The village of Saint Paul de Vence is one of the best day trips from Nice and it's possible to reach by public transport but there are no direct bus or train lines. Be aware that line 400 that once connected Nice and Saint Paul de Vence is no longer in service. It has been replaced by line 655 which departs from the train station in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Step 1: Take tram line number 2 to the Parc Phoenix stop.
Step 2: Take the 9 bus to Vence which takes about an hour. Bus line 9 is run by Lignes d'Azur. Your tram ticket is good for a transfer to this bus. Then take bus 655 for the 5-minute ride from Vence to Saint Paul and the Fondation Maeght. The bus runs every half-hour or so. This is the best option if you want to combine a visit to Vence with a visit to Saint Paul. Get the schedule here.
OR
Take a train from a Nice train station to Cagnes-sur-Mer train station which takes about 15 minutes and runs about every 15 minutes. Change to the 655 bus which reaches Saint Paul de Vence less than 30 minutes later.
Step 4: Walk downhill about 100m to the entrance to the village
The 655 bus stop to return to Cagnes-sur-Mer is about 100m uphill from the village entrance.
Note that your Lignes d'Azur ticket is not valid for a transfer to the 655 bus. You must buy a new ticket (€2.10) from the driver.
From Monday to Friday departures of the 655 bus are every 30 minutes. Weekend departures are every 45 minutes. The price is €2.10.
The Fondation Maeght is an outstanding work of architecture and art museum that is well worth a stop. Note that it lies atop a steep hill amid pines and Mediterranean greenery. The bus stop for the Fondation Maeght is before Saint Paul. Make sure you tell the driver you intend to stop there. You'll still need to climb the hill though! If you intend to include the Fondation Maeght in your visit I highly recommend making the climb in the morning before the heat sets in. It's easy to go down the hill after your visit and walk a few hundred meters up a gentler slope to Saint Paul village.
Obviously the easiest way to reach Saint Paul de Vence and also visit the Fondation Maeght is to drive. Take the A8 motorway to exit 48 and follow signs to La Colle sur Loup and Saint Paul de Vence on Rte 436. There's ample paid parking around the village. I strongly advise not leaving valuables in the car as there have been "incidents".
More about Saint Paul de Vence
Last Modified September 27, 2023
