Best day trips from Nice: how to get there and what to see

If you have one free day in Nice, take the train to Monaco in the morning and walk the harbour, the palace square and the casino in Monte Carlo, then ride one more stop to Menton for the old town and the sea front. That is the highest-value day on the coast and needs no car.

With two or three days, add Èze for the hill village and the coastal path, Cannes for the Croisette and the Lerins islands, and Antibes for the Picasso museum and the ramparts. Marseille and Aix-en-Provence are reachable but eat the whole day in transit; treat them as overnights, not day trips.

Times are door-to-door estimates from Nice-Ville or Nice Riquier by TER, plus walking. Fares are 2026 estimates for a return; check current prices at the station or in the SNCF Connect app.

Monaco is the default first day trip. The TER runs along the coast from Nice-Ville and Nice Riquier, and Monaco-Monte-Carlo station is cut into the rock, with lifts up to the centre. Walk the Formula 1 circuit streets, the harbour with its superyachts, the palace square for the changing of the guard, and the casino exterior in Monte Carlo. The Oceanographic Museum and the Japanese Garden are the two indoor stops worth paying for. Monaco is a separate country, so carry your passport or ID card; there is usually no border check on the train, but you may be asked.

Èze is the classic hill village above the coast, and the reason most people come is the view from the Jardin Exotique and the walk down the Nietzsche path to Èze-sur-Mer. The bus from Nice is cheap but slow and can be full; the train to Èze-sur-Mer plus the climb is faster but steep. Wear real shoes. The village itself is small and gets crowded by late morning, so arrive before 10am if you can.

Menton sits on the Italian border and feels different from Nice: quieter, older, with a covered market, the Jean Cocteau museum and gardens on the hillside. It is the best rainy-day option on the coast because there is more to do indoors. Cannes is the shopping and beach day: the Croisette, the Palais des Festivals, and ferries to the Lerins islands, where Sainte-Marguerite has the Fort Royal and the Man in the Iron Mask cell. Antibes is smaller and more relaxed, with the Picasso museum in the Grimaldi castle, the ramparts and a good Provençal market in the morning.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is the half-day trip: a 10-minute train ride, a sheltered beach, a deep-water bay and a small old town. It pairs well with a late lunch back in Nice. Marseille and Aix-en-Provence are the two places people try to squeeze in and regret: the train is fast but the stations are outside the centre, and you lose most of the day to transfers. If you want Provence, stay a night.

The coastal TER is the cheapest transport in the region. A return to Monaco, Menton or Antibes is usually under €10, and to Cannes under €12. Tickets are sold at machines and counters at Nice-Ville; validate them before boarding or you risk a fine. TGV services to Marseille and Aix cost more and need a reservation, so book ahead if you go that far.

Once there, costs are mostly food and entries. Monaco is the expensive stop: a simple lunch runs €20–35, and museum entries are €10–18 each. Menton, Antibes and Cannes are cheaper for lunch, roughly €15–25 for a sit-down meal away from the seafront. Èze village has few cheap options, so eat before or after. Budget €25–50 per person for a full day trip including transport, one entry and lunch, and more in Monaco.