How to Get to Eze from Nice [5 Options]

ByStephanie Rytting Posted on

Trying to figure out how to get to Eze from Nice? You’re in the right place – read on for details

A stone staircase leading up a small hill leading past small shops and cafes.

If you’re looking for a fantastic day trip from Nice, Eze is a truly excellent choice. Eze is known as a “perched village,” meaning it sits on a hilltop, overlooking the surrounding valley.

In Eze’s case, it also has a great view of the Mediterranean. The city is a fairytale of winding, cobblestoned streets filled with ivy and greenery, charming corners, and picturesque staircases.

The village is also home to many painters, sculptors, and artisans, and their galleries are open to the public to wander in and admire (and shop!). Plus, Eze has an incredibly scenic Jardin Exotique at the very top of the village, with sculptures, cacti, and desert plants overlooking the village and sea.

In short, Eze is absolutely worth visiting.

But how to get there? Unfortunately, unlike other incredible spots on the French Riviera such as Cannes, Villefranche, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Antibes, or Menton, the village of Eze is actually not on the train line that connects the coastal cities and villages.

Also, don’t get mixed up! There is a village called Eze-sur-Mer (aka Eze by the Sea), that is on the main SNCF coastal train line and just below Eze Village. Don’t get confused – this is not the Eze you’re looking for.

But, while it’s not quite as straightforward to get to Eze as some of these other coastal locations, it’s definitely doable and certainly worth the effort.

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How to Get to Eze

Here are the five main ways to get to Eze from Nice:

1. Bus

The #82 bus goes from Nice to Eze. While your exact bus stop will depend on where you are staying in Nice, you will likely want the bus stop on Rue Barla, right by the Port of Nice. It costs just a few euros to take the bus to Eze, and you can pay the driver when you board.

This option will probably take around 45 minutes, depending on the time of day and where you are starting from. I’d recommend pulling up your route on Google Maps (from your location in Nice to Eze village) and then choosing the public transit tab to see the exact bus stop location and timetable.

We did find that the bus schedule on Google Maps was not always accurate. We were planning on taking the bus to Eze, were in the right spot, and waited forever for the bus to come, before finally just calling an Uber. Right after we got in the Uber, we saw the bus finally come.

I don’t know if Google Maps was wildly inaccurate or the bus was just delayed that day, but you may need to wait for longer than predicted for the bus to come.

2. Train then Hike

The tall arched train station with glass windows and people walking around with two train tracks and metal pillars in between them.

If you’re up for a little adventure, you can take the SNCF train from Nice to the coastal village of Eze-sur-Mer.

In Nice, you’ll need to head up to the Gare de Nice-Ville (the main Nice train station) which you can easily get to by heading north on Avenue Jean Medecin.

If you’re coming from the Nice airport, you will want to go to the Gare de Saint-Augustin, which is the train station just outside of the airport.

You can buy your ticket from a stand in the train station or you can scan the QR code on the ticket stations and buy on your phone. Most of the time I just buy a physical ticket in person because it’s easy and straightforward to use (and you can change the language to English). A ticket will cost just a few euros.

Make sure you insert your ticket into the orange validate machines to get the ticket timestamped before entering the platforms. After you buy your ticket and validate, you will need to check the monitors above the turnstiles for your platform.

A neon yellow machine with a worn out sticker on it that takes the white train ticket in french

The monitors will display the final destinations of each train (usually places like Ventimiglia, Cannes, or Grasse), and then underneath the final destination is a scrolling list of the cities the train will stop at en route.

You’ll need to check that scrolling list to find your stop, and figure out which platform to go on.

The black electronic television screen showing the departing times of the different trains

When you get to Eze-sur-Mer, you’ll walk out of the train station to the main road, Avenue de la Liberté, turn right, and walk west on the road for about 10 minutes until you come to the start of the Chemin Frederic Nietzsche. This hiking trail takes you up the hills to the village of Eze.

It was named after Frederic Nietzsche, the philosopher, who spent some time in Eze and walked this pathway every day to clear his mind and find inspiration for his philosophical writings.

A steep hike with rocky steps leading up the hill with grassy trees on either side

Be aware that this hike is quite intense – the path is rather rocky in some places, and is very steep. We actually did do this hike… but we started in Eze and hiked down the mountain to the sea, which was much easier.

Plan for the hike from the Eze-sur-Mer train station up to the village of Eze to take about an hour. It’s 2.3 km long and has a 369 m gain in elevation.

3. Uber/Taxi

Calling an Uber or taxi is a straightforward way to reach Eze from Nice, with Uber being available in the French Riviera region.

We found that waiting times for an Uber could vary quite a bit, and it wasn’t always guaranteed that our request would be accepted. Expect to spend about €20-30 for an Uber from Nice to Eze.

As an alternative, traditional taxis are an option. Finding an available taxi on the street can be difficult, so I’d just ask your hotel to call one for you.

4. Rental Car

Choosing a rental car offers the greatest flexibility for your travels, allowing you to set your own schedule and choose your destinations freely.

A street with yellow buildings on either side with hundreds of small windows and balconies.

However, it’s important to consider that driving a rental car in the French Riviera involves maneuvering through narrow streets, limited parking spaces, and one-way roads. Additionally, be prepared to pay for parking everywhere, including for overnight parking.

That said, driving in France is largely straightforward. The highways are in excellent condition and feature clear signage. We’ve had great experiences doing road trips around the south of France without issue.

If you decide to rent a car, I’d definitely recommend arranging your rental well in advance. Prices often jump as your travel date nears, especially during the busy period from June to September. Also, most cars in Europe have manual transmission, and the automatic cars can go quickly. If you need a car with automatic, get that rental booked asap.

For the best deals and options, we always use DiscoverCars.com, which allows us to compare prices and check the availability of different vehicles across various rental agencies.

I, unsurprisingly, travel a lot, and I almost always end up booking through Discover Cars because they always seem to have the best prices.

There are a few paid parking lots just outside the city walls, including this one and this larger garage.

Eze to Nice is about 11 km (7 miles), and it usually takes about 20-30 minutes to get there by car.

5. Guided Tour

Finally, the easiest way to visit Eze is with a guided tour. These tours handle all the logistics of transportation and navigation for you, and you can get some pretty fantastic itineraries on a day tour around the French Riviera.

A fantastic option is this small group “Best of the Riviera” tour from Nice. Besides Eze, you’ll also visit Monaco (the glitzy, tiny country surrounded completely by France), and La Turbie (a hidden gem town with incredible views of Monaco from above). All of these are beautiful and interesting spots on the French Riviera.

A woman in a blue and white striped dress sits on rocks at the top of the mountain looking over the orange city and the blue sea
Overlooking Monaco from La Turbie

Since you really don’t need a full day in Eze, this is an excellent way to see more of the charm of the Cote d’Azur.

The Wrap Up

Eze is totally worth visiting on a day trip from Nice, and there are several ways to get here, depending on your travel style and preferences, whether you’re more budget-conscious, want to have full control over when you come and go, or prefer to have someone else handle logistics.

Eze to Nice is definitely worth the trip, and there are various travel options to fit your style and needs. Whether you’re budget-conscious, value the independence of managing your own schedule, or prefer a more hands-off approach with transportation, there’s a suitable way to get here.

No matter how you arrive, Eze, with its charming hilltop village charm, will be a very memorable visit.

Stephanie is obsessed with everything having to do with France, and she's visited the country 10 times (including a 3 month stint when she lived in Paris). She draws on her extensive knowledge of the country to bring you detailed and helpful guides, from the perspective of a fellow traveler.