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 Master these machines and the
world isyour lobster by NiceLife
Its not difficult. Firstly, as regards payment, the machine don't take notes - only coins and plastic. So all those 20 and 50 euro notes are going to be no use to you whatsoever. But the amount of coins you will need is not trivial. Billetiere machines now accept chipped Visa and Mastercard credit cards and this is the way to go. Avoid using precious debit cards as there is always a small risk of malfunction ( once declared my debit card !"muet" literally,dumb, disabled, and it no longer worked therefter.) which on holiday is one risk you don't need!
The ticket part is straight forward and logical. A wheel scrolls to highlight your choices on the screen, and the button selects them. Select your destination. You want the "Other tickets" - not various special tickets for locals - travel either today or in the future (up to 60 days), , second class, adult, one way or return, the number of passengers, no receipt required, in with the card, punch in PIN, collect printed ticket, retrieve card. Job Done.
Advice: Allow time for tourists in front of you who have not read this advice fumbling around to understand how the machines work. And don't go off to the newspaper shop to beg for change - they are not a change machine, and even the "innocent" ruse of buying a trivial item and offering a twenty euro note is likely to be snubbed. For them it happens every five minutes
As an alternative, French rail tickets can be purchased in advance, so you would be well advised to buy whatever tickets you need at a time when the station is not busy, and avoid all the hassle totally. Just turn up ticket in hand, validate (date stamp machines - most important!), and go. Leave a Comment Theme: Train
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 Service 98 for the bus station by NiceLife
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For sensible normal travellers:
Heading for Nice, and want a balance of cost and convenience, from either Terminal One or Two, take the Airport Express bus to town. Half-hourly Service 98 will take you to the bus station Nice Gare Routiere via the Promenade, with stops along the way for all the main hotels. Service 99 as an alternative also runs every half hour and will take you part-way along the Prom and then up to the Railway station Nice Gare SNCF. Between the two routes, there is around fifteen minutes gap for one or the other. Both get you basically to Nice centre, 4 euro one way for a ticket also valid all day on Lignes d'Azur other local buses. Note the 98 Gare Routiere airport express runs up until just short of midnight whilst the last 99 bus for the railway station finishes as early as 9pm.
Travellers "on expenses" (or after midnight):
The lazy/ convenient solution for those whose employer or conference sponsor hasn't booked a waiting driver with your name on a board is the notoriously expensive taxi to town, typically 35 euro (typical fares)
Cheapskates:
Total cheapskates can cut the airport-Nice travel bill to a miserly one euro by catching the regular 23 route public bus service which runs between Terminal 1 and St Maurice (northern suburb, via Gare SNCF) Those arriving at T2 (Easyjet) use the free Navette to toggle between T2 and T1. However bear in mind the public bus has nowhere to stow luggage, stops every 30 seconds to pick up schoolchildren ands pensioners, and finishes for the evening around 9pm.
Pro Tip: The "expert" insider will know you can walk a couple of minutes off-airport from T1 to the main road and pick up a 52 lor 59 local bus (St Laurent to Nice Gare Routiere via the Promenade des Anglais) which is just a euro and mimics the route of the airport express bus along the Prom, avoiding the frequent stops of the 23.
Heading Home
Returning to the airport, the Voie Rapide expressway serves the railway-station to airport bus, which is the line of choice. Allow 20 -25 minutes and you will almost certainly be fine, but I have experienced "snarl-ups" when an accident occurs on the expressway and traffic is re-routed through the airport causing major jams. A recent trip took closer to an hour, so leave a good margin for the unknown. Better that than missing a flight.
For all the bus timetables consult the airport bus connections Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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 "Deux billets pour Nice,
merci" by NiceLife
If you want two tickets to town, then of course its "deux billets", but if your french pronounciation is a bit ropey, people will reinforce the message by hand signalling "two".
