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Scenic routes

The Riviera Line

Marseille · Cannes · Nice

Timetable-checked:2 trains · 2h 50m on board
2-4 daysSuggested duration
3 stopsIconic cities
CoastalRiviera light
Lower CO₂Than flying

“The coast, one stop at a time.”

Suggested
2-4 days
Stops
3
On board
2h 50m

Coastal · Timetable-checked · Lower CO₂ than flying

Overview

This route hugs the Mediterranean from Marseille's working harbour, through Cannes' festival glamour, to Nice's long sweeping bay.

“A coastline built for the train window.”

The route

  1. Marseille, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsMarseille · 1 nightFrance's oldest port city.
    SNCF Voyageurs041F10:18 → 12:27 · 2h 9mTimetable-checked
    041F · SNCF VoyageursMarseille Saint-Charles → Cannes10:18 → 12:27
    1. Marseille Saint-CharlesDep 10:18
    2. ToulonArr 11:07 · Dep 11:12
    3. Saint-Raphaël ValescureArr 12:02 · Dep 12:05
    4. CannesArr 12:27
  2. Cannes, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsCannes · 1 nightFilm-festival glamour on the water.
    SNCF Voyageurs SAC1310:17 → 10:58 · 41mTimetable-checked
    C13 · SNCF Voyageurs SACannes La Bocca → Nice-Ville10:17 → 10:58
    1. Cannes La BoccaDep 10:17
    2. CannesArr 10:19 · Dep 10:21
    3. Juan les PinsArr 10:27 · Dep 10:28
    4. AntibesArr 10:31 · Dep 10:32
    5. BiotArr 10:34 · Dep 10:35
    6. Cagnes-sur-MerArr 10:39 · Dep 10:40
    7. Cros de CagnesArr 10:42 · Dep 10:43
    8. Saint-Laurent-du-VarArr 10:45 · Dep 10:46
    9. Nice Saint-AugustinArr 10:50 · Dep 10:52
    10. Nice-VilleArr 10:58
  3. Nice, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsNice · 1 nightThe Baie des Anges and a lively old town.

Timetable-checked on 25 September 2026 for travel on 2026-10-04 · Data: SNCF, via transport.data.gouv.fr

Suggested tickets

Suggestions only. Trainlink doesn't sell tickets: check prices, coverage and reservation rules with the seller.

The experience

View by
Marseille, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Marseille - Where the Mediterranean route beginsMarseille
Stay 1 night in MarseilleBooking.com

A working port

Marseille is a working port before it's a postcard, and its Vieux-Port still lands fresh fish each morning. The surrounding streets carry more than two and a half thousand years of trading history. Climb to Notre-Dame de la Garde for the best view of the city, then wander the lanes of Le Panier, its oldest quarter.

By the sea

The MuCEM, a modern museum of Mediterranean civilisations, is linked by a footbridge to the old Fort Saint-Jean. Boats leave the harbour for the Château d'If and the white cliffs of the Calanques national park.

BouillabaisseFood

Marseille's great dish is bouillabaisse, a saffron fish stew served with rouille and croutons. Round it off with navettes, boat-shaped biscuits flavoured with orange blossom.

Candlemas and santonsTraditions

Every Candlemas, in February, a procession climbs from the Vieux-Port to the Abbaye Saint-Victor and navettes are sold by the thousand. From late November, the santon fair brings stalls of painted clay nativity figures to the city centre.

Marseille → Cannes10:05 → 12:572h 52mdirectTimetable-checked

Through Provence

East of Marseille the line passes the naval port of Toulon, then cuts inland through the wooded hills of the Var. It returns to the sea at Saint-Raphaël and runs along the red rocks of the Estérel, some of the most striking coastline in France.

Cannes, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Cannes - The Riviera at its most glamorousCannes
Stay 1 night in CannesBooking.com

Beyond the red carpet

Best known for its film festival, Cannes offers a palm-lined seafront promenade and a harbour lined with yachts. Above it, the old quarter of Le Suquet climbs the hill to a castle museum with views along the coast.

An island escape

A short ferry ride takes you to the Lérins Islands, where pine forests and quiet coves feel far from the Croisette. On Saint-Honorat, monks still tend the vineyards around their abbey.

Market and seafoodFood

The covered Marché Forville is the place for Provençal produce, from olives and cheeses to fresh fish. Dinner by the old port is usually seafood, often a grilled catch of the day with olive oil and herbs.

Festival seasonTraditions

In May the film festival turns the Croisette into a stage for stars and photographers. In February the hills around Cannes turn yellow with mimosa, and summer brings firework displays over the bay.

Cannes → Nice10:08 → 11:0456mdirectTimetable-checked

Along the Baie des Anges

The line to Nice stays close to the sea, passing the old ramparts of Antibes and the marinas of the coast. The last stretch follows the curve of the Baie des Anges into Nice.

Nice, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Nice - Journey's end on the Baie des AngesNice
Stay 1 night in NiceBooking.com

Promenade and old town

Nice closes the route with its sweeping Promenade des Anglais and a dense old town of Italian-influenced streets. Its light has drawn painters here for over a century, and the city has museums devoted to both Matisse and Chagall. Climb Castle Hill for a view over the red roofs and the bay.

Niçois foodFood

Nice has a cuisine all its own, from socca, a crisp chickpea pancake, to salade niçoise and pissaladière. Eat socca hot from the oven at the Cours Saleya market.

Carnival and flowersTraditions

Nice Carnival, held in February, is one of the largest in the world, with parades of giant floats. During the flower battles, costumed performers throw mimosa and other blooms from their floats to the crowd.

Practical info

Booking

Trainlink doesn't sell tickets. Check each leg with the operator or a retailer before you travel.

Reservations

The Marseille–Cannes–Nice coastal legs are usually regional trains and don't need a reservation.

Best time to travel

Late spring and early autumn keep the coast warm without the peak summer crowds.

Trainlink plans journeys; operators and retailers sell the tickets.