One of the quiet joys of staying at Villefranche-sur-Mer is how much you can reach without ever touching the car. The coastal train runs along the shore in both directions, linking the prettiest stops on the Riviera in minutes, so you can wake by the bay and be somewhere wonderful by mid-morning. Pick a different destination each day and let the timetable, rather than the map, set the pace. The list below runs roughly from the closest stops to the furthest, so you can match the outing to the energy of the day.
Monaco and Monte-Carlo
The principality is the obvious first trip, and the easiest. About fifteen to twenty minutes east on the coastal train brings you to a tiny, glittering country of harbour and hillside: the old town and palace above, the famous casino square and gardens of Monte-Carlo below, and the Oceanographic Museum on its cliff. Wander the port, watch the yachts, take in the changing of the guard, then ride back before the evening. Parking is tight in Monaco, which is one more reason the train wins. It is small enough to see properly in a day, yet full enough to keep you happily occupied from morning to dusk.
Eze and the perched villages
For something older and quieter, head up into the hills to Eze, the most famous of the Riviera's perched villages. A short drive lifts you straight to the gate, or you can take the train to Eze-sur-Mer on the shore and climb the steep path up from the sea, the route walkers know as the Nietzsche path. Either way you arrive in a knot of medieval lanes, stone houses and artisans' workshops, with a garden of cacti at the summit and a view that runs for miles along the coast. The nearby hill villages reward an unhurried wander too, and the whole trip pairs neatly with an hour or two down by the water.
Nice
Nice is barely ten minutes away by train, which makes it the easiest outing of all. The old town is a warren of ochre facades, market stalls and little squares, the Promenade des Anglais sweeps along the Baie des Anges, and the hill of the Château gives you the whole bay in one glance. Add a few good museums and an easy lunch, and it is a destination that suits a half-day or a full one, with or without a plan.
Menton and its gardens
Further east, almost at the Italian border, Menton is the warmest and gentlest of the coastal towns. The light is softer, the air is scented with lemon, and the old town climbs in pastel tiers above the sea. It is celebrated for its citrus and its gardens, several of which open to visitors, and the coastal train carries you there with the shoreline unrolling beside you the whole way. Linger over a long lunch, stroll the seafront, and you have the makings of a slower, sunnier sort of day trip, all the better for it.
Antibes and Cannes
West of Nice the coast keeps giving. Antibes pairs a walled old town and a busy Provençal market with the ramparts and the sea, and its harbour is among the loveliest on the coast, while Cannes, a little further on, is the famous film town with its long seafront promenade and grand hotels. Both sit beyond Nice, so the journey is a touch longer, usually a change of train at Nice or an easy drive, but together they make a rewarding day out along the western Riviera, with plenty of beach and shade to break up the sightseeing.
Across the border to Italy
The coastal line does not stop at the frontier. Carry on east and you cross into Italy, where the Friday market at Ventimiglia is a long-standing favourite outing, stalls of leather, linen and food spilling through the streets beside the river. It is a cheerful, bustling sort of morning, and a fine excuse to swap a Riviera lunch for a plate of pasta on the Italian side. Allow a little more travel time than for the closer stops, and you can be back at the villa for an evening swim with a bag of Italian shopping to show for the day.
Make a day of it
Turn a train ride into a proper outing. These are curated, bookable experiences in the places the coastal line reaches, all on tickadoo.
Booked through tickadoo. Your in-villa concierge can suggest and arrange these too, just ask.
Common questions
Monaco and Monte-Carlo, the perched village of Eze, Nice, Menton near the Italian border, and Antibes and Cannes to the west are the classics. Most are an easy hop on the coastal train, so you can pick a different one each day without ever needing the car.
Roughly fifteen to twenty minutes on the coastal line heading east. Trains are frequent, so Monaco makes for an easy half-day or full-day outing from the villa.
Yes. The coastal train continues east across the border to Ventimiglia, and its Friday market is a long-standing favourite outing. Allow a little more travel time than for the closer Riviera stops.
The hilltop village is a short drive up from the coast, or you can take the train to Eze-sur-Mer and climb up from the shore. Either way the reward is the medieval lanes and the long view over the sea.
Yes. They sit west of Nice, so the journey is a little longer, but Antibes has a lovely old town and Cannes its famous seafront. Changing at Nice on the train, or driving, makes both an easy day out.