Train des Merveilles
Train des Merveilles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.0
335 reviews
Excellent
183
Very good
84
Average
27
Poor
20
Terrible
21
Matthew P
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We spent a cloudy day with a little bit of early rain taking this day train and walking tour up into the French Maritime Alps and it turned out to be a highlight of our French Riviera vacation! I had considered just getting train tickets for my wife and I and doing it ourselves. I’m SO HAPPY that we took the tour instead. Our guide, Carmela, was amazing. Fluent in 5 languages she can easily accommodate most travelers. She was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable and really went above and beyond to ensure that everyone enjoyed the day. One couple jokingly wanted to adopt her by the end of our trip!! But seriously, I’m sure anyone on our tour would wish to have guides like her on every tour!
The restaurant in Tende was very nice. Good food with large portions and the wine that we had was quite good. The rain was light and had little impact in Tende. It stopped by the second town of Saorge. The chapels we saw were interesting. We learned a lot about the area and the history of the towns as well as of the entire region. We visited a Franciscan monastery in Saorge and learned a lot about St. Francis and the Franciscan order. We even had time to stop at a quaint village bar for a drink before hopping the train back to Nice.
There is definitely a fair amount of walking and a lot of it is on hilly, cobblestone, old town streets but it wasn’t extremely strenuous unless you have real mobility issues. We’ve taken a lot of tours in our travels and this one really does rank near the top! An incredible way to spend a day and get a very different perspective on the French Riviera. We strongly recommend!!
The restaurant in Tende was very nice. Good food with large portions and the wine that we had was quite good. The rain was light and had little impact in Tende. It stopped by the second town of Saorge. The chapels we saw were interesting. We learned a lot about the area and the history of the towns as well as of the entire region. We visited a Franciscan monastery in Saorge and learned a lot about St. Francis and the Franciscan order. We even had time to stop at a quaint village bar for a drink before hopping the train back to Nice.
There is definitely a fair amount of walking and a lot of it is on hilly, cobblestone, old town streets but it wasn’t extremely strenuous unless you have real mobility issues. We’ve taken a lot of tours in our travels and this one really does rank near the top! An incredible way to spend a day and get a very different perspective on the French Riviera. We strongly recommend!!
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr.Sabharwal
Bengaluru, India90 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
The train journey by the train Marvellous is very different and enjoyable. The train which leaves from Nice in the morning at 9.06 (the time may vary slightly at different times of year) for Tende has a live commentary by a lady on the train in both English and French. She is a very pleasant lady.It makes the journey exciting and gives you lot of information on how the rail line was built and the history of the villages on the way. It reaches Tende before 12 and after getting down one can visit a small museum near the station and then go into the village. The village appears to be a ghost village with hardly a soul visible except in the begining where one has few cafes and a couple of resturants to have lunch. We caught the 2.44 pm train back to Nice. A nice day out to have a feel of the Alps
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela B
5 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
This was great value for money. A full day excursion with beautiful sights to see on the train and some lovely perched villages to stop at during the journey.
Written 6 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mikebruno1922
Buffalo, NY33 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Too many tunnels. The few views we had were very nice though. The little villages especially Tende were nice. Not much choice for lunch though.
Written 10 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kikkkles
Edinburgh, UK26 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Wonderful excursion from Nice, escaping the crowds and heat into beautiful scenery.
Caught the 9am train with such great commentary the whole way up - very interesting and the guide pointed out lots of treasures. The views are wonderful and also you get to appreciate the amazing engineering that went into the tunnels, bridges and railway.
We stopped at Tende - sweet local museum, great food, lovely town with stunning scenery to walk around (worth visiting all the churches as so different)
Then took train to Sospel - another beautiful town with amazing history. Inside the tower on the bridge is currently a brilliant local history exhibit. Again very worth an explore - and ice cream by the river. Back in Nice by evening.
Train wasn’t crowded, but getting tickets the day before avoids lines. In response to other reviews - air con perfect not too cold, trains comfortable and clean, lots of families enjoying it as was everyone else. Really brilliant day out.
Caught the 9am train with such great commentary the whole way up - very interesting and the guide pointed out lots of treasures. The views are wonderful and also you get to appreciate the amazing engineering that went into the tunnels, bridges and railway.
We stopped at Tende - sweet local museum, great food, lovely town with stunning scenery to walk around (worth visiting all the churches as so different)
Then took train to Sospel - another beautiful town with amazing history. Inside the tower on the bridge is currently a brilliant local history exhibit. Again very worth an explore - and ice cream by the river. Back in Nice by evening.
Train wasn’t crowded, but getting tickets the day before avoids lines. In response to other reviews - air con perfect not too cold, trains comfortable and clean, lots of families enjoying it as was everyone else. Really brilliant day out.
