Nice Takes Another Step Into the Future as iPhone Tap-and-Go Returns to Buses and Trams

 

For anyone who regularly uses public transportation in Nice and the surrounding area, the return of enhanced iPhone NFC functionality on the Lignes d’Azur network this September may initially sound like a relatively minor technological upgrade.

It isn’t.

The change represents another step in the transformation of public transportation across the Côte d’Azur into a system that is increasingly designed around the smartphone rather than the traditional paper ticket, plastic transport card or ticket machine.

Lignes d’Azur has already allowed passengers to purchase and store tickets on an iPhone through its mobile ticketing system. But the experience has not always been as seamless as passengers might expect from a modern contactless transport network.

That is what makes the restoration of Apple’s NFC functionality particularly interesting.

Soon the iPhone tap-and-go functionality will return in September 2026 following negotiations with Apple. The technology had been suspended in July 2024, meaning that the relationship between Apple’s NFC technology and the local transport network has had something of a complicated history.

But there is an important distinction that passengers should understand.

This isn’t simply a case of Nice suddenly discovering that an iPhone can be used on a bus.

iPhones can already be used within the Lignes d’Azur mobile ticketing ecosystem. Passengers can purchase tickets through the appropriate application and use their phone to validate those tickets against the NFC readers installed on buses and trams.

The difference is the degree of integration and simplicity.

Instead of thinking about the iPhone merely as a place where a digital ticket happens to be stored, the direction of travel is toward making the device itself function much more naturally as the passenger’s transport credential.

That distinction may sound technical, but anyone who has ever stood at a Nice tram stop trying to work out which ticket they need will understand why it matters.

From Ticket Machines to Your Phone

Public transportation in Nice has become considerably more sophisticated over the past several years.

The old model was straightforward: find a machine, select a ticket, pay, take the ticket and validate it.

Then came rechargeable transport cards (which can still be used).

Then mobile ticketing.

Now the smartphone is increasingly becoming the ticket.

For residents, this is convenient. For tourists, it could be transformative.

Nice welcomes millions of visitors every year, many of whom arrive with little understanding of the local transportation system. A visitor arriving at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport may simply want to get onto a tram or bus without having to decipher the local fare structure or locate a ticket machine.

The smartphone offers a much more intuitive alternative.

And because international visitors are already accustomed to using Apple Pay and their phones for everything from hotel reservations to restaurant payments, asking them to use their phone for public transportation requires virtually no new technological behaviour.

But Don’t Confuse This With London-Style Contactless

There is one important caveat.

The return of iPhone NFC functionality does not necessarily mean that Nice is adopting a completely open-loop system like London’s, where a passenger can simply tap a bank card or Apple Pay device and the transport network automatically calculates the appropriate fare.

Lignes d’Azur continues to operate its own ticketing structure, including individual tickets, multi-trip products, day passes, subscriptions and other fares.

The iPhone is therefore increasingly functioning as the digital carrier of the transport ticket, rather than simply being a credit card that gets charged every time someone boards a bus.

That distinction is important because the phrase “tap and go” can make the system sound more comprehensive than it actually is.

Nevertheless, from the passenger’s perspective, the experience is becoming remarkably close.

Buy the appropriate ticket.

Put it on your phone.

Walk onto the bus or tram.

Hold the phone near the validator.

And go.

Apple Watch Makes It Even More Convenient

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the evolving system is that the experience isn’t limited to the iPhone.

Lignes d’Azur’s current documentation also describes using an Apple Watch to validate a ticket.

That potentially removes another layer of friction.

Instead of pulling a phone out of a pocket or handbag, unlocking it and finding the appropriate application, a passenger can potentially simply present their watch to the validator.

For people who use public transportation every day, those few seconds may seem insignificant.

Multiply those seconds by hundreds of journeys, however, and the advantage becomes obvious.

And on a crowded Nice tram during the summer season, anything that makes boarding faster is a good thing.

Why It Matters Particularly In Nice

There is another reason this development makes sense for the Côte d’Azur.

Nice isn’t simply a city with a local commuter population.

It is an international tourism destination.

Passengers using Lignes d’Azur can include residents commuting to work, students travelling to university, retirees heading into town, tourists staying for a few days, cruise passengers spending several hours in the city and international visitors travelling between Nice, the airport and surrounding communities.

