Parking: we tell you where the two hours of free parking come into effect in Nice

As of Tuesday, September 1st, the 16 parking zones in Nice will benefit from two hours of free parking. Added to this is the end of payment in these parking areas at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Éric Ciotti wishes to support the local economy and purchasing power, even if three million euros in lost revenue are expected.

The measure of two hours of free parking and end of payment at 7 p.m. on the 16 Nice parking zones (represented on the map below, Editor’s note) is effective as of Tuesday, September 1st, 2026. The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, considers it an « important day for the purchasing power of Nice residents, for our merchants and our residents », on Monday, August 31st.

The new parking rules in Nice

Concretely, from Monday to Saturday, Nice residents will be able to park free of charge for two hours on the 12,000 paid parking spaces in the city. These payments will stop at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. To benefit from this, you must take a ticket from the parking meters nearby or via the PayByPhone application.

These two hours can be split at different times of the day across the different zones of the city of Nice. However, this must not exceed two hours of parking in total. Furthermore, the 15-minute tolerance without a ticket becomes « less legitimate », the mayor points out. He adds that there will be « no tolerance from the second hour onwards. »

This pricing change is part of his campaign promise for the 2026 municipal elections, insisting on « keeping one’s word. » For Eric Ciotti, it is a concrete response to the difficulties families may encounter. This « direct purchasing power measure », in his words, also helps support neighborhood commerce.

Nice businesses benefit from it

The measure responds to clear logic: « approximately a quarter of parking reasons aim to satisfy a transaction in neighborhood businesses », he adds. By facilitating access to these businesses, the municipality hopes to restore competitiveness to Nice merchants against major players like Cap 3000 or Polygone, which benefit from two to three hours of free parking.

The president of the Federation of Nice Commerce and Crafts (FCNA), Marcel Vidal, confirms this benefit for Nice businesses . The latter indeed wishes to restore fair competition with peripheral shopping centers and free parking.

Marcel Vidal adds that « to come consume locally, you must be able to park » in the face of « constrained purchasing power. » This free parking is therefore, for him, crucial support, whether for professionals and Nice residents, while being able to « consume with extra sunshine », he jokes. A free parking that brings, in fine, as much to merchants, to Nice residents, as to the city.