We came to Nice a couple of years ago, for a quick 2 days. We wanted to walk from Nice to Villefranche-Sur-Mer but we were in the middle of our Europe trip, and honestly we were tired and all we wanted to do was lay on the beach all day. So we did just that. We absolutely loved it but we didn’t get to see as much of Nice or the surrounding areas as we had hoped. So we were so happy being able to come back to Nice for a second time, and this time we are spending a month here. One of the first things we did was walk from Nice to Villefranche-Sur-Mer, and it was so beautiful that I wanted to share our photos and path we took with you.
Starting In Nice
We started our walk in Nice near the port. If you make your way to the port, turn right (towards the water) down Boulevard Stalingrad and continue around along the water where this turns into Boulevard Franck Pilatte.
The Walk
As you walk along Boulevard Franck Pilatte you will have beautiful views of the port, the ocean and beautiful little beaches or swimming areas.
You will then walk past La Reserve Restaurant, keep walking past the stairs down to the little beaches, until you get to a point.
Here you will take a few stairs down to a walking path, turn left and follow this path along the water.
You follow this absolutely beautiful coastal path for a while…
When you reach a lot of steep looking stairs, this is the point you leave your coastal path and take the stairs up to the main road.
Turn Right onto the main road, Boulevard Princesse Grâce de Monaco, and continue until you reach Chemin prive de la Darse. At the top of this road, there is also another stair pathway. Take this all the way to the water and welcome to Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
Villefranche-Sur-Mer
Continue walking along the coast to the left and you will come across the Citadel and the main restaurant area of Villefranche-Sur-Mer.
We stopped for some lunch by the water, and then got a delicious thick Milkshake across from the beach with the sun overhead and cute french dogs lazing in the sun.
Then off to the beach. The beach we went to was Plage des Marinières and it was beautiful. It was also a ‘sandy’ beach, although the sand was coarse.
Getting Back
After our beautiful walk from Nice to Villefranche-Sur-Mer and a little exploring of the old town, it was time to head back.
We decided on taking the bus back to Nice. Bus 81 and Bus 100 are the ones to get and drop you near the port.
The bus stop in Villefranche-Sur-Mer is at the point where Avenue du Maréchal Foch turns into Boulevard Princesse Grâce de Monaco, next to Pharmacie Laurent. I remember the pharmacy because after following signs for a while we didn’t come across the bus stop, so popped into the pharmacy to ask where it was, only to realise it was just next door… oops!
Walking from Nice to Villefranche-Sur-Mer
The walk itself was absolutely beautiful. Even when we were walking along the road there was a footpath and the views were nice. The walk took about 1 hour and 30 minutes, but we went pretty slow and made some stops to take it all in.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
We intended on walking further around to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, but unfortunately left our walk too late in the day to fit this in without rushing. If you start early, this would be a nice addition to your walk and day exploring.
Map
Read More:
A Guide To Nice France: Eat, See, Do, Stay + Essentials
Day Trips From Nice France: Places To Visit On The French Riviera
15 Incredible Things To Do In Nice France
A Guide To Monaco: Eat, See, Do, Stay + Essentials
A Day In Saint Paul De Vence, France: Day Trips From Nice
Hallo…
Vielen Dank für diese ausführliche Erklärung. Ich werde im November für 5 Nächte nach Nizza reisen und danach noch 5 Nächte in Marseille verbringen. Diesen Spaziergang werde ich auf alle Fälle machen. Hoffe das Wetter spielt mit… viele Grüße
Hi Steffen, thanks so much for your comment! Hope you had an amazing time in Nice and Marseille. How did the weather end up? I will translate this with Google translate, hopefully, it’s accurate enough…
Hallo Steffen, vielen Dank für deinen Kommentar! Ich hoffe, Sie hatten eine tolle Zeit in Nizza und Marseille. Wie ist das Wetter ausgegangen? Ich werde das mit Google Translate übersetzen, hoffentlich ist es genau genug…
Das Wetter war super. Einen Tag hat es geregnet aber sonst musste ich immer die kurze Hose anziehen. Nizza ist sehr schön und auch Marseille kann sich sehen lassen. Südfrankreich ist immer eine Reise wert.
Viele Grüße Steffen
So happy to hear that! Such a beautiful part of the world, we definitely can’t wait to make it back.
Das freut mich sehr zu hören! So ein wunderschöner Teil der Welt, wir können es definitiv nicht erwarten, es zurück zu schaffen.
We did this walk and loved it! Thank you!
Hi Roxy, thats great! So happy you loved it, we loved it too :)
Thanks for the great post! We are staying in Nice this fall, and are planning to follow your route. Thanks for the information!
Hi Liz, thanks so much :) This walk was one of our favourite things we did in Nice, such a beautiful place and that water is stunning! Have a great time in Nice :)
Looks awesome. We were planning to stay in villefranche and walk to nice would you use the same route in reverse?
Hi Claudia, oh how nice! Yes, the same route in reverse should be fine. It’s such a beautiful walk, hope you enjoy! Have a great trip :)
Thanks for the guide. I am from Hong Kong and plan to go to France in June and stay Nice for two days. There is not so much information in Villefranche. Your blog is very helpful for me to get there. Thanks again for the info.
Hi Calvin, thanks so much, that means a lot :) Hope you had a fabulous time in Nice!
Looks like a wonderful walk we are planning on doing the same next year when visiting Nice, thank you for sharing.
Hi Karen, it was such a beautiful walk, the water along the way is sparkling blue, I’m sure you will love it! Have a great trip :)