Four days on the French Riviera without a car

Why this route skips Èze and ends at Menton

Four days without a car on the Riviera covers roughly the same ground as the three-day and five-day versions of this trip, but two choices set it apart. First, Èze is left out. The village sits on the Moyenne Corniche, above the coastal railway, and reaching it without a car means a bus from Nice or a taxi from the nearest station — neither is as direct as stepping off the train, so it belongs on a driving itinerary rather than this one. Second, Menton is added at the end of the line: the last French town before Italy, reached on the same train you already used for Monaco, with its own gardens and lemon groves and none of the crowd pressure of the towns closer to Nice.

The spine of the whole four days is the French Riviera TER train, which runs along the coast from Cannes through Antibes, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Monaco and on to Menton. No boat transfer, no rental car, no private driver — just a regional train ticket bought at the station or on the SNCF app, station by station. See our guide to getting around the French Riviera for how the train, the tram and the Lignes d’Azur buses fit together.

Base yourself in Nice for all four nights; every day trip below returns to Nice-Ville by early evening.

Day 1: Nice

Arrive at Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE) and take the tramway (lines 2 or 3) into the centre — no taxi needed. Spend the day on foot in Vieux-Nice: the ochre facades, the flower and produce stalls of Cours Saleya (closed Mondays, when a brocante takes over instead), and Place Masséna opening onto the Promenade du Paillon. Climb Colline du Château on foot or by the public lift for the view over the Baie des Anges and Port Lympia — there’s no château left, just ruins, a park and a waterfall, but it’s free.

In the afternoon, walk or take the tram-adjacent bike lane along the Promenade des Anglais. The beaches here are pebble, not sand — bring water shoes if you’re swimming, and stick to the free public stretches rather than the paid mattress-and-parasol sections, which can run €20–30 a day per person. Public beach access is unlimited and costs nothing.

For dinner, look for socca, pan bagnat or a plate of petits farcis in a Vieux-Nice bistro rather than a Promenade terrace, where prices are noticeably higher for the same view. Our best beaches in Nice and the Riviera guide lists which free stretches are quietest.

Day 2: Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and Monaco

This is the day the train earns its keep. From Nice-Ville, it’s about 10 minutes to Villefranche-sur-Mer, whose deep natural harbour and Cocteau-decorated Chapelle Saint-Pierre are worth an hour before continuing. Walk the coastal path toward Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat if you have the morning free, or take the local bus from Villefranche station — the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens are the reason most people come this far, but it’s a paid entry and adds a couple of hours, so budget accordingly.

Back on the train, it’s roughly 20–25 minutes from Nice-Ville to Monaco. Monaco is a sovereign principality, not part of the European Union, but there’s no border control crossing from France — you simply arrive at Monaco-Monte-Carlo station and walk out. Note that Monaco-Ville, on the Rock, is the actual capital, with the Prince’s Palace (changing of the guard around 11:55am) and the Oceanographic Museum; Monte-Carlo is a separate district built around the Casino, a few minutes downhill. Both are walkable from the station, though the walk involves some genuine elevation.

Monaco is the one day where a paid extra can make sense if your budget allows it, since land views from the Rock only show you half the coastline.

a two-hour cruise along the Monaco coastline gives you the harbour and the cliffside skyline from the water, which the walking route can’t match, though it’s entirely optional against a free afternoon in Monaco-Ville’s gardens.

Return to Nice by train in the evening; the last useful services run into the night, but check times before you set out.

Day 3: Menton

Stay on the same TER line, but this time ride it to the end: Menton, about 35–40 minutes from Nice-Ville, is the last French town before the Italian border. It’s a smaller, quieter day than Monaco, and a cheaper one. Menton’s old town is a tangle of pastel streets leading up to the Basilique Saint-Michel, and the Jardin Serre de la Madone and other gardens reflect the town’s mild microclimate — Menton grows citrus commercially, and the lemon is its symbol (the Fête du Citron takes over the town every February–March, not in summer).

Walk the seafront promenade, browse the covered market near the old port, and stop at the Musée Jean Cocteau if you want an indoor break from the sun. Lunch from a bakery or the market stalls costs a fraction of a sit-down restaurant near the marina.

an early private boat outing along the Menton coastline is available for travelers who want one paid excursion on this stretch, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the town — the free coastal walk covers most of the same views.

