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NCE → Nice · head to head

Taxi, regulated flat fareorBus 81 Express to Cannes?

The short answer

These do not go to the same place, so price is not the comparison. The Taxi, regulated flat fare reaches Place Masséna and avenue Jean Médecin — the Jean Médecin tram stop, where lines 1 and 2 cross; the old town, the port and Nice-Ville station all lie inside the taxi's Nice-Centre perimeter; the Bus 81 Express to Cannes does not. This goes to Cannes, not into Nice.

The Taxi, regulated flat fare is quicker: 20 min against 50 min. The Bus 81 Express to Cannes varies between 45 and 58 minutes.

Taxi, regulated flat fare: Runs all night. Bus 81 Express to Cannes: 07:35–21:55.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in EUR. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersTaxi, regulated flat fareBus 81 Express to CannesDifference
1€32€21.40€10.60
2€32€42.80€10.80
3€32€64.20€32.20
4€32€85.60€53.60
5€32€107€75
6€32€128.40€96.40
7€32€149.80€117.80
8€32€171.20€139.20

The cheaper option changes at 2 travelers, from the Bus 81 Express to Cannes to the Taxi, regulated flat fare. That is the whole reason this comparison is not a single number.

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
taxi · Taxis niçois, tariff set by the Préfecture des Alpes-MaritimesTaxi, regulated flat fare
From
The taxi ranks at arrivals level: Terminal 1 door A1 and Terminal 2 door A3 by the airport's French page (its English page says A3 for both); follow the TAXIS signs and refuse anyone who approaches you inside
To
Any address inside the Nice-Centre perimeter: east of boulevard Gambetta, south of the voie Mathis and the avenue de la Libération, as far as boulevard Stalingrad and the port
Luggage
Included: the arrêté forbids any supplement on the forfait, so no luggage charge applies.
Runs
All night
Journey
15–35 min

It loses to the tram at every party size: EUR 32 against EUR 13.60 for eight people. Its case is the hours the tram does not run, the luggage the tram's rules do not admit, and the platform machine that would sell four of you EUR 40 of Aéro tickets.

EUR 32 covers the whole car, up to eight passengers, no night, Sunday or luggage supplement. An ordinary taxi seats four; for five or more, ask at the rank for a larger one, or book through Taxi Nice Riviera (+33 4 93 13 78 78), which adds EUR 4.

The flat fare covers the perimeter only. West of boulevard Gambetta or north of the voie Mathis, the meter runs instead: EUR 4 to start, EUR 1.30 a kilometre by day, up to EUR 3.30 at night, EUR 8 minimum.

Ask for a stop or a detour on the way and the forfait no longer applies; the meter does.

No authority publishes a taxi journey time. The 20 minutes here is a working figure: the 12+ bus does the Promenade stop to Place Masséna on the same road in a timetabled 12 to 19 minutes. Allow more in summer traffic.

The driver must accept card payment for any amount and give a printed receipt above EUR 25 — so for this ride. Report overcharging to the Mairie de Nice taxi inspectorate; the airport can withdraw a driver's rank permit for it.

Taxi, regulated flat fare: price for every party size

81 · ZOU! Express, for the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurBus 81 Express to Cannes
From
The Ligne 81 stop at Nice Aéroport Terminal 2, five minutes ahead of Terminal 1
To
Cannes Gare SNCF in about 50 minutes, after Le Cannet, Place Benidorm (Office de Tourisme)
Runs
07:35–21:55
Journey
45–58 min

The fare is EUR 21.40 bought ahead — agency, e-boutique, app, SMS at the stop or a tapped card on the validator — against EUR 21.80 paid in cash to the driver.

No local hop: the operator's own sheet says a trip cannot be bought only between Cannes Gare SNCF and Le Cannet — this line is for the airport run.

The last direct departure is 20:50; a 21:55 departure still reaches Cannes, at 22:46, on a slower routing via Antibes.

The TER from Nice-Ville also reaches Cannes, unpriced here.

Bus 81 Express to Cannes: price for every party size

See ZOU! tickets

This compares two of 12 options. See all of them ranked for your party size

The other comparisons at Côte d'Azur Airport