Fly or train???

Take the train and relax instead of fighting airport crowds and possible delays.

I guess it depends on what you consider expensive versus what you feel your time is worth versus what you can afford. I put in Google flights from Nice to Paris on a random day in April and come up with $57 for Air France. If you are on a very strict budget and if spending $25-30 more for air than the train makes a big difference than I would take the train. I would rather not sit on a train for 6 hours (or possibly longer, if delays are experienced) so my choice would be to fly at $57.

I'd take the train, because I dislike dealing with airports in the middle of a trip. However, this decision might be affected by how long the overall trip is and whether you feel you just can't spare the extra 2 hours or so required for the train. If you're the sort of traveler who wants to take a taxi into town from the airport, that would affect the economic side of the decision.

You have to consider the time and hassel of getting to the airport and then getting there a couple of hours early. Many times the train stations are in town, not way far out of the city.

We flew from Nice back to Paris last May. You do have to take into consideration getting to the airport in Nice ( which was pretty easy) and then getting from the Paris airport (CDG for us) to our hotel., so you are paying taxi fares as well as the actual train/flight fare. The deciding factor for us was the fact my husband doesn’t like to sit on a train that long.

Mid April I will be in Nice
But need to get back to Paris

Are you going to Paris to spend time in Paris, or to catch a train or plane to somewhere else?

I've done both many times. The train can be costly. Not everyone gets the few discount tickets available the day sales open. EasyJet flies Nice-Paris Orly, and is just fine. The Nice airport is easy access, easy to use.

The flight total with airport transportation is 4 hours, so only a two hour difference.

Your carbon footprint is much less with the train, better for the environment. You have time to read, eat a picnic. You don't go through a security screening with the train.

By the way, train stations have plenty of crowds, especially arriving at Gare de Lyon in Paris, and trains are delayed all the time. Second, the $57plane ticket is no "frills". It's a toss up except for the amount of damage to the environment caused by the plane.

In addition, the train also give you some nice views of the Mediterranean.

We took this train trip after a RS tour last year. Transferred in Marseille to high speed train to Paris. Was a relaxing and scenic ride, but not as quick as a flight.

my choice would be to fly at $57.

Of course, you then have to pay whatever it costs to get out to the airport at Nice, and to get in from the airport either CDG or Orly into Paris, so you already have a higher cost than your supposed $57, not to mention the sheer time and harassment involved with going out to the airport, security, blah blah blah.

Between the travel time to the airport, time to get through security, time you have to be there in advance of the flight, the flight time, and then the disembarkation and then leaving the airport to enter Paris, flying is maybe only an hour faster — and a lot more of a headache. Not to mention exponentially worse for the environment. I would take the train.

Transferred in Marseille to high speed train to Paris.

No need for a transfer (unless you really want to), there are direct trains from Nice to Paris.

Please consider our climate crisis --- train.

Posted by Dianna (Hawaii, US) on 12/30/23 07:56 PM
With your kind advice I’ve decided to train from Nice to Paris

Dianna, great choice. We have both flown and taken the train, and the train was so much less of a headache, plus relaxing. We enjoyed the countryside and scenery, and the ease of already being in Paris central upon arrival.