Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Nice
The Riviera's big city, 25 minutes away by train: the old town and Cours Saleya market in the morning, then Matisse and Chagall in the Cimiez hills. Good for art lovers and anyone who wants a real city after Monaco.
How to get there
- Train · SNCF Voyageurs (TER ZOU!) · 25 minFrom Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
Departures: about every 15-30 min (55-68 trains a day each way)
Fare: not verified 2026 (ter.sncf.com and SNCF Connect block automated access). ZOU! train tickets are priced by distance; a ZOU! Pass journée for unlimited regional trains starts at EUR 20 (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Arrive at Nice-Ville. Journey 23-33 min. In October 2026 the last train from Nice-Ville to Monaco leaves around 21:36 Sunday to Friday; Saturday has later trains (SNCF timetable data, feed of 11 Oct 2026). Fares leaflet: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/public/media/file/2026-06/depliant-des-tarifs-zou.pdf
- Bus · ZOU! line 600 (Nice - Monaco - Menton) · 55 minFrom Monaco, Place des Moulins (also Casino, Sainte-Dévote Gare, Place d'Armes)
Departures: about every 15 min on weekdays, every 20 min at weekends
Fare: EUR 2.20 single on any ZOU! Proximité line (100-999), EUR 0.40 more if bought on board; contactless bank card accepted on the validator (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Coast road via Cap d'Ail, Èze-sur-Mer, Beaulieu and Villefranche to Nice Square Normandie Niemen (Port); 45-65 min depending on traffic. Last bus Nice to Monaco 20:30 daily (timetable valid from 1 Sep 2026).
What to see
- Vieux Nice and Cours Saleya. Old-town lanes and the market square: flowers, fruit and vegetables Tuesday to Sunday, antiques on Mondays; 90 min
- Musée Matisse. Villa in the Cimiez district with the city's Matisse collection, next to the Roman archaeological site; 75 min
- Musée national Marc Chagall. Purpose-built museum for Chagall's Biblical Message cycle, on the way up to Cimiez; 75 min
- Ponchettes steps viewpoint. Steps opposite Place Pierre Gautier for a view over Cours Saleya; 15 min
Closed days
Musée Matisse and Musée national Marc Chagall closed on Tuesdays; Musée Matisse closed 29 Sep - 20 Oct 2026; Cours Saleya flower market not held on Mondays (antiques market instead).
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- Both museums close on Tuesdays. The Musée Matisse is also closed from 29 September to 20 October 2026 to install its next exhibition.
- The Chagall museum closes from 13:00 to 14:30 until 31 October 2026; plan it for the morning or late afternoon.
- Come Tuesday to Sunday for the flower market; on Mondays Cours Saleya is an antiques market instead.
- The train is faster than the coast bus and avoids traffic; check the last train back, which leaves Nice around 21:36 on most nights.
Menton
The last French town before Italy, ruled by Monaco's princes until 1848: a steep Genoese-looking old town, a Baroque basilica and two Jean Cocteau works. Easy half or full day; in February it hosts the Fête du Citron.
How to get there
- Train · SNCF Voyageurs (TER ZOU!) · 15 minFrom Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
Departures: about every 15-30 min (50-67 trains a day each way)
Fare: not verified 2026 (ter.sncf.com and SNCF Connect block automated access). ZOU! train tickets are priced by distance; a ZOU! Pass journée for unlimited regional trains starts at EUR 20 (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Get off at Menton (centre) or Menton-Garavan (for the old port end). Journey 12-26 min. Last train Menton to Monaco around 21:29 Sunday to Friday, later on Saturdays (SNCF timetable data, feed of 11 Oct 2026). Fares leaflet: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/public/media/file/2026-06/depliant-des-tarifs-zou.pdf
- Bus · ZOU! line 600 (Nice - Monaco - Menton) · 25 minFrom Monaco, Place des Moulins
Departures: about every 15-30 min on weekdays, every 20 min at weekends
Fare: EUR 2.20 single on any ZOU! Proximité line (100-999), EUR 0.40 more if bought on board; contactless bank card accepted on the validator (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Runs via Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Carnolès to Menton Gare Routière; 23-30 min. Last bus Menton to Monaco 20:35 on weekdays, 20:45 at weekends (timetable valid from 1 Sep 2026).
