© Alison Shayler
© Alison Shayler
Train des Merveilles, Nice
Scenic train journey taking you from the coast in Nice into the mountains further north
Merveilles means “marvels” and it’s hard to know whether they named the area for the stunning scenery, the beautiful old medieval villages or the archaeological findings going back 5000 years. The railway carriages are painted with designs inspired by the prehistoric rock carvings that have been discovered in the region.
The train line actually runs all the way to Cuneo in Italy, but most sightseers only go as far as the medieval village of Tende or to Breil-Sur-Roya in the Vallée des Merveilles. To go all the way to Cuneo takes about 3 hours, with Tende being just 2 hours from the beginning of the line in Nice. Some of the services do not go all the way to the end of the line, so be careful when planning your journey or you may find yourself stuck somewhere in the middle!
What you can do
The towns and villages along the route to Tende are well worth visiting for hiking, bike riding, and sightseeing. You can take bicycles on the train at no extra cost and designated carriages have bike racks. The stations from Nice to Tende are:
- Nice Ville
- Nice St. Roche
- La Trinité
- Drap - Cantaron
- Peillon Ste Thecle
- Peille
- L'Escarène
- Sospel
- Breil-sur-Roya
- Fontan - Saorge
- St Dalmas-de-Tende
- La Brigue
- Tende
Worth knowing
The Train des Merveilles runs all year round, with on-board commentary in French and English every day from June to September and at weekends in May and October.
Visitor comments
- "We took the train from Nice to Tende (en route to Turino) having no idea that it had a commentary, or that the scenery would be so spectacular. In hindsight, it would have been worth splitting the trip in two and stopping off at one of the historical villages overnight. The mountains are beautiful, and the medieval villages offer spectacular vistas as they cling precariously to the hillsides. The free commentary was always interesting and informative, and given in both French and English." - Trip Advisor
- "The two-hour ride from Nice France to Tende in the Alps presents you with astounding feats of engineering and spectacular mountain scenery. In some coaches on the daily 9:23 AM train to Tende from Nice there is an excellent running commentary that is optional." - Trip Advisor
- "I did this trip in Mid-October and the fall colors in the mountains were amazing. The live narration on the ride to Tende was informative and enjoyable. The view from the train are spectacular. When in Tende I highly recommend doing the hike up to the chapel. It's steep but the views are worth it!" - Trip Advisor
How to get passes
An unlimited day ticket (Pass ZOU) costs 15€ per person and is valid for all journeys on the Train des Merveilles line. They are available at the main train station in nice or at any stations along the route.
