Èze village is about 12 km (7 mi) east of Nice, roughly 20 minutes on a clear road by our routed estimate from the Promenade des Anglais, along the Moyenne Corniche. It is one of the shortest and most rewarding drives on the Riviera: a medieval village on a rock high above the sea, with an exotic garden at the top and views across to Cap Ferrat. Lignes d'Azur bus 82 also runs from Nice to the village, and the coastal railway stops at Èze-sur-Mer, far below.
With a private driver, Èze becomes the first half of a classic day. The signature Elly8.net Èze and Monaco trip, six hours, costs from US$500 in a business sedan to US$995 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle and all-in, and a shorter visit can be booked by the hour from US$90 with a 3-hour minimum. This guide covers the roads, the alternatives, what to see and how to plan the day.
How far is Èze from Nice, and how long does it take?
Èze village is about 12 km (7 mi) from the Promenade des Anglais, roughly 20 minutes on a clear road by our routed estimate via the Moyenne Corniche, and about 22 km (14 mi) and 40 minutes from Nice airport. Monaco is a further 8.5 km (5 mi), about 13 minutes. Summer traffic on the corniches adds time.
The drive is short enough that most of the planning is about what to combine with Èze. On its own, the village needs one and a half to two and a half hours, depending on how long you spend in the garden and the lanes. Paired with Monaco, it fills a relaxed half day; adding Villefranche, Cap Ferrat or La Turbie turns it into a full one.
Three corniches: which road goes where
Three roads run east from Nice towards Monaco, one above the other, and Èze sits on two of them. The Èze tourist office describes the bus lines along each.
The Moyenne Corniche (middle road). The direct road to Èze village, with the best views of the coast on the way. This is the route most drivers take to the village, and the one bus 82 follows.
The Basse Corniche (lower road, by the sea). Through Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu to Èze-sur-Mer, the seaside part of the commune, about 11 km (7 mi) from Nice. Èze-sur-Mer has the railway station and the bottom of the Nietzsche path.
The Grande Corniche (upper road). Along the ridge to the Col d'Èze and La Turbie, about 7 km (4 mi) beyond the village, with wide panoramas over Monaco.
A chauffeur who drives these roads every day picks the right one for the hour and the season, and can use one road out and another back so you see all three.
Getting from Nice to Èze: the options
| Option | Price | Time and effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 82 (Lignes d'Azur), Nice Vauban to Èze village | Lignes d'Azur bus fare | Direct to the village, on the bus timetable | Budget travellers going to the village only |
| Train to Èze-sur-Mer, then bus 83 or the Nietzsche path | Regional train fare, then bus fare or a steep walk | Two legs, or a long climb on foot | Hikers and train lovers |
| Taxi from Nice | Metered; no fixed price published for Èze | Direct, one way; find a taxi for the return | A one-way drop |
| Elly8.net by the hour | US$90 per hour in a business sedan, US$115 in a business SUV, 3-hour minimum | Door to door, car waits | Èze only, or Èze and Villefranche |
| Elly8.net Èze and Monaco day | From US$500 business sedan, US$635 business SUV, US$995 Executive Sprinter, 6 hours | Door to door, both stops, car waits | Families, groups, first-time visitors |
The bus details come from the Èze tourist office: Lignes d'Azur line 82 runs from Nice Vauban to Èze village and the Col d'Èze, and line 83 links Beaulieu, Èze-sur-Mer, the village and the Col d'Èze, while regional ZOU buses 602 (Moyenne Corniche) and 600 (along the sea) run from Nice to Monaco. The tourist office also lists more than 80 trains a day in high season on the coastal line serving Èze-sur-Mer.
Fairly put, for one or two travellers who only want the village and do not mind a timetable, bus 82 is the economical choice. A taxi will take you up, but there is no published fixed fare to Èze on the airport's taxi sheet, and finding one for the return from a hilltop village can take time. A chauffeur makes sense for families, for anyone who wants Monaco or Cap Ferrat the same day, and for travellers who prefer to walk down the Nietzsche path and be collected at the bottom.
In Èze village
The medieval village is explored on foot through steep, stepped lanes, so the chauffeur drops you at the nearest point below the village and waits. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else on this trip.
The Jardin d'Èze. The exotic garden at the top of the village holds cacti and other exotic plants and the finest view in Èze, across the Mediterranean towards Cap Ferrat. The Èze tourist office describes it as a place to discover exotic plants and the history and traditions of Èze.
The church of Our Lady of the Assumption. Rebuilt between 1764 and 1778 by the Italian architect Antoine Spinelli on the foundations of a twelfth-century church, this neoclassical church was classified as a historical monument in 1984, according to the tourist office.
The lanes, galleries and shops. Allow time simply to wander; the village is small, but the steps and viewpoints slow everyone down, happily.
When to go
Timing makes a bigger difference in Èze than the choice of road. In summer, the steps and the garden are fully exposed at midday, so most visitors are happier arriving in the morning or in the later afternoon, when the light over the sea is softer for photographs, and keeping the middle of the day for lunch or Monaco. In winter the village is quieter and the drive along the corniche is at its clearest, but check the garden's opening hours with the tourist office before you go. On days of big events in Monaco, such as the Grand Prix weekend, do Èze on another day; the roads east of Nice are at their busiest then.