What to see
- Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange. Baroque basilica begun in 1619, on a stepped square above the old port; 30 min
- Old town and Rue Longue. The old town follows the line of the Roman Via Julia Augusta along Rue Longue; 60 min
- Musée Jean Cocteau - Le Bastion. 17th-century fort built by the Princes of Monaco, decorated by Cocteau and opened as his museum in 1966; 45 min
- Salle des mariages (Hôtel de Ville). Wedding room painted by Cocteau in 1956-58; weekdays only; 20 min
- Covered market. 1898 market hall with local produce, open from early morning until about 13:00; 30 min
Closed days
Musée Jean Cocteau - Le Bastion closed Tuesdays and 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 Nov, 25 Dec; Salle des mariages closed Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Best time to go
all year; Fête du Citron 13-28 February 2027
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- The Bastion museum is open 10:00-12:30 and 14:00-18:00 and closes on Tuesdays; it is shut over lunch, so see the basilica and market then.
- The Cocteau wedding room in the town hall opens Monday to Friday only (08:30-12:00, 14:00-16:30), EUR 2.
- The Fête du Citron runs 13-28 February 2027, with daytime and night parades (corsos); tickets are sold on fete-du-citron.com.
- The museum's official site lists only the Bastion as open in 2026; do not plan on the seafront Séverin Wunderman building.
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Two neighbouring stops on the coast line: Villefranche's old harbour with Cocteau's fishermen's chapel and a 13th-century covered street, and the Rothschild villa and its nine themed gardens on the Cap Ferrat isthmus.
How to get there
- Train · SNCF Voyageurs (TER ZOU!) · 18 minFrom Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
Departures: about every 15-30 min (55-68 trains a day each way)
Fare: not verified 2026 (ter.sncf.com and SNCF Connect block automated access). ZOU! train tickets are priced by distance; a ZOU! Pass journée for unlimited regional trains starts at EUR 20 (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Villefranche-sur-Mer station is 14-22 min from Monaco; Beaulieu-sur-Mer station (the villa's suggested station) is 11-19 min. Last trains back to Monaco around 21:44 from Villefranche and 21:48 from Beaulieu Sunday to Friday (SNCF timetable data, feed of 11 Oct 2026). Fares leaflet: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/public/media/file/2026-06/depliant-des-tarifs-zou.pdf
- Bus · ZOU! line 600 (Nice - Monaco - Menton)From Monaco, Place des Moulins
Departures: about every 15 min on weekdays, every 20 min at weekends
Fare: EUR 2.20 single on any ZOU! Proximité line (100-999), EUR 0.40 more if bought on board; contactless bank card accepted on the validator (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Stops at Pont Saint-Jean, from where the villa says it is about a 15-minute walk, and at Octroi / Villefranche-sur-Mer. The timetable gives times only for Nice, Monaco and Menton, so the exact ride time to these stops is not published.
What to see
- Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Villa built 1907-1912 for Béatrice de Rothschild, now owned by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, with nine themed gardens (French, Spanish, Japanese, Florentine and more); 120 min
- Chapelle Saint-Pierre (Cocteau). Fishermen's chapel on the harbour, decorated inside and out by Jean Cocteau in 1956-57; 20 min
- Rue Obscure. Covered medieval passage under the harbour-front houses, dating from the 13th century; 15 min
- Citadel and Église Saint-Michel. Citadel built in 1557 (under restoration, museum route being reorganised) and the 1757 Italian Baroque church; 45 min
Closed days
Villa Ephrussi open daily (closed 25 Dec). Chapelle Saint-Pierre closed Monday and Tuesday and from mid-November to mid-December.
Best time to go
all year; gardens best Mar-Jun
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. The villa has free on-site parking subject to availability; Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat runs a flat-rate valet parking service when it is full.
Good to know
- Villa Ephrussi: open every day 10:00-18:00 from 2 February to 1 November 2026 (last entry 30 min before); closed 25 December 2026. Winter hours for 2026-27 were not yet published; in 2025-26 weekdays closed at 16:30.
- Villa tickets EUR 18 (EUR 12 reduced); combined ticket with Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu EUR 24, sold at the villa only. Bags larger than 55 x 35 x 20 cm are not allowed.
- Chapelle Saint-Pierre opens Wednesday to Sunday 09:30-12:30 and 14:00-18:00, EUR 4, cash or cheque only; closed mid-November to mid-December.
- Do Villefranche in the morning and the villa after lunch; one return ticket to Villefranche plus a short bus or train hop to Beaulieu covers both.
Èze village and the Nietzsche path
A perched medieval village 429 m above the sea, five minutes west of Monaco. The Monaco guide already lists its exotic garden and restaurants; as a half-day trip it is worth doing properly: train to the coast, climb the Nietzsche path, return by bus.
