How To Reach Antibes

A small town located in between Nice and Cannes in the south of France, Antibes covers an area of just 27 sq. km. and is a popular Mediterranean resort in the country. It is also the second-largest town in the Cote d’Azur region with over 23 km of beautiful coastline that is great for strolling along the seashore. The beaches, botanical gardens, old town boutiques and museums are a great place to discover all about Antibes’ true cultural identity. International tourists especially love to vacation in Antibes when looking for a more subdued version of a French resort town. Here is all you need to know about the most convenient ways to reach Antibes.

There are no airports in Antibes, but the international airports in three major cities nearby can be used to access Antibes internationally. The closest airport from Antibes is the Nice Cote d’Azur International Airport, which is located 17 km away and is serviced by several major airlines. The Cannes-Mandelieu Airport is located west of Cannes in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, 22 km away from Antibes. However, it does not cater to scheduled flights and is mostly used by private jets coming into the French Riviera. Marseille-Provence Airport is also serviced by a number of major international airlines and is located a little further away from Nice.

All three airports have a shuttle or transfer services that provide assistance with reaching your destination. There are also buses and car hires available. Nice is located about 30-minutes worth of a drive away, with Marseille being almost 2-hours away. The drive time between Cannes and Antibes is also about 30-minutes. A more luxurious way to get to Antibes from Nice is to choose a helicopter transfer from Nice Airport. This also substantially cuts down on the travel time.

Gare d’Antibes is the local train station situated in the very centre of the town, which offers connections to regions nearby like Nice, Cannes, Marseille etc. Antibes connects to other French cities via the SNCF rail network. The TGV train is the fastest way to reach Antibes from Paris, which takes about 5 hours. Rail journeys offer a wonderful way to admire the French countryside while travelling from one destination to another in the country. If travelling from Italy, use the Trenitalia train service that connects to Italian cities like Milan, Rome, Venice etc. French connections are usually made in Ventimiglia, which is the first stop in Italy after the French-Italian border.

Driving along the French Riviera can be a very pleasurable thing to do, but the roads around the Cote d’Azur are prone to traffic jams and it is best to not take a car to Antibes. An alternative may be booking a taxi to get here, or going down the route of local bus services; the Vallauris Express 250 travels from both the terminals of Nice Airport directly to Antibes.

Most of the streets in Antibes are pedestrianized and it is best to go about the city on foot. Visitors will also find most of the local attractions are located close to the historic city centre. It is a great pleasure to walk about the narrow cobblestone streets as you discovering the city. However, you can also rent cycles and make use of the bike paths that are often used by the Tour de France-level pro bikers.