How to Get From Nice to Villefranche sur Mer

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a charming coastal town on the French Riviera known for its colourful buildings, Mediterranean Sea views and laidback vibes compared to nearby cosmopolitan Nice.

And because it’s so close to Nice, many people like to go on a Nice to Villefranche sur Mer day trip.

That’s exactly what my husband, Colin, and I did when we were in the South of France in winter 2024. While planning our trip along the coast, I loved the look of Villefranche and researched the best way for us to get there.

We spent a lovely afternoon there wandering the hilly, picturesque streets and dining on mussels and beef carpaccio by the water.

I loved Villefranche-sur-Mer for its beauty and its stillness. Compared to Nice, it felt like we had this whole town to ourselves!

Luckily, it’s an easy trip from Nice and I’ve done the research on the six different ways you can travel between the two places.

If you’re planning your own trip from Nice to Villefranche sur Mer, keep reading to figure out the best way to get there and what to do once you arrive.

Please note: Prices and schedules below are current as of the date of publication.

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Option 1: Train from Nice to Villefranche sur Mer (best option!)

In my opinion, the best way to get from Nice to Villefranche sur Mer is by train. After lots of research, this is how Colin and I arrived in Villefranche for our mini day trip.

Going by train is the fastest option. It’s also direct, convenient, comfortable and affordable.

From Nice Ville train station, it’s only a seven minute direct TER train ride to Villefranche-sur-Mer station.

From the VFSM train station, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk into the centre of the old town. The walk is also very scenic, as you’re walking along the water and beaches.

You may be tempted to stop for lunch on the coast, just like Colin and I did, and there’s no prettier place to enjoy it!

Plus, one-way train fares can be as low as $3 USD!

Option 2: Bus from Nice to Villefranche sur Mer

Another option is to take the bus from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer. The bus will be the most affordable option if you’re really on a budget.

From Nice, you have a few bus options. If you’re located by the Nice Port, you can take the #15 bus or #600 bus, both arriving near VFSM in about 15 minutes.

The #15 bus also picks up near Lycee Massena, which may be more convenient depending on where in Nice you’re staying. From there, it’s 25 minutes to Villefranche.

Once you get off the bus, it’s a 5-10 minute walk into the centre of town. Note that this can be quite a hilly walk!

If you buy your bus fare at a ticket machine or using the Lignes D’Azur app, it’s less than $2 USD for a one-way fare. This includes 75 minutes of connections on other bus or tram lines.

In my opinion, saving $1 to take the bus instead of the train isn’t worth doubling the amount of time it takes to travel from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer. The train is also more comfortable, more reliable and more frequent.

However, the bus may be more scenic, as it drives around Cap de Nice on the coast. But you’ll have plenty of great views while in Nice and Villefranche, so I’m not sure you need to go out of your way for this one.

The bus might also make sense if you buy one of the multi-trip or multi-day passes. If you’ll be using the bus line a lot while on the Cote d’Azur and are buying a pass, then your trip to Villefranche would be included in that.

Option 3: Drive yourself to Villefranche sur Mer

You also have the option to rent a car and drive from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Depending on where you are in Nice and the current traffic, this drive will take 15-35 minutes.

The nice thing about driving to Villefranche is you can come and go on your own schedule. You’re also driving along the scenic Cap de Nice.

However, you have to deal with all of the complexities that come with renting a car. You’ll have to figure out parking in both Nice and Villefranche (good luck!), deal with traffic, and pay for a rental car.

All that, and it’s still much faster to take the train!

In my experience, you really do not need a rental car on the French Riviera. All of the towns are easily connected by train and parking is notoriously difficult to find.

Plus, for a journey as short as Nice to Villefranche, it’s really not worth renting a car. I’d only recommend driving if you absolutely have to.

Option 4: Take a taxi or Uber

If you want the convenience of a car without the hassle of renting one and finding parking, you could simply take a taxi or Uber to Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Because Villefranche is only a 15-35 minute drive from Nice, you won’t spend a fortune taking a taxi/Uber to get there. In fact, it’d probably be cheaper than renting a car for the day!

Villefranche sur Mer is very small and mostly pedestrian-only, so you won’t need a car once you’re in town. It would be totally fine for the taxi/Uber to drop you off and for you to get around on foot.

I believe this is a good option for those who prioritize convenience. However, you may have a hard time finding a taxi/Uber to take you back to Nice so either arrange one in advance or plan to bus/train back.