A modern transportation system therefore needs to accommodate people who may have absolutely no familiarity with the local ticketing system.

Smartphone-based ticketing is one way of eliminating that barrier.

It also reduces dependence on physical ticket distribution and makes the entire transportation network feel more connected to the way people already live their lives.

There Is A Practical Benefit For Fare Enforcement Too

The technology also has implications beyond convenience.

Every passenger still needs a valid ticket and must properly validate it. Making the purchasing and validation process easier can reduce one of the excuses often associated with fare evasion: that obtaining or understanding a ticket was difficult.

The easier it becomes to purchase a legitimate ticket, the harder it becomes to argue that the system itself created an unnecessary barrier.

For Lignes d’Azur, that potentially means a more efficient validation process and better control over fare compliance.

For passengers, it means fewer excuses for having to stand around at a ticket machine while a tram is waiting.

The Bigger Picture

What is happening in Nice is part of a much broader transformation in public transportation.

The traditional concept of a “ticket” is slowly disappearing.

First it was a piece of paper.

Then a plastic card.

Now it is increasingly a digital credential sitting inside a smartphone or smartwatch.

And the Côte d’Azur is moving in that direction too.

The September 2026 return of enhanced iPhone NFC functionality is therefore more than a small technological footnote. It is another indication that Lignes d’Azur is trying to make public transportation more intuitive, particularly for a population that increasingly expects to be able to use a smartphone for almost everything.

For residents, it should make everyday journeys easier.

For visitors, it could make navigating Nice considerably less intimidating.

And for a city that wants its public transportation system to work efficiently for both locals and the millions of people who pass through the Côte d’Azur every year, making the smartphone the ticket is probably less a technological novelty than an inevitable next step.

The days of desperately searching for a handful of coins to get onto a Nice bus may finally be heading toward the history books.

Bathhouse Babylon: A Book That Took on a Life of Its Own

As we near the end of the summer months, I’m not sure whether it’s the heat, the sense of freedom that seems to come with this time of year, or simply the fact that people are on vacation and have a little more time on their hands. Whatever the reason, there has been a rather large and unexpected uptick in sales of my book, Bathhouse Babylon – Full Release.

 

The book actually came out of the Covid-19 lockdown period. I’m the sort of person who likes to keep busy, and during that strange period of being stuck at home, I found myself thinking about my more than decade-long career working in the gay sauna world. People had often told me that I should write a book about my experiences managing those establishments since I had so many unusual stories, so I finally decided to pull out the diaries I had kept during those years and start writing.

 

I wanted to tell the story from the inside.

There have been books written by people who attended gay saunas as patrons, often focusing on their experiences and, understandably, their sexual adventures. There is certainly plenty of sex mentioned in Bathhouse Babylon, but I wanted to explore something much broader: what actually goes on behind the scenes of these businesses and what it takes to operate one.

 

The book begins with my experience as a part-time employee and follows my surprisingly rapid rise into management. From there, it delves into the realities of running a bathhouse: the finances, employees and their often fascinating stories, the expectations of patrons, the involvement of governments and tax authorities, the building of these businesses from scratch, the demands and expectations of owners, the drug and alcohol scene, addictions, and the sometimes complicated relationship these businesses have with the LGBTQ+ communities they serve.

 

I also wanted to put some history around these establishments and explore their broader importance for other generations, including the sociology, culture and communities that developed around them. There is obviously plenty of sex—this is a book about gay saunas, after all—but sex is only one part of a much larger story.

 

Since the book was published, the amount of publicity it has received around the world has been both surprising and genuinely delightful. Over the years, it has led me to connect with writers, journalists and editors who occasionally reach out to discuss a story involving gay saunas or simply ask for a quote or some background on the subject.

 

I left the bathhouse world a long time ago, but the experience taught me a tremendous amount about business, management and, perhaps most importantly, people.

 

Before publishing the book, I did wonder whether being so open about that part of my life might somehow affect my work in luxury real estate and my life here on the Côte d’Azur. As it turned out, quite the opposite happened. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and the book has opened considerably more doors than I ever expected. What I initially worried might create problems has instead created opportunities.

