Nice is one of the jewels of the French Riviera. It is where luxurious material meets natural beauty, and somewhere that enables time to stand still whilst you soak up the rays, scents and sounds of the Mediterranean. However, what if I told you that Nice is the perfect base for exploring the Côte d’Azur. In fact, there is an incredible selection of day trips from Nice.

This ultimate guide to day trips from Nice will cover everything you need to know from somebody who has recently explored this beautiful area. I’ll also link you to further posts so that you can plan your perfect trip. I hope that you enjoy it.

The Best Day Trips from Nice | Your Ultimate Guide

Your Base in Nice and Getting Around

I’ve recently written my guide to 72 hours in Nice, so I won’t repeat much here. However, what I will suggest is that you try to stay by the station if you are using Nice as a base rather than a resort. This will save you a lot of time, and actually some really lovely hotels can be found here.

However, there are some things which you need to know. Firstly, all of these day trips which I’m writing about can be taken by train. The lines which span out from Nice are excellent and trains run frequently. These are all regional trains so you won’t need to book reservations.

In terms of cost, I would actually suggest combining these trips as most are on the same line (Cannes, Antibes and Grasse are in a different direction to the rest). This means that you can get a return to the furthest stop, and then just hop on and off as you choose. If you are interested in seeing the places rather than relaxing at the beach, this is a great option.

At a Glance

These are your destinations. I’ve covered how long each one takes to get to and what they are best for. As I’ve written above, you can get to all of these places (except Grasse, Antibes and Cannes) on one train, with Menton being furthest away.

Top Tip: Whilst you can technically get to Èze on the train, make sure that you read the description below. The journey to Èze Village is slightly complicated.

The Best Day Trips from Nice – Details

Each of these day trips are worth going to. However, some have their own little secrets or things to consider.

In this next section I’ll go into more depth on each place, including a short guide. I’ll also add in links to further posts I’ve written about each place, so you won’t need to do any further research yourself.

1. Villefranche-sur-Mer

The easiest day trip from Nice would probably be Villefranche-sur-Mer.

It is the closest destination from the city centre. In fact, a train here only takes 7 minutes! You can also walk along the coast if you wish, something I’ve not done personally but the views are supposed to be incredible. Despite its close proximity, the village feels completely worlds away from the city.

When you arrive, the first thing that you’ll notice is the bay. It is concealed from the sea by two large, green hills, and houses water whose colour rivals even the most tropical. Add to this the small fishing boats, cafés and essential pastel buildings, and you have one of the prettiest scenes on the Riviera.

Whilst there isn’t lots to do here, Villefranche-sur-Mer happens to have one of the best sandy beaches near Nice. Most of the beaches on the Côte d’Azur are stony beaches, which makes this ideal for those searching for a soft place to sit to enjoy the waves. I’d also argue that there are more spaces here to sit, especially when compared to the crowded clubs of Nice.

The small town itself is also quite nice for pottering about. In fact, walking through the cobbled streets at a slow pace is rather relaxing. You can then end your walk at a café by the seafront.

2. Beaulieu-sur-Mer & Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

The next stop on this list is one of my favourites. Beaulieu-sur-Mer is both one of my favourite destinations, but also one of my favourite names. If you didn’t know, it literally translates to “beautiful place by the sea”, a name which captures its location perfectly.

As you’d expect, it is a seaside town popular with locals and tourists alike. It is known for its Belle Époque (built between 1870 and 1914) villas, as well as its palm-lined promenade. It also has to be known for its incredibly beautiful sandy beach and the surrounding scenery. If you’re looking for a quieter beach which captures the magic of the Riviera, this is it.

The best part of this day trip is that it actually has two destinations. If you’ve had enough of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, or simply want a change in scenery, you can take a coastal path to the nearby Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. This is known as “Billionaire’s Peninsula” because here you’ll find exuberant houses and lavish cars, all nestled in one of the most picture-perfect places nearby.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat also happens to be home of Paloma Beach, one of the most legendary beaches in the Côte d’Azur. It’s famous due to its glorious turquoise-coloured waters and accompanying hilly landscape. The beach is perfect for swimming, relaxing and enjoying a picnic. There are also some lovely restaurants here which, whilst expensive, are well-worth the bit of extra cash.

If you’re looking for the ideal spot to enjoy a Mediterranean golden hour scene, this is where I’d go. I

3. Èze

Èze is a bit of a unique case on this list as I’ve alluded to above. As you catch the train towards Menton, you’ll see that there is an Èze train station which you can get off at.

