Please be aware that recently the pickup point that the Uber app proposes at NCE T1 has changed to an area that necessitates the driver having a particular card access. Many of the drivers seem to be waiting for 2020 in order not to pay for the card which is attributed for a full calendar year, and quite often they resort to calling the client and proposing an alternative pickup spot next to the new Tramway T1 stop. This can potentially be a challenge if one does not speak French.
Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
Sticking to the questions as posed:
- there are multiple ATMs dispensing Euros in Terminal 5 by gates 12-13 and several other places, close to the Travelex desks. You will be charged in Sterling to your USA bank, the Sterling fee will include a Euro to Sterling charge, so the fees could be quite hefty since you would be paying two sets of fees.
- in NCE there are a number of ATMs in Terminal 1, the easiest for someone arriving will be landside, by door A2, this is likely to give a better exchange rate. If that one isn't working then pop round to departures, the machines are on the glass side half way between doors D2 and D3. Nice is plastered in banks, there is no shortage of ATMs there. Looks for the signs saying "Distributeurs". This is likely to be best value for money short of direct credit card purchase for goods / services.
Credit and contactless card (in particular) is well established in France, the partial exception is taxis in that independent drivers greatly prefer cash. In the queue just past down to a driver who nods when you show a card, it's a fixed rate from the airport to downtown. However Uber works in Nice including the airport, so personally Nice is not one of those places - not many left now really - where I feel obliged to have cash readily to hand.
You can use plastic on the tram service too, and they have a good (was going to say nice...) App which you can set up partly in advance and thus get on your way hassle free. If your hotel is by the tram line the taxi is only going to save a few minutes but cost an extra 30€ or so.