Best Day Trips from Nice
Are you looking for the best day trips from Nice, France?
Nice is the fifth largest city in France, and the largest city along the French Riviera. It’s home to a well-connected international airport, and it’s just under six hours by high-speed train from Paris.
Because it’s a major transportation hub, it also makes a good base for exploring the French Riviera.
Should you stay in Nice? I recommend Nice in my guide for where to stay on the French Riviera for travelers who want a city vibe and a convenient, central base for exploring the region. It’s not the place to stay if you’re looking for a quaint small-town atmosphere or a secluded beach location, though.
Nice is also a good option for budget-conscious travelers because there are more affordable accommodation options in the city. And it’s the ideal place to stay if you’re short on time, too. If you only have a couple of days to explore the French Riviera, staying in Nice makes it easier to get around the region.
Taking Day Trips from Nice
Because of its central location and status as a transportation hub, Nice is great for day trips.
There are three train stations in Nice — Nice St-Augustin, Nice-Ville, and Nice Riquier.
Nice St-Augustin is way in the western outskirts of the city by the airport. Nice-Ville is the main train station in the center of the city. And Nice Riquier is in the eastern part of the city. You’ll want to stay close to Nice-Ville or Nice Riquier for easy access to the city center and convenience for day trips.
All three of these Nice train stations are served by the TER, which is the regional train you’ll be using for most of the day trips below. A couple of the day trip options require taking the bus, though.
I’ve also included some recommendations for organized day trips when applicable. You might consider booking one of these tours if you’re short on time and want to combine multiple destinations into one day without having to worry about the logistics yourself. Otherwise, these day trips are all doable on your own.
Here’s a look at the best day trips from Nice:
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Nice:
- French Riviera in one day (Monaco, Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and Cannes)
- Full-day tour of Monaco and Èze
- Medieval villages full-day tour
- Full-day tour of the Italian Riviera
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Distance from Nice: 15 minutes by train
Villefranche-sur-Mer is one of the best day trips from Nice because it’s so easy! This cute and colorful little town is just two stops away from Nice-Ville on the TER, an easy 15-minute journey.
You can enjoy the beach in Villefranche-sur-Mer, which has some of the prettiest, clearest water I’ve seen along the French Riviera. It’s a very popular beach, but the only thing I don’t love about it is that it’s right by the train station and trains pass by above it. Other than that, it’s a nice beach to enjoy!
The town itself is a lovely place to stroll around for an afternoon. There are plenty of shops and cafes, as well as endless charming streets with brightly colored houses and flowers everywhere.
Antibes
Distance from Nice: 25 minutes by train
Another great day trip from Nice is Antibes. This town is also very close to Nice by train — you can get there in just 25 minutes. It’s another picture-perfect French Riviera town with a charming historic center.
The Musée Picasso is a great place to stop while you’re in Antibes. This museum overlooking the Mediterranean Sea houses a collection of Picasso’s works that he made while living briefly in Antibes.
Monaco
Distance from Nice: 25 minutes by train
Did you know you can visit another country in less than half an hour from Nice? Monaco, the world’s second smallest country after the Vatican City, is just a 25-minute train ride from Nice!
Located along the French Riviera and fully surrounded by France aside from its own tiny stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the total area of Monaco is a minuscule 0.8 square miles.
This makes it very easy to visit the entire country in a single day. Highlights of Monaco include the famous Monte Carlo Casino and the Prince’s Palace, both of which are open to visitors.
Èze
Distance from Nice: 35 minutes by bus
Èze is another one of the best day trips from Nice. This hilltop village is accessible by bus from Nice. You’ll want to take the number 82 bus to Eze – Village, a winding journey up into the hills overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The bus fare is €2 and you need coins to pay directly to the driver, or a transit pass.
The historic stone village of Èze is very beautiful, with lots of charming shops, perfumeries, and cafes. You also can’t miss visiting Le Jardin Exotique, a botanical garden with amazing views.
This small-group full-day tour combines Monaco and Èze, which is a good option if you want to visit both destinations in the same day and want the services of a knowledgeable tour guide.
Menton
Distance from Nice: 40 minutes by train
One of the prettiest, most colorful towns along the French Riviera is Menton, close to the border with Italy. You can get to Menton in 40 minutes by train from Nice, making it another good day trip option.
Mention has a pretty Old Town filled with pastel-hued buildings, as well as a great beach. It’s one of my favorite beaches along the French Riviera because it’s really big, the water is clear and calm, and there’s a beachfront promenade with shops and refreshments, as well as restrooms and changing facilities.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Distance from Nice: 15 minutes by train + 30 minutes by bus
Saint-Paul-de-Vence is an amazing hilltop town that is popular with artists — Marc Chagall lived here for the last twenty years of his life. The town is filled with art galleries and unique boutiques.
To get here from Nice, you’ll take the TER to Cagnes-sur-Mer, then hop on the 655 bus to Saint-Paul-de-Vence (the Village stop is where you’ll get off.) The total journey takes about 50 minutes.
If you want to visit multiple medieval hilltop villages around the French Riviera, I recommend this full-day guided tour. You’ll have an hour and a half to visit Saint-Paul-de-Vence, as well as 1.5 hours each in three other villages that are equally as charming: Grasse, Gourdon, and Tourrettes-sur-Loup.
Ventimiglia
Distance from Nice: 50 minutes by train
Finally, if you want to visit Italy for the day, head to Ventimiglia! This Italian Riviera town is just across the border with France, and it’s the last stop on the TER train, taking 50 minutes from Nice.
Ventimiglia can feel a little shabby and it’s known for being the place to buy knockoff designer purses and other knockoff designer goods, but I still think it has a certain charm to it and is worth a visit. It’s also fun to cross the border and be in a totally different country and culture for the day!
If you’re interested in visiting the Italian Riviera and would prefer to visit multiple destinations in one day, I recommend this full-day tour from Nice. It includes leisurely stops in three picturesque towns along the Italian Riviera: Sanremo, Bordighera, and Dolceacqua, before returning to Nice.
Best Day Trips from Nice
This guide showed you the best day trips from Nice, France.
All of these day trips are great and you can’t go wrong with any of them. If you want to enjoy the beach, I’d recommend Menton or Villefranche-sur-Mer. For charming, art-filled towns, head to Antibes or Saint-Paul-de-Vence. And if you’re really short on time and want an overview of the French Riviera in a day, you can take a full-day guided tour like this one which visits four popular destinations from Nice.
Enjoy your trip to the French Riviera!
Related Guides:
