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Major city · France

Vence

Base in Vence for 2 nights if you want a hill town with a Matisse chapel and a walk to Saint-Paul; skip it as a day trip from Nice unless you have a car or bus patience.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Nov (Matisse chapel closed)
Airport
NCE
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Vence is a small inland Riviera town, about 40 minutes by bus from Nice and 20 minutes from Cagnes-sur-Mer, sitting on a hill ring with views down to the sea. Its old town is compact and walkable, the Matisse chapel is the one sight people come for, and the main reason to sleep here rather than in Nice is quiet, cooler nights and a short walk to Saint-Paul de Vence. Two nights covers it; one night is enough if you arrive early.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Vence, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee at a square café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Sit-down mealDinner, mid-range, per person€25–45 (≈ US$30–55)
  • Metro or bus rideBus ride, local network€2 (≈ US$3) (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person€35 (≈ US$45)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, small hotel, a night, per room€140 (≈ US$170)
  • High-end bedDouble room, small hotel, a night, per room€260 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €70 (≈ US$85) · Mid €130 (≈ US$160) · High €220 (≈ US$300)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Chapelle du Rosaire (Matisse chapel)Old town and Place du Grand JardinChâteau de Villeneuve art foundationWalk to Saint-Paul de Vence
Airports
NCE Nice Côte d'Azur (About 30–40 min by car; bus 400 from Nice stops at the airport area, check current routing)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Vence: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

12°C

4°C

6 rd

Feb

13°C

4°C

6 rd

Mar

15°C

6°C

6 rd

Apr

18°C

9°C

7 rd

May

22°C

13°C

6 rd

Jun

26°C

16°C

4 rd

Jul

29°C

19°C

3 rd

Aug

29°C

19°C

4 rd

Sep

26°C

16°C

5 rd

Oct

21°C

12°C

7 rd

Nov

16°C

8°C

8 rd

Dec

13°C

5°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The old town is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. A small tourist train links the centre with the Matisse chapel if you do not want the uphill walk. Local buses (lines toward Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-Jeannet and Saint-Paul) are the only public transport; a car helps for hill villages and the Baou hike.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Saint-Paul de Vence

go

Door to door: 1–1.5 h on foot

Walk on the marked path through the woods, or bus 400 toward Nice

The walk is the point; start before the heat and carry water.

Nicego

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus 400 from the centre, about 40–50 min

Cheap and frequent-ish; last bus back is early evening.

Cagnes-sur-Mer

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Local bus, about 20 min

Nearest train station for onward rail along the coast.

Grasse

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus or car via Cagnes-sur-Mer

Connections are fiddly; easier with a car.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Bus or car, about 20 min

Small hill village; pairs well with a half-day.

Antibes

go

Door to door: 1–1.25 h

Bus to Cagnes-sur-Mer, then train

Old town and Picasso museum; a full day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old town (vieille ville)

Walk to the cathedral, squares and restaurants; some rooms are small and stairs are common.

Around Place du Grand Jardin

Cafés and the market square on the doorstep; easiest if you arrive by bus.

Cantemerle / Avenue des Templiers edge

Hotels with pools and parking, 10–15 min walk or a short drive from the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€70–110 (≈ US$85–130) excl. bed
Mid
€110–180 (≈ US$130–250) excl. bed
High
€180 (≈ US$250)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, small hotel1 × 2 nights × €140€280
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €130€520
Bus 400 Nice–Vence, one way2 × €2 · check€4
Matisse chapel entry2 × €8 · check€16
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€85
Trip total≈ €234 per person per day, bed included€935≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in euros; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee at a square café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Lunch menu (formule)€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
Dinner, mid-range, per person€25–45 (≈ US$30–55)
Glass of wine€4–8 (≈ US$5–10)
Bus ride, local network€2 (≈ US$3) (check)
Taxi Vence → Nice airport€70–100 (≈ US$85–120) (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Vence is a calm, low-crime town; the real risks are summer heat on the walking paths, uneven old-town steps and the last bus back from Nice.
  • The Matisse chapel keeps short, split hours and closes in November: check before you build a day around it.
  • Buses from Nice fill up in summer and run less often on Sundays; check the last return.
  • Old-town streets are narrow and steep in places; luggage wheels struggle.
  • Many small restaurants close one or two days a week and shut the kitchen by about 21:30.

Emergency numbers

European emergency
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

VenceVence

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18

Embassy

No embassies in Vence; consulates-general are in Marseille and Nice, embassies in Paris.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus 400 Nice → Vence: about €2 (≈ US$3), 40–50 min (check)
  • Taxi Vence → Nice airport: €70–100 (≈ US$85–120) (check)
  • Train Cagnes-sur-Mer → Nice: about €5 (≈ US$6), 15 min (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • S'il vous plaît — Please (seel voo PLEH)
  • C'est combien ? — How much is it? (say kom-BYEN)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART)
  • Où est l'arrêt de bus ? — Where is the bus stop? (oo ay la-RAY duh BOOSS)

Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Vence. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Nov (Matisse chapel closed) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for NCE: bus 400 timings, taxi fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Walking clusters: old town and squares, Matisse chapel, Saint-Paul path, Baou de Saint-Jeannet trailhead.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Matisse chapel, cathedral, Château de Villeneuve) and eat pages with closing days.
  4. Summer heat and Sunday-bus fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources