Page 246 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

244  SUR VIV AL GUIDE
TRAVEL INFORMATION

Situated at the crossroads between France, daily direct flights from most major European
Spain and Italy, Provence is well served by cities. For travelling across France, the TGV
international motorway and rail links. Nice train is swift (see p246), while the motorail
airport is the most modern and the busiest journey from channel ports takes 12 hours,
of French airports outside Paris, handling but is effortless and dispenses with motorway
4 million visitors from all over the world tolls. The autoroutes are excellent, but do
annually. Marseille airport also welcomes become crowded in mid-summer.

Arriving by Air which terminal you will be using. Airline Details
The two main airports in Taxis to the centre of town cost Provence is the most easily
Provence – Marseille and Nice, €25–€30. Airport buses – No. 90 accessible place by air in
Côte d’Azur, which is the second and No. 98 – run to and from France after Paris. The vast
biggest airport in France – the city centre station every 10 majority of major European
are comfortable and modern. minutes. The No. 98 stops along cities have daily direct flights
Marseille Provence (or Marseille- the promenade des Anglais and to Provence. The British carriers
Marignane) has national and the port, while the No. 99 turns – British Airways, easyJet and
international flights serving off the promenade by Hotel Ryanair – all run daily flights
mainly business travellers, and Négresco and continues to the from London Heathrow,
a low-cost air terminal, MP2. mainline train station. From May London Gatwick, Luton,
It is useful for destinations in to October there are buses to Stansted or Manchester
western Provence, such as Cannes and Vallauris every half to Nice, Nîmes, Marseille,
Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. hour, and to Monaco and Menton Montpellier or Toulon. A good
Airport taxis to the centre of every hour. Héli-Air Monaco option among low-cost airlines
Marseille cost around €40 (€50 offers regular helicopter transits is Flybe, which flies to Nice
at night and on Sundays). There to Monaco, St-Tropez and from Manchester, Birmingham,
is also an airport bus to the Cannes, while Azur Hélicoptère Southampton and Exeter.
main train station in Marseille also has many daily flights to The French national airline,
(St-Charles), which leaves every these three cities. There are Air France, has daily flights
20 minutes. Car hire companies several car hire companies at to and from Nice to Britain,
at the airport include Ada, Avis, Nice airport, including Avis, Spain, Germany, Italy and
Budget, Citer, Europcar and Hertz. Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, North Africa.
Nice, Côte d’Azur has two Hertz and Sixt. There is a Delta flight from
terminals, both of which take There are four other airports Nice to New York several
international and domestic in or near Provence which times a week, and Emirates
flights. There is a shuttle bus operate international flights; also flies to Nice from Dubai
between the buildings, but it these are Montpellier, Avignon, five times a week. From all
is best to make sure you know Nîmes and Toulon. other international departure

The main international terminal at Nice, Côte d’Azur airport