couchettes, too.

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  How much does it cost? 

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  What are the TGV trains like?

small bullet point  What's the journey like?

small bullet point  Travel tips for the TGV

small bullet point  Ouigo lo-cost Paris-Nice trains

small bullet point  What is the Paris-Nice sleeper train like?

small bullet point  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide

small bullet point  Nice Ville station guide

small bullet point  London to Nice by train

small bullet point  Train travel in France, a beginner's guide

small bullet point  European train travel general information

Timetable southbound 2024

 Paris ► Cannes, Nice

 

Ouigo

TGV

TGV

TGV

TGV

Ouigo

TGV

Sleeper

  Days of running:

Daily

Daily

Daily

Fri, Sat

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

 Paris Gare de Lyon depart:

08:22

09:10

10:10

11:22

14:10

16:10

17:22

 -

 Paris Austerlitz depart:

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

20:08

 Cannes arrive:

13:26

14:26

15:25

16:27

19:26

21:26

22:26

08:57

 Nice Ville arrive:

13:56

14:55

15:55

17:03

19:55

21:57

22:55

09:25

Timetable northbound 2024

 Nice, Cannes ► Paris

 

Ouigo

TGV

TGV

TGV

Ouigo

TGV

TGV

Sleeper

  Days of running:

Daily

Sat,Sun

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

Daily

 Nice Ville depart:

06:06

07:58

10:04

12:03

15:05

16:03

16:58

19:07

 Cannes depart:

06:34

08:31

10:33

12:34

15:33

16:33

17:33

19:48

 Paris Austerlitz arrive:

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

07:53

 Paris Gare de Lyon arrive:

11:46

13:50

15:50

17:50

20:38

21:50

22:38

 -

Read downwards, each column is a train you can take.  You may find extra trains at peak periods, for example July & August.

This is the typical timetable for Paris-Nice trains, but times vary from day to day & season to season so check times for your specific date online.

TGV = 300km/h double-deck TGV Duplex run by SNCF French Railways, branded TGV InOui.  1st & 2nd class, cafe-bar.  No luggage restrictions, no check-in.

Sleeper = Intercité de Nuit with 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats, see more about Intercités de Nuit.

Ouigo = lo-cost service run by Ouigo, a subsidiary of SNCF, set up as a budget airline on rails.  Separate pricing from normal trains, no first class, no catering, 30-minute check-in, luggage limits/fees, Interrail & Eurail passes not valid.  Ouigo trains don't show up on all booking sites, see the Ouigo page for more information.

Most Paris-Nice TGV trains also call at St Raphael (for the bus to St Tropez) & all trains call at Antibes.  Change in Nice for Monaco-Monte Carlo (one TGV a day usually runs from Paris to Monte Carlo direct).  Local TER trains link St Raphael, Antibes, Juan les Pins, Nice, Monaco-Monte Carlo & Menton every 30 minutes or so all day, you can check train times using int.bahn.de and buy tickets for these at the station.

Paris to Nice is 975 km or 605 miles.  These TGVs average over 105mph including stops.

How much does it cost?

If you book in advance, Paris to Nice by TGV starts at €25 in 2nd class or around €45 in 1st class.

These are Prems advance-purchase fares, no refunds, no changes to travel plans with the cheapest fares.  Prices rise as the cheaper tickets sell out and departure date approaches, so book early for the cheapest prices.  €55-€79 is a typical price.

If you buy on the day, Paris to Nice costs around €130 in 2nd class or €195 in 1st class with a flexible fare.

Children under 4 go free but without their own seat.  No ticket needed, just bring them along.  You can give them their own reserved seat for €9 with a Billet Bambin if you book at www.sncf-connect.com or www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com & add them as a passenger with the correct age.  This is well worth it!

Children 4-11 years qualify for a child fare, which may be 50% of an expensive adult flexible fare or the same as a cheap adult prems fare.

There is no discount for seniors, unless you buy an SNCF Carte Avantage Senior.  But only buy one if you are going to make multiple trips.

Ouigo has its own completely different cheap prices from €19, see the Ouigo page.

