Paris to Nice by Train: TGV Times, Fares and the Best Seats

The fastest way from Paris to Nice by train is a direct TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon: about 5 hours 40 minutes from the center of Paris to Nice-Ville, with the last stretch running along the Mediterranean. In 2026 there are six or seven direct day trains, and advance second-class fares start at around €29 (about $34). We design our Riviera trips from Nice, and this is the train most of our travelers take after a few days in Paris.

Quick answer

• Fastest: direct TGV INOUI or OUIGO, about 5 h 40 min, Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice-Ville.
• Price in 2026: OUIGO from €19 (about $22). TGV INOUI from about €29 in second class and €45 in first when booked early; €55 to €79 is typical; flexible fares on the day run about €130 in second and €195 in first.
• How often: six or seven direct departures a day between roughly 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., with extra trains at Easter and in July and August.
• Stations: Paris Gare de Lyon for day trains, Paris Austerlitz for the night train, Nice-Ville on arrival.

Paris to Nice: every option compared

For almost everyone, the direct TGV wins. The flight looks faster on paper, but once you add the ride to Orly, security, boarding and the transfer from Nice airport, you gain little and lose the coast.

The best route, step by step

1. Get to Paris Gare de Lyon. All direct day trains to Nice leave from here, in the 12th arrondissement. From the Left Bank or the Marais, allow 20 to 30 minutes by taxi; from the west of Paris, allow 40.
2. Find your platform. It appears on the departure boards about 20 minutes before the train leaves. Scan your ticket at the gates at the head of the platform. Boarding closes two minutes before departure on TGV INOUI; OUIGO closes boarding 30 minutes ahead, so arrive earlier.
3. Ride the high-speed line south. The first three hours are on the high-speed line past Burgundy and down the Rhône valley, with few or no stops before Provence.
4. Follow the coast. After Marseille or Aix-en-Provence TGV, the train continues to Toulon, then along the sea. Most trains call at Les Arcs-Draguignan and Saint-Raphaël-Valescure, then Cannes and Antibes before Nice. Stops vary by train, so check yours.
5. Arrive at Nice-Ville. The station is in the city center on Avenue Thiers, about 15 minutes on foot from the Promenade des Anglais. The taxi rank is right outside, and tram line 1 stops at Gare Thiers, a short walk away.

Where to sit for the sea views

Most TGVs on this route are double-deck. Book an upper-deck window seat on the right-hand side in the direction of travel. From Toulon onward the coast is on the right, and the best section is between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes, where the line runs past the red rocks of the Esterel, and again from Antibes into Nice.

TGV INOUI usually lets you pick your seat on a seat plan when you book; choose "upper deck" and a window. Seats face both ways, so check the arrow on the plan. On OUIGO, choosing a seat is a paid option. We always request the right-hand side for our travelers heading south.

Tickets, fares and booking windows

• Where to book: sncf-connect.com or the SNCF Connect app for both TGV INOUI and OUIGO, or ouigo.com. US cards are accepted, and the ticket goes to your phone.
• When sales open: usually about four months ahead, sometimes earlier for summer. Fares work like airline fares, so the cheapest seats go first.
• Busiest days: Fridays and Sundays, the start of French school holidays, and the weeks around the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix in May and June.
• First or second class: for 5 h 40 min, we book first class. It is quieter, the seats are wider, and the difference is modest when booked early.
• Rail passes: Eurail and Interrail passes are accepted on TGV INOUI with a paid reservation, and pass seats are limited on popular trains. Book the reservation as soon as you have your dates.

Stops worth making on the way

Breaking the journey turns a long ride into two easy ones, and it is how we design most Paris to Riviera trips.

• Avignon: about 2 h 40 min from Paris on the TGV. Two nights let you see the Palais des Papes and the Pont d'Avignon and drive into the Luberon villages. Our Provence vs French Riviera comparison helps you decide how to split the nights.
• Aix-en-Provence: a good base for Cézanne's landscapes and the Sainte-Victoire. The TGV station is outside town, so we arrange a driver.
• Marseille: the Vieux-Port, the MuCEM and a boat to the Calanques.
• Cannes or Antibes: if your Riviera hotel is west of Nice, step off here and save the ride back.

The night train

The Intercités de Nuit leaves Paris Austerlitz in the evening (around 9:25 p.m. in the 2026 timetable) and reaches Nice around 9 a.m. the next morning. Fares start from about €19 for a seat, €29 for a berth in a six-berth couchette and €59 in a first-class four-berth compartment. The morning run along the coast is a lovely way to arrive. The service is sometimes suspended on certain dates for track work, so we check your exact night before building the trip around it.

Accessibility on the Paris to Nice train

Paris Gare de Lyon has level access from the street to the platforms. On TGV INOUI, wheelchair spaces are in first class and sold at the second-class fare, with an adapted toilet nearby. The upper deck is reached by a short staircase, so if stairs or heavy bags are a problem, book the lower deck. SNCF's station assistance is booked through its Assist'enGare service, and the Accès Plus line (3635, then #45 from France) still helps with tickets. We book assistance at least 48 hours ahead so that staff meet you at the car door in Paris and at Nice-Ville. For a full Riviera week built around step-free access, see our accessible French Riviera trip.

How we handle this transfer on a private trip

When the journey is part of a trip we design, a driver takes you and your bags from your Paris hotel to Gare de Lyon, and we book first-class upper-deck seats on the right-hand side, usually on a mid-morning train so you reach Nice in time for a walk on the Promenade before dinner. Our Nice office knows the arrival, so a driver meets you at Nice-Ville and takes you straight to your hotel. If you plan to stay in Cannes, Antibes or Villefranche-sur-Mer instead, our guide to where to stay on the French Riviera compares the towns, and our Nice to Monaco guide covers the next leg along the coast.

A typical sequence is three nights in Paris, the train south, then five nights on the coast, as in our French Riviera in 7 Days itinerary. More France ideas are on our France page.

Tell us your dates and hotel style, and a designer in Nice will book the trains and the transfers for you: plan your trip with us.