In some cultures like English, "two" is signalled by a "V-sign" - index and second finger. Remember that the V-sign has enormous significance in old English/ Norman French history, circa 1066. Bows and arrows were a big thing, King Harold having taken one in the eye. It was reputedly a taunt by English archers aimed at their French enemies, indicating their undiminished prowess with the bow and arrow (captured bowmen would have their string-drawing fingers amputated).
Anglosaxon "one" is indicated by the index finger alone, as in "I suggest you consult your proctologist" Recipe for miscommunication.
In France, "one" is signalled by the thumb, and "two" by the thumb and index finger together. For "three" add the second finger, and so on. You'll quickly find it works a treat and you get the right number every time.
But as for the difference in pronunciation, in French, between "Cannes" and "Cagnes", you are on your own! Even the French have difficulty with that one. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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 Papers please! Papers! by NiceLife
In some countries, a kindly gent looks to see if you are holding something that looks vaguely like it might be a ticket, or lets you buy one one from him. These guys travel in threes, and are recruited from men thrown out of the French Foreign Legion for being "too hard".
They will read the smallest of small print religiously, check the date and destination, the validation stamp you must apply to the ticket before boarding. If there is the slightest infraction, or you don't hold a ticket, you're in deep doo doo. The pens come out, forms in triplicate are solemnly completed, the spot fines up to 100 euro can be demanded in addition to the correct ticket price.Resistance is useless, or its off at the next stop accompanied to the police station.
Sitting in a first class compartment with a second class ticket is heavily frowned on. Mumbling something in Swedish that sounds like an apology might, just might allow you to move without paying up for the upgrade.
TGV seats are all only by reservation, and that is what you have to have to board a TGV, even if the train is self evidently empty, having completed the bulk of its journey from Lille or Paris. There are fines for ocupying a seat without reservation, though you can book a reservation if you have 20 minutes to spare at the station. Boarding a TGV without a reservation is common, I've done it myself, but the smart thing to do is stand in the corridor or around the boarding entrance - so you are not actually seated.
They hire very clever people to run the railways. Unfortunately they never had a Margaret Thatcher to sort out the unions. Any whiff of reform and its out on strike, to which the government's response is to cave in immediately. Welcome to France. Leave a Comment Theme: Train
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 ATS by Nice2004
**Update** ATS have recently put their prices up and it now costs approx 8 euros per person each way. However this is still cheaper than a taxi which can often cost 35 euros to Nice centre Leave a Comment
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 SNCF by KatjaJohanna
In half an hour and only for a few euros, you are in the center of Cannes or Monaco.
The charming small towns of Villefranche, Antibes and Beaulieu are just 10-15 minutes away by train, with some fabulous beaches.
In summer there are trains almost every half an hour to each direction. You can go even to Italy this way, Ventimiglia is just 50 minutes away and even though it's sp close to Nice and other coastal towns, it has a different athmosphere and mentality.
Info in English:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/info_resa/passenger_guide/home.htm?_LANG=UK Leave a Comment
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 Coach to get around by NiceLife
The visitors key Route 100 (Nice - Menton in1h:15mins) leaves Nice Gare Routiere every fifteen minutes on weekdays, every twenty minutes on Sundays and holidays, and costs just one euro flat fare. It is hugely popular due to being the main route for Monaco, and a quarter of the equivalent trainfare or less. It will often be full to the brim before it even leaves Nice bus station, and once full, drivers will sometimes ignore people waiting at bus stops down the line, and stop only to let people off. ("Boat people" looking to undercut the organised excursion to Monaco beware!)
Buy the ticket on the bus from the driver, stating your destination and the number of passengers, offering as close to the correct fare as you can. Offering a fifty Euro note doesn't always go down very well, and I have seen drivers refuse them.
Don't expect the driver to converse in English and answer questions, and don't expect a helpful tour guide. (Sample conversation: American lady to driver: "Is this the bus for Villa Ephrussi?" Blank look. "Can you tell us which stop to get off?" Blank. "Is it far to walk?" Blank. Lady turns to friend. "He doesn't know". Friend: "No, Myrtle. He doesn't care")
The downside? Buses finish for the day suprisingly early, mostly before 9 pm, after which there are a few infrequent night buses ("Noctambus") or you need to travel by train. When very full, travellers are an easy target for pickpockets. It is common to have to stand the whole journey, and compared to the train they are very slow. Cannes is over two hours by bus compared to twenty five minutes on the train.