The sleeper train starts at €19 in a seat, €29 with a couchette in 6-berth and €59 with a 1st class couchette in 4-berth.

Eurail & Interrail passholders must pay a fee, for reservation fees & how to make passholder reservations, see here.

How to buy tickets

When does booking open?

Booking for TGV & Intercités de Nuit opens up to 4 months ahead, often longer than this over the summer, but dates immediately after the timetable change in mid-December always open late, usually in mid-October.  Ouigo bookings open up to 6 months or more ahead.

Which website should you use?

You can buy Paris-Nice train tickets online at various websites, but some sites charge a booking fee, some don't, some sites offer seating options, some allocate your seat with no choice.  Here's a quick run-down.  They all offer e-tickets.

small bullet point  www.sncf-connect.com:  This is SNCF's own website, in €, with no booking fee.  It sells TGV InOui & no-frills Ouigo trains with a full range of seat options.  If booking 1st class, you can select your seat from a seat map.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

It can also sell Billet Bambin, a flat fee which gives an infant a reserved seat instead of having to sit on your lap.  When booking a lo-cost Ouigo train, only payment cards from certain countries are accepted, see the explanation here.

small bullet point  www.thetrainline.com:  Easy to use, you can pay in €, £ or $, international credit cards welcome, it sells TGV InOui and no-frills Ouigo and offers a choice of seating options including upper or lower deck on a TGV Duplex.  If booking 1st class, you can select your seat from a seat map.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Small booking fee.

Trainline can also sell Billet Bambin, a flat fee which gives an infant a reserved seat instead of having to sit on your lap.  When booking a lo-cost Ouigo train, only payment cards from certain countries are accepted, see the explanation hereWho are Thetrainline?

small bullet point  www.raileurope.com:  Easy to use, you can pay in €, £ or $, international credit cards welcome, you print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  Small booking fee.  It offers a choice of seating options including upper or lower deck, but not seat selection.

Raileurope can sell Billet Bambin if you have € selected, this is a flat fee which gives an infant a reserved seat instead of having to sit on your lap.  It does not sell tickets for Ouigo trainsWho are Raileurope?

small bullet point  www.omio.com overseas cards welcomed, prices in €, £ or $, small booking fee.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

small bullet point  www.ouigo.com, only for lo-cost no-frills Ouigo tickets, but read the Ouigo page before booking with Ouigo.  Only payment cards from certain countries are accepted, see the explanation here.

Route map

Paris to Nice train route map

 

Click for larger map

Highlighted = Paris-Nice TGV route.  Red = high-speed lines. 

Black = conventional lines.  Green = scenic sections of line.

Extract from the European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. 

I recommend buying the European Rail Map and European Rail Timetable at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu, they ship worldwide.

European Rail Timetable and map

Back to top

What are the TGVs like?

TGV InOui

The regular Paris to Nice trains are branded TGV InOui, where TGV stands for Train à Grande Vitesse (high-speed train) and InOui means unheard of in the sense of exceptional.  InOui is SNCF's latest brand for its front-rank TGV trains.

The TGVs used on the Paris-Nice route are impressive TGV Duplex double-deck high-speed trains, see the video guide here.  They operate at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on the high-speed line between Paris & Marseille and at much lower speeds over the classic (and very scenic) line along the coast from Marseille to Nice.

You board the train at the lower level through a wide sliding external door into a small entrance area at one end of the lower deck.  Here, there's a toilet and the door into the lower deck seating area.  A wide, short & easy flight of stairs leads from the entrance area to a landing at one end of the upper deck, with an upstairs toilet and a door to the upstairs seating area.  You walk along the train from car to car at the upper level.  There are luggage racks both upstairs and downstairs, at the coach ends and between the seats.

Ouigo: For the lo-cost no-frills Ouigo trains, see the Ouigo page.  For the overnight sleeper train, see the Intercités de Nuit page

Power sockets & WiFi

These trains have free WiFi in both classes.  If you have a 3G or 4G mobile data package, that works fine along most of the route.  There are power sockets for laptops and mobiles at every first class seat and (depending which generation of TGV Duplex you get) there may also be sockets at 2nd class seats.  There are baby-changing facilities and designated spaces for passengers in wheelchairs.