How to get there
- Train · SNCF Voyageurs (TER ZOU!) · 10 minFrom Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
Departures: about every 15-30 min (54-68 trains a day each way)
Fare: not verified 2026 (ter.sncf.com and SNCF Connect block automated access). ZOU! train tickets are priced by distance; a ZOU! Pass journée for unlimited regional trains starts at EUR 20 (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
To Èze-sur-Mer station at the foot of the Nietzsche path; 7-14 min. Last train Èze to Monaco around 21:10 on weekdays, 21:33 on Sundays, later on Saturdays (SNCF timetable data, feed of 11 Oct 2026). Fares leaflet: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/public/media/file/2026-06/depliant-des-tarifs-zou.pdf
- Bus · ZOU! line 602 (Nice - Èze village - Monaco) · 20 minFrom Monaco, Office de Tourisme stop (in front of the Casino)
Departures: 6 a day, Monday to Saturday only (no Sundays or public holidays)
Fare: EUR 2.20 single on any ZOU! Proximité line (100-999), EUR 0.40 more if bought on board; contactless bank card accepted on the validator (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Monaco to Èze village at 08:05, 10:25, 12:40, 15:15, 17:30, 19:50 (arrive 20 min later). Èze village to Monaco at 07:15, 09:50, 12:05, 14:40, 17:00, 19:15 (45 min, via Cap d'Ail). Timetable valid from 28 Sep 2026.
What to see
- Chemin de Nietzsche. Mule track from Èze-sur-Mer station up to the village, about 400 m of climb; Nietzsche walked it while writing part of Thus Spoke Zarathustra; 90 min up, 45 min down
- Jardin exotique d'Èze. Succulent garden in the ruins of the castle at the top of the village, with a view along the coast; 60 min
- Village lanes. Stepped medieval lanes between the gate and the garden; 45 min
- Lunch at Château Eza or La Chèvre d'Or. Both MICHELIN-starred terraces at the top of the village; 120 min, book ahead
Best time to go
all year; the path is best Oct-May (hot and exposed in summer midday)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- Best plan: train to Èze-sur-Mer, walk up the Nietzsche path (about 1 h 30), then take bus 602 back to Monaco from the village (Monday to Saturday).
- Wear proper shoes and carry water: the path is steep, rocky and not suitable for wheelchairs.
- The garden is open daily 09:00-18:30 in October and 09:00-16:30 from November to December 2026; closed 25 December.
- The parish church Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption and the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs were listed as temporarily closed by the tourist office in October 2026.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Fondation Maeght
A walled hill village above Cagnes, long home to painters and writers, and the Fondation Maeght, one of Europe's leading modern art foundations, with works built into the site by Miró, Giacometti, Braque and Chagall. A long day by train and bus.
How to get there
- Train · SNCF Voyageurs (TER ZOU!) · 45 minFrom Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
Departures: about every 15-30 min (51-67 trains a day each way)
Fare: not verified 2026 (ter.sncf.com and SNCF Connect block automated access). ZOU! train tickets are priced by distance; a ZOU! Pass journée for unlimited regional trains starts at EUR 20 (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
To Cagnes-sur-Mer station (41-51 min), then bus 655. Last train Cagnes to Monaco around 20:35 on weekdays and 20:58 on Sundays in October 2026 (SNCF timetable data, feed of 11 Oct 2026). Fares leaflet: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/public/media/file/2026-06/depliant-des-tarifs-zou.pdf
- Bus · ZOU! line 655 (Cagnes - Vence via Saint-Paul) · 27 minFrom Cagnes-sur-Mer, Cagnes Gare stop
Departures: about every 30 min Monday to Friday, every 35-50 min Saturday and Sunday
Fare: EUR 2.20 single on any ZOU! Proximité line (100-999), EUR 0.40 more if bought on board; contactless bank card accepted on the validator (ZOU! fares leaflet, June 2026) (checked 2026-10)
Stops at Saint-Paul Village and Fondation Maeght. Last buses reach Cagnes Gare at 20:27 (Mon-Fri), 20:22 (Sat) and 18:45 (Sun, leaving Saint-Paul Village 18:22). Timetable dated 1 July 2025, still the current one on the ZOU! site in October 2026.
What to see
- Fondation Maeght. Opened in 1964 in a building by Josep Lluís Sert: Giacometti courtyard, Miró labyrinth, Chagall mosaic, Braque window in the chapel; 120 min
- Ramparts walk. The tourist office's Henri Layet fortifications discovery walk around the village walls; 45 min
- Village lanes and Chapelle Saint-Charles-Saint-Claude. 17th-century chapel decorated with murals by Paul Conte in 2012-13; 45 min
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- Allow about 1 h 30 each way door to door; on Sundays the last bus leaves Saint-Paul village at 18:22, so do not linger.
- Fondation Maeght is open every day 10:00-18:00 (10:00-19:00 in July and August).
- Bus 655 has its own Fondation Maeght stop before Saint-Paul Village when coming from Cagnes, so see the museum first and walk on to the village.