March 10, 2023
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild - a detailed guide
Our detailed guide to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild covers everything you need to know to plan the ultimate day trip to this beautiful seaside location on the Cote d’Azur. We think that this Italian-palazzo-inspired building and its 9 astounding gardens should be on everyone’s south of France itinerary. In this guide, we tell you how to get there and what to do while you’re there, what to see nearby and essential information on Nice (which will likely be your home base).
If you’re wanting to explore the French Riviera, we definitely recommend making Nice your home base. This is especially true if you’re planning on traveling around by public transport. Nice has an incredible amount of connections to nearby towns and villages by train and bus at very affordable rates. In fact, most places on the Cote d’Azur can be reached from Nice, including Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.
Exploring outside of Nice, France
Nice is a very trendy destination, and you could certainly spend quite a few days soaking up the atmosphere in the city, but the unique and gorgeous surrounding towns and sites were definitely the highlight for us. And Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild was certainly at the top of that list! We visited Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild during our first trip to the French Riviera as a last minute day trip and were surprised by how much we loved it. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, reach out if you have any questions, or let us know if you think there’s anything we missed in our guide below!
If you’re looking for more guides to southern France we have plenty available including a 10 day south of France itinerary (by public transport), city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille and Monaco, and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
Tip: avoid the biggest mistake we made. If you ask for water at a restaurant they will give you bottled still or sparkling water. They will never bring you tap water. To save yourself the money, ask for a carafe of water by saying the following ‘carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît’.
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In this article
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How to get to NiceHow to get to Nice
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Getting around the French RivieraGetting around the French Riviera
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Where to stayWhere to stay
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Visiting Villa Ephrussi de RothschildVisiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
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What to do nearbyWhat to do nearby
How to get to Nice
If you’re planning a visit to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild then you’re most likely visiting Nice (or you should be!). We have used Nice as the home base for many destinations along the French Riviera. We think Nice makes for the perfect spot to explore the area due to its:
- Proximity to international airport
- Train and bus connections to nearby villages and beaches
- Accommodation and restaurant options
- Sightseeing options for your downtime
You will pick up flights direct to Nice from most destinations in Europe as well as further afield in the US, North Africa and the Middle East. The closest airport is Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, an international airport situated just 8km away from the city centre. It is the third busiest airport in France after the two that service Paris so that gives you an idea of how popular this destination is!
Getting from Nice airport into the city is soooo pleasant and easy! Inside the airport you’ll see signs directing you to the tram. Take tram line 2 in the direction of Port Lympia for €1.