If you have an idea about the Côte d’Azur, you’ll also likely have an image of Èze Village; a cute, old-style settlement on top of a rocky outcrop. The issue is that this scenic destination is not near the train station. In fact, it is a one hour, uphill walk away.

This leaves you with a bit of an issue of how to get there and you have two options:

Option 1: Catch the train from Nice to Èze and then catch the number 83 bus up to the village. From the station, the bus takes around half an hour.

Option 2: Catch the bus (either numbers 82 or 602) from the Bavastro in Nice. This bus takes around 35 minutes.

Top Tip: Èze gets very busy, especially in peak-season. To avoid the crowds, either go early in the morning or, personal choice, the evening.

Your bus will drop you off at the base of Èze Village and you’ll easily see the large hill which it is built on. The climb up is actually not too bad; it is more the heat which comes with this part of the world during the summer. We came here quite early so it wasn’t too hot, but we still suffered a little bit!

The village itself is typically medieval. You have the cobbled, narrow streets and, you also have hidden courtyards which have been taken over by colourful flowers. My biggest complaint though is that there are literally no views from the village. In fact, whilst here, we didn’t really see the Mediterranean once.

In order to see the breathtaking view, you’ll need to pay entrance (€10) to the Jardin Exotique. Of course, the gardens here are home to cacti and exotic plants, but the main reason to pay is to get one of the best views around. I’d go as far as to say it is probably one of the prettiest gardens in the world.

Once you have seen the view though, you’re basically done with the village. There is one restaurant up here, but the rest are down the hill. You can either go deeper into Èze to find this, or head to one of the other destinations (like the two above) to continue that Mediterranean flavour.

4. Antibes

Recently I had a friend who mentioned Antibes to me and told me about how beautiful it is. Obviously, I had to find out for myself.

Getting here is simple by train, but in the opposite direction to the other day trips included so far. I’d also argue that this is quite a large place to explore, so you probably want to give it at least a half-day to see it all. We actually did this combined with Grasse (see below), which worked really well.

What I discovered is that Antibes somehow managed to combine literally everything about the French Riviera. You had the historic streets, the beautiful beaches, the highly-luxurious yachts and also the incredible food. In fact, we stumbled across Nananère, a restaurant in the centre of the town which just so happened to be in the Michelin Guide. If you’re looking for somewhere to eat, I would 100% recommend this place. The price was also extremely good.

Once you’ve eaten, you can then begin exploring. The streets are extremely fun to walk about aimlessly. You’ll spot lots of cute boutiques and cafés, as well as photo opportunities which capture the magic of this part of France.

Slowly meander to the ramparts of the town and look across the Mediterranean. This is probably the most scenic place in Antibes and is best explored in the morning or late evening. Nearby are a few good beaches to relax into after walking the walls. Be aware though that this is probably one of the busiest places to sit on the beach, so it may be worth going back towards Nice and the smaller villages.

5. Monaco & Monte Carlo

One of the best day trips to Nice is actually to another country, namely Monaco. The city of Monte Carlo sits in the heart of this tiny city and showcases the very glamorous side of the Riviera. In fact, you’ll just have to leave the station (20 minutes from Nice) to see brand new Ferraris and Lamborghinis racing up the streets. We probably saw three of them within the first 10 minutes. And if you think supercars are glamorous, just wait until you get to the harbour and see the super yachts…

Monaco gives you the freedom to explore how you wish. Should you want to potter around the shops, you can do that. Do you want to visit the casino and splash the cash? You can absolutely do that here. However, let me convince you to prioritise Monaco Ville, often referred to as “The Rock”. It is a historic district which sits above the city, and is home to the Prince’s Palace and the old streets. What I love about this part is the juxtaposition; you have a calming oasis within a crazy city. You’ll be able to see that too as you stand amongst the trees here, looking onto Port Hercule and Monte Carlo.

Speaking of Monte Carlo, one place to see is certainly the Casino. Even if this isn’t your thing, it is an incredibly impressive building and is hope to some very beautiful gardens. There are designer boutiques which sit adjacent to it too in case you’re in the mood for shopping.

Top Tip: A lot of people who work in Monaco communte to and from Nice. This is because (if you haven’t guessed) the principality is rather expensive. Therefore, I’d suggest getting here away from the commuter time. My personal favourite time to explore Monaco is during the summer golden hour. .