Written 3 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wayoutback99
London, UK1,308 contributions
Jun 2023
This is a review of the Nice Ville - Breil / Tende / Coni (Cuneo) railway line.
First the views are incredible as you get into the mountains proper. It really is an incredible feat of man's skills to create such an impressive piece of engineering. It's a great way to do something different when on the Cote d'Azur.
I was on the service with the commentary for (sadly) only part of my journey as I was jumping off to look towns on route. It would be excellent if you could download the commentary in audio or text. The commentary was superb. The lady was super pleasant. Completed in English and French.
First tip is to buy the "Billet Touristique" i.e. tourist ticket day pass for department 06. I thought it was branded "Zou" but this is not the case. Price in 2023 was Eur16. Buy the day before from any station ticket office or machine. The queues at Nice Ville station can be incredibly long so do not wait to buy on the day. Your ticket will be checked at some point. You can buy from any railway station in the region, I bought mine from Nice - Richelieu (staffed from 08:00 to 16:00). Remember to validate the ticket once in the yellow machine before going onto the platform!
If you are not staying in Nice centre and have a car consider joining the train line at Drap, you miss nothing before that coming out of Nice - Ville (although it is a beautiful station), I think there may be a car park. I cannot comment on how safe that would be for the car.
I took the 08.13 (train no. 881307) from Nice Ville. It is mostly for local commuters and not busy. It is good as it allows you to jump around and see both sides of the view.
I alighted at Sospel at 09:05, which I recommend for a walk into the town (2 mins on foot). Have a tea or coffee, ice cream etc. and walk beside the river. I believe the market is on Thursday mornings. Very pretty. Make your way back to the station (see the water lilies in the tiny park next to the station.
The train arrives at 10.12 to keep heading north. This is train no. 22987. It is this train that has the commentary. Much busier but justifiably so.
I travelled one stop to Breil sur Roya. The views are amazing. This is where the service from ventimilliga joins. The station is large. The walk into the town is more lengthy at around 10 mins (down hill). The town was significantly affected by the storm a few years back and continues to rebuild. The train de m waits here for around 15 minutes or so allowing you to make use of the buffet / refreshment room on the platform, the room is especially decorated so good idea.
It was here at Breil that I purchased my extension ticket from the booking office to Cuneo, costing Eur4.40.
As I was heading to Turin I boarded an FS (Italian) train departing at 11:19. Similar but different train to the SNCF service. Views continue to be amazing, harder to get a seat with a view.
I arrived in Cuneo / Coni at 13:19 and there was a connecting train to continue on to Turin. However I decided to take lunch and walk around Cuneo. There is no baggage storage at Cuneo railway station. It is a very grand station. The town is about 10-15 minute walk from the centre of town but you are very much in the town... a coffee in Italy is never more than a minute or two away :)
There is a direct train to Turin every two hours or with a connection every other hour, so a train every hour. The journey time is almost the same at ca, 1h 15min. I purchased my Cuneo - Torino ticket at Cuneo for E7.70.
A great excursion and I would do this again.
One final tip if you are heading from Nice (or nearby) to Turin it is better to take this train service rather than that which runs along the coast (which the usual suggestion from the online searches). The coastal train is incredibly crowed, think Tokyo Underground at peak. You may have trouble boarding and with luggage forget it. Note I think there may only be three services a day from Breil to Cuneo.
First the views are incredible as you get into the mountains proper. It really is an incredible feat of man's skills to create such an impressive piece of engineering. It's a great way to do something different when on the Cote d'Azur.
I was on the service with the commentary for (sadly) only part of my journey as I was jumping off to look towns on route. It would be excellent if you could download the commentary in audio or text. The commentary was superb. The lady was super pleasant. Completed in English and French.
First tip is to buy the "Billet Touristique" i.e. tourist ticket day pass for department 06. I thought it was branded "Zou" but this is not the case. Price in 2023 was Eur16. Buy the day before from any station ticket office or machine. The queues at Nice Ville station can be incredibly long so do not wait to buy on the day. Your ticket will be checked at some point. You can buy from any railway station in the region, I bought mine from Nice - Richelieu (staffed from 08:00 to 16:00). Remember to validate the ticket once in the yellow machine before going onto the platform!
If you are not staying in Nice centre and have a car consider joining the train line at Drap, you miss nothing before that coming out of Nice - Ville (although it is a beautiful station), I think there may be a car park. I cannot comment on how safe that would be for the car.
I took the 08.13 (train no. 881307) from Nice Ville. It is mostly for local commuters and not busy. It is good as it allows you to jump around and see both sides of the view.
