Getting Around Haut de Cagnes
Getting around Haut de Cagnes village is a picturesque stroll. The town below with all its amenities is a 5 minute walk, the train station approximately 10 minutes and the closest beaches only 25 minutes on foot. Many of the streets are pedestrian and it is a wonderful place to discover, especially with the fragrant scents much of the year. A safe place for children to play too, a perfect backdrop for the imagination.
Free Shuttle Buses
The No 44 free shuttle bus runs up to the village every 15/20 mins from the town centre at Square Bourdet (central bus station). In other words, the perfect way for getting around Haut de Cagnes when it’s hot or you have bags!
It travels right up to the Château with a few strategic stops on the way. Taking this bus down the steep, narrow and winding streets of Haut de Cagnes is a constant source of amusement. Not for the faint hearted!
During the summer, the No 44 starts running from around 7h till 0h20. In addition, Cagnes also offers another free shuttle bus (Navette de la Plage) – No 45. This runs from the town centre down to the beach between 10h and 20h. It runs around every 35 minutes 7 days a week. Ideal if you don’t feel like the walk! The No 45 will take you passed the Hippodrome and along the sea front to Cros de Cagnes. It will drop you off near the private and public beaches, restaurants and cafes.
Airport
A selection of buses will take you from Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport to Cagnes sur Mer. The journey takes around 20 minutes depending on the traffic and leaves you at Square Bourdet. After that, you can take the No 44 free shuttle bus up to Haut de Cagnes.
From Cagnes the buses 650, 620 and 9 run along the Promenade des Anglais just in front of Terminal 1. They usually stop at Airport/Promenade then continue to Parc Phoenix, except for the 620, which will take you directly to Parc Phoenix. Here you can take the Tramway 2 to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
The bus stop Airport/Promenade is a 5 minute walk from T1, or you can pick up the Tramway 2 at T1 or T2 and go to Parc Phoenix. Similarly take the buses 650, 620 or 9 to Square Bourdet at Cagnes sur Mer from there. The tramway runs every 8 minutes. Bus journeys (including the short tram journey) cost €1,50. You can pay on the bus or at the machine at the tram stop. Bring change and you must stamp your ticket when entering the bus or tram.
The train station Nice Saint Augustin, is close to the tramway stop Grand Arenas, if you prefer to take the train to Cagnes sur Mer. The bus is easier. You can also take a taxi, but check the price before you start the journey and confirm that the driver will take you right into the village. There are plenty of options for getting around.
Taxis
Uber is the cheapest option – just take care as taxis that do not know the village will follow their GPS and this can often send them down narrow streets – they must always follow the main route going right to the top of the village beside the Castle and down the main street back towards to town.
Many guests have had positive experiences with the English speaking private taxi service Friend in France (www.friend-in-france.com +33 (0)675800383) – they have recently changed hands but there are many of the same drivers. They will collect you from airport arrivals and drop you off at your holiday home.
Airport taxis have the reputation for overcharging and some will not drive into the medieval village and leave guests in the town below so check with them first.
Travelling by Car
Take advantage – Haut de Cagnes is one of the few places on the French Riviera that you DON’T need a car. If you decide to bring one anyone, or even for part of your stay – take Exit 47 if travelling on the A8 motorway from the direction of Aix en Provence to Cagnes sur Mer. Take Exit 48 if coming from the direction of Italy. Follow the signs to ‘Centre Ville – Cagnes sur Mer’ and then the brown signs ‘Haut de Cagnes – Bourg Medieval’. Once you enter the village follow the direction ‘Château – Eglise’ right up to the Castle, so as to avoid narrow roads.
Haut de Cagnes is also one of the few medieval villages, which allows cars access on the Côte d’Azur, but streets are narrow. Stick to the main route by following the signs up to the Château, this is the shuttle bus route so all cars can pass. TURN OFF your Sat Nav in the village. You risk finding yourself on a very narrow side street and could damage your car.