6. Menton

I wouldn’t judge you if you’ve never heard of Menton. Famed for its citrus trees and colourful building, Menton should be high on the list for anyone wanting day trips from Nice.

It won’t surprise you to learn that it is incredibly close to the Italian border and takes just 40 minutes or so on the train from Nice (on the Monaco line). Whilst slightly further afield that the other destinations, I would argue that this is one of the prettiest, least-known destinations by Nice. In fact, whilst the town and beaches were busy, they were devoid of tourists and were extremely local.

You’ll spend most of your time exploring the pastel Old Town. As Menton sits right on the seafront, you can expect a fair amount of climbing here. There are steep staircases and large hills, as well as plenty of small alleyways which feel like a labyrinth. In the Old Town, make sure that you buy lemon-based products. The town is famous for growing lemons and they have a wide-range of items to choose from. We bought some lemon soap here and I’m completely obsessed; incidentally it was half the price (and far fresher / local) than a similar soap in Paris. A must-see stop is the Basilica of Saint-Michel which looks over the sea.

Menton is quite sizeable, but as I’ve said it is much quieter than other nearby places. With this in mind, I’d argue that this is easily one of the best day trips from Nice. You have a mix of exploring and relaxing opportunities. The beach is actually huge and is completely local. There are also further points to sit down by the harbour wall, where we saw groups of local people eating dinner.

If you’re looking to experience the authentic French Riviera away from fellow tourists, Menton must be seen. Plus, if you are here in February, you can even enjoy the annual Lemon Festival!

7. Cannes

Perhaps the most famous destination on the French Riviera, Cannes is definitely a good option for a day trip from Nice. Whilst it is very busy and perhaps not as authentic as other places, Cannes is the jewel of the Riviera for a reason. It is unashamedly and unapologetically luxurious and is somewhere which needs to be seen to be believed.

To get here, you’ll need to take a 40 minute train from Nice. You’ll likely start your visit down by La Croisette, which is the iconic waterfront promenade of the city. Similarly to Nice, you’ll find palm trees, grand hotels and beach clubs, but on a much grander, more exclusive scale. The exuberance doesn’t stop there. Palais des Festivals is the home of the Cannes Film Festival (a perfect photo opportunity), and nearby are plenty of luxury fashion houses.

If the luxury side of Cannes isn’t doing it for you, climb up to Le Suquet, the historic Old Town of Cannes. This is far more familiar as a town on the Riviera and is a good place to escape the crowds. Whilst known for tourism, this part of the city feels rather relaxed and laid back.

Top Tip: Cannes has some lovely sandy beaches and nearby restaurants, but they do get very busy in peak seasons. I’d recommend doing this one as one of your exploratory day trips from Nice, before heading back to a smaller beach.

8. Grasse

Another hidden gem near Nice is Grasse, known as the world’s perfume capital. When I first read this I just thought it was a marketing ploy. However, I can genuinely confirm that you get a constant floral scent throughout the town.

As I’ve mentioned, Grasse is a good hour or so away from Nice, but is on the same train line as Antibes and Cannes. We combined Grasse and Antibes into one day trip, which gave us around half a day in each place. To be honest, this worked perfectly. However, one thing to note is that you need to catch a bus from the station. You can technically walk, but Grasse sits right on top of a massive hill. The walk takes easily half an hour on steep terrain, which is not fun in hot weather.

Grasse is reminiscent of Italian towns like Siena or Padua. There are high buildings which line up to create small cobbled streets, and the viewpoints you get look out across the gorgeous landscape. It is stunning. There are no beaches here and it showcases a different side of Côte d’Azur, one far away from the tourist crowds.

Apart from the legendary perfumery though, there aren’t many landmarks to see. Grasse is best done with no agenda and just exploring. We loved doing this here and I can confirm that this might be my favourite town we visited. It was quiet, authentic and exceptionally pretty. I also want to give a shoutout to Café Fleur, which was a delightful little stop.

Final Thoughts | The Best Day Trips from Nice

Don’t get me wrong, I think Nice is fantastic. However, I’d argue that the day trips from Nice are even better. The transport here is excellent and you can see and experience so much at a ridiculously cheap price. The French Riviera is one of the prettiest places in Europe, if not the world. If you manage to complete all 8 of these day trips, you’ll have seen all of its different forms and styles.

Next time you’re in Nice, of course spend time at the beach. However, catch the train to the nearby towns. I promise that you’ll love it.