Bus from Nice to Vence and Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Vence and Saint-Paul-du-Vence are two medieval hill-top villages fairly close together but with completely different vibes.
Saint-Paul is the postcard-perfect walled village with just one entry and stupendous views. Vence is a little more spread out and a little less touristy, but equally spectacular and picturesque in its own way. Check out my page on doing a day trip to the two villages with all the transport info but also a lot more on what to do when you’re there.
Basically, you can get to Vence with a direct bus from Nice. For Saint-Paul-de-Vence there is no longer a direct bus so you instead need to take a train to Cagnes-sur-mer, then a different bus to Saint-Paul (which also goes to Vence, allowing you to make a loop and see both villages).
Vence
You catch the bus to Vence from the Parc Phoenix tram/bus stop (near the airport). Take the Bus #9 Halte Routiere de l’Ara which leaves approximately every 30 minutes (once an hour on Sundays).
Important: Be sure to take the one that says Halte Routiere de l’Ara because the #9 Le Gue/Polygone only goes half-way.
The trip takes 30 minutes, and you stay on to the last stop, which is the Routiere, or Vence bus station, and then it’s just a 5 minute walk straight into the old town, and the tourist office is on the way to pick up a map and find out if anything special is going on.
For getting back, the bus leaves Vence every 30 minutes, usually at the top of the hour and on the half-hour (less on Saturdays and Sundays). The last bus leaves Vence at 11pm Mon-Sat, and at 10:45 on Sundays, which is convenient as Vence has lots of music and cultural festivals.
To double check the bus timing, just use Google Maps which is much easier, in English, and has up to the minute real-time info. Other apps with reliable real-time info include Moovit (in 35 languages!), Transit App, Zenbus, and others.
You can use your Nice rechargeable bus card for 1.70€, and your trip is included in your Nice day-pass or week-pass. Load up your rechargeable card ahead of time at any tram stop because if you buy a ticket from the driver on the way back it will cost 4€ a pop. 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 Parc Phoenix bus stop, it will not cost extra.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
There used to be a direct bus from Nice to the hilltop village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, but no more!
Now if you want to see the perched village you have to either take the train to Cagnes-sur-Mer and then the bus #655 Vence par Saint-Paul, which goes to Saint-Paul-de-Vence (bus stop Saint-Paul-Village) and then finishes in Vence…
…Or if you are already in Vence because you came up on the direct bus from Nice, now just take the bus #655 for 2 stops to the Saint-Paul-Village stop.
The bus #655 leaves Vence every 30 minutes, and even though the trip is 2 stops and takes less than 10 minutes, the bus ticket will cost 2.50€ and you buy it from the driver. You could also just take a taxi (which will probably cost around 15€).
Getting back to Nice
You can take the bus #655 back to Vence (another 2.50€ that you buy it from the driver) and then return to Nice on the #9 you came up on (using your Nice bus card so only 1.70€, which will include your tram ride once back in Nice),
Or take the bus #655 down the hill where the 30 minute ride ends at the Cagnes-sur-Mer train station and then you can take the train back to Nice.
- See related page: Day Trip to Vence and Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Back up to Main Bus Page: Everything you need to know about taking the Bus in Nice
Photo Credit: St. Paul de Vence by Wng, licensed under Creative Commons