Renting a car in Nice
For a stay in our Carré d’Or – Nice Centre apartments, renting a car is generally unnecessary. Here, everything is easily reachable on foot: the beach, shops, restaurants and Vieux-Nice are all just minutes away.
On the other hand, if you’d like to discover the hilltop villages inland, the Grande Corniche, or explore the Côte d’Azur freely, a car becomes a real asset.
As in any major city, parking is largely paid, so it’s best to plan ahead for a car park. That said, traffic in Nice generally flows more smoothly than in many major French cities, thanks in particular to the Mathis expressway, which crosses the city from east to west.
Avis — Nice Ville Station (Thiers)
Convenient if you’re arriving by train.
SIXT — Nice Promenade des Anglais
I quite like this rental company, nice cars overall.
1 Promenade des Anglais, 06000 Nice (by the Jardin Albert 1er, at the entrance to Carré d’Or) — near the Méridien hotel, just steps from us. If arriving by plane, they also have a desk at the airport.
Returns & counter opening hours
- Returns can be made 24/7 thanks to a secure key box at both rental companies.
- Avis counter: 6:30am – midnight. Sixt counter: 7:30am – midnight.
- After 10pm, or for direct collection: Car Rental Centre, Terminal 2 (behind the P5 car park).
- Personally, I prefer returning the car at the counter: the condition is checked, which avoids disputes.
- Until 10pm: desks in the arrivals areas of Terminals 1 and 2.
- A free shuttle connects the terminals if you arrive at Terminal 1.
Mon conseil
As city-centre agencies have limited stock, I strongly recommend booking online in advance to guarantee availability of the vehicle category you want.