Twenty-three minutes station to station, around sixty daily services and a ticket costing a few euros: the train is still the easiest way into the Principality. Times, fares, stations and exits, it is all here.
Twenty-three minutes. That is how long the TER takes to run from Nice-Ville to Monaco-Monte-Carlo, hugging the Mediterranean and slicing through the headlands of the Riviera. The Nice to Monaco train remains by far the simplest, fastest and cheapest way into the Principality: no traffic to sit in, no parking space to hunt for, around sixty services a day and an underground station right at the centre of Monaco. This guide covers journey times, fares, timetables, how the Monaco station works with its four exits, and the alternatives so you can choose with full information.
How long does the train take from Nice to Monaco?
Allow 23 minutes station to station between Nice-Ville and Monaco-Monte-Carlo. Some services do it in 20 minutes, others take 25 depending on how many intermediate stops they serve, but the order of magnitude never changes. No other land transport does better on this route.
The reason is geographical. The Marseille-Saint-Charles to Ventimiglia railway line cuts through the Riviera headlands in tunnels, running almost straight, where the road has to wind around every promontory. On arrival, the train easily gains half an hour on the car during working hours.
Around sixty services every day
Roughly 60 services a day run in each direction between Nice and Monaco. In practice that means a train every 15 to 30 minutes across most of the day, with extra capacity at peak times for the thousands of cross-border workers who commute into the Principality each morning.
That frequency changes everything about planning a day out: there is no need to build your programme around a specific departure, you simply turn up at the station. It is also what makes the Principality so easy to combine with the rest of the coast, as our one day itinerary for visiting Monaco explains.
Which stops does the train serve between Nice and Monaco?
Depending on the service, the TER calls at the following stations after Nice-Ville:
- Nice Riquier: eastern Nice, with the port and old town a fifteen minute walk away
- Villefranche-sur-Mer: the station sits a few steps from Marinieres beach
- Beaulieu-sur-Mer: access to Villa Kerylos and the coastal path
- Eze-sur-Mer: starting point of the Nietzsche path up to the village of Eze
- Cap-d'Ail: the last stop before Monaco, twenty minutes on foot from Mala beach
The fastest services skip some of these stops. If you are aiming for an intermediate station, check that your chosen train calls there before boarding.
♦ The concierge's tip
Travelling from Nice towards Monaco, sit on the right-hand side of the carriage: that is the sea. Between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap-d'Ail the line emerges from the tunnels onto three or four views that justify the price of the ticket on their own. Coming back, choose the left.
How much does a Nice to Monaco train ticket cost?
A full-fare TER ticket from Nice to Monaco falls in the 5 to 7 euro range one way, depending on the sales channel and when you buy. For the distance covered, it is the cheapest journey on the whole Riviera.
Several reductions exist on the Zou ! network run by the Region Sud. A discount card brings the fare down to around 4.30 euros, and the mini-group rate, valid from five people travelling together, drops to roughly 3.10 euros per person. For a family or a small group of friends, the saving becomes significant on a return trip.
Indicative Nice - Monaco fares in 2026
| Option | Who it suits | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Full-fare TER ticket | Single journey, no card | 5 to 7 EUR |
| Ticket with a Zou ! discount card | Regular travellers in the region | around 4.30 EUR |
| Zou ! mini-group rate | From 5 people travelling together | around 3.10 EUR per person |
| Bus route 600 | Slow but scenic | 2.50 EUR |
| Pass SudAzur | Long stays and daily commuting | monthly or annual season ticket |
Do you need to book in advance?
No. The TER services calling at Monaco-Monte-Carlo do not require a reservation. You buy your ticket on the day, at a counter, from a machine or through the Zou ! app, then board the first suitable train.
One useful caveat in high season: carriages are often packed between 8am and 9.30am, and again between 5pm and 7pm, in both directions. With luggage, shifting your journey by an hour makes the trip considerably more comfortable.
Nice to Monaco train times: first and last departures
The first departures from Nice-Ville run at around 5.50am, and the last train to Monaco leaves shortly before 11pm. In the Monaco to Nice direction the span is comparable, with services also finishing late in the evening.
That span comfortably covers dinner in the Principality followed by a return to Nice, as long as you do not linger past 10.30pm. After that, a taxi becomes the only option, at a cost bearing no relation to the price of a train ticket.
☉ Good to know
Timetables change several times a year and overnight engineering work can alter late services. Always check your train the day before on the TER Sud Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur website, where timetables are published day by day.
Which station should you use in Nice?