 

There is an old saying that you never really know where a book will go. Once it is published, it takes on a life of its own. I rarely pay attention to the sales anymore until the notifications of late signalled something more was going on, so I’m always amused when I discover that Bathhouse Babylon is still making the rounds years after its publication.

 

Social media has certainly helped. Seeing people discussing the book on platforms such as X, Instagram and Bluesky, and having readers reach out to chat about it, is something I never really anticipated when I was sitting at home during lockdown pulling together stories from old diaries.

 

Who knew?

 

If you’re interested in the book or the ebook, Bathhouse Babylon – Full Release is currently available through Amazon. Apparently, copies have also made their way into a number of libraries across the United States, including in places such as Chicago and New York. And, of course, there is always the possibility of finding a used copy online or tucked away in a bookstore somewhere.

 

It’s a big book, but there’s a lot packed into it—and, I like to think, quite a bit of bang for your buck.

From Horse-Drawn Streetcars to the Tramways of Tomorrow: The Remarkable History of Nice and the Côte d’Azur on Rails

 

In the distance, almost inaudible beneath the whisper of the Mediterranean wind, comes the gentle sound of a tram approaching. For a moment, you could almost imagine yourself standing on a street in Nice more than a century ago, waiting beneath the afternoon sun as a tram rounds the corner. Its polished body catches the light, passengers sit on wooden benches, the driver watches the road ahead and there is the gentle rhythm of wheels against rails and the murmur of conversation. The tram has arrived.

Today, Nice is once again a city of trams. Modern, quiet, accessible and increasingly ambitious, the network has become one of the defining elements of everyday life on the Côte d’Azur. But today’s sleek Alstom Citadis vehicles are not the beginning of the story. They are, in many ways, the continuation of a story that began nearly 150 years ago.

When Nice First Discovered The Tram

The story begins in the late nineteenth century, when Nice was transforming itself from a Mediterranean city into one of Europe’s great winter resorts. The railway had already changed everything. The first train from Paris reached Nice in 1864, and by 1869 the railway had reached Monaco, with the line extended to Menton and then Ventimiglia. The railway was opening the Riviera to wealthy visitors, encouraging the construction of grand hotels, villas and new boulevards.

But getting people around Nice itself was another matter.

In 1878, horse-drawn streetcars appeared. These early chemins de fer américains ran on rails and represented a remarkable technological leap for the city. What today seems almost impossibly slow was then modernity itself. A tram was not merely transportation. It was an event.

Passengers climbed aboard, greeted neighbours, exchanged news and watched Nice unfold outside the windows. Children waited beside the road for the familiar sound of the wheels and the driver’s bell. For many residents, the tram became part of the rhythm of everyday life. The city was growing, and the tram was growing with it.

Electricity Changes Everything

The real transformation came around the turn of the century. The horse disappeared, electricity arrived, and electric traction transformed what was possible, allowing the tramway to move beyond the immediate streets of Nice and into the wider landscape of the Riviera.

The Tramways de Nice et du Littoral became the backbone of an extraordinary network. The modern electric network was formally born in 1900, when the first TNL line to Cimiez opened on 13 January. Within a remarkably short period, additional routes connected Nice with Villefranche-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Contes and Beaulieu.

And then the tram went even farther.

 

In 1903, a coastal route linked Nice with Monaco and subsequently Menton, running along the spectacular Riviera coastline. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was possible to travel by tram from Nice through Villefranche and Beaulieu to Monaco and on to Menton.

 

Imagine that journey. There were no motorways, no traffic jams and no tunnels carrying streams of cars beneath the mountains. The Riviera was experienced at the speed of the tram. The sea would appear through the windows, villas and gardens would slide slowly past, and the cliffs, harbours and little coastal towns would reveal themselves almost theatrically. The journey was part of the destination.

A Tramway Empire Stretching Into The Mountains

The extraordinary thing about the historic tram system is that it was not simply a Nice city network. The rails penetrated deep into the Alpes-Maritimes.

Beginning in the early twentieth century, the Tramways des Alpes-Maritimes were created to connect isolated communities in the mountains with the coast and the growing commercial centre of Nice. Lines reached towards Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Saint-Sauveur-de-Tinée, Guillaumes, Roquestéron, Grasse, Vence and other communities.