Cafe-bar

There's a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks & hot dishes similar to this sample TGV bar menu, or you're free to bring your own food & wine along for the journey.  See the travel tips below for how to order food & drink on the train's intranet and collect it from the cafe-bar.

Upper or lower deck?

When booking, you can choose a seat on either upper or lower decks.  If you have problems with stairs or very heavy luggage, the lower deck might be best.  But for the best views (over the top of the occasional sound barrier along the high speed lines!), definitely choose an upper deck seat.  For couples in first class, an upper deck club duo face-to-face table-for-two is easily the best option.

Seat numbering

Click here for TGV Duplex seat numbering plans.  Seat numbers 11-58 = lower deck, seats 61-128 = upper deck.  Car 1 (= car 11 in the second TGV unit when one is coupled up) is usually at the Paris end of the train, car 8 or 18 at the Nice end, although this can't be 100% guaranteed as the unit could enter service either way round.  For that reason, it's not possible to specify a forward facing seat.  In any case, those trains which call at Marseille St Charles change direction there.

TGV Duplex train from Paris to Nice

A double-deck TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon in the new InOui colour scheme.  Paris to Nice takes as little as 5h37 by train, a relaxing & scenic journey with a glass of wine and a good book.  Watch the TGV video guide

TGV Duplex cafe-bar   TGV Duplex upper deck 2nd class seats

Cafe-bar on upper deck car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.

 

2nd class seats on upper deck.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating. 360º photo.

First class on board a TGV Duplex   A TGV Duplex at Paris Est.

1st class upper deck, a club duo on the left, club quatre on the right.  360º photo.

 

TGV Duplex.  The 1 next to the door means 1st class, a 2 means 2nd class.

TGV Duplex:  Stairs to upper deck   TGV Duplex:  Power outlets   TGV Duplex:  Luggage racks

Stairs to upper deck. Just 9 wide shallow steps with double handrails.

 

Power sockets:  All seats in both classes have power sockets, 2-pin 230v.

 

Luggage racks.  There are racks both upstairs and downstairs, both at the car ends and (as here) between the seats.

TGV Duplex entrance hall   Upper deck landing on a TGV Duplex

Entrance: Door to lower deck seating on left, toilet on right, stairs to upper deck on the far side on the right.

 

Upper deck landing.  Toilet on the left, door to upper deck seating ahead, gangway to the adjacent car behind camera.

Video guide to TGV Duplex

What's the TGV journey like?

Paris Gare de Lyon

1.  Paris Gare de Lyon.  The trains to Nice leave from the magnificent Gare de Lyon in central Paris, a landmark in its own right.  See Gare de Lyon station guide.

Paris Gare de Lyon Hall 1, platforms A to N

Hall 1 at the Gare de Lyon.  The TGV may leave from Hall 1 or Hall 2, see the Paris Gare de Lyon station page.

The Train Bleu restaurant, Paris Gare de Lyon   The Train Bleu restaurant's bar

How about lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant in Hall 1 of the Gare de Lyon before catching the Nice Express?  Or just have a coffee or beer in the bar (above right), which makes an excellent VIP waiting lounge.

TGV train to Nice boarding at Paris Gare de Lyon   Chilling out on the train to Nice

2.  Boarding the TGV at Paris Gare de Lyon.  There's no check-in to worry about, you simply place the barcode on your ticket, printout or phone against the glass reader on the automatic ticket gate at the entrance to the platform and stroll onto your train.  Just make sure you're on board a couple of minutes before departure time.  You place your luggage on the various racks above or near your seat, so it's accessible throughout the journey.  In half an hour you're chilling out in rural France at 186 mph.

Scenery from the train between Paris & Lyon

3.  Paris to the outskirts of Lyon.  The train leaves the Gare de Lyon and joins the high-speed line, accelerating smoothly to 186mph through the Paris suburbs, soon emerging into open country.  Between Paris and the outskirts of Lyon the train runs through undulating countryside with villages and stone-built farms nestling in small valleys.