Option 5: Walk or bike

If you’re really feeling up for an adventure, you can actually walk or bike all the way from Nice to Villefranche sur Mer!

From Vieux Nice, you’re looking at a 25-35 minute bike ride to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Of course, this will vary depending on your biking abilities, if you opt for an electric bike and if you stop often to take in the views.

And you’ll want to, because you’ll be biking along the beautiful Cap de Nice!

The fastest walking route (just over an hour) actually has you cutting through more residential parts of Nice with a very steep uphill climb towards the end. But most people who walk to Villefranche prefer the panoramic, coastal walk.

The coastal route from Nice to Villefranche will take you 1.5-2 hours to walk but will be much prettier and much less steep than the faster city route.

I haven’t done the walk myself but I found this blog post that details the walking route. It looks beautiful (minus that big staircases!).

Note that both the biking and walking routes to Villefranche require tackling some pretty steep hills. So make sure your legs are prepared and pack that water bottle!

Option 6: Go on a day tour from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer

Lastly, you can get from Nice to Villefranche via day tour. This is a great option if you don’t want to deal with the logistics of transportation and if you want to see more of the French Riviera.

Most of the day tours that leave from Nice visit a few cities and towns along the coast, including Villefranche-sur-Mer. If you only want to see Villefranche, you’d be better off taking a taxi or hiring a private guide.

Otherwise, take your pick of bus, bike or boat tour!

8 things to do in Villefranche-sur-Mer

So you’ve made it from Nice to Villefranche by one of the methods above. But what do you actually do once you get there?

Here are a few options for your Villefranche-sur-Mer day trip:

1) Hit the beach

Check out the most popular Villefranche sur Mer beach, Plage des Marinieres, but be warned that sometimes all of the ships docked nearby can affect cleanliness. Slightly more remote beaches include Plage de la Darse and Plage de l’Ange Gardien.

2) Enjoy a bite by the water

My favourite part of visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer was sitting by the water and enjoying a huge bowl of fresh mussels. It was so picturesque and so tasty!

3) Wander through the colourful old town

If you’re okay with walking up and down hills, let yourself get lost in the beautiful alleways of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Find out what makes this town just so charming!

4) Visit Mairie de Villefranche-sur-Mer

This stone fortress was built in 1557 and is said to have some beautiful views overlooking the water.

5) Walk along funky Rue Obscure

You can’t come to Villefranche and not take a walk down Rue Obscure, an ancient covered alleyway. I found it a little spooky when we visited since we were all alone!

6) Pop into the Chapel of Saint Pierre

This tiny church was restored by famous artist Jean Cocteau who created some of the murals inside. Pop in for a quick peek!

7) Hike around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula

Just east of VFSM is Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, known for its luxury real estate, beaches and 10 km coastal footpath with impressive views.

8) Tour Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Also on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is Villa Ephrussi, a 20th Century villa that looks like something out of a movie. I wish we hadn’t run out of time to go tour this place and its beautiful gardens.

Other day trips from Nice

If you want to explore more of the French Riviera, I truly believe Nice is the best place to do it from. It’s central and very convenient to take day trips from.

Here are a few day trips we took from Nice and how you can recreate them:

Don’t want to DIY your day trips from Nice? Hop on a day tour and see the highlights of the French Riviera!

Wrapping up: Is a Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer day trip worth it?

Villefranche-sur-Mer is an enchating town on the French Riviera and I’m very glad we made the time to visit while we were in Nice.

From Nice, it was so easy to get to Villefranche sur Mer and back. Just seven minutes on the train for only a few dollars each!

But because Villefranche-sur-Mer is so close to Nice and because it’s such a small town with not a ton to do, I don’t know that it needs a full day trip.

Unless you want to spend a full day hiking, hitting the beach or visiting villas and fortresses, you can see the main highlights of Villefranche sur Mer in a couple of hours.

That said, I still think it’s worth visiting. Enjoying mussels by the water and wandering through the colourful streets was an afternoon well spent for us!

Plus, Villefranche was so much more relaxed than Nice. When we dined by the water in Nice, it was hard to get a table. In VFSM, we were the only people eating outside!

So don’t remove Villefranche from your French Riviera itinerary. But do feel free to combine it with another nearby town or spend the rest of your day exploring Nice.

I’d love to know: Will you be planning your own Nice to Villefranche sur Mer day trip? And which route will you take to get there?