The Nietzsche path: walk down, be collected below
The tourist office lists several hiking trails linking the three corniches, including the Nietzsche path, which runs from the Moyenne Corniche at the village down to the Basse Corniche at Èze-sur-Mer. Walking down is the popular direction; walking up is a serious climb in summer heat.
This is where a car with a driver is genuinely useful. The chauffeur drops you at the village, you explore and walk down the path, and the car is waiting at Èze-sur-Mer, about 8.5 km (5 mi) by road from the village. Without a car, the alternatives are the train or bus 83 from the bottom, on their timetable. Tell the desk when you book that you plan to walk the path, so the pickup point is agreed in advance. Choose shoes with grip, carry water, and leave the walk out in very hot weather.
Pairing Èze with Monaco and the coast
The signature Elly8.net day from Nice is a six-hour trip to Èze and Monaco: up the Moyenne Corniche to Èze, then on to Monaco for Monte-Carlo, the Casino square, the Prince's Palace on the Rock and the harbour, and back along the sea. It costs from US$500 in a business sedan, US$635 in a business SUV, US$805 in a First Class Sedan, US$750 in a First Class SUV and US$995 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. The Visit Monaco site lists opening times for the palace and museums, and our Monaco car service page covers the principality in detail, including race-weekend travel.
Other easy combinations, all routed estimates on a clear road:
- Villefranche-sur-Mer, about 7 km (4 mi) from Nice, a harbour town on the lower road, for lunch by the water.
- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Beaulieu, on the peninsula and bay just below Èze, for a walk or a garden visit.
- La Turbie, about 7 km (4 mi) above the village on the Grande Corniche, for the views over Monaco.
For a longer day that adds Saint-Paul-de-Vence or the perfume town of Grasse, book a full-day chauffeur from US$665 in a business sedan to US$1,325 in a Sprinter. The Saint-Tropez day, much further west, is covered in our guide to Nice to Saint-Tropez by private car.
What it costs, and choosing the car
Every Elly8.net price is fixed, all-in and per vehicle in US dollars: the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
- By the hour, as directed: US$90 in a business sedan, US$115 in a business SUV, US$145 in a First Class Sedan, US$135 in a First Class SUV and US$180 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. As arithmetic, a three-hour Èze visit in a business sedan is 3 x US$90 = US$270 for the car. See hourly chauffeur service.
- Èze and Monaco day, six hours: from US$500 to US$995.
- Full-day chauffeur: from US$665 to US$1,325.
A Business Sedan carries 3 passengers and 2 bags; a Business SUV or First Class SUV 6 and 6; an Executive Sprinter 12 and 12. The corniche roads and the drop-off below Èze village are narrow, so for groups the desk confirms the best drop-off point for a Sprinter when you book. See the fleet. As arithmetic for comparison only, the Èze and Monaco day in a business SUV at US$635 shared by five travellers works out at US$127 each; the price is always charged per vehicle.
Rides in Nice are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer.
From the airport or a cruise ship
Some travellers go straight from Nice airport to a hotel in Èze or on the corniche. The village is about 22 km (14 mi) and 40 minutes from the airport by our routed estimate; give the flight number when you book and the chauffeur meets you in arrivals with a name board, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. The fare to an Èze address is fixed in the web booker. Our guide to arriving in Nice explains the meeting at the airport, and for comparing taxis and apps in the city, see Nice taxi or rideshare. Cruise passengers calling on the Riviera can book Èze as a shore day; see cruise port transfers and private city tours.
How to book
Choose the Èze and Monaco day or the hourly service on the Nice car service page and press Reserve now, or use the web booker to describe your own plan, such as Èze with the Nietzsche path and lunch in Villefranche. Tell the desk the number of travellers, any child seats and the time you need to be back. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, with refunds to the original card. Elly8.net books the car only; for flights and hotels our travel partner is BookingWorldwide.net. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. Staying further west? See the Cannes chauffeur page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Nice to Èze?
About 20 minutes by car from the Promenade des Anglais on a clear road, by our routed estimate, for roughly 12 km (7 mi) along the Moyenne Corniche. From Nice airport, allow about 40 minutes. In summer and at busy times of day, the corniche roads take longer.
Can I take a bus from Nice to Èze?
Yes. According to the Èze tourist office, Lignes d'Azur line 82 runs from Nice Vauban to Èze village and the Col d'Èze, and line 83 links Beaulieu, Èze-sur-Mer and the village. Check the timetable before you go, especially for the return.
How much is a private driver from Nice to Èze?
By the hour, an Elly8.net business sedan costs US$90, with a 3-hour minimum, per vehicle. The six-hour Èze and Monaco day costs from US$500 in a business sedan, US$635 in a business SUV and US$995 in an Executive Sprinter. Prices include the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity.
Can a car drive into Èze village?
The medieval village is explored on foot through steep, stepped lanes. The chauffeur drops you at the nearest point below the village and waits, or meets you at Èze-sur-Mer if you walk down the Nietzsche path. Comfortable shoes with grip are essential.
Is Èze and Monaco too much for one day?
No. Monaco is only about 8.5 km (5 mi) and 13 minutes from Èze village on a clear road. The six-hour Elly8.net day covers both comfortably, with time in the exotic garden, lunch and a walk around Monte-Carlo and the Rock.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card. The full terms are on the cancellation policy page.
