The Perfect Nice to Antibes Day Trip Itinerary

While my husband, Colin, and I were in the South of France, we planned a few day trips from our base in Nice. And my favourite one was definitely our Nice to Antibes day trip!

We had an indulgent brunch, played around with some street art, learned about Picasso and hit the beach. What’s not to like about that itinerary?

Antibes is the type of city I instantly fall in love with. It’s charming, seaside, historic, and lively, but without being too busy (at least in the off-season!).

There are endless alleyways to meander through in the Old Town, a beautiful boardwalk to stroll along, and lots to do from museums to markets.

After spending the day in Antibes, I was pretty much ready to move there! Seriously, it’s on our shortlist for a place to spend a month or two in 2026.

Not only was Antibes a great place to spend the day, but it was also super convenient to get to from Nice. One short train ride and we were off and exploring a new city on foot.

Below, I’ll share the ideal itinerary for a day in Antibes, plus the best ways to travel from Nice to Antibes.

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How to get from Nice to Antibes

Best way: Train from Nice to Antibes

In my opinion, the best way to travel to Antibes from Nice is by train. In fact, we did all of our day trips from Nice by train and it always worked out well.

The train from Nice to Antibes is very convenient – the main stations are within walking distance of the old towns in both Nice and Antibes.

It’s also affordable, direct, fast and leaves often. Fares start at just $6 USD per way, the average direct train journey is 20 minutes, and there are apx 16 trains leaving per day (as of Jan 2025).

Book your train from Nice to Antibes here!

Nice to Antibes by bus

From Nice, you can get to Antibes by bus, but the train is going to be much faster and more direct.

From Vieux Nice (the old town where most tourists stay), you’re looking at a 90 minute journey on two buses, with 15-20 minutes of walking, to get to Antibes.

If you’re coming from NCE Airport, there are two buses that leave from near the airport (#620 and #82) that take about 45 minutes to reach Antibes.

But from the terminals, you’ll need to add another ~45 minutes (and another bus/tram) to get to those buses.

Even if you are going from Nice Airport to Antibes, it’s actually faster to start your journey on the #620 bus and then transfer over to the TER train.

Buses in Nice are run through the public transport company ZOU! Check here for up to date schedules, routes and fares.

Nice to Antibes by car

You could also choose to drive from to Antibes from Nice, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a day trip.

Because the train is so fast, convenient and affordable, it doesn’t make sense to rent a car. Driving from Nice to Antibes will take 35-65 minutes – so longer than the train – and a car rental will cost you much more than a $6 train ticket!

You’ll also have to worry about traffic, steep coastal roads and parking.

We rented a car while we were in Provence and dropped it off in Nice before starting the French Riviera leg of our trip. Just driving into Nice and trying to find the parking lot where we needed to return our car was such a hassle.

We got turned around many times and were very grateful to be doing the rest of our travel by train!

The only time I think it makes sense to rent a car is if you’re planning a longer road trip around France to places that are hard to reach by train. If that’s the case, check out Discover Cars for the best car rental rates!

Nice to Antibes by day tour

If you don’t want to deal with renting a car or taking public transport, you can also visit Antibes on a day tour from Nice.

Most of the day tours offered visit a few cities along the French Riviera in one day, which is convenient if you want to see a lot in a short amount of time.

But it also means less time in each place, so you’ll have to think about what is more important to you.

My recommended Antibes day trip itinerary

Now that you know how to travel to Antibes, let’s figure out how you should spend your day there.

Morning: Train to Antibes, visit the Antibes Market and get brunch

Hopefully you listened to me and you’re boarding your convenient, fast and affordable 20 minute train into Antibes.

From the station, take a leisurely stroll into the old town where you’ll find Marche Provencal. This Antibes market is known for its produce and fresh foods, and is open daily from 7:30am – 1pm.

Admire the delicious goods on display, watch as the local grandmeres inquire about pricing, and maybe pick up something to sample.