You may not be able to park directly outside your rental, be prepared to drop off your bags at the closest point. It will only take you 5 minutes to re-circle back by car if you need to get your bearings.
Parking
There are free parking spaces throughout Haut de Cagnes, but they can be more difficult to find in high season. They are concentrated in the run up to the Château or in the town below. We are happy to provide you with a maps to help you locate these areas. Be patient and you will always find something. This is usually a short but pleasant stroll from where you are staying. Remember you can drive through the village so can drop off bags, children, etc. close to your holiday rental.
When entering the village you will see a modern structure on your left. This is the Planastel, the world’s first automatic car park. Overnight rates are around €10 from 7pm to 9am the next day. They also offer hourly (1€50 approx), 24 hour (28€ approx), weekly (€60), two-weekly (€90) and monthly (€110) rates for visitors. Low sports cars, heavy cars and 4x4s are not accepted (accepted dimensions – 1m68 x 5m40 and 1650kg).
There are also 2+ open air car parks – you want parking in the ORANGE ZONES (free after 18h and before 9h, Saturday after 12h and Sunday all day – take care with some parking areas during market times on a Wednesday morning) – Place St Luce (6 Place Sainte Luce, 06800 Cagnes sur Mer) and La Villette (Passage de la Villette, 06800 Cagnes sur Mer) with over 700 parking spaces!
You can walk or jump on the free shuttle bus (44) from Square Bourdet back up to the village, which runs every 15 minutes and takes 5 minutes!
Buses
Cagnes sur Mer is well serviced with public transport to and from all major destinations. Getting around couldn’t be easier.
Bus journeys cost around €2 depending on which line you take. You can buy tickets at the machine on Square Bourdet (Gare Routier) in Cagnes town or buy your ticket on the bus (you will need change), you then need to valid tickets in the machine on the bus. Most of the bus routes through Cagnes are served by Lignes d’Azur , their site gives English and other language options. They have a free application for your smartphone with the latest information and timetables. See Lignes d’Azur.
Buses passing through Cagnes sur Mer are:
9: Vence to Nice. Visit Vence’s medieval city, cafes and boutiques. Don’t forget the Chapelle du Rosaire, famous for it’s Matisse paintings.
620: Cannes to Nice. Stop off in most of the towns along the way including Antibes, Juan les Pins and Golf Juan.
655: Vence to Cagnes. Also stops in St Paul de Vence and La Colle sur Loup for the perfect day out. Visits art galleries, winding streets, inviting shops and restaurants.
650: Grasse to Nice. Ideal for visiting the perfume capital of the Cote d’Azur.
*All buses going into Nice will leave you at Grand Arenas/Parc Phoenix just after the Airport. After that jump on the tram into Nice – your ticket will cover both journeys.
Trains
There is a convenient train station beside the town centre of Cagnes sur Mer and a 10 minute walk from the medieval village. Tickets must be purchased before your journey from the ticket office, automated machine or online. In addition you must also validate them in the yellow machine before accessing the platform (at Cagnes station at least).
For train information or to purchase tickets check out the SNCF website. To get from the train station to the village, take buses 9, 42, 620 or 650 to Square Bourdet (5 minutes journey) and then the No 44 free navette up to Haut de Cagnes or walk – approximately lately 15 minutes depending n where in the village you are going.
Bikes
If you wish to rent out a bike, Velo Bleu bikes are very handy and can be picked up beside the Hotel de Ville at the bottom of the village’s main street or at Square Bourdet in the town centre.
You will need to register on Vélo Bleu in advance, as well as give your credit card details. The site is only in French, but once registered you can pick up and leave off a bike whenever you like.
Renting and Electric Cars
If renting a car, it is a good idea to find your bearings in the village before collecting your car – so maybe consider renting for only part of your stay. There are a few charging points in the town ( not the village) for those who decide on an electric car.