Getting Around France
France's best way to get around is the TGV high-speed rail network — Paris to Nice in under 6 hours from roughly $70-130 one-way, with no security-line stress. Skip the rental car for a Paris-and-Riviera trip entirely. The one exception: Provence and the Loire Valley's hilltop villages and châteaux genuinely need a car, since public transport barely reaches them.
Getting to France
Paris Charles de Gaulle is the main international gateway, with Nice Côte d'Azur as a strong secondary option if the Riviera is your main destination. Flight time runs roughly 7-11 hours depending on where you're flying from, with round-trip fares typically $450-1,000. Direct flights connect Paris to most major hubs across the US, UK, and Australia (often via a stop for the latter).
Getting around: the real options
France's rail network is genuinely one of Europe's best, and for a Paris-plus-Riviera itinerary, it does almost all the work — a rental car adds cost and stress without much benefit until you head into the countryside.
- TGV high-speed trains — operated by SNCF, connecting Paris to Nice in under 6 hours (from about $70-130 one-way, cheaper booked weeks ahead) and to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence in roughly 3-3.5 hours. Comfortable, frequent, and far less hassle than flying.
- TER regional trains — cheap, frequent, and scenic along the coast between Nice, Monaco, Èze, Cannes, and Antibes, often under $10-15 each way.
- Domestic flights — a budget option between Paris and Nice (about 90 minutes) on some dates, but factor in airport time; for most travelers the TGV is the more pleasant choice for the same route.
- Car rental / driving — skip it for Paris and the Riviera, but rent one for Provence or the Loire Valley, where the best villages, lavender fields, and châteaux sit well outside train reach. France drives on the right; tolls (péage) are common on the autoroute network, paid by card at booths.
Getting around inside cities
Paris's Métro is dense, fast, and covers nearly everywhere a visitor needs to go, with trains every 2-5 minutes. A carnet of 10 tickets or a Navigo Easy card (tap-to-pay) is the cheapest way to ride it, and both cover the Métro, buses, and RER within the city. Uber and Bolt both operate well in Paris and Nice, useful for late-night trips or anywhere the Métro doesn't reach directly.
| Route/option | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Paris CDG Airport to city center (RER B train) | $12-13 | 35-50 min |
| Paris to Nice by TGV | $70-130 | under 6 hrs |
| Paris Métro carnet of 10 tickets | $18-20 | — |
Book TGV tickets 2-3 months ahead when you can — SNCF's cheapest fares ('Prem's' and early-bird pricing) sell out fast, and a Paris-Nice ticket booked the week before can cost double what it would have a month earlier. The SNCF Connect app is the easiest way to book and hold tickets on your phone.
Common transport mistakes
Renting a car for a Paris-and-Nice-only trip is the most common overspend — parking in central Paris is expensive and scarce, and you won't need it at all until you head inland. The reverse mistake also happens: skipping a rental car for Provence, then discovering the lavender fields and hilltop villages have little to no public transport between them. Also common: buying a single Métro ticket for every ride instead of a carnet, which costs noticeably more per trip over a multi-day stay.