If you have energy left, the same train continues a few minutes further to Ventimiglia in Italy, whose Friday market draws day-trippers from across the border — but that crosses into a different itinerary; see getting around the French Riviera for cross-border train times if you want to extend the day.

Return to Nice by train for the night.

Day 4: Antibes and Cannes

The final day runs the opposite direction on the same TER line: west from Nice-Ville toward Antibes (about 20–25 minutes) and Cannes (about 15 minutes further). Antibes has ramparts, the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi, and Fort Carré overlooking Port Vauban — all walkable from the station, and the old town market (Marché Provençal) is a good, inexpensive lunch stop.

a short boat tour with a Villefranche stop is worth mentioning here too, since some routes depart from Antibes and Nice on the same day — but it’s an add-on, not a requirement for this leg.

Continue to Cannes by train for the afternoon. Walk La Croisette for the sense of it, but budget-conscious travelers will get more out of Le Suquet, the old hillside quarter above the port, and the Marché Forville, rather than a Croisette terrace where a coffee alone can run €7–8. Cannes’ public beaches sit alongside private, paid ones on the same stretch of sand — check the signage before laying out a towel, since the private sections look similar but charge for a sunbed.

a private skippered yacht outing from Antibes is the splurge option for this last day, for travelers who’ve kept costs low the rest of the trip and want one afternoon on the water before heading home.

Take the train back to Nice-Ville in the early evening, in time for a last dinner in Vieux-Nice.

Costs, timing and what this trip leaves out

Day	Route	Approx. train time from Nice	Rough daily spend (excl. accommodation)
1	Nice (on foot)	—	€25–40
2	Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Monaco	10–25 min each way	€35–60
3	Menton	35–40 min each way	€25–40
4	Antibes, Cannes	20–25 min, then 15 min further	€35–55

Prices are estimates for food, transport tickets and a paid attraction or two per day; they exclude accommodation and any optional boat excursion.

This itinerary deliberately leaves out Èze, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the inland Mercantour valleys, all of which sit off the rail line and are easier with a car or a guided day tour. If you want those villages, see our three-day Nice and Riviera itinerary or the five-day French Riviera itinerary, both of which build in a driving day. For a broader look at keeping costs down across the region, our French Riviera on a budget guide covers accommodation and food strategies beyond transport.

FAQ: doing the French Riviera by train without a car

Do I need a car to see Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes from Nice?

No. All four are on the same coastal TER line as Nice, with journeys of roughly 15 to 40 minutes each way, and trains run frequently through the day.

Why doesn’t this itinerary include Èze?

Èze sits above the coastal railway on the Moyenne Corniche and needs a bus or taxi from the valley floor, which is less direct than stepping off a train. It fits better on a driving-based itinerary.

Is Monaco part of the European Union?

No. Monaco is a sovereign principality and not an EU member, though it uses the euro and has no border control on the frontier with France, so you cross in and out on foot or by train without formalities.

How much does a one-way TER ticket cost between Nice and these towns?

Prices vary by distance and season, but short hops like Nice–Villefranche or Nice–Monaco are typically a few euros each way, and Nice–Menton or Nice–Cannes cost somewhat more. Buying at the station or via the SNCF app avoids any surcharge.

Are the beaches in Nice sand or pebble?

Pebble, along the entire Promenade des Anglais. Sand shows up further west, around Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and parts of Cannes. Free public beach access is available everywhere; paid sections add mattress and parasol rental.

Is one paid boat excursion worth adding to a no-boat budget trip?

It’s optional. This itinerary is built to work entirely without one, but travelers with some budget flexibility sometimes add a single outing, such as a short Monaco or Villefranche cruise, on the day it best fits their route.

What’s the best time of year for this itinerary?

May–June and September offer the most comfortable train days without peak summer crowds or prices. July–August is hottest and busiest; October–November can bring intense Mediterranean rain events, so check forecasts before setting out on foot-heavy days.

Can this same route be extended to Ventimiglia or Sanremo in Italy?

Yes, the coastal train continues past Menton into Italy in about 30 more minutes, but that crosses into a separate day trip rather than fitting inside these four days.