You’re heading to the South of France, and of course the beach figures prominently into your plans. But you’ve decided not to rent a car. Fortunately, public transportation is a breeze on the French Riviera, and there are plenty of sunbathing spots you can get to without driving. Here are French Riviera beaches I visited between the town of Menton, which is on France’s eastern border with Italy, and Cannes – all within a 10-minute walk of a train station.
So grab your towel, mat, and train ticket and hit the beach!
Plage du Borrigo and Plage du Casino, Menton
650 meters or an 8-minute walk from the Menton station
Along Menton’s lively waterfront and about an eight-minute walk from the main Menton train station (not Menton Garavan) are the side-by-side Borrigo and Casino beaches. When my husband and I stayed in Menton for three months one summer, these were the beaches we frequented because of the proximity to our apartment. We also loved the more relaxed, local vibe and enjoyed the cafés and restaurants that line the promenade above.
The shore along these two beaches ranges from rocky to fine gravel to areas of pebble and sand (Borrigo being the sandier of the two); however, the surface below the water is rocky, so you’ll want to have water shoes if you plan to swim. As with all the beaches in Menton, during the official high season of July and August, there are lifeguards on duty and swim platforms offshore.
Plage de Roquebrune and Plage de Sirènes, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
450 meters or a 6-minute walk from Carnolès Station
650 meters or an 8-minute walk from Carnolès Station
Like Casino and Borrigo, these beaches are side-by-side, but they are further east along the Promenade du Soleil in Menton’s neighboring town, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The main difference is that this stretch is rockier and narrower. While there are fewer places to eat as you get further from Menton, there’s one restaurant between the two beaches called Madame Bleue that is a lovely spot for waterfront dining. I also recommend Le Paradis de la Glace for the best gelato around and a frequent line to prove it. It’s about a 5-minute walk east along the promenade toward Menton. You can’t miss their green palapas and red chairs on the sidewalk above the beach.
Plage du Buse, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
500 meters or 6-minute walk from Roquebrune Cap-Martin Station
If you’re looking for a hidden-gem of a beach – a place that’s just challenging enough to access so there’s never overcrowding but not so hard to be discouraging – Roquebrune-Cap-Martin’s serene and picturesque Buse Beach is your spot. The water here is pristine and has sub-aqua freshwater springs that create cool pockets in the summer. While the beach is not visible from the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin train station (or the road), you can reach it from a steep set of stairs behind the station – just look for the sign to la plage. You can also get there by following the magnificent coastal path that wraps around the cape. My husband and I often walked here from Menton, and it was one of our favorite activities. Most of the beach is rocks or pebbles, but there are sandier sections on the side of the beach closest to the stairs.
Plage d’Èze, Èze
230 meters or a 3-minute walk from the Èze train station
Famous for its charming medieval village on the cliffs high above, the town of Èze also has a beach below the train station. But to be honest, it’s not that great compared to all the other beaches you have to choose from. It is on the quieter side, so if you want to avoid crowds, or if you’re looking to cool off after hiking the steep Nietzsche trail between the train station and Èze-Village, this beach will serve your purpose.
Plage des Fourmis – Beaulieu-sur-Mer
450 meters or a 6-minute walk from the Beaulieu-sur-Mer train station
Sandwiched between Èze and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is the stylish town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and a short walk from the town’s train station is Plage des Fourmis. Don’t worry, I was not bothered by ants during my time here (fourmis is the French word for ants), but still, I did not love this beach – perhaps because it was a brutally hot day and there was no shade to be found. Despite its central and scenic location, which includes a lovely view of the Villa Kérylos, this beach is too close to a busy marina for my liking, and the water was murky on the day we were there. If I were to go again, I’d probably opt to pay for the beach club, Anao Plage, so I’d least have a lounge chair, umbrella, and food options. We tried to get in last minute, but like many of the French Riviera’s popular beach clubs, you need to book in advance during the high season.
Plage des Marinières, Villefranche-sur-Mer
400 meters or a 5-minute walk from the Villefranche-sur-Mer train station
Spoiler alert . . . this is one of my favorite beaches on the French Riviera, and it’s especially nice if you can go outside of July and August to avoid the crowds. (Or you can head to the less-crowded eastern end of the beach that is further from the train station.) Crescent shaped with calm, crystal-clear water and located just steps below the train platform, Plage des Marinières checks all the boxes. It has a nice mix of sand and pebbles; it’s incredibly scenic; there are amenities like toilets, snacks, and drinks; and unlike many other Côte d’Azur beaches that are taken up by expensive and often sold-out beach clubs, the whole stretch is public and free to access. But the best part about Plage des Marinières is that it’s a short walk to the charming old town and port, making it the perfect place to spend the day soaking in the warmth and vibrancy of the French Riviera.
Plage de Juan-les-Pins Beach, Juan-les-Pins
600 meters or a 7-minute walk from the Juan-les-Pins train station
Skipping over Nice, which has plenty of gorgeous, world-famous beaches but none that make my 10-minute walk-from-the-train-station criteria, is Juan-les-Pins, a small town that is technically part of the larger commune of Antibes. Known for its vibrant night life and host to the annual Jazz à Juan festival that draws music enthusiasts from around the world every July, its namesake beach is beautiful and sandy with lots of amenities, including water sports and seaside cafés. The only downside during high season is that it gets very crowded, and unless you’re at one of the private beach clubs, you’ll want to bring your own umbrella for shade.
Plage du Soleil, Golfe-Juan
550 meters or a 7-minute walk from the Golfe-Juan train station
Next to Juan-les-Pins is the smaller and quieter resort town of Golfe-Juan, and just a short walk from the train station is Plage du Soleil, a sandy beach with calm, clear water. The nearby cafés and shops are slightly less expensive than those in Juan-les-Pins, and it’s an ideal spot for families with young kids and those looking for a more laid-back day at the beach.
Plage Macé, Cannes
550 meters or a 7-minute walk from the Cannes train station
If you’re looking for bougie on the beach, look no further than Cannes, where stars from Hollywood and across the globe descend every May for the Cannes Film Festival. Befitting its celebrity, Cannes is known for its swanky beach clubs along the iconic La Croisette boardwalk. Fortunately, there are plenty of spots for swimming and sunbathing where you can experience the luxury of Cannes without paying an arm and a leg. Plage Macé is part of a sandy stretch in the heart of Cannes that is run by the municipality, which means that in addition to being a pristinely maintained public beach, there are lockers, toilets, changing rooms, and showers. Lifeguards are on duty during high season, and you can rent chairs and umbrellas for much less than you’d pay at a beach club. During the famous Cannes Film Festival, there are nightly film screenings here, and the area is renamed Salle de Sable (the Sand Theater).