Nice-Ville, the main station
Nice-Ville, on avenue Thiers, handles most of the traffic: TER services to Monaco and Ventimiglia, TGV trains from Paris, Lyon and Marseille. It is the station to choose if you are arriving from far away, since the connection to Monaco happens on the same platform or a few metres away, without leaving the building.
From Nice airport: Nice Saint-Augustin station
If you land at Nice-Cote d'Azur, there is no need to head into the city centre. Tram lines 2 and B connect terminals 1 and 2 free of charge to the Grand-Arenas stop, a few steps from the SNCF station of Nice Saint-Augustin. From there, the TER takes you straight to Monaco.
This route offers the best value for money from the airport, well below a taxi. To compare all arrival options, our guide to getting to Monaco covers each solution, and the Nice to Monaco helicopter handles the fastest leg, in a seven minute flight.
Nice Riquier, the option for the eastern districts
If you are staying near the port of Nice or in the old town, the Nice Riquier stop saves you a city journey. One caveat: fewer trains call there than at Nice-Ville, which can lengthen the wait.
Monaco-Monte-Carlo station: how to find your way
An entirely underground station
Monaco-Monte-Carlo station is a curiosity in itself. It occupies a curved tunnel 466 metres long, 22 metres wide and 13 metres high, cut entirely into the rock. You can see neither sky nor sea from the platforms, which disorients travellers discovering the Principality for the first time.
That layout has one major practical consequence: the station has no single forecourt but four accesses spread across the city, linked to the platforms by escalators, stairs and long underground passages. Choosing the right exit saves you ten to fifteen minutes of walking.
The four exits and the districts they serve
Identify your exit before leaving the platform: the signage carries the name of the district served, not a number.
The four exits of Monaco-Monte-Carlo station
| Exit | Location | What it serves |
|---|---|---|
| Monte-Carlo | Pont Sainte-Devote | Monte-Carlo, Exotic Garden and Hospital district. Lift for reduced mobility |
| Parvis Sainte-Devote | Roundabout linking rue Grimaldi and boulevard d'Ostende | Port Hercule and lower La Condamine. The exit to use for the port |
| La Condamine | Allee Lazare Sauvaigo | La Condamine market, access towards Monaco-Ville. Lift for reduced mobility |
| Fontvieille and Le Rocher | Avenue du Prince Pierre | Fontvieille, Stade Louis II, climb up to Le Rocher. Lift for reduced mobility |
What services are available in the station?
The station holds an underground car park with 700 spaces across thirteen levels, several taxi ranks and a Monaco Tourist Office information point, on the first floor, open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm all year round. The three lifts serving the exits make the whole station accessible to travellers with reduced mobility and to anyone carrying luggage.
One detail that matters: the station is also the gateway to Italy. Ventimiglia is 26 minutes away, with Intercity connections towards Genoa, Turin, Milan and Rome depending on the timetable. Enough to turn a stay in Monaco into a base for exploring both Rivieras.
How do you reach Port Hercule from Monaco station?
Take the Parvis Sainte-Devote exit. It opens onto the roundabout linking rue Grimaldi to boulevard d'Ostende, a stone's throw from Port Hercule. From there the walk down to the quays takes five minutes, on a gentle slope with no steps.
The Port Palace sits exactly that far away: a five minute walk from the station, on avenue John Fitzgerald Kennedy, facing the yachts. It is one of the few hotels in the Principality where you can arrive by train and finish on foot, suitcase in hand, without ever taking a taxi.
For La Condamine and its market, use the exit of the same name. For Le Rocher and Monaco-Ville, the Fontvieille and Le Rocher exit puts you at the foot of the climb, with a public lift that removes part of the ascent.
Five minutes on foot separate Monaco station from Port Hercule, and from the Port Palace.
Check availabilityTrain, bus or car: what should you choose for Monaco?
Nice - Monaco: comparing the options
| Mode | Duration | Indicative price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TER train | around 23 min | 5 to 7 EUR | Every journey, light luggage included |
| Bus route 600 | around 1 hr depending on traffic | 2.50 EUR | Tight budgets and corniche views |
| Car or taxi | 30 to 50 min depending on traffic | variable, plus parking | Stays with trips into the hinterland |
| Helicopter | around 7 min | premium rate | Direct arrival from Nice airport |
Bus route 600, the scenic alternative
Since April 2024, the former routes 607 and 608 have merged to form route 600, successor to the famous route 100. It links Nice to Menton along the coast via Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Eze-sur-Mer, Cap-d'Ail, Monaco and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The ticket costs 2.50 euros whatever the distance, with a bus roughly every fifteen minutes, twenty at weekends and on public holidays. In exchange, the Nice to Monaco run takes about an hour, longer at peak times, because the bus follows the Basse Corniche and its traffic lights.
