Monaco, the world's second-smallest country, is a glittering Mediterranean principality renowned for its luxury casinos, prestigious yacht harbor, and the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix. This glamorous city-state combines Belle Époque elegance with modern sophistication, offering world-class dining, pristine beaches, and exceptional safety with one of the lowest crime rates globally.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Nice
Nice is a full city, not a village detour, and it rewards a full day: the curve of the Promenade des Anglais along the Baie des Anges, the dense grid of Vieux Nice with its Italian-influenced facades, and hilltop views from Colline du Château. It also has serious museums (Matisse, Chagall) if art matters to the visitor, and Cours Saleya runs a flower and produce market most mornings. It's the one trip on this list that can absorb a full day without repetition.
Highlights: Vieux Nice old town with baroque architecture · Cours Saleya flower and food market · Promenade des Anglais beach walk · Musée Matisse and MAMAC contemporary art · Castle Hill panoramic views · Fenocchio ice cream - 100 flavors
Eze Village
Eze is a small medieval village built up a rocky outcrop between Nice and Monaco, and the entire visit is really about two things: walking its stone lanes and standing in the Jardin Exotique at the top for the view down to the Mediterranean. It's compact enough to see properly in half a day, which makes it easy to pair with a beach afternoon back on the coast.
Highlights: Medieval hilltop village with narrow stone streets · Jardin Exotique d'Eze with cliff panoramas · Parfumerie Fragonard perfume factory and museum · La Chevre d'Or hotel terrace views
Menton
Menton sits right against the Italian border and has a different character from its neighbours: pastel Belle Epoque buildings, a mild microclimate that supports lemon groves, and an old town stacked up the hill behind the harbour. It's quieter than Nice or Monaco and works well as a slower, walking-focused day rather than a checklist of sights.
Highlights: Jean Cocteau Museum - world's largest Cocteau collection · Basilica Saint-Michel with colorful esplanade · Lemon Festival in February · Old town Garavan with Italian-French border character · Serre de la Madone botanical garden
Antibes
Antibes combines a working old town behind stone ramparts with one of the coast's best small museums: the Musee Picasso, housed in the Chateau Grimaldi where Picasso worked for several months in 1946. Add the daily Provencal market and the ramparts walk along the sea, and it's a full day that doesn't feel padded.
Highlights: Picasso Museum in the Chateau Grimaldi · Marche Provencal covered food market · Cap d'Antibes coastal walk Sentier du Littoral · Vauban sea ramparts and old town · Jazz à Juan festival in July
Cannes
Cannes is best known for the film festival, but on an ordinary day it's a resort town built around La Croisette, the old fishing quarter of Le Suquet on the hill above the harbour, and boat access to the Iles de Lerins just offshore. It suits visitors who want beach time and a bit of history in the same day rather than a dense sightseeing itinerary.
Highlights: La Croisette Boulevard and Palais des Festivals · Ile Sainte-Honorat monastery with vineyard boat from Cannes · Marche Forville food market · Le Suquet old town with panoramic views · Film Festival in May
Ventimiglia Italy
Ventimiglia is the first Italian town across the border from Monaco, and the reason to go is the contrast: an Italian old town on a hill above the modern centre, a large weekly market that draws shoppers from across the border, and noticeably cheaper food and coffee than on the French side. It's a shorter, lower-key trip than the others on this list.
Highlights: Friday market - one of Liguria's largest · Medieval old town Ventimiglia Alta · Hanbury Botanical Gardens nearby · Italian gelato and aperitivo culture · Ligurian focaccia pesto seafood at Italian prices
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Monaco Tourist Office and Nice-based operators offer organized half-day and full-day tours to Eze, Nice, and Cannes from €45-85 per person
- Private
- Private car hire with driver from Nice Airport or Monaco hotels from €300/day - ideal for Grasse, St. Paul de Vence, and off-track Riviera exploration
- Public
- French SNCF trains and Lignes d'Azur buses serve all major destinations from Monaco-Monte-Carlo station. Trains to Nice, Menton, Ventimiglia every 20-30 minutes
- Rental
- Car rental from Nice Airport from €40/day (Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Sixt) - recommended for inland hill villages (Eze, La Turbie, St. Paul de Vence) and Gorges du Verdon excursions
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start day trips early - Eze Village and Nice old town are far more enjoyable before 10 AM when coach tours arrive
Book trains in advance on SNCF.com during peak season - the Nice-Monaco line is extremely popular in summer
The scenic bus 100 (€1.50) along the coastal Corniche between Monaco and Nice offers some of the French Riviera's most spectacular sea views
Friday in Ventimiglia means the massive weekly market with 400+ vendors - combine with Italian gelato and pizza at Italian prices