One of the biggest reasons I recommend staying in Nice is how easy it is to explore the rest of the French Riviera without a car. The train runs right along the coast, and most of the places you’ll want to visit are less than an hour away.

We spent six nights based in Nice and used it as our jumping-off point for most of the trip. Some days we picked one place and took our time, while other days we combined two stops that made sense together.

My biggest advice is not to try to see everything just because the train makes it easy. A lot of these towns are only 20 or 30 minutes apart, but the Riviera is much better when you have time for a long lunch, a swim, and a little wandering without constantly thinking about where you need to be next.

These are the day trips from Nice I’d actually recommend, what I liked about each one and exactly how I’d plan them.

Quick Deets

• Can you take day trips from Nice without a car?
  • Yes. Nice is one of the easiest places to use as a home base on the French Riviera because the train connects most of the towns along the coast.
• What are the easiest day trips from Nice by train?
  • Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes are all direct from Nice.
• Do you need to book trains in advance?
  • We didn’t. I’d check the train times that morning and keep your plans flexible.
• How many places should you visit in one day?
  • One or two. I wouldn’t spend your trip hopping on and off trains just because everything looks close together on a map.
• Which day trips are best to combine?
  • Èze and Monaco, Villefranche and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and Antibes and Cannes are the pairings that make the most sense.
• Can you get to Èze by train?
  • Not really. The train drops you at Èze-sur-Mer at the bottom of the hill, while Èze Village is way up above the coast. I’d take the bus or a Bolt to the village instead.
• What is the easiest day trip from Nice?
  • Villefranche-sur-Mer. It’s basically right next door and only takes a few minutes on the train.

Getting Around the French Riviera by Train

The train was easily our most-used form of transportation while we were staying in Nice. The TER line runs along the coast in both directions, so getting to Villefranche, Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes is really simple.

I had heard so many horror stories about the trains being packed in August, but honestly that wasn’t our experience. We were there in mid-August and the only really crowded train we had was going to Cannes for the fireworks.

Nice also has more than one train station, which is worth knowing before you automatically head to Nice-Ville every morning. We were staying just outside Old Nice, so depending on where we were going, Nice Riquier was sometimes more convenient.

Download the SNCF Connect app before your trip and use it to check train times as you go. We never planned our days around one specific train hours in advance and liked having the flexibility to stay somewhere longer if we were enjoying it.

Trains were sometimes a little late, but nothing that made getting around difficult. I’d also keep water on you, especially in the summer. It was hot when we were there, but there were plenty of little shops where you could grab more along the way.

And one more thing: bring water shoes. Pretty much every beach we went to in the South of France was rocky, and they made a huge difference.

1. Villefranche-sur-Mer & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Train: Direct to Villefranche-sur-Mer
Allow: Full day
Best for: A slower day with lunch, swimming and coastal views

I’d combine Villefranche and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat because together they give you exactly the kind of easy Riviera day I wanted on this trip.

Villefranche is colorful and compact, with the old town spilling down toward the waterfront and restaurants right along the bay. It’s a great place to wander for a few hours and have lunch rather than arrive with a huge list of things to see.

Take the train from Nice in the morning, walk through the old town and make your way down toward the harbor. You can also stop at Plage des Marinières if you want a swim while you’re here, but I’d save most of the beach time for Cap-Ferrat.

After lunch, head over to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We took a Bolt, and honestly that ended up being our go-to instead of buses for a lot of these shorter transfers. Most of our Bolts were only around €5–10, so for the two of us it usually made sense.

You can take the bus too, but depending on where you’re headed on the peninsula, there can still be a decent amount of walking involved.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is where I’d spend most of the afternoon. It’s much quieter than Nice and really is more about picking a beach, swimming and maybe walking part of the coast.

