Bus from Nice to Villefranche-sur-mer

The lovely pastel-hued fishing village of Villefranche-sur-mer is one of the most picturesque on the Riviera, and it’s just 15 minutes away from Nice by bus.

Take the Bus #607 Monaco which leaves every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays and French holidays. The most convenient place to catch the bus #607 is in the Nice Port (tram stop Port); go to the right hand corner of the Port, which is rue Arson, and walk inland half a block.  The bus stop is just a pole with a sign (Arson/Fodere), but you can recognize it by the line of people already waiting.

Or take the Bus #15 Port de Saint-Jean leaves from the Lycee Massena bus stop located just across from the Old Town, tram stop Cathedrale then cross the gardens and look right, and runs every 15 minutes during the week, 20 minutes on Sundays and French holidays.

Tickets

The fare for either bus costs just 1.70€, and you can also use a day or week pass, all of which you can buy in the ticket machines at any tram stop (plus the rechargeable card Le Carte, which costs 2€ but is refundable). You can also buy your tickets from the driver as you board, but it will cost extra (4€!) . Also note that your bus/tram ticket gives you unlimited transfers in Nice for 74 minutes, so if you take the tramway to get to the stop to transfer to the Bus #15 (tram stop Massena) or #607 (tram stop Port), the bus will not cost extra.

Where to get off and what to do

You will know you’re close to your stop when your breath is taken away by the view of the gorgeous bay of Villefranche-sur-mer.  Wait a few minutes until the bus gets into town, then push the red button to request the stop and get off at the garden; the stop is called Octroi.   Look for the Tourist Office and follow that road downhill into the village.

The giant fortress now houses galleries and exhibits, and as you explore the town don’t miss the mysterious hidden street that runs through the town, rue Obscure.  At the seaside you can visit the the tiny Chapel painted inside by the artist Jean Cocteau, and the crescent shaped public beach is filled with a kind of pebbly sand for a nice beach day.

If you want to combine this with a visit to that gorgeous peninsula on the far side of the bay, here is my itinerary for a day trip to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat plus Villefranche-sur-mer.

Getting back

I recommend taking the train on your way back, which leaves just above the seaside, comes roughly every half an hour and takes 3 minutes to the Nice-Ville station.   The train is preferable for the return trip because you have to walk quite a ways uphill to get to the Octroi stop.  Also Bus #607 is usually already full on its way back from Monaco so will just blow right past you, however you should always be able to get a seat on the Bus #15, which starts a lot closer at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.  Also, don’t forget to flag the bus down, otherwise it might not stop, thinking that you are waiting for the other bus.

The Bus #607 stops running at around 8pm and Bus #15 at 8:30pm, so after that you have to take the train anyway (last one leaves around 11pm).

If you bought the French Riviera Pass from the tourist office, you can also get to Villefranche from Nice via the Open Tour Hop on/Hop off tourist bus.

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