When visiting Nice we found ourselves taking day trips to surrounding areas more than we actually spent within the town. Thats because there are so many amazing places close by and many are accessible by public train and bus so you don’t even have to rent a car. Here is our guide to a day trip to Villefranche (often times called Villefranche-sur-Mer) including how to get there and the can’t miss Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Getting There
Bus 100 and bus 81 will take you from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer. There are several different designated stops along the way so wait until you pass the port. We got off at the Villefranche Octroi stop which drops you off right at the Tourism office. You can go in and ask for directions or you can just wing it like we did. From there it’s easy to walk down the steps to the Village of Villefranche. The walk down took us about 10-15 minutes. It’s not long and gives you insight into some more authentic, residential streets of this small village.
Villefranche Village
The village of Villefranche is much smaller than Nice so don’t expect a big, bustling city. You will find some restaurants and shops in the small center. Down along the water there are some restaurants lined along the harbor. It was pouring rain when we visited the village so we ducked into one of the restaurants on the water and sat trying to wait out the rain. The cobblestone streets, red roofs and colorful buildings make it a really pretty area whether it’s rainy or not. We would say you can see the village in about an hour or so without feeling rushed. However, our real focus was getting to the peninsula to walk around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Travel Truth: It was pouring rain when we were going to Villefranche but we didn’t let that stop us so we went anyways. However, we found ourselves in the pouring rain so we sat at a restaurant along the harbor for about an hour before taking the bus back to our airbnb. After waiting the rain out we hopped back on the bus this time farther along and closer to our destination of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Just remember that not everything goes exactly how you plan when traveling! Also the bus in Nice is really, really easy and inexpensive so take advantage!
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
The real gem of the Villefranche area is Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It is the peninsula that extends out and helps create the harbor of Villefranche. It’s safe to say this was the number one thing we did while in the Cote de Azur. You can probably tell from our other posts at this point that we love cool view points and coastal walks and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat does not disappoint!
If you’re not stopping at the village of Villefranche you can stay on the bus and it will drop you off either at the beginning of the peninsula or even a little inland to decrease the distance. But we would encourage you to check out a less populated village like Villefranche or Eze in comparison to the bigger, more crowded Nice or Cannes.
San-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway
We walked along the coastal walkway all along the coastline from west to east going towards Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat village. It’s a U-shaped walk so you can pick which spot to start at and regardless you’ll see the whole area. Many people start it on the east side walking west and end at Plage de Passable which is a beach at the beginning of the peninsula.
Either way it was absolutely beautiful! We only saw a few other people the whole time we were walking. Along the way there are a bunch of amazing swimming spots that are easy to jump in and cool off so we definitely recommend wearing your bathing suit (or at least bringing it with you). We did not, however, see restrooms along the way so keep that in mind.
The beginning of the coastal pathway is similar to the Mala Beach Coastal Path which we talked about in our Eze and Mala Beach Post. By that we mean turquoise waters, rocky cliffs and lots of greenery.
At the southern most tip (about halfway through the U) you get to the lighthouse and then the scenery changes a little. The path widens a little and the land next to you slopes up significantly. It starts to feel very secluded and like you’re at the edge of the ocean but in a good way! It was very quiet and serene.
Paloma Beach
We ended the walk and continued on to Paloma Beach. Paloma beach is a more well known beach located on a small peninsula on the eastern side of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It is a beautiful pebbled beach known for its views of the nearby greenery, gorgeous houses and neighboring Bealieu-sur-Mer. If you’re walking west (like we did) it’s a nice spot to relax before calling it a day. The beach was not crowded when we got there either. Theres a beach club restaurant with restrooms and change rooms or you can just toss your towel down like we did.
- Once you get to the end of the path (the Chemin de la Douaniera, the name of the pathway around the peninsula) it becomes the Chemin de la Carriere which is just a residential road. Continue onto Avenue Claude Vignon. Keep following it and it becomes Avenue Claude Mermoz and on that street you’ll see a staircase down to Paloma Beach.
- You will very easily notice that you’re at the end of the path. It becomes a road and feels like you’ve walked into town. You now are close to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat village so you’ll see more people and many cars passing.
There is also a pathway around the eastern peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat that you can do if you’re still up for it. It will take you around the whole area and end at Paloma Beach.
Travel Truth: We chose to take the shorter route along the road to Paloma Beach. We did this because we had already walked around all of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and didn’t want to get to Paloma Beach too late. If you are walking in the afternoon just be mindful of the bus or train schedule if you are looking to take either back to your accommodations!
How long did the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway Take?
The Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway is about 6 km depending on exactly where you start and where you end. It took us about 2 hours starting at Plage de Passable and ending at Paloma Beach. It’s totally doable to do quicker but we stopped to take pictures many, many times and also stopped to sit and enjoy where we were.
No matter where you start I would give yourself at least an hour or two to complete the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway as it’s not something to rush! Take your time and enjoy the peace and quiet!
Getting Back
After leaving Paloma Beach we walked into Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Village which is an easy 10 minute walk. There are some nice restaurants and a very pretty port with many expensive looking boats. We kept walking through and got onto the bus back to Nice at the Port de Saint-Jean bus stop. Actually we just got super lucky. We weren’t totally sure where we were going to get the bus and how far up we might have to walk back. As we were walking up to a stop one of the buses pulled up and was totally empty for our ride back to Nice!