The choice comes down to this: the train for efficiency, the bus for the scenery and the budget. On a first stay, going out by bus and returning by train is a good compromise.
The car, for mobile stays only
A car only makes sense if you plan trips into the hinterland or the Italian Riviera. Within the Principality itself it becomes a constraint: dense traffic, narrow streets and expensive parking. Our guide to parking in Monaco details the public car parks and their rates, and the hotel valet service, at 50 euros a night, settles the question for our guests.
How do you buy a train ticket to Monaco?
The process takes four steps, in either direction:
- Check the timetable on the TER Sud website or the Zou ! app, filtering on Nice-Ville to Monaco-Monte-Carlo.
- Buy the ticket at a counter, from a machine in the station or directly in the app. No seat reservation is needed.
- Validate it if required: paper tickets bought from a machine must be stamped before you reach the platform. Digital tickets are checked on board.
- Identify your exit on arrival: Parvis Sainte-Devote for Port Hercule, Fontvieille and Le Rocher for Monaco-Ville, La Condamine for the market.
One last point to watch: the Monaco station is officially called Monaco-Monte-Carlo. In timetable search engines, typing Monaco is enough, but on platform displays in France it is the full name that appears.
Five tips for a trip without surprises
- Avoid the peaks. Between 8am and 9.30am the carriages fill with commuters. With suitcases, travel earlier or later.
- Plan for the last train. A dinner in Monaco that runs long turns the return to Nice into a taxi fare. Note the time of the last departure before you sit down to eat.
- Carry cash or use the app. Ticket machines do not always accept every foreign card.
- Allow time inside the station. The underground passages at Monaco-Monte-Carlo take five to eight minutes to walk, depending on the exit.
- Travel light. There is no left luggage facility at Monaco station. A cabin bag is easy, a large suitcase complicates the day.
Staying overnight in Monaco rather than making the round trip
The Nice to Monaco train makes a day trip so easy that many travellers settle for it. That is a shame, because the Principality changes character entirely after 7pm, once the coaches leave and the terraces around the port light up.
Staying on site also removes the constraint of the last train, and lets you see sunrise over Port Hercule, a moment few visitors know. Our 50 rooms and suites facing the port all look out onto the yachts and the Prince's Palace, in a four star boutique hotel and member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Staying at the Port Palace, your concierge can arrange private transfers from Nice airport, book your excursions along the coast and secure you a table, including at the La Mome restaurant on the sixth floor, whose terrace overlooks the port and the Formula 1 circuit.
Port Palace Monaco
Step off the train, put down your bags
Our 50 rooms and suites all face Port Hercule, a five minute walk from Monaco-Monte-Carlo station. Staying at the Port Palace, your concierge arranges your transfers and your excursions along the Riviera.
Book your stayFAQ: common questions about the Nice to Monaco train
How long does the train take from Nice to Monaco?
The journey takes about 23 minutes between Nice-Ville and Monaco-Monte-Carlo, varying from 20 to 25 minutes depending on the number of intermediate stops. Around sixty services run each day in both directions.
How much does a Nice to Monaco train ticket cost?
Allow 5 to 7 euros one way at full fare. A Zou ! discount card brings the ticket down to around 4.30 euros, and the mini-group rate, from five people, drops to roughly 3.10 euros per person. Fares are indicative and change over time.
Which station in Nice should you use for Monaco?
Nice-Ville is the main station with the best service. From the airport, head instead to Nice Saint-Augustin via tram lines 2 and B, free between the terminals and the Grand-Arenas stop. Nice Riquier suits travellers staying in the east of the city.
What time is the last train from Monaco to Nice?
Services finish late in the evening, with a last departure at around 11pm. Timetables change several times a year: check the day's schedule on the TER Sud website before planning a late return.
Is Monaco station far from Port Hercule?
No. The Parvis Sainte-Devote exit opens onto the roundabout linking rue Grimaldi to boulevard d'Ostende, a five minute walk from Port Hercule and the Port Palace, on a gentle downhill slope with no steps.
Do you need a passport to travel to Monaco by train?
No. There is no border control between France and Monaco on the railway line. A valid identity document is enough, as for any journey within the Schengen area.
The simplest way into the Principality
Twenty-three minutes, a few euros and around sixty trains a day: the Nice to Monaco link is one of those routes where public transport beats the car without argument. What remains is deciding what to do with it. A day in the Principality, then the last train. Or a few nights facing the yachts of Port Hercule, five minutes on foot from that same platform.