I alighted at Sospel at 09:05, which I recommend for a walk into the town (2 mins on foot). Have a tea or coffee, ice cream etc. and walk beside the river. I believe the market is on Thursday mornings. Very pretty. Make your way back to the station (see the water lilies in the tiny park next to the station.
The train arrives at 10.12 to keep heading north. This is train no. 22987. It is this train that has the commentary. Much busier but justifiably so.
I travelled one stop to Breil sur Roya. The views are amazing. This is where the service from ventimilliga joins. The station is large. The walk into the town is more lengthy at around 10 mins (down hill). The town was significantly affected by the storm a few years back and continues to rebuild. The train de m waits here for around 15 minutes or so allowing you to make use of the buffet / refreshment room on the platform, the room is especially decorated so good idea.
It was here at Breil that I purchased my extension ticket from the booking office to Cuneo, costing Eur4.40.
As I was heading to Turin I boarded an FS (Italian) train departing at 11:19. Similar but different train to the SNCF service. Views continue to be amazing, harder to get a seat with a view.
I arrived in Cuneo / Coni at 13:19 and there was a connecting train to continue on to Turin. However I decided to take lunch and walk around Cuneo. There is no baggage storage at Cuneo railway station. It is a very grand station. The town is about 10-15 minute walk from the centre of town but you are very much in the town... a coffee in Italy is never more than a minute or two away :)
There is a direct train to Turin every two hours or with a connection every other hour, so a train every hour. The journey time is almost the same at ca, 1h 15min. I purchased my Cuneo - Torino ticket at Cuneo for E7.70.
A great excursion and I would do this again.
One final tip if you are heading from Nice (or nearby) to Turin it is better to take this train service rather than that which runs along the coast (which the usual suggestion from the online searches). The coastal train is incredibly crowed, think Tokyo Underground at peak. You may have trouble boarding and with luggage forget it. Note I think there may only be three services a day from Breil to Cuneo.
Written 3 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
skippy402
Auckland, New Zealand45 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Please be aware that there are numerous gangs of pickpockets, often posing as groups of young girls, who watch visitors buy tickets for public transport from machines , note where wallets are kept, and then target theft when the owner has their hands full with bags/suitcases alighting bus or train. This happened in 2022 and is ongoing again this year 2023.
I discussed this with workers in the hospitality trade, who are all aware. 😞
I discussed this with workers in the hospitality trade, who are all aware. 😞
Written 1 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate T
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Family
We booked the train on the Zou website a few days before our trip to Nice. We arrived at the station but the train was not displayed on the monitors there ensued a few minutes of panic. There was one staff member only on the concourse who was of course very busy, but she did however manage to tell us the train was cancelled... Why were we not informed beforehand by email? Why was the train not on the screens and marked cancelled?
We queued up at the office to ask for a refund and were told that we would have to enquire by internet as this was how we had booked the tickets. I did it immediately but 3 days later I haven't heard back from SNCF. What a fail!
We queued up at the office to ask for a refund and were told that we would have to enquire by internet as this was how we had booked the tickets. I did it immediately but 3 days later I haven't heard back from SNCF. What a fail!
Written 21 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
darren d
2 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
Excellent train ride up to Tende. Passing some amazing views . I would advise purchasing a pass isabelle to save a lot compared to regular train ticket
Written 27 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HK_Observer
Seattle, WA4,257 contributions
Sept 2022
Loved this train experience, which provided a very enjoyable day out and away from the hordes in Nice.
There is no charge beyond the round-trip train ticket from Nice to Tende. (Currently 29 euros pp.) No need to buy a special ticket; just buy at Nice Ville station from a ticket machine or buy online from the TER website in advance.
The railway and tourist authorities provide (through Sept. I believe) a guide on the 8:30 Nice-Tende train who gives a running commentary (in French and in English) on the history, geography, and engineering aspects of the railway and the "salt road" that it parallels. The commentary was a wonderful value-add, both because of the factual material presented AND because when doing a train-ride tour it is really helpful to have advance info on sights along the track that will soon be visible, and then flash by. The "conferenciere" who gave the commentary on our train was very clear and informative.
And the rail line is spectacular! Ancient hill towns, vertiginous gorges, mountain peaks and outstanding railway engineering. (I learned that "spiral tunnels" in French is "Boucle hélicoïdale,") If you are a railfan as I am, you will be in heaven. (Try to board early enough to stake out a front-facing window seat -- the left side of the train is marginally more scenic IMHO.)
After the morning ride, we spent a few hours exploring Tende's ancient town quarter and having an excellent french lunch. And after the wine at lunch, it was easy to snooze on the return.