The Department of the Alpes-Maritimes notes that electric tramway lines were specifically developed from Nice to serve the Paillon, Var and Vésubie valleys. By 1910, the tramway had reached Saint-Martin-Vésubie via Plan-du-Var, with the journey taking around three hours and fifteen minutes.

This was infrastructure as social transformation. Villages that had been relatively isolated suddenly had a connection to the coast. Farmers could move goods, workers could travel, merchants could access larger markets and residents of the valleys could reach Nice more easily. The rails were not simply carrying passengers; they were carrying opportunity.

Some of the engineering was extraordinary. The Guillaumes line, for example, climbed through the dramatic Daluis landscape, including a succession of tunnels through the gorge before crossing the Var on the famous Pont de la Mariée. The journey through the mountains was not simply transportation but an experience in itself.

It was an astonishing network to have existed in a landscape that today can still feel remote.

The Riviera Was Once Connected By Tram

The scale of the historic system is easy to underestimate. The TNL network alone included an urban network in Nice, a coastal network and connections towards Monaco. Historical railway records put the electrified TNL system at approximately 84 kilometres, including about 51 kilometres of coastal routes. 

 

Nice was effectively the center of a web of rails.

Place Masséna was the heart of the urban network, with multiple lines converging there. By 1901, eight lines had been established in Nice, and the system continued expanding. Even the way passengers identified the trams reveals something fascinating about the city of the period. The vehicles did not necessarily rely on today’s sophisticated electronic displays. Instead, routes were identified using coloured square signs and symbols, including circles and bars, helping even people who could not read identify their tram.

The tram was democratic technology. It belonged to everyone.

When The Automobile Won

But the twentieth century brought a new idea of modernity: the automobile.

As elsewhere in France, roads increasingly became designed around cars. Buses were considered more flexible, while tram tracks were increasingly regarded as obstacles to traffic. The irony is difficult to miss today. The tram had once been the symbol of progress, but progress was redefined as the automobile.

The historic network began disappearing. Some routes were converted to buses during the 1920s, and the coastal tramways linking Nice, Monaco and Menton disappeared in the early 1930s. The mountain branches suffered the same fate, disappearing progressively as road transport expanded.

The last historic Nice tramway finally disappeared in 1953.

The rails were removed, the overhead wires vanished and the tram became a memory preserved in postcards, photographs and family stories. For more than half a century, Nice would become increasingly dependent on buses and private automobiles.

When Nice Changed Its Mind

By the late twentieth century, however, the automobile had created its own problem: traffic, congestion, pollution and a city increasingly difficult to navigate.

Nice had begun to rediscover something that earlier generations had understood instinctively: a successful city needs transportation systems capable of moving large numbers of people efficiently without requiring every person to own or use a car.

An earlier proposal for a metro was ultimately abandoned because of its cost. In 1996, the city decided to abandon the older metro concept in favour of a tramway solution, and in 1998 the municipal council formally approved the modern tram project following public consultation.

Construction began in 2003.

On 24 November 2007, after an absence of more than half a century, the tram returned to Nice.

The return was about much more than nostalgia. The new Line 1 represented a fundamental change in the way Nice approached urban transportation. Instead of designing the city around the automobile, the city was once again giving priority to high-capacity public transport.

The Rebirth Of The Nice Tramway

The first modern line was Line 1, running north-south through the city. The new tramway was radically different from its ancestor. There were no horses and no wooden streetcars, but modern low-floor trams, dedicated infrastructure, accessible stations and an increasingly integrated public transport network.

The response was immediate. Passenger numbers rose rapidly after opening, and the frequency was progressively increased. The success of Line 1 demonstrated that Nice residents were prepared to leave their cars behind when public transportation was frequent, reliable and convenient.

The tram was no longer a nostalgic return to the past. It was becoming the backbone of Nice’s future.

Line 2: Taking The Tram Underground

The next great transformation was Line 2. Rather than simply reproducing the surface network, Nice built something much more ambitious: a tramway that disappears beneath the city centre.

Line 2 created an east-west spine linking the airport with central Nice and Port Lympia. Approximately 3.2 kilometres of the 9.2-kilometre line are underground.