There are three beaches I’d look at:

• PLAGE DE FOSSETTES is the quieter, more low-key option. It’s small and rocky with really clear water, and it feels much more tucked away than some of the bigger beaches along the Riviera. This is the one I’d choose if you want something simple and don’t care about having a full beach-club setup.
• PALOMA BEACH is the prettiest setting of the three. It sits in a little cove surrounded by greenery and has that really classic Cap-Ferrat look. It feels a little more special and is a good choice if the setting matters as much as the actual beach. And, it’s directly next to Fossettes, so you can check both of them out in the same afternoon.
• PLAGE DE PASSABLE is on the opposite side of the peninsula and looks back toward Villefranche-sur-Mer. We didn’t make it here, but I’d look at this one if you want more of a beach-club setup with a restaurant nearby.

If you only have time for one, I’d think of it this way: Fossettes for something quiet, Paloma for the prettiest cove, and Passable if you want more of a beach-club feel.

I’d give yourself most of the afternoon here and make your way back toward Nice whenever you’re ready. This is one of those days that really doesn’t need much of an itinerary beyond Villefranche, lunch and choosing whichever Cap-Ferrat beach fits the mood.

2. Èze Village & Monaco

Getting there: Bus or Bolt to Èze Village, then continue to Monaco
Allow: Full day
Pair them together: Yes
Best for: Views, wandering and sightseeing

Èze and Monaco work really well together because they feel completely different.

Èze is tiny and perched way above the coast, with stone streets, little shops and some of the best views of the trip. Monaco is much busier and flashier, with the harbor, casino, big hotels and everything feeling a little more polished.

The main thing to know is that Èze Village is not where the train drops you. Èze-sur-Mer is down along the coast, while the village is way above it.

We took a Bolt straight to Èze Village and I’d do the same again. We never actually took a bus on this trip because Bolts were usually so inexpensive, and for two people it just made things easier.

You can hike up from Èze-sur-Mer on the Nietzsche Path, but it’s supposed to be very steep and it was so hot when we were there in August. I would only do that if the hike itself is something you really want to do.

Once you’re there, give yourself a few hours to wander through the village and go up to the Jardin Exotique. The view from the top is one of the main reasons I think Èze is worth adding to your trip.

We also stopped at the bar at Château de la Chèvre d’Or for lunch and drinks, which I loved. I’d leave enough time for a stop like this instead of rushing through Èze just because you still have Monaco planned.

From Èze, you can take a Bolt to the Èze-sur-Mer train station and then hop on the train to Monaco.

Once you get to Monaco, I think a few hours is enough unless there’s something specific you really want to see. We walked around the harbor, made our way toward Monte Carlo and saw the casino area, and that was plenty for us.

When you’re done, take the direct train from Monaco-Monte-Carlo back to Nice.

So the easiest version is: Nice → Bolt to Èze Village → Bolt to Èze-sur-Mer → train to Monaco → train back to Nice.

3. Cap-d’Ail & Mala Beach

Train: Direct to Cap-d’Ail
Allow: Half to full day
Pair it with: Èze if you want a bigger day
Best for: A proper beach day

If you mostly just want a beautiful beach and a few hours in the water, I’d go to Mala.

This was my favorite beach we visited near Nice. It sits down below the cliffs in Cap-d’Ail, so it feels much more tucked away than the bigger beaches in Nice or Cannes.

The water was really clear, the cove was beautiful and it felt like somewhere worth actually staying for the afternoon instead of just stopping for a quick swim.

If Mala is your main plan for the day, take the train from Nice to Cap-d’Ail and walk down toward the beach. Just know there are stairs and a decent amount of walking, so I wouldn’t choose this one if someone in your group has mobility issues.

We actually paired Mala with Èze, which I loved. You can read more about how we paired these with my Èze + Mala Day Trip post.

After spending the first half of the day in Èze Village, we took a Bolt toward Cap-d’Ail. It dropped us above the beach, and from there it was about a 10 to 15-minute walk downhill.

It was such an easy way to split the day. We did all the wandering and sightseeing in Èze first, then spent the rest of the afternoon swimming.

There is a beach club with chairs at Mala, and there were also a restaurant or two closer to the Cap-d’Ail side near the train station, so you’ll have some food options nearby.

Don’t rush the walk back, either! The coastal path and views are part of what makes Mala worth the effort in the first place.