But don’t indulge too much, because you’re on your way to an incredible brunch experience!

Continue walking to Lilian Bonnefoi, a cafe named after a local pastry chef, where you can dive into a spectacular brunch. (Not into brunch? There’s a second location that’s just a pastry shop.)

This brunch is a bit of a splurge, especially compared to a usual French breakfast of a croissant and cappuccino, but I think it’s well worth it.

Brunch is served over a few courses and you get to pick what you want. I went for a praline tea, natural apple juice, French toast, fruit salad, eggs benedict and, of course, a pastry!

It was overwhelming to decide which pastry to choose. I ended up with a little chocolate creation and Colin got something with Snickers.

But honestly? I think the soft French toast with delicate marscapone cheese was my favourite part!

Overall, I highly recommend adding this Antibes restaurant to your itinerary. If the weather is nice, you can sit out on the terrace!

Noon: Hit the beach in Antibes

Antibes is known for its long coastline of sandy beaches, so you’ll definitely want to hit the beach in Antibes during your day trip!

It was winter during our visit, so we weren’t swimming or sunbathing. But I did go for a lovely walk along the coast down to scenic beaches Plage du Ponteil and Plage de la Salis.

I loved watching the waves crash along the rocks and sand. Even though it was winter, the sun was shining and there were lots of people out and about enjoying the ocean views.

You can also check out Plage de la Gravette, the main beach located by the Old Town, or the pebbled (and therefore, less crowded) beaches of Plage du Fort Carré and Plage de la Fontonne.

Just outside of Antibes proper you’ll find more beaches in Cap d’Antibes and Juan les Pins. Cap d’Antibes is known for secluded coves and rocky viewpoints while Juan les Pins is known for beach clubs.

Speaking of Antibes beach clubs, check out this list for the best ones in the area if you’d prefer to book a lounger and umbrella, as well as have access to restaurants and bars.

Otherwise, you can just find a spot for your towel on one of the public beaches!

Afternoon: Visit the Musee Picasso Antibes

In the late afternoon – once you’ve had enough surf and sand – it’s time to get your culture on at the Musee Picasso Antibes.

Famous artist Pablo Picasso was once a resident of Antibes and actually painted in Grimaldi Castle, the very building that is now a museum dedicated to his work.

He had his studio there for a few months in 1946 and left almost 70 works in the castle’s custody before returning to work in Paris.

Since then, Grimaldi Castle has been transformed into a museum and more of Picasso’s sketches, paintings and ceramics have been acquired to enhance the collection.

Musée Picasso is not a very large museum; it’s only two floors and I think you could easily see everything in an hour.

The first floor holds work by artists who were inspired by Picasso while the second is dedicated to Picasso himself. There’s also a small outdoor sculpture garden.

I enjoyed wandering through the Picasso Museum and really liked that we got to see his art displayed in the same place where he made it. But if you’re short on time or not a big Picasso fan, I think it’d be fine to skip this museum.

Note that the Picasso Museum keeps different hours in the off-season vs the summer and is always closed on Mondays.

When we visited, they closed for an hour during lunch. So we saw the first floor, left to walk along the beach, and then came back to see the second floor!

Evening: See Le Nomade and then head back to Nice

After brunch, the beach and Picasso, your day trip to Antibes is starting to wrap up. Slowly stroll back through the old town on your way to the train station and back to Nice.

Along the way, make a detour to the Antibes Marina so you can see the famous Le Nomade statue. From water level, walk up a set of stairs and along the ramparts until you reach this can’t-miss piece of street art.

The description of Le Nomade is a figure who “reaches beyond its constituent materials, its space, all emptiness and silence, opens up to the sea and spreads out before it, like a gigantic figurehead.”

I don’t really know what that means, but the statue is pretty cool! You can even pose inside of it, as I’m demonstrating in the cheesy photo above.