Nevertheless, the bus is still often the best way to get around from Nice, and its fun, and you get to travel with the locals. (If on the other hand you prefer your own company, being surrounded by metal you control, and happy to waste large amounts of money, there is always the fall back of car rental) Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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 Validate your bus tickets! by NiceLife
1. Fines for travelling without a ticket. In London you can travel more or less for free on the bendy buses because there is little inspection so the system virtually invites you not to pay, but not here. You are expected to pay for a ticket - its incredibly cheap - pay the driver
2. Fines for overstaying your destination. Not a good idea.
3. Fines for having an out of date ticket. Not a good idea.
4. Fines for failing to validate your ticket. Because you can make further connecting bus journeys free within 74 minutes, provided it does not constitute a return journey, the system depends on date and time stamping of tickets by popping them in the little machine by the bus entrance.
Its not often that inspectors board but it does happen and the French are very keen on fines on the spot. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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 No sympathy by NiceLife
If a train arrives packed with people don't assume that anyone will make room to let you get on. You can be confronted at the carriage doors by a wall of passengers who have absolutely no intention of being inconvenienced by moving up to let you on. Appeals to "move up" will fall on deaf ears. The only recourse is to physically elbow your way in. They won't like it, but so what?
The late night schedule can stop early so check the times of the last trains very carefully. Better still, if you can avoid it don't travel on late evening trains on the Cannes La Bocca / Marseilles direction - the service does not have a good record on personal safety.
Buying tickets has a whole lot of issues of its own. See my warnings/ dangers tips on how the avoid the worst of it.
Don't think about freeloading. Though they are run inefficiently, the French railways are quite ruthless about on the spot fines. Oh and the toilets - Nice Railway station's are just awful - just don't go there! On board the trains, they are a mixed blessing.
I hope I am not giving you the wrong impression of French railways - in normal daytime services, provided you are savvy about the things too avoid, the service is fairly acceptable. Its just once you stray out of that window, be prepared for things to go downhill, fast. Leave a Comment Theme: Train
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 Minimise transaction costs by NiceLife
GOOD ETTIQUETTE
If you tender four one Euro coins or two two's, he will love you, and give a cheery "merci!" or "parfait!!". You understand his needs and have been considerate.
If you offer a five euro bill or a ten euro bill: dishing change is easy - one euro or a five bill and a one coin, so no bother. Smile.
POOR ETTIQUETTE
If you tender the exact amount in a large number of small coins (l'argent") the driver (thats what he is basically) has to count through it all to make sure its right. Paper cups of small change is what beggars collect. "Thats, one plus five is six, and ten is sixteen, twenty six, twenty eight, thirty three........"This guy didnt do well in math, thats why he's driving a bus. Scowl.
Offering a twenty note: beginning to get irritating. All that careful balance of change he has to manage is going awry - you flash a twenty in his face (as they come out the cash machines) , he has to scrabble around with fives, tens and ones.
BAD ETTIQUETTE
Offer a fifty note: what are you, a drug dealer? (At this denomination, the driver may well refused to accept your fare)
Offer a one hundred or two hundred note: call the cops! - only people carrying these are gangsters, money launderers or forgers.
Offer an international credit card - what do you think - does this look like Galeries Lafayette? Get off the bus, go to a cash machine, and get some money out, damn tourist!
MORAL
Somewhere is a new novel struggling to be written in all this. The cash transaction is the crossroads between French Social Model (you shouldn't have to pay, everything should be free, from the State") and the hated Anglo-saxon economic model - efficiency, consumer-power, choice and hence job insecurity .
Most bus drivers belong to the communist CGT union. Think about it. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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