For visitors, the significance is enormous. Arriving at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport no longer means automatically finding a taxi or navigating a bus through traffic. The tram takes passengers directly into the city, with Line 2 serving both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 before continuing towards Port Lympia.

It has fundamentally changed the arrival experience on the Riviera. A visitor can step off an aircraft and, within minutes, be travelling through the city by tram. For residents, the line provides something even more important: a reliable east-west alternative to increasingly congested roads.

The airport connection has also helped reinforce Nice’s position as one of Europe’s most accessible Mediterranean destinations. Few major tourist cities can offer such a direct and relatively inexpensive connection between their principal airport and the urban centre.

Line 3 And The Transformation Of The Var Plain

Line 3 extended the tramway westward towards Saint-Isidore, serving the rapidly developing Plaine du Var.

The significance of this cannot be separated from Nice’s broader urban development. The western side of Nice has undergone enormous change, with the airport, business districts, Grand Arénas, the Allianz Riviera and expanding residential and commercial areas creating a very different urban geography from the Nice of the twentieth century.

The tram has become one of the mechanisms connecting those new districts to the historic centre.

And the network continues to evolve.

Since January 2025, the operational structure has been reorganised so that Line 2 operates between Port Lympia and the airport, while Line 3 runs from Saint-Isidore through the centre to Port Lympia. A new Line B provides the airport–CADAM connection and preserves the connection to the administrative centre.

The tram network is no longer simply a collection of separate lines. It is becoming a genuine network.

Nice In 2026: The Tram Has Become Part Of Everyday Life

Today, Lignes d’Azur operates four tram lines: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3 and Line B. Line 1 covers approximately 9.2 kilometres between Henri Sappia and Hôpital Pasteur. Line 2 covers 9.2 kilometres between Aéroport Terminal 2 and Port Lympia, including its underground central section. Line 3 stretches 12.3 kilometres from Saint-Isidore to Port Lympia, while Line B covers the three-kilometre airport–CADAM connection.

The tram is now supported by a much broader system of buses, park-and-ride facilities and cycling infrastructure. Lignes d’Azur currently operates an extensive urban network, with four tram lines and numerous Parcazur park-and-ride facilities designed to encourage motorists to leave their cars outside the centre and continue by public transport.

The transformation is particularly visible at the airport. For a city whose economy depends heavily on tourism, the ability to move visitors from the airport into the centre, towards the Port and onward through the metropolitan area is enormously important.

The tram has become part of Nice’s welcome mat.

Line 4: Extending The Tramway Along The Western Côte d’Azur

Perhaps the most important next chapter is already taking shape with Line 4, which will extend the tramway beyond Nice towards Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer.

The planned line will be approximately 7.1 kilometres long, with 18 stations, including 14 new stations. It is expected to connect Nice Saint-Augustin/Grand Arénas with central Cagnes-sur-Mer, passing through Saint-Laurent-du-Var. The planned journey time is approximately 23 minutes, with trams expected roughly every eight minutes.

This is particularly significant because Cagnes-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-du-Var are among the most populous communities of the wider Nice metropolitan area.

The project is also about considerably more than rails. The plans include substantial public-space improvements, pedestrian facilities, cycling infrastructure, vegetation and park-and-ride facilities. The metropolitan authority says approximately 250,000 square metres of public space will be requalified, while the project includes extensive tree planting and preservation.

And in July 2026, there was an important legal development: the Administrative Tribunal of Nice rejected a challenge from local residents against the declaration of public utility for Line 4, clearing an important legal obstacle to the project.

The current timetable anticipates preparatory works in 2026, major infrastructure and track works from 2027, an initial opening towards Cagnes-sur-Mer’s Val Fleuri area around 2030, and completion to central Cagnes-sur-Mer and the Parc des Sports terminus by the end of 2031.

For the western Côte d’Azur, this could be transformative.

And Then There Is Line 5

If Line 4 represents the tramway’s expansion westward, Line 5 represents its expansion eastward into the Paillon valley.

The proposed Line 5 will connect Nice with Saint-André-de-la-Roche, La Trinité and Drap. The planned route is approximately 7.5 kilometres long, with 15 stations and an estimated journey time of 25 minutes. The project is designed to serve approximately 47,000 inhabitants and 13,900 jobs.

