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Voykit pocket guide · France
Antibes
Antibes-Juan-les-Pins
Give Antibes 2 nights: one for the old town and Picasso museum, one for the Cap walk or a beach day in Juan-les-Pins. Skip it as a base if you want nightlife.
Antibes is a two-part town on the Riviera between Nice and Cannes: the walled old town and Port Vauban on one side, the beach resort of Juan-les-Pins on the other, with the pine-covered Cap d'Antibes between them. It is quieter and cheaper than Cannes, and the coast path around the Cap is the reason most people come. Two nights covers it; three if you add a beach day.
- Country
- France
- Local name
- Antibes-Juan-les-Pins
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, heat, peak prices)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €70–110 excl. bed · Mid €110–180 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.50–3 |
| Beer, draught in a bar | €5–8 |
| Lunch menu (formule) in the old town | €18–28 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €30–50 |
| Picasso museum entry | €8–12 (check) |
| TER Antibes → Nice | €5–7 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NCE · Nice Côte d'Azur
- About 20 km; TER train or bus 250 to Antibes, 25–40 minAbout 12 mi; TER train or bus 250 to Antibes, 25–40 min
Typical fares
- Nice airport → Antibes, bus 250
- about €5, 30–40 min (check)
- Antibes → Nice, TER train
- about €5–7, 25–30 min (check)
- Antibes → Cannes, TER train
- about €4–6, 20 min (check)
Get around
Walk the old town and port; the TER train links Antibes and Juan-les-Pins in about 5 minutes and continues to Nice and Cannes. Local buses (Envibus) cover the Cap and the beaches. Bikes work on the flat coastal lanes but the town climbs inland. A car is a liability in summer: the A8 exit and coastal roads jam.
See and do
Known for
- Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi
- Cap d'Antibes coastal path (sentier du littoral)
- Port Vauban, one of the largest marinas in Europe
- Juan-les-Pins beaches and jazz festival
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nice | TER train from Antibes station | About 30–40 min |
| Cannes | TER train from Antibes station | About 20–25 min |
| Mougins | Bus or car via the A8 | About 40–60 min |
| Vence | Bus or car inland from Cagnes-sur-Mer | About 1–1.5 h |
| Menton | TER train along the coast | About 1 h 15 min |
| Grasse | Train to Grasse, then walk uphill | About 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Antibes old town (Vieil Antibes)
- Walk to the market, Picasso museum and Port Vauban; best for a short stay without a car.
- Juan-les-Pins
- Beachfront hotels and a quieter TER station; 5 min by train or 15 min by bus from Antibes.
- Cap d'Antibes
- Villas and the Belles Rives area; expensive, car or taxi useful, closest to the coastal path.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-byen |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-syon seel voo pleh |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- The Cap d'Antibes coastal path can be fully or partly closed in bad weather or high seas; check locally before setting out.
- Summer traffic on the A8 and the coastal roads (RN98, RN7) is heavy; the train is usually faster.
- Beach prices at Juan-les-Pins and the private Cap beaches are high in July–August; public beaches are free.
- Many old-town restaurants close one day a week and shut kitchens between about 14:00 and 19:00.
Antibes is a low-risk Riviera town; the real issues are summer heat, pickpockets around the port and beaches, and strong currents or closed paths on the Cap. Standard precautions are enough.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Antibes yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi
- Cap d'Antibes coastal path (sentier du littoral)
- Port Vauban, one of the largest marinas in Europe
- Juan-les-Pins beaches and jazz festival
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Antibes-Juan-les-Pins official tourism site: www.antibes-juanlespins.com/
- SNCF Connect (TER and TGV timetables): www.sncf-connect.com/
- Nice Côte d'Azur Airport: www.nice.aeroport.fr/en
- Wikivoyage: Antibes, revision 5241929 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241929
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AntibesAntibes-Juan-les-Pins
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Antibes; the US consulate is in Marseille and most embassies are in Paris. Consular help for the Riviera is usually handled from Marseille or Paris (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/antibes). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.