Best day trips from Nice: 6 places by train and bus
The railway hugs the coast in both directions, which makes Nice the most practical base on the Riviera. Pick one direction per day.
Èze
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15 minto Èze-sur-Mer on the shore, then a stiff uphill walk or a bus. Not every train stops there. From Vauban in Nice, bus 82 or Zou! 602 goes straight to the village.
about 20 min
A medieval village stacked on a rock high above the sea. The lanes are steep, the views are the whole point, and very little in the way of flat ground awaits you. Of all the trips here, this is the one people remember longest.
Tip: Take the bus up and walk down only if your knees agree. Allow time for connections if you are combining it with Monaco.
about 24 mindirect to Monaco–Monte-Carlo; advance fares from €5.50. Trains run often through the day.
about 26 min
A tiny state of towers and superyachts squeezed between mountain and sea. Come for the spectacle of the harbour and the views from above it, then leave before dinner prices start to look normal.
Tip: Skip the car. Regional trains are simpler than parking here, and the coast is at its best from the window seat on the right going east.
about 7 mindirect on the coast line; fares from €3.60.
about 15 min
A deep, sheltered bay with a curve of beach and a stack of warm-coloured houses above it. It is so close that you can come for a swim and be back for lunch.
Tip: Pair it with Èze on the same line, and keep this stop for the afternoon swim.
Photo: Eric Planet Olympus / Pexels, Pexels License
about 25 minon the coast line, fastest trains in 16 minutes; advance fares from €7.
about 30 min
Sea walls and stone towers wrapped around an old town, with snow-capped peaks behind on a clear winter day. It is the most relaxed of the western trips, and a good choice for a slow lunch and a walk along the ramparts.
Tip: Walk the sea wall in the late afternoon, when the stone turns gold.
about 36 minfastest trains in 27 minutes; advance fares from €8.50.
about 33 min
Palace hotels along La Croisette, then the climb into Le Suquet, the old quarter above the harbour. Less a sight than a mood: dress up a little, walk the seafront and watch the sun go down.
Tip: Stop at Antibes on the way back if you want two towns in one day.
about 15 minto Cagnes-sur-Mer, then bus 655 up to the St Paul Village stop. The bus also runs from Nice.
about 26 min
A walled hill village inland, and the place to go if you have had enough of the sea. Its neighbour, the Fondation Maeght, is a major modern art museum and a ten-minute walk from the village bus stop; entry is €18, or €14 at the reduced rate.
Tip: Check the 655 timetable before you set out; this is the least straightforward trip on the page by public transport.