The metropolitan authority estimates that Line 5 could remove around 18,000 cars from the Paillon valley every day and avoid approximately 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

The project reached another important milestone when its public inquiry was held from 3 November to 12 December 2025, with the inquiry report and conclusions subsequently published. The proposed timetable envisages sections opening progressively, with the Pont-Michel–Ariane section targeted for 2028, the La Trinité connection around 2030 and Drap around 2031.

Once again, the philosophy is strikingly similar to that of the old tramways: connect the communities, make movement easier, open the valleys and bring people closer to Nice. Only the technology has changed.

The Return Of A Regional Vision

There is something particularly interesting about the modern expansion of Nice’s tramway when viewed against the history of the old system.

The historic tramway did not stop at the boundaries of Nice. It reached into neighbouring communities and deep into the mountains because transportation was understood as a means of connecting an entire region.

Today’s tramway is gradually returning to that metropolitan philosophy.

Line 4 will strengthen connections between Nice, Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Line 5 is intended to strengthen connections between Nice and the communities of the Paillon valley. Together with the existing network, regional rail services and buses, the system is slowly creating a much more integrated transportation network across the metropolitan area.

The modern system is not recreating the old tramway network. That would be neither practical nor desirable. But it is reviving its underlying principle: transportation should connect communities rather than simply move vehicles.

From The Mediterranean To The Mountains

There is also something deeply poetic about the contrast between the old network and the new.

The historic tram could take you from the Mediterranean coast towards the mountains, passing through landscapes that changed dramatically along the way. Today’s network does not yet reproduce that extraordinary reach. The old tramways to Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Guillaumes, Grasse and the other valleys are gone.

But the principle survives.

The modern tram connects the airport to the centre, the centre to the port, the city to the western plain, and increasingly Nice to the communities that surround it.

Beyond the tram itself, the Chemins de Fer de Provence continue to provide a rail connection into the hinterland, while Lignes d’Azur’s integrated network reaches throughout the metropolitan territory. Certain Chemins de Fer de Provence journeys can even be made using Lignes d’Azur fares between Nice Centre and Le Chaudan, illustrating the increasingly interconnected nature of the region’s public transport system.

The old dream of connecting the coast and the mountains has never completely disappeared. It has simply taken different forms.

The Great Irony Of The Tramway

There is a wonderful irony in all of this.

The tram disappeared because the automobile represented the future. Now the tram is returning because the automobile alone cannot provide the future.

The old tramway was eventually overwhelmed by cars because cities had not yet understood the consequences of designing urban life around them. Today’s tramway is part of a broader effort to reclaim public space, reduce congestion, improve air quality and make cities more pleasant to live in.

The philosophy has changed completely. The tram no longer has to compete with the city. Increasingly, the city is being redesigned around the tram.

That can be seen in Nice’s pedestrian areas, redesigned boulevards, cycle routes, planted tram platforms and public squares. The rails are no longer simply transportation infrastructure. They are instruments of urban renewal.

A Different Kind Of Riviera Experience

For visitors, the transformation is just as significant.

The Côte d’Azur has traditionally been associated with glamour, expensive cars, yachts and private transfers. But the modern Riviera can also be experienced without a car, particularly in and around Nice.

A visitor can arrive at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, take the tram into the city, continue towards the Old Town, reach the Port, connect with buses and trains, and explore much of the coast without ever sitting behind the wheel.

That is not simply convenient. It changes the experience of the destination.

Instead of concentrating on traffic, parking and navigation, visitors can look out of the window and watch the city unfold. They can move at street level, see neighbourhoods they might otherwise have missed and experience Nice as a living city rather than merely a collection of tourist attractions.

For residents, the advantages are even greater. A reliable tram network gives people another choice.

And choice is ultimately what good public transportation is about.

Nearly 150 Years Of History

It is extraordinary to consider just how much has changed since the first horse-drawn streetcars appeared in Nice in 1878.

The city has grown enormously. The population has changed, the coastline has been transformed, roads have been widened, cars have multiplied and entire neighbourhoods have appeared where fields and orchards once stood.

Yet the fundamental problem remains remarkably similar.

How do you move people efficiently through a beautiful but geographically complicated city surrounded by hills, valleys and the Mediterranean?

The answer in 1878 was the tram.

The answer in 1900 was the electric tram.

