Train or bus?
On the coast, start with the train. For hilltop villages and the awkward last mile, buses suddenly become much more intelligent.
What matters
Nice, Monaco, Ventimiglia: upcoming rail works
10-11 November 2026: no trains between Nice, Monaco, Menton and Ventimiglia from Tuesday 10 November (from 1.30am) until late afternoon on Wednesday 11 (services announced to resume around 5-5.30pm), due to SNCF Réseau engineering works; Monaco station is not served. Between Nice and Breil-sur-Roya (the Tende line), the closure runs from Monday 9 until around 5.30pm on Thursday 12 November, with replacement coaches. Do not rely on the train for this journey without checking updated services.
19-23 and 26-30 October 2026: daytime works, Monday to Friday, on the Nice-Breil-Tende line: no trains between Nice and Breil from about 9.50am to 3.50pm. Check for replacement coaches on the TER (regional train) traffic page before you travel.
Until 11 December 2026: trains between Nice and Ventimiglia are suspended from 10 pm to 6 am, Sunday to Thursday nights. Road replacement options are available; arrangements depend on your route.
Check before travelling: Official TER works notice ↗︎ · Live service updates ↗︎. Confirm train times and alternatives before setting off.
If the destination has a coastal station, check TER first. If the place is perched above the railway, stop being loyal to the train and look at the bus.
The simple rule
Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Monaco, Menton: train first
TER is usually the cleanest answer for the main coastal towns. It avoids traffic, puts you in the centre and runs frequently enough that you do not need to build the day around one departure.
Book / check live times. TER Sud ↗︎ · SNCF Connect ↗︎
Èze Village, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and inland stops: bus matters
Èze railway station is down by the sea. Saint-Paul-de-Vence has no station at all. That is where the regional bus network earns its place in the trip.
Useful examples: ZOU! line 602 serves Nice, Èze Village and Monaco. Line 655 links Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence.
Timetables / tickets. ZOU! Alpes-Maritimes ↗︎ · Buy ZOU! tickets ↗︎
What does the train actually cost?
For budgeting, these are current official full-fare one-way examples from the TER pages, checked 11 October 2026. They are useful planning numbers.
Typical TER budget
Antibes: about €7. Cannes: about €9.70. Monaco: about €6.10. Menton: about €7.70.
Nice to Antibes averages around 20 minutes. Nice to Cannes is roughly 35 minutes. Monaco to Nice is also around 20 minutes on the current official timetable pages.
Nice itself: tram and bus, not TER
Inside Nice, use Lignes d’Azur. The current Solo fare is €1.70 and includes transfers for 74 minutes. The current passes are €7 for 1 day, €13 for 2 days and €20 for 7 days. A rechargeable anonymous card costs €2 and can be topped up at tram machines and other points of sale.
Solo fare ↗︎ · Official fare guide ↗︎
The pass that can actually make sense
The PASS Sud Azur Explore is worth checking if you are moving a lot. It covers trains, trams and buses across the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco: €35 for 3 days, €50 for 7 days and €80 for 14 days for an adult.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Do not take the train to Èze-sur-Mer assuming you have arrived in Èze Village.
- Do not use a regional bus for Nice to Cannes just because buses feel simpler. The TER is usually the cleaner default.
- Do not buy a transport pass because it sounds efficient. Count the trips you will actually make.
Sources checked
- SNCF, Nice-Breil-Tende timetable 2026 (works 19-30 October)
- La Trinité town hall, Nice-Breil closures 19-23 and 26-30 October
- Lignes d’Azur: Solo fare
- Lignes d’Azur: September 2026 fare guide
- TER Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
- Nice Premium, trains suspended 10-11 November
- Maritima, SNCF works 9-15 November
- ZOU!: Alpes-Maritimes bus lines
- ZOU!: PASS Sud Azur Explore