Nice Ville, France: Catch the awesome double-stacked TGVs on Saturday morning!

Voilà la France!

Welcome to a lovely Summer Saturday Morning trainspotting at Nice-Ville.

Blue light warms the stone, TGV's silver passage, Riviera speeds.

Spent a couple hours filming and hanging out at the station one fine Saturday morning in August.
There's plenty of places to get a sandwich, chat to homeless people and enjoy (don't laugh) probably the best to-go coffee on my trip. Perfect weather to relax and watch the trains from the platforms outside the shed before the heat of the day kicks in.

Even commissioned a song:

Couplet 1 Le soleil se lève sur la Gare de Nice, Un grand bâtiment, un style qui résiste. Sur l'Avenue Thiers, on se presse, on s'active, La Côte d'Azur, la plus belle des rives. De la pierre d'Arles, de l'acier forgé, Notre belle gare, on vient la saluer.

Refrain Oh, Nice-Ville, Nice-Ville, Le TGV est là, Il arrive, il pétille, De Paris, il vient à Nice tout là-bas. On part pour Menton, pour Cannes, pour Monaco, Un billet, un train, et l'azur est si beau.

Couplet 2 Les trains régionaux, le TER qui bouge, Il nous mène vite avant que le ciel soit rouge. On voit les collines, on sent la douceur, C'est le train des vacances, c'est le train du bonheur. Dans la salle d'attente, on boit un café, Pour un nouveau voyage, on est prêt à rêver.

Refrain Oh, Nice-Ville, Nice-Ville, Le TGV est là, Il arrive, il pétille, De Paris, il vient à Nice tout là-bas. On part pour Menton, pour Cannes, pour Monaco, Un billet, un train, et l'azur est si beau.

Which trains do you like best at this station? Where would you go?

A little history of the station:

Gare de Nice-Ville stands as a magnificent testament to Nice's integration into France and the growth of the French Riviera. The station was inaugurated in 1864 and fully completed in 1867 for the influential Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) company.

Designed by architect Louis-Jules Bouchot in a grand Louis XIII style, its original location was intentionally away from the city centre. Over the following decades, however, the city's growth enveloped the station, including that ugly highway you can see. The architecture, featuring Arles stone sculptures, richly decorated halls, and a distinctive roofline, has been largely preserved despite several modernizations.

Prior to the arrival of the high-speed TGV, the station was a key stop for prestigious international express services, including the famous Blue Train and the Mistral. It remains a critical gateway on the Marseille–Ventimiglia railway, linking the French Riviera to major French cities and neighboring Italy. The station's enduring Belle Époque style continues to welcome millions of travelers each year.

Filmed in 4K if that's your thing