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coastal towns advice around Nice

I am looking at spending some time after my RS Loire and the South of France Tour in Antibes and Villefranche-sur-Mer. About 3 to 4 days in each town. Just looking at hiking, swimming etc. Love to hear any advice.
Also I understand the 250 bus goes from Antibes to NCE for 11 euros. Not sure where in Antibes I catch the airport bus though. Maybe by the train station?
I welcome any info on this.

Thanks,
Liam

Posted by
8166 posts

Depending on the time of year and your physical condition you could try the hiking the Path of Nietzsche at Eze sur mer. You would take the train from Antibes to Eze sur mur which also has a beach low key no tourists. Supposedly the lead singer of U2 has house around there.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187222-d545927-Reviews-Chemin_de_Nietzsche-Eze_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence_Alpes_Cote_d_Azur.html

It looks pretty easy to find the bus stop in Antibes to the airport. You can also ask your host or hotel to point it out
https://en.nice.aeroport.fr/Passengers/DIRECTIONS-PARKING/Gestion-Bus-et-Navettes/Bus-lines/Vallauris-Express-250

Posted by
302 posts

My own experience was 10 years ago, but I based for about 5 days in Villefranche- sur- Mer and just loved it- not just for itself, but as a very handy base. I remember both a bus and an easy local train. I walked to Monaco along a seaside path. I do remember staying quite near the port and about a 10 minute walk uphill to the bus stop? And seeing the giant cruise ships arrive. You might check if they still visit and time transit accordingly. One time, coming back via bus from somewhere, there were so many cruise passengers trying to get back to their ship a second bus was added and it was just packed.

Posted by
15788 posts

I was in the area this past March, based in Nice. Villefranche was my favorite. Locals said few of the cruise passengers stay there, nearly all head for the bus or train to visit other places. If you want to day trip (Menton is lovely too), as long as you avoid the "cruise rush hours" you should be fine.

I don't know how much beach there is in Antibes. I visited on a day trip, saw a tiny beach very near the old town and marina. Most of the seashore was stone walls . . . unlike all the other seaside towns, no cafes, promenades or beaches near the historic center.

Posted by
713 posts

I believe the Airport Express drops off at the bus exchange near the station, about 1km from Old Town (the other buses run directly to the edge of the old town, in a "bus station"/parking lot around a square). There are buses that run from there. You can also now take the tram to the Grand Arenas stop and transfer to the San Augustin station and take the train to Antibes.

There are lovely beaches in Antibes, but not the one that is close to old town (the packed gravelly one). Rather you have to walk towards the Cap to get to some soft sandy beaches, away from the old town, with services (and some hotels). It's a bit of a distance (over a 1m) from the Gare to some of these beaches. The main beach in Villefranche-sur-Mer is a large grain sand beach near the train station (which does require a few steps to get to), about 0.5km from the port area. There is a lovely hike from VSM to Mont Boron right from town From Antibes, there is a coastal walk that is quite popular. There are several train lines that take you to villages, with trails leading directly from there. The Train des Merveilles is one of them.

Posted by
11294 posts

Juan-les-Pins, right near Antibes, has sandy beaches rather than rocky ones.

Posted by
464 posts

We absolutely loved Villefranche-sur-Mer! The harbor, cafes, beach, citadel, and waterfront area are beautiful. We enjoyed eating at Les Palmiers. Their peach melba is fantastic! La Grenadiere on Rue Poilu has great food also. From the Octroi bus stop we took bus #81 to St Jean Cap Ferrat to the Passable bus stop to see Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and the gardens. There is also a lovely walking path in St Jean Cap Ferrat behind the Hotel Royal Riviera with gorgeous views on Promenade Maurice Rouvier. Hotel Welcome in Villefranche-sur-Mer was a great base for us. The beach area in Villefranche-sur-mer has spectacular sea views!