We are planning a trip to the South of France in January. We plan to use Nice as a home base. I would love ideas of day trips that we can do via train so we don't have to rent a car. Unless there are towns that we should not miss. Thanks!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
We took the bus from Nice to Monaco.. cost ONE EURO!! On way back we got off bus at Eze Sur Mer and had late lunch and swim( not something you would do in january though) then reboared bus.. had to pay another one euro.. total cost for day in transport .. three euros each. Cheaper then train, and we loved the views as we drove along.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
The list of day trips from Nice by bus or train is gargantuan. There's Eze Village, St. Paul de Vence, Cannes, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Villa Ephrussi, Monaco, Menton, Grasse, Haut de Cagnes, La Turbie, and more.
The train mainly sticks to the coast; the buses go everywhere. The bus costs €1 for any trip in the region, and there are 1-day and 7-day passes if you're taking a lot of trips. The train costs a bit more, but is about twice as fast, so for longer trips (such as to Cannes), it's well worth the extra money. In addition, the coastal bus stops about 8:30 PM (four per hour), but the trains run until about 11:30 PM (two per hour). For buses to other destinations not on the coast (such as Eze Village), you do need to check a schedule, and be aware that service can be much less (or nonexistent) on Sundays.
Rick Steves Provence And The French Riviera has all the details on transit connections for the area, and will also help you decide which places you want to see. Be aware that his general France book has much less detail on this region.
Posted by
washington
837 posts
We found that buses to the east were far more efficient than to the west. Nice to Monaco is very quick; not so much to Antibes.