When you’re ready to leave, make your way toward Cap-d’Ail station and take the train back to Nice.

If beaches are one of your priorities on the Riviera, this might be at the very top of my list!

4. Menton

Train: Direct from Nice, around 35–40 minutes
Allow: Half to full day
Pair it with: Monaco if you’re short on time
Best for: Colorful streets, wandering and an easy beach stop

Menton was one of the places I was really glad we made time for because it doesn’t feel exactly like the other towns along the coast.

You’re almost at the Italian border by the time you get there, and the whole town feels a little different because of it. The buildings are colorful, the old town climbs up from the water and everything feels a bit quieter than Nice or Cannes.

I’d walk straight toward the old town when you arrive and just start wandering from there.

We stopped for a lemon tart and lemon sorbet, walked up around the Ramps Saint-Michel and then made our way back down toward the port and Plage des Sablettes.

The view from the water is one of my favorite parts of Menton. You can look back toward the old town and see all the pastel buildings layered up the hill behind the Basilica.

And yes, get something lemon while you’re here. Menton is known for them, and this is absolutely the place to lean into it.

You can easily spend most of the day here without a packed plan. Walk around, stop somewhere for lunch, head down toward the beach and take the train back whenever you’re ready.

Monaco is on the same train line if you really need to combine the two, but if you’re already doing Monaco with Èze, I’d keep Menton on its own.

5. Antibes & Cap d’Antibes

Train: Direct from Nice, around 20–30 minutes
Allow: Full day
Pair it with: Cannes if you’re short on time
Best for: Old town in the morning and the coast in the afternoon

Antibes is a good one when you want a day that has a little more going on than just walking around a pretty town.

Start in Old Antibes, where the market, little streets, restaurants, shops and harbor are all close together. It has enough going on that you can easily spend the whole morning here before moving on.

Take the train from Nice in the morning, walk through the Marché Provençal, wander Old Town and then stop for lunch before heading out toward Cap d’Antibes.

Cap d’Antibes is much quieter, and the scenery is completely. You’re walking right along the rocks with little coves, clear water and huge houses tucked behind the coast.

We took a Bolt from Old Antibes out toward the Cap and then another Bolt back when we were done.

We only walked part of the coastal path because we didn’t have a ton of time that day, but you do not need to do the whole trail to get to Billionaires’ Bay.

If Billionaires’ Bay is your main goal, you can walk a shorter section of the path to reach it. If you want to make the coastal walk more of the day, you can start from the other side and do a longer stretch.

If you want to do Old Town, lunch and the coastal walk, I’d give Antibes the full day.

You can technically continue on to Cannes afterward, but I’d only do that if you skip the longer coastal walk and keep Antibes mostly to Old Town.

6. Cannes

Train: Direct from Nice, around 30–40 minutes
Allow: Half to full day
Pair it with: Antibes
Best for: Beach clubs, shopping and staying into the evening

Cannes is the one I’d save for a day when you want something a little more dressed up.

You have the big hotels along La Croisette, designer shops, sandy beach clubs and a lot more going on into the evening than you’ll find in some of the smaller towns.

I wouldn’t only stick to La Croisette, though.

Walk up into Le Suquet too. It’s the older part of Cannes, with narrow streets and views back over the city, and it gives you something completely different from the hotels and shopping along the waterfront.

We went later in the day because we were there for one of the Cannes fireworks nights, which only happen a few times over the summer (and is so worth it, if you can add it to your schedule!)

The beaches get packed on fireworks nights, so I’d definitely book something ahead of time. We reserved chairs at a beach club, which gave us a guaranteed spot to watch the fireworks plus bar access, and I was really glad we did.

After the fireworks, we bounced around a few different beach clubs for a while instead of heading straight to the train station. It was a fun way to wait out some of the crowds, and by the time we left, the train back to Nice was still busy but not nearly as packed as the train getting into Cannes.

We had checked the last train ahead of time, which was around 12:45 AM, so I’d definitely do the same if you’re staying late.