Scenery from the train along the Rhone Valley

4.  The Rhone Valley.  South of Lyon the train powers down the rural Rhone Valley, past more pretty French villages with picturesque churches and the occasional castle.

Hilltop village in the Rhone Valley seen from the Paris to Nice train

Watch for hilltop villages & churches

Mountains seen from a Paris-Nice TGV train

On a clear day you can see the snow-capped French Alps in the extreme distance to the left, and the dark line of the Massif central mountains on the far side of the valley to the right.

Crossing the Rhone with views of the Chateau de Montfaucon

5.  The Rhone & Chateau de Montfaucon.  Between Valence and Avignon the train crosses a broad stretch of the River Rhone with a view of the wine-producing Chateau de Montfaucon on the right, www.chateaumontfaucon.com.

The view from the train as it crosses the Rhone at Avignon

6.  Crossing the Rhone at Avignon. Approaching Avignon TGV station the train crosses the Rhone again on a massive viaduct high above the water.  If you look to your left you can see Avignon's famous Palais des Papes standing out on the skyline in the distance, see the picture above.  Though if you can see anyone dancing sur le pont d'Avignon you have better eyesight than me.

7.  The train skirts Marseille. The train leaves the high-speed line and slows right down towards Marseille.  Direct Paris-Nice trains use a chord line to avoid having to reverse in Marseille St Charles terminus, and if you look to your right you'll glimpse the infamous Chateau d'If (France's Alcatraz, think Count of Monte Cristo) on its island out in  the bay.  You may also glimpse the lovely church of Notre Dame de la Garde on the summit of it's hill.

Coastal views from the train between Toulon and Nice

8.  Along the Cote d'Azur.  After Toulon comes the bit you've been waiting for.  The train runs along the Mediterranean coastline of the beautiful Cote d'Azur, past rocky headlands, millionaires' villas and yacht-filled marinas all the way to Nice.  Lovely!  Yes, this photo was taken from the train. Photo courtesy of Mike Sloan.

TGV train at Nice Ville

9.  Arrival at Nice Ville station right in the city centre.  See Nice Ville station guide.

Nice Ville station

Nice Ville is just 15 minutes walk from the Promenade des Anglais (below).

The Promende des Anglais at Nice

Travel tips


Ouigo - the budget airline on rails, Paris-Nice from €19

Ouigo lo-cost Paris to Nice train banner


What's the Paris to Nice sleeper train like?

The Paris-Nice overnight sleeper train was discontinued in December 2017, but restored from 19 April 2021.  It's once more a convenient, time-effective way to travel between Paris and Nice, with great views along the coast in morning southbound, or, in summer, in the evening northbound. 

The train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes, and ordinary seats.  Couchettes are simple flat padded bunks each provided with a fresh clean pillow, individual reading light and a lightweight sleeping-bag.  Each passenger gets a bottle of mineral water, earplugs (if you really need them), tissues & (in first class) sleep socks.  French couchette cars have been modernised with quiet carpeted interiors & soft fabric bunks.  Only bona fide passengers with tickets & reservations are allowed onto the platform, and there are minimal stops between 00:00 & 06:00 for a smooth, safe & secure journey through the night. 

See the Intercité de Nuit page for more about French night trains, including how to book sole occupancy of a couchette compartment.

Intercite de nuit overnight train at Paris Austerlitz

Intercité de nuit sleeper train at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz More about Intercités de NuitWatch the video.

Intercite de Nuit 2nd class 6-berth couchette   Intercite de Nuit 2nd class couchette

2nd class 6-berth couchettes.

 

A cosy 2nd class couchette.

Intercite de Nuit 1st class couchette   Intercite de Nuit 1st class 4-berth couchette

1st class couchette, made up for the night.

 

1st class 4-berth couchettes.

The Paris to Nice sleeper running along the Mediterranean coast

The Paris to Nice Intercité de Nuit running along the Côte d'Azur in the morning sun.  Photo courtesy of Noam auf Gleis 13.


Hotels in Paris

Hotels in Nice


Book hotels at Booking.com


Back to home page