The answer in the middle of the twentieth century became the automobile and the bus.

And increasingly, the answer of the twenty-first century is once again the tram.

The Future Is On Rails

Perhaps that is the most remarkable part of Nice’s transportation story.

The tram is not simply being restored as a historical curiosity. It is being reinvented as a central part of the city’s future.

The network that returned in 2007 has grown into something far more sophisticated than the system that existed in the nineteenth century. It links the airport, city centre, port, northern districts and western suburbs, while future projects promise to extend the network into neighbouring communities.

Line 4 will push the system towards Cagnes-sur-Mer. Line 5 will reach further into the Paillon valley. Other improvements to public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure are reshaping how people move around the metropolitan area.

And the significance extends beyond transportation.

It is about what kind of city Nice wants to be.

A city dominated by cars, congestion and asphalt, or a city where streets are increasingly designed for people, public transportation, pedestrians and cyclists.

The tram has become one of the clearest symbols of that choice.

A Journey Through Time

Perhaps the best way to understand the story is to imagine standing once again on a Nice street.

In 1878, a horse-drawn tram approached. Passengers climb aboard, the driver takes the reins and the vehicle slowly disappears into the growing city.

A few decades later, electricity has transformed the scene. The tram can travel farther, faster and deeper into the region, carrying passengers along the coast towards Monaco and Menton and climbing into the valleys and mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes.

Then, after decades of decline, the tracks disappear.

Nice becomes a city of buses and automobiles.

For more than fifty years, the tram has existed only in photographs.

Then, in 2007, it returned.

Today, a modern tram glides through Place Masséna. Another disappears beneath the city towards the airport. Another travels west towards Saint-Isidore. Soon, new lines will begin extending the network beyond Nice itself.

The vehicles may be modern, but the idea is remarkably old.

Connect people.

Connect communities.

Make the city accessible.

Make the journey part of everyday life.

That was the purpose of the tramway more than a century ago, and it remains its purpose today.

The rails have returned to the Côte d’Azur, not because Nice is looking backwards, but because the city has realised that one of the solutions to its future was hiding in its past.

From the horse-drawn streetcars of 1878 to the modern tramways of 2026, Nice has travelled an extraordinary circular journey.

And there is still plenty of track ahead.

Photos courtesy of Comté de Nice et son histoire

HIV Prevention: Injectable PrEP Offers a New Option in France

 

France’s healthcare system has long been recognised for its broad access, strong public coverage and ability to make innovative treatments available through the Social Security system. That combination is particularly important in HIV prevention, where access to effective, discreet and convenient protection can make a significant difference. Now, people in France have another option: injectable PrEP.

Since February, Apretude, the first long-acting injectable PrEP available in France, has been reimbursed by Social Security. Containing the antiretroviral drug cabotegravir, Apretude is administered by injection every two months after an initial phase, offering an alternative to taking PrEP tablets regularly.

PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a preventive treatment for people who are HIV-negative but may be exposed to HIV. The French National Authority for Health (HAS) recommends injectable PrEP as an alternative for people for whom oral PrEP is not suitable or practical.

Who can benefit from injectable PrEP?

Unlike some prevention programmes that focus on specific groups, injectable PrEP is not restricted by the HAS to particular populations. Instead, it can be considered for anyone who is HIV-negative and may benefit from PrEP, particularly when taking tablets is difficult or inappropriate.

This can include people who struggle to maintain a daily medication routine, including some people who use drugs or engage in chemsex, sex workers, migrants or people who need to keep their PrEP use discreet because of stigma or their personal circumstances.

It may also be appropriate for people for whom oral PrEP is not recommended because of kidney or bone problems, those with difficulties absorbing medication through the digestive system, including following certain types of surgery, and people who have difficulty swallowing tablets.

The principle is relatively simple: prevention works best when people have access to an option they can realistically use. As Valérie Grange, public affairs director at ViiV Healthcare, which developed Apretude, explains, the aim is to find the most appropriate option for each individual and expand access to PrEP as widely as possible.

Are there contraindications?

There are relatively few medical contraindications, but injectable PrEP is not appropriate for everyone.

Apretude should not be given to people who are HIV-positive or whose HIV status has not been established. It is also contraindicated in people with a known hypersensitivity to the treatment.

