Last Updated on February 8, 2026 by Allison Coe
In 2020 a massive storm named Tempete Alex walloped the hills above Nice in the Roya Valley, washing away roads, bridges, train tracks, entire homes, and 18 townspeople. The damage was dramatic and the rebuilding has been a long, but finally, months ahead of schedule, the mountain train known as the Train of Marvels, rides again!
Breil-sur-Roya in summer
The Train des Merveilles departs from the regular Nice train station and climbs the mountainous terrain through a series of newly reinforced viaducts and tunnels through the Roya river valley. This train is especially wonderful to take in the winter, when you quickly leave the palm trees of Nice behind and enter the snowy beauty of an Alpine mountain forest.
Tende in summer
An hour will take you to the lakeside village of Breil-sur-Roya and another hour to get to the end of the line for the perched village of Tende, with its rustic charm and (free) mysterious museum full of fascinating petroglyphs found carved in the cave walls which gives this valley its marvels name. To get to Tende, you generally need to change half way in Breil-sur-Roya (which is worth the stop anyway) and there are trains between the two towns roughly every hour. But if you want to just go straight to Tende there are two direct trains from Nice, at 9:30am and 1:30pm, each taking 2 hours, and direct return trains head back at 1pm and 3pm.
A one-way ticket to Breil-sur-Roya (1 hour+) 10.30€, and to Tende is 15.30€, but you’re free to stop off in Breil, then catch the later train between the two towns, which you can buy (in English!) on TrainLine. This route is included in the Train Day/Week/Family Passes, so if you have one of these, just get on the train and go, no lines, no tickets.
See Related Pages:
- Coastal Trains on the Riviera
- Cheap Train Tickets and Rail Pass Deals
- Best Transport Apps for getting around the French Riviera
- Taking the TGV to Paris
Another Winter Treat that ALSO Just Came Back:
The giant Monaco municipal outdoor ice skating rink is also back after a 3 year absence! Set on the Olympic-sized swimming pool facing the super yachts, this most spectacular ice skating rink on the Riviera closed permanently after Covid …but I guess it is back by popular demand! It’s open to the public and costs just 8€ which includes skate rental, helmets and pads. Opening day was December 5, 2025 and it’s open through end of February.
And as long as you’re there, here’s some other ideas for things to do in Monaco.
See Related Pages:
- Fascinating Facts about Monaco
- Doing Monaco on the Cheap
- Taking the Bus from Nice to Monaco
- Taking the Train from Nice to Monaco
- Monaco Grand Prix on the Cheap
Photo credits: all photos by Menton Riviera Merveilles