In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Villefranche-sur-Mer is 7 to 9 minutes from Nice-Ville by train. The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat is €18, or €24 with Villa Kérylos if you buy the combined ticket at the villa; Lignes d’Azur bus 15 runs there every 10 to 20 minutes on weekdays, with a 15-minute walk from the stop. The Citadelle in Villefranche is closed 2 to 13 November 2026. The one-hour bay cruise is €23.50 from the operator and ends for 2026 on 1 November. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the one-hour bay cruisead is from €30 and the Mala Caves snorkelling boat tourad from €75 (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
| What | Price | Hours and rules |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild | €18; €12 for ages 7 to 17 and students aged 18 to 25 | Every day 10:00 to 18:00 to 1 November 2026, to 19:00 in July and August. Last admission 30 minutes before closing; closed 25 December |
| Combined ticket with Villa Kérylos | €24; €20 for ages 7 to 25 | Sold on site only; valid 8 days |
| Citadelle, Villefranche | Closed 2 to 13 November 2026 | The town hall stays open |
| Coastal cruise, Trans Côte d’Azur | €23.50; ages 4 to 10 €19.50; under 4 free | 11:00 and 15:00, not Mondays, 17 February to 1 November 2026; reservation required |
| Nice Le Grand Tour bus | €24 for 1 day; €28 for 2 | Three stops in Villefranche |
Sources: the Villa Ephrussi, the town hall and Trans Côte d’Azur. The villa’s ticket has no time slot, so ignore the time printed on it, and buying online gives no priority at the door. It takes cards, cash and cheques.
Tours worth paying for
Villefranche is 7 to 9 minutes by train, so the tours worth a booking are on the water. The operator’s cruise comes first; GetYourGuide’s resale is dearer. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices.
Trans Côte d’Azur’s one-hour coastal cruise
€23.50 from the operator · from €30 on GetYourGuide · 1 hour · 4.6 stars from 3,751 reviews
The boat runs from Nice round Cap de Nice and along the Promenade des Anglais, through Villefranche bay. The GetYourGuide listingad is the operator’s own product at about €6.50 more than its price. Reservation is required, and the season ends on 1 November 2026.
Other boats
| Tour | Length | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mala Caves, Villefranche and snorkelling boat tourad | 3 hours | €75 | 4.9 from 939 |
| Villefranche bay swimming and snorkelling boat tourad | 2 hours | €52 | 4.4 from 154 |
| Sunset cruise from Villefranche-sur-Merad | 2 hours | €69 | 4.6 from 368 |
Getting there
| Way | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Train, Nice-Ville to Villefranche-sur-Mer | 7 to 9 minutes | Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the station for Villa Kérylos, is 10 to 12 |
| Lignes d’Azur bus 15 | The sheet prints no journey time | From Lycée Masséna by Port Lympia, Villefranche Octroi and Beaulieu station to Passable - Rothschild and Port de Saint-Jean. Monday to Saturday every 10 to 20 minutes from about 6:25 to about 20:05; Sundays and holidays about every 30 minutes from 7:30 to about 20:00; not on 1 May |
| Zou! bus 600 | Not printed | From Nice port (Arson Fodéré stop) by the Villefranche Octroi stop to Monaco |
| Zou! bus 607 | Not printed | To Pont Saint-Jean, for the villa |
| Nice Le Grand Tour | 11 stops, 3 in Villefranche | Octroi south, the Citadelle and Octroi north; see the hop-on hop-off page |
Bus 15’s timetable is the Lignes d’Azur sheet valid from 19 October 2026, and a €1.70 single ticket works on it (Nice public transport has the fares). The villa’s own directions are bus 15 to Passable - Rothschild, or Zou! bus 607 to Pont Saint-Jean, and then about 15 minutes on foot.
What to see
The harbour and bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Photo: C. Martino, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The bay and the old harbour. Villefranche stands on a bay between Nice and Cap Ferrat. The coast train stops at Villefranche-sur-Mer station, and the Nice Le Grand Tour bus stops at Octroi and the Citadelle.
- The Citadelle and the Saint-Pierre chapel. The Saint-Elme Citadelle is closed 2 to 13 November 2026. The Chapelle Saint-Pierre, decorated by Jean Cocteau, is on the same walk from Place Wilson. The order that works: train to Villefranche, the old town and harbour, then bus 15 to Cap Ferrat and the villa before closing. What to skip: the Citadelle between 2 and 13 November.
The bastion of the Saint-Elme Citadelle. Photo: GFreihalter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cap Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi
€18 · €24 with Villa Kérylos · open every day to 1 November 2026 from 10:00
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild sits between Villefranche bay and Beaulieu bay, 10 km from Nice and Monaco, and has gardens and a tea room. The audio guide is in French, English, German, Chinese, Russian and Italian and is included in the ticket. Bus 15 runs on to the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and its port.
The garden front of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Photo: Ddeveze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The villa asks visitors not to bring large bags or suitcases and has no left luggage. Animals are prohibited except assistance dogs. Parking is free subject to space, and motorhomes cannot park. Villa Kérylos at Beaulieu-sur-Mer shares the combined ticket: €24 for adults against €33 for the two single tickets, taking Villa Kérylos at the €15 on the French Riviera Pass’s price list.
The French garden of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Photo: Mademoissellefoto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cruise passengers at Villefranche
The Port of Nice’s own page says passengers disembark at the Marine Terminal on Place Wilson in the old town, and that about a hundred stopovers a year call in the bay. It lists the walk to the Saint-Pierre chapel and the Saint-Elme Citadel. From there the train station and bus 15 are the ways to Nice and Cap Ferrat. Nice public transport has a section on the cruise port at Nice.
Practical information
- The one thing that ruins a visit: turning up at the Citadelle between 2 and 13 November 2026, when it is closed.
- Return: a Lignes d’Azur single cannot be used for a return journey, so a day on bus 15 costs two singles, €3.40.
Day trips from Nice compares every trip, and Èze village is the next stop up the coast. Monaco is 15 minutes further by train. Nice walking tours and the hop-on hop-off bus cover the city. Where to stay in Nice compares the areas.
Common questions
How do I get from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer?
By regional train from Nice-Ville in 7 to 9 minutes, by Lignes d'Azur bus 15 from Lycée Masséna and Port Lympia, by Zou! bus 600 from the port, or by the Nice Le Grand Tour hop-on bus, which has three stops in Villefranche.
How do I get to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild?
Take Lignes d'Azur bus 15 to the stop Passable - Rothschild and walk about 15 minutes, or Zou! bus 607 to Pont Saint-Jean, or the train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Bus 15 runs every 10 to 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday and about every 30 minutes on Sundays and holidays.
How much is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild?
€18 for an adult and €12 for ages 7 to 17 and students aged 18 to 25 with a card. The audio guide is included. A combined ticket with Villa Kérylos is €24, or €20 for ages 7 to 25, sold at the villa only and valid for 8 days.
Is the Citadelle in Villefranche open?
It is closed from 2 to 13 November 2026 inclusive while an exhibition is taken down. The town hall stays open.
Where do cruise ships land at Villefranche?
Passengers come ashore at the Marine Terminal on Place Wilson in the old town, according to the Port of Nice, and walk to the Saint-Pierre chapel and the Saint-Elme Citadel.
How much is the boat trip from Nice to Villefranche bay?
Trans Côte d'Azur's one-hour coastal cruise is €23.50 for an adult and runs at 11:00 and 15:00, not on Mondays, from 17 February to 1 November 2026. GetYourGuide sells it from €30.
