DAY TRIPS • FROM NICE

Nice to Menton by train : the day trip that works

You drove from Nice to Monaco in August because Google Maps said 32 minutes? Hu, pichoun. That is what we call a cagade.

TER trainNice, Villefranche, Monaco and Menton sit on the coastal line. The train has an excellent view of the traffic.

2 stops maxFor a pleasant day. Four stops turns the Riviera into a rail audit.

Nice RiquierVery useful from the Port. There is no rule requiring you to return to Nice-Ville first.

Between Nice and Menton, the train is so logical that renting a car needs a convincing reason. If your idea of freedom is discovering three underground car parks, one tunnel and the bumper of the niocou in front, be our guest. Otherwise, take the TER.

ISSA, NOT A DELIVERY ROUTE

Villefranche + Menton for an easy day. Monaco + Menton for more contrast. Three stops if you enjoy chasing trains. Four? Mèfi, gari, you are on holiday, not working for FedEx.

Option 1 : Villefranche then Menton

Morning

Villefranche-sur-Mer

Walk down through the old town to the bay, have coffee and take your time. The TER station connects directly with Nice and sits close to town. Almost suspiciously easy.

Lunch + afternoon

Menton

Continue east by train and give Menton the rest of the day. Old town, seafront, gardens if you have time. Do not add Monaco simply because the train passes it. It also passes many apartment buildings.

Option 2 : Monaco then Menton

Monaco works best earlier in the day before everything feels busier, then Menton in the afternoon. More dramatic, more polished, more tiring.

Which Nice station?

Nice-Ville is convenient for the centre. Nice-Riquier is often better from the Port and eastern Nice. The tourist office states in 2026 that trains run roughly every 15 minutes on the Cannes-Menton axis from Nice-Riquier. Check the timetable on the day.

What we would not do

Villefranche, Èze village, Monaco and Menton in one day. Èze village is not down at the railway station, which adds exactly the extra logistics your overloaded itinerary needed.

Rent a car solely “for freedom”. You will indeed be free to sit in traffic, search for parking and explain afterwards that the Riviera felt stressful. Dégun ordered that mess for you, pichoun. That was avoidable.