We had such a fun time watching the fireworks from the beach, but afterward we both said we probably would have booked dinner instead of chairs if we did it again. It would have been more expensive, but having dinner with the fireworks right in front of us would have been worth it.

If you’re combining Cannes with Antibes, do Antibes first and Cannes second. Cannes makes much more sense as the place you stay through dinner.

Which Day Trips from Nice Are Worth Combining?

This is where it gets very tempting to do too much.

Everything looks so close together on the map that you start thinking you can fit three towns into one day. You probably can, but I don’t think that means you should.

These are the combinations I’d actually do:

• Èze + Monaco: Do Èze in the morning, take a Bolt to the train station to get to Monaco, then take the train back to Nice.
• Villefranche + Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: One of my favorite options if you want lunch somewhere pretty followed by a full afternoon at the beach.
• Antibes + Cannes: Easy to combine if you keep Antibes to Old Town. If you want to go out to Cap d’Antibes and do the coastal walk, I’d give it the full day.
• Èze + Mala Beach: This is what we did. Spend the first half of the day in Èze, then take a Bolt down toward Cap-d’Ail and stay at Mala for the afternoon.
• Menton + Monaco: Definitely doable since they’re on the same train line, but I’d only combine them if you’re trying to fit a lot into a shorter trip.

I wouldn’t try to do three towns in one day. At that point, you’re spending way too much time thinking about the next bus or train instead of actually enjoying where you are.

What About Saint-Tropez?

I love Saint-Tropez, but I wouldn’t include it as one of the easy train day trips from Nice because there isn’t actually a train station there.

You can get part of the way by train and then transfer, but it turns into a much longer travel day than somewhere like Antibes, Cannes or Menton.

We stayed around Saint-Tropez for a few days instead of trying to squeeze it into a day trip from Nice, and I’m really glad we did. There’s more to see than just the port, especially if you want to go to Pampelonne, Ramatuelle or spend time at one of the beach clubs.

If Saint-Tropez is high on your list, I’d stay there for a couple of nights rather than trying to squeeze it into one long day from Nice.

How Many Day Trips Should You Take From Nice?

Even though Nice makes it really easy to leave every day, I wouldn’t.

Nice itself deserves time, especially if it’s your first trip. We spent six nights there and liked having a mix of days where we went somewhere else and days where we stayed closer to home.

If you have three days in Nice, I’d probably take one day trip.

With four or five days, I’d plan two to three.

And if you’re staying for six nights or longer, you have enough time to work in a few of these without feeling like you barely saw Nice itself.

If I Had to Pick Three Day Trips From Nice

If it’s your first time on the French Riviera, I’d make your day trips feel different from each other instead of picking three places that all give you basically the same day.

• Day 1: Èze + Monaco
  • For the medieval village, views and a little sightseeing.
• Day 2: Villefranche + Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat or Mala Beach
  • For a slower beach day.
• Day 3: Antibes + Billionaires’ Bay
  • For Old Town in the morning and the coast in the afternoon.

Then I’d add Menton or Cannes if you have more time.

That gives you a much better mix without feeling like every day is another old town, another lunch and another train ride.

A Few Tips Before You Go

The best part about staying in Nice is that you really don’t need to have every day locked in before your trip. Most of these places are easy enough to visit on a whim, which gives you room to decide based on the weather and what you actually feel like doing.

I’d pick two or three day trips you know you don’t want to miss and leave the rest flexible. If it’s the perfect beach day, go to Mala or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. If you feel like walking around and sightseeing, do Èze or Antibes. If you want something really easy, Villefranche is right there.

I would check your train and bus times that morning, especially for days where you’re combining the train with a local bus. The trains along the coast are easy, but the buses are the part I’d plan around a little more.

Using Nice as our base gave us so much flexibility, and I never felt like we needed a car to see the places we wanted to visit.

If you’re still planning the rest of your trip, you can also check out my guides to 3 Days in Nice, the Best Public Beaches Near Nice, the Best Towns to Visit on the French Riviera, and Where to Eat in Nice.