Recently, I visited one of the most beautiful cities in southern France and had the opportunity to travel from Nice to Antibes, a major and famous resort town nearby.
In this article, I’ll outline how to travel to Antibes from Nice, discuss the various options, and share my thoughts on the town and what there is to do there (spoiler: there is plenty to see!).
If youʻre booking your trip to Nice (a great French Riviera base) at the last minute, you may want to book your tours and hotels ASAP to ensure availability!
🌴 Most popular day trips from Nice:
- French Riveria in a day (I did this tour and recommend it; details below!)
- Round-trip ferry to St. Tropez (I also used this ferry for a day trip)
- Gorges of Verdon and Fields of Lavender tour (a top-selling day trip)
🇫🇷 Best tours, tickets, and activities in Nice:
- Perfume Creation Workshop (my favorite Nice experience!)
- Nice: 1 or 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour (budget option!)
🛌 Top hotel and accommodation in Nice:
- Appartements Massena (excellent location!)
- Palais Gioffredo (near the sea!)
- Alyon (great for couples; central location)
🚗 Looking for the best way to get around Nice? Click here to check rental car rates for France!
While I took a guided tour to Antibes, I also listed information about how to get there by other modes of transportation (i.e., by boat, taxi, rental car, etc.).
Did I miss anything about how to get from Nice to Antibes? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!
In this post...
Should You Plan a Trip to Antibes from Nice?
Situated between Nice and Cannes, Antibes stands out as a beloved summer destination with its pristine beaches, inviting outdoor markets, quaint boutiques, historic old towns, and famous museums.
Antibes is a small historical resort town that, once upon a time, ‘hosted’ famous individuals like Renoir, Monet, Munch, Van Gogh, Picasso, Tsar Alexander II, and Queen Victoria.
I especially wanted to visit Antibes to take photographs, check out its historical monuments, and walk along the old coastline, which is why I made sure it was included on my French Riviera tour in the first place.
If you are planning on visiting Antibes, then I recommend taking a walk through Vieil Antibes (Old Town), checking out Picasso’s impressive artistry at the Picasso Museum, soaking up the sun at Plage de la Salis, and visiting the star-shaped 16th-century Fort Carré.
The Marché Provençal is a much-loved market, featuring everything from fresh produce to delicious charcuterie and herbs, and is a must for your trip to Antibes.
You can experience history at Fort Carré, see the Garoupe Lighthouse, and follow the Picasso Trail to see the natural beauty that influenced the iconic artist.
Also, don’t miss the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Cap d’Antibes, Musée d’Archéologie, Le Nomade, and Port Vauban before departing.
Even though I didn’t have much time in Antibes, I enjoyed it a lot, especially the old town and the view from the coast!
How to Get from Nice to Antibes (Overview)
There are six logical ways to get from Nice to Antibes. Here is a quick snapshot of those, considering that I did the first one (but realize that it is not the right pick for everyone’s trip!):
- Organized tour from Nice to Antibes. I took a guided tour from Nice to Antibes by minibus, which was the best option. The tour lasted 9 hours, and besides Antibes, I also visited Monaco and Cannes. If you prefer a guided experience, consider this year-round tour from Nice to Antibes.
- Boat tour from Nice to Antibes. A boat tour from Nice to Antibes gives you a lot of time to explore the old town of Antibes. Also, the tour includes other destinations like Monaco, Eze, and more. See more info about this option here.
- Bus and train from Nice to Antibes. Budget travelers can opt for the train and bus route to Antibes, which is ideal if you’re comfortable with public transport. Bus options range from €2 to €4 and train options are around €5.
- Taxi from Nice to Antibes. A straightforward but pricier alternative is taking a taxi to Antibes. Taxi prices are typically around €50 to €65 one-way.
- Cycling from Nice to Antibes. If you have access to a rental bicycle and feel comfortable, then you can bike approximately one hour from Nice to Antibes.
- Renting a car. Lastly, if you’re keen on a self-guided tour of the French Riviera, consider renting a car. Compare rental car rates here.