Certain medications can also interact with cabotegravir, including some treatments for tuberculosis, such as rifampicin and rifapentine, as well as several anti-epileptic medicines including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital.

Because Apretude is injected into the muscle, it is also generally not recommended for people taking therapeutic doses of anticoagulants because of the potential risk of bleeding or a haematoma. People with buttock implants may likewise not be suitable candidates.

Is injectable PrEP as effective as PrEP tablets?

Yes. When taken correctly, both oral and injectable PrEP provide a very high level of protection against HIV.

Injectable PrEP does, however, offer one major practical advantage: there is no daily tablet to remember. For people who find adherence difficult, removing the possibility of missed daily doses can make injectable PrEP an especially attractive option.

There is an important caveat. Protection is not immediate after the first injection and reaches full effectiveness after seven days.

And while PrEP is highly effective against HIV, it does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections. It also does not protect against hepatitis B, for which vaccination remains an important form of prevention.

How do you get injectable PrEP in France?

Apretude can be prescribed by a doctor experienced in HIV care, whether a general practitioner or specialist.

Before treatment begins, a comprehensive blood test is required to make sure the person does not have an existing HIV infection, including a recent infection that might not yet be obvious. This is particularly important because giving cabotegravir to someone who already has HIV could contribute to the development of resistance to certain HIV medicines.

Screening for other sexually transmitted infections is also carried out, while kidney and liver function are checked.

For most people, treatment can then begin. In some cases, particularly where there are concerns about allergies or tolerance, doctors may recommend an initial course of oral medication before moving to injections.

The standard injectable schedule begins with two injections one month apart. After that, injections are administered every eight weeks.

Regular medical monitoring remains part of the process, with blood tests generally performed every two months initially and then every four months.

Stopping treatment also needs to be discussed with a doctor. Cabotegravir can remain in the body at very low levels for many months — potentially close to a year — after the last injection, meaning appropriate follow-up and alternative HIV prevention should be considered when treatment is discontinued.

Does the injection hurt?

Apretude is injected into the gluteal muscle, so there is inevitably a little more involved than simply swallowing a tablet.

The injection can cause some discomfort, and soreness around the injection site can last for a day or two. However, clinical experience indicates that injection-site discomfort generally becomes less troublesome with repeated injections.

Apretude is otherwise generally well tolerated. Some people may experience mild and temporary side effects such as headaches or a slight fever.

For many users, the trade-off may be worthwhile: a brief period of discomfort every two months rather than remembering to take a tablet every day.

How much does Apretude cost?

One of the major advantages of the French healthcare system is that access to important preventive treatments does not depend entirely on a person’s ability to pay out of pocket.

Apretude is fully reimbursed for people covered by French Social Security, Complementary Solidarity Health Insurance (CSS) and State Medical Aid (AME).

There is, however, one additional cost that can complicate access. The HIV viral-load test required before prescribing PrEP is reimbursed at 65 percent, except for people covered by AME. Supplementary health insurance will generally cover the remainder.

The test can also be obtained free of charge through CeGIDD — free information, screening and diagnostic centres — as well as through some community health organisations and centres specialising in sexual health.

Organisations such as AIDES have nevertheless argued that requiring this test creates an unnecessary barrier for people who are already more likely to be disconnected from mainstream healthcare.

The hope among advocates and healthcare professionals is that future evidence could eventually lead to changes in the reimbursement requirements. For now, however, the testing requirement remains part of the French prescribing pathway.

Another tool in France’s HIV-Prevention arsenal

The arrival of injectable PrEP represents an important expansion of HIV prevention in France. Rather than replacing oral PrEP, condoms or regular STI testing, Apretude adds another option for people who need or prefer a different approach.

That flexibility matters. HIV prevention is most effective when people can choose a method that fits their health, relationships, lifestyle and circumstances.

With France’s public healthcare system providing broad reimbursement for the treatment, injectable PrEP is now considerably more accessible than it would be if patients had to shoulder the full cost themselves. The challenge ahead is ensuring that people who could benefit from it actually know it exists, can access appropriate testing and feel comfortable discussing their sexual health with healthcare professionals.

In other words, science has moved forward. The next step is making sure access keeps pace.