Alternatively, if you want to be in Antibes a little longer and catch a late train back to Nice, you can stay for dinner.

Have extra time? 6 more things to do in Antibes

If you want to extend your Antibes day trip or swap out one of my itinerary suggestions above, check out one of these other things to do in Antibes, France:

1. Explore Le Fort Carré

Le Fort Carré is a 16th Century fort known for its star shape and scenic views. It’s located opposite Le Nomade on the Antibes Marina, so would make sense to visit on your way to/from the train station.

We didn’t get a chance to visit Le Fort Carré, but I read that you can only access the fort by guided tour.

Unfortunately, reviewers mentioned that tour times are only posted on the entrance door, meaning you have to walk up to the fort to find out what time the next tour is – and you may be waiting a while!

2. Stop by the Antibes Cathedral

The Antibes Cathedral, or Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l’Immaculée Conception d’Antibes, is a small church located in Antibes’ old town, right next to the Picasso Museum.

The cathedral’s claim to fame is its ornate wooden doors, carved by Joseph Dolle in the 18th Century. You can admire these from outside if the church is closed.

Or you can pop into the church if it’s open, like we did. Though, to be honest, it’s a little underwhelming. But it’s small and free, so why not check it out?

3. Hike along Cap d’Antibes

Cap d’Antibes is the peninsula just south of Antibes where you can find both luxury resorts and rocky beaches. They also host part of the Cannes Film Festival here!

Connecting it all is Le Sentier du Littoral (The Coastal Path), a hiking route that goes along the water, offering some of the best views.

This path has been described as one of the prettiest walks in the world and only supposed to take 1-2 hours to complete. I’m sad we didn’t have time to do this on our Antibes day trip – guess we’ll have to do it next time!

4. See the views from La Garoupe Lighthouse

While in Cap d’Antibes, you can treat yourself to another nice view from La Garoupe Lighthouse (Phare de la Garoupe).

This lighthouse was built in 1948 and, after being closed for some time, is now reopened to the public. You can join a tour and climb the 116 steps to the top of the lighthouse for incredible views over the peninsula and ocean.

Your tour also includes access to the garden and a virtual element on the ground floor. You’ll climb the tower in groups of 10, so things don’t get too crowded up there.

Note that the lighthouse is currently only open on Saturdays and Sundays. Bonus: it’s free!

5. Find your dream yacht at Port Vauban

If you’re checking out Le Nomade, you’ll walk right by Port Vauban. This lively part of the Antibes Port is said to be the first yachting marina on the Mediterranean.

You’ll find everything from small fishing boats to giant yachts and sailboats docked at Port Vauban but it’s most famous for Quai Camille Rayon, aka Billionaire’s Quay where the superyachts are parked.

Besides scouting out your next big boat purchase, you may also find vendors, live music, dance classes and parties taking place down at the port.

Besides some fishmongers, Port Vauban was pretty quiet when we visited. But it was still cool to see all of the boats!

6. Check out more art at Musée Peynet

Musée Peynet Et Du Dessin Humoristique, or the Peynet Museum, is a museum dedicated to artist and Antibes resident Raymond Peynet.

Raymond Peynet became well known for his drawings and cartoons in Parisian newspapers, particularly a piece called “The Lovers” which you can see in statue form outside of the museum.

The museum holds over 300 of Peynet’s works, plus the works of other newspaper cartoonists.

Conclusion: Is Antibes worth visiting?

Is Antibes worth visiting? Absolutely!

I completely fell in love with this little city on the French Riviera. I found the old town super charming, the atmosphere lively and the water views incredible.

I also liked how easy it was to travel from Nice to Antibes on a day trip. Though next time, I’m spending much longer than just a day in Antibes!

I’d be curious if my thoughts on Antibes would change if I had visited in the hustle and bustle of summer. But for an off-season destination, it absolutely has my highest recommendation!

I’d love to know: Are you adding an Antibes day trip to your bucket list?