While there are several ways to get to Antibes, I am only covering the tour I took, public transportation (bus and train), and renting a car. These are the year-round options that exist, and I think they are the best choices for your itinerary!
Best Options for Getting from Nice to Antibes
1. Organized Tour from Nice to Antibes (What I Did!)
Duration: 9 hours
Meeting Point: Hotel pick-up
Languages: English, French
Seasonality: Year-round
Wheelchair-accessible: Yes (let them know beforehand!)
CLICK HERE TO BOOK!
For my journey from Nice to Antibes, I chose this swift and comfortable mini-bus tour.
This choice proved beneficial not just due to its quickness and cost-effectiveness but also because the ticket covered multiple destinations from Nice, including Cannes, Èze, and Monaco (including Monte Carlo).
I booked my transportation from Nice to Antibes by minibus via our trusted partner, GetYourGuide. It allows you to cancel up to 24 hours before the tour, which reassured me that if my plans changed at the last minute, I could get a full refund.
Another great plus about this option from Nice to Antibes is that it includes pick-up and drop-off. You can be picked up and dropped off from where you are based in Nice.
After booking my Nice to Antibes round-tip minibus tour, which was an easy process, the rest was even easier. I received the confirmation email and the voucher.
On the morning of the tour, the driver, who was the guide, also met me right next to my hotel entrance, and we left from there.
The minibus is mid-sized and has an AC. Take into consideration that Nice and Antibes are hot travel destinations, and the bus can be full, but you will have a lot of space (and the seats are spacious), so that won’t bother you.
The driver also stops to buy coffee and some snacks, and the views of the French Riviera are excellent throughout the day!
In conclusion, considering time, cost, and speed, this mode of transportation stands out as one of the best, and I can highly recommend it!
Please note that you do not get a half-day or full-day in Antibes, though. But this is a great way to get an overview in the 45 minutes to an hour or so that you will stop there!
There are plenty of places to see in Antibes (as I noted in the section above) that you can keep yourself occupied on your stop there.
Alternative Ways to Get from Nice to Antibes
Another pretty easy way to get from Nice to Antibes is by public transportation. This is, hands-down, the cheapest option and one that you can independently plan yourself.
The plus is that you can get as much time in Antibes as you’d like!
1. Nice to Antibes by Bus
By bus, you can take line 620, which leaves from Parc Phoenix in Nice (on the west side, which you can reach by tram) and drops you off in the center of Antibes about 40 minutes later.
Since you are going further outside of Nice, you will need to buy the €2.50 (3 USD) Ticket Azur instead of the €1.70 (2 USD) city ticket.
Or, you can take the Zou Express Line 82 to Antibes (direction towards Cannes), which begins at the Nice Airport (you can take the tram from the Nice city center to the airport) and takes approximately 40 minutes after departing from the airport.
2. Nice to Antibes by Train
By train, the Nice-Ville to Antibes line runs multiple times a day and starts at €5.20 (6 USD).
If you take the regional TER train, it takes about 25 minutes to reach Antibes, while the faster TGV train takes about 15 minutes.
3. Nice to Antibes by Car/Taxi
From Nice, it takes about 30 minutes to drive to Antibes without traffic via the M6098. Prices for a taxi, Bolt, or Uber are said to start around €35 (39 USD). However, given the season you will be traveling in, I would set aside €50 to €65 for that fare.
Do you have any questions about how to get to Antibes from Nice? Let me know in the comments, and I will do my best to answer!
More French Riviera Travel Guides
- Best things to do in Nice
- 2 days in Nice
- Best beaches in Nice
- Nice in winter
- Best day trips from Nice
- Where to stay in Nice
- Nice to Saint Tropez ferry
- What to do in Cannes
- Cannes in winter
- Best things to do in Marseille
- 2 days in Marseille
- Things to do in Toulon
- Things to do in Eze
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Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now splits her time between Frankfurt, Germany and Arctic Finland after also living in Norway, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.