My Uber from the airport cost €21.95

I landed in Nice close to midnight. The tram was no longer a convenient option, so I ordered an Uber through the official app. The car arrived quickly, and the journey to the city center cost €21.95.

This is not a fixed fare. The app may show a different price on another day. In 2026, an official taxi from the airport to central Nice has a fixed fare of €32, excluding possible surcharges, according to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport.

The driver's reaction to the tip also surprised me. I later learned that tips are not considered obligatory in France. He thanked me so warmly that the moment stayed with me. It was the only car journey of my entire stay. After that, walking, trams, and trains were enough.

The airport ticket is not the same as a regular journey

Transport from the airport needs a little extra attention. The Lignes d'Azur network has regular journeys starting at €1.70 and a separate Aéro product. The tram section between Terminal 2, Terminal 1, and Grand Arénas is free. From there, you can transfer to the regular network under its usual fare rules. Check current prices on the official Lignes d'Azur website.

The difference sounds minor until you are standing at a ticket machine with a suitcase after a flight. Next time, I would choose the right ticket before landing and save the instructions on my phone.

Cannes can be free and expensive at the same time

Walking along La Croisette, the Old Port, and Le Suquet costs nothing. Public beaches are free too. A few meters away, a private club sells a sunbed, restaurant service, and a famous name as a separate product.

In the published 2026 Carlton Beach Club menu, a Niçoise salad costs €35, a cheeseburger with fries €36, desserts €22 to €38, and a 75 cl bottle of water €11 (Carlton Beach Club menu). I did not pay these prices. I include them as a verified example from the upper end of the market.

The beach near the Carlton was the one I liked most. It looked clean, and the promenade was well maintained. Still, I would not pay for a club just for the name. Cannes has public areas and a municipal beach, which I compare in my article about Cannes beaches.

A short train journey can still add up

Nice is convenient because Cannes and Monaco are close. But if you buy a return ticket every day, then add a bus, boat, or museum, transport becomes a separate line in your budget.

I went to Cannes twice. The journey was easy, so going back did not feel like a big decision. Only after the trip did I notice how an easy route encourages you to spend more often. Before my next visit, I would list every day trip and compare individual tickets with a suitable pass. My article about French Riviera trains explains how.

A free beach still requires a few purchases

You do not have to pay to use the public beach in Nice, but water shoes and a thick mat help on the pebbles. Without them, a free beach can be uncomfortable enough to make renting a sunbed seem tempting.

I visited in March and did not have a full summer beach day, so I cannot give a personal figure for one. For a future trip, I would budget for water, water shoes, and a mat once instead of paying for a place every day.

You do not need to eat in a restaurant three times a day

At Cours Saleya, I could put together a simple lunch with bread, cheese, fruit, and olives. A fresh filled baguette was often more convenient than a heavy meal. I chose this partly because of my sensitive stomach and partly because I wanted to keep walking.

I had a few specific French dishes I wanted to try, so I spent money on what genuinely interested me rather than everything on someone else's list. We did not like socca, although almost every guide recommends it. I was glad we bought a small portion to try instead of planning an entire food itinerary around it.

How I would budget for my next trip

I would start with the total accommodation price, add the actual tickets for each day, and only then set a food budget. I would also keep a separate line for one expensive treat: a boat trip, museum, restaurant, or beach club. I do not need all of them at once.

My article on how much a week on the French Riviera costs has a step-by-step table for this calculation. The most useful lesson from my trip is simple: a place's expensive reputation does not mean you have to choose its most expensive option.