All in all a great exploration of one of the region's lesser-known attractions. For my next visit, I want to stay a few days and do a 4WD tour up into the Mercantour alps.
There is no charge beyond the round-trip train ticket from Nice to Tende. (Currently 29 euros pp.) No need to buy a special ticket; just buy at Nice Ville station from a ticket machine or buy online from the TER website in advance.
The railway and tourist authorities provide (through Sept. I believe) a guide on the 8:30 Nice-Tende train who gives a running commentary (in French and in English) on the history, geography, and engineering aspects of the railway and the "salt road" that it parallels. The commentary was a wonderful value-add, both because of the factual material presented AND because when doing a train-ride tour it is really helpful to have advance info on sights along the track that will soon be visible, and then flash by. The "conferenciere" who gave the commentary on our train was very clear and informative.
And the rail line is spectacular! Ancient hill towns, vertiginous gorges, mountain peaks and outstanding railway engineering. (I learned that "spiral tunnels" in French is "Boucle hélicoïdale,") If you are a railfan as I am, you will be in heaven. (Try to board early enough to stake out a front-facing window seat -- the left side of the train is marginally more scenic IMHO.)
After the morning ride, we spent a few hours exploring Tende's ancient town quarter and having an excellent french lunch. And after the wine at lunch, it was easy to snooze on the return.
All in all a great exploration of one of the region's lesser-known attractions. For my next visit, I want to stay a few days and do a 4WD tour up into the Mercantour alps.
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roberta O
Cesara, Italy5 contributions
Salve mi potrebbe dire da dove parte il treno in Italia'
grazie1000 una buona giornata
Nic D
Liverpool37 contributions
I have read that the train is stopping at Breil and then you have to get a bus for the rest of the journey. Does anyone know when this will finish and return to normal?
Also I can't seem to find a timetable.
Rayvonray
Aberdeenshire, UK25 contributions
Don't know about the train stopping at Breil
Timetable can be found on the ter sncf com site in the sud-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur area (difficult to insert websites so hope you find it)
You will have to search for Nice (ville) to Tende using the search facility
If you can get to Nice Ville station you can ask there about whether the train is stopping and then using a bus.
The point of taking the trip via train is that you get the commentary on the way and pass through all the tunnels and see all the scenery. If you do part of the journey by bus I don't know how much you will miss out on, or if the views by bus are better/worse.
InvictaMoto
Hythe, UK657 contributions
What would visitors say is the most scenic part of the trip? I am looking at starting from Cuneo and making the journey in reverse towards Nice.
Rayvonray
Aberdeenshire, UK25 contributions
Tende to Nice. If you travel in the reverse direction you won't get the benefit of the informative commentary delivered in person by a guide onboard the train who points out items of interest and tells you about the history. Still a worthwhile journey though.
LDunlop
Saltcoats, UK379 contributions
We are going to Nice from 9-16 October and would like to do the Train des Merveilles trip either on the Saturday or Sunday of that week. Could anyone tell me how much it would cost for two adults and which tickets to buy. I realise you can get a special rate up until 30th September.
Rayvonray
Aberdeenshire, UK25 contributions
Day pass - 16 Euros for first individual then 10 Euros each. So 26 Euros for 2 adults. Worth checking if you get the commentary on Saturday/Sunday - I don't know.
Where do you buy the day pass please?
Missyjojo79
Salisbury, UK18 contributions
We purchased ours by going to one of the counters at Nice station. You cannot but then at any of the ticket machines. If you buy from there you will pay the full price.
Go to the main ticket office, take a number and wait your turn. It can be busy so allow extra time. I can’t remember if the tickets are available to buy in advance but I certainly would try it if you are near the station on another day.
graphicsherri
Washington DC, DC62 contributions
We are visiting Nice in April. Does anyone know if the Train runs then? I don’t trust my high school French enough to interpret their website!
Pjk
Plainsboro, NJ44,892 contributions
It starts running June 1
FrequentTraveler31
Athens, GA26 contributions
I have been told several different answers to my question. I will be in Nice from October 7-16. Does the Train des Merveilles run daily or just on the weekend?
mbkv
Nice, France6 contributions
So yes tous les jours means everyday
Can anyone recommend one of the stops back from Tende to stay over night at with a good gite/pensionne with good food and atmosphere? This is for august
curlytail55
Cleethorpes, UK416 contributions
Unless I am not using the SNCF website correctly - it does not show any trains to Tende (not even rail to Breil-sur-Roya then bus to Tende). Does anybody know if this service is still running please?
Paul
Leyland, UK10 contributions
We struggled to find information published about it too. Went to the train station and asked in the end.
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Claim your listingTrain des Merveilles - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Train des Merveilles
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