Nice has no single boat terminal. The boats leave from four points around the Port of Nice and four harbours along the coast. Before you book boat tours in Nice France, find the quay on your booking, because a walk to the wrong one can cost you the boat.
The Port of Nice is a long basin with quays on each side. It sits east of Castle Hill, a short walk from the old town. From one side of it to the other is a fair walk, so know which quay is yours before you leave your hotel.
The quays share one basin, but they are not side by side. If your booking says Port Lympia, it means the Nissa Croisières meeting point in front of the tram stop, on Quai Napoléon 1er. If it says Quai Lunel, look for the yellow awning of the ferry desk.
The snorkel boat meets at an office rather than a quay. You check in at the Poseidon diving centre's office in the port, then walk to the boat with the crew.
Some boats do not start in Nice at all. The private charters and the solar boats leave from smaller harbours east of the city, and one catamaran leaves from Cannes. Getting there is up to you, and the fare does not include it.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are neighbours around the cape. Port Silva Maris is further east, below Èze, and you walk down to it from the road. Leave yourself time on the path: the boat will not hold for a late group.
Cannes lies in the other direction, west of Nice. The Cannes catamaran listing puts it 25 minutes from Nice by train. Allow time on top of that to reach the jetty on Pointe Croisette from the station.
Match your trip to its quay here, then check the exact spot on your booking. The meeting points are the operators' own, taken from each listing.
| The trip | Where you board | Be there |
|---|---|---|
| 1-hour cruise, Monaco and Saint-Tropez boats | Trans Côte d'Azur desk, Quai Lunel | 30 minutes before, to exchange your voucher |
| Mala cave RIBs and the sunset RIB | Port Lympia tram stop, Quai Napoléon 1er | 15 minutes before; late arrivals are refused |
| Morning and sunset catamaran | Pontoon below Quai Amiral Infernet | 10 minutes before boarding |
| Monaco speedboat | Pontoon G04, Quai Entrecasteaux | As your booking says |
| Snorkel boat | The Poseidon diving centre office, Port of Nice | As your booking says |
| Charters from the port | 25 or 30 Quai Lunel | As your booking says |
| Solar boats | Beaulieu-sur-Mer marina | As your booking says |
| Charters from the cape | Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat harbour | As your booking says |
| Charters from Èze | Port Silva Maris | As your booking says |
| Cannes catamaran | Pointe Croisette jetty, Cannes | As your booking says |
If your trip is not a Nice port departure, allow for the journey out. Beaulieu, the cape and Èze are a short way east of Nice by road. Cannes is easiest by train.
Compare the boats that leave from each quay, with the fees beside every price.
Tram line 2 is the easy way to the port. It runs from the airport, both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, through the city centre at Jean Médecin, to its terminus at Port Lympia. On weekdays a tram leaves for the airport about every 8 minutes.
The Port Lympia stop is on Quai Napoléon 1er, right where the Nissa Croisières RIBs meet. From there, Quai Lunel and Quai Amiral Infernet are a walk around the basin. If you come straight from a flight, note that the airport needs its own ticket: the €10 Aéro return, sold at every machine on the tram platforms.
You can also walk. From the old town the port is over Castle Hill or around its seaward side. Allow more time than the map suggests if you have bags or children.
The boats keep to time, and each operator has its own rule for when you must arrive. Trans Côte d'Azur wants you at its desk 30 minutes before sailing, to swap your voucher for a boarding ticket. Nissa Croisières asks for 15 minutes and refuses late arrivals.
A missed boat is not refunded. The 24-hour free cancellation covers you only if you cancel in time, not if you arrive after the boat has left. So go to the quay the day before if you can, and see it for yourself.
On a charter from the cape, one operator will collect you from the Port of Nice for €100, at 1 Quai Amiral Infernet. The others expect you at their own harbour.
Port of Nice, France
Quai Lunel,
Quai Napoléon 1er and Quai Amiral Infernet
The map loads from Google only when you press the button. The port is the basin east of Castle Hill, a short walk from the old town.
Every meeting point and arrival time comes from the trip's own listing. The tram route, its frequency and the airport ticket are Lignes d'Azur's, checked 26 September 2026. The Trans Côte d'Azur desk is the operator's own.
One hour from the desk at the port, with live commentary in French and English: the city's bay, Cap de Nice and Villefranche bay. A seat on a timetabled boat, no swim stop.
From $33 per person
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Half an hour along the coast on a wooden boat, then about 90 minutes at anchor off the cape with snorkel gear. Age 12 and up, and you must swim unaided.
From $56 per person
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Three hours on a private boat from the harbour below Èze, along the capes toward Villefranche-sur-Mer with drinks aboard. Nobody goes ashore; €300 in local fees is paid per booking.
From $348 per person plus €300 local fees per booking
Check AvailabilityNext: see what the boats pass on things to do from the water, read the visitor guide, or compare every boat trip on Nice Boat Tours.