Which airport for a private jet on the French Riviera?
Nice Côte d’Azur (2,960-metre runway) takes every jet from the lightest to long-range and remains the default arrival for Nice, Monaco and Cannes. Cannes-Mandelieu (1,600 metres) takes light jets and some midsizes closest to the Croisette, with a curfew from 20:00 to 08:00 in winter. Saint-Tropez – La Môle (1,071 metres) only takes short-runway aircraft; Monaco has a heliport only, seven minutes from Nice by helicopter.
Choose by aircraft
Runway length decides before distance: a heavy jet or a VIP airliner lands at Nice whatever the final destination. Light jets and some midsizes can use Cannes-Mandelieu, faster for Cannes and Antibes. La Môle stays reserved for aircraft certified for its short runway.
The dates that saturate everything
The Cannes Film Festival in May, the Monaco Grand Prix in late May or early June, the Monaco Yacht Show in September: in those weeks, slots and parking at all three fields are booked weeks ahead, and an aircraft may have to leave empty to park elsewhere.
The numbers, route by route
| Route | Category | Passengers | Flight | Estimate (one-way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris → Nice690 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 1h 12 | €3,000–4,000* |
| Paris → Cannes690 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 1h 12 | €3,000–4,000* |
| Paris → Saint-Tropez700 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 1h 18 | €3,000–4,000* |
Computed estimates: great-circle distance × 1.05, time at manufacturer cruise + 0.3 h taxi, published broker hourly rates (Paramount Business Jets), converted at the ECB rate. The firm price depends on aircraft positioning, fees and date.
* Flight under two hours: most operators bill a two-hour minimum per day of use, so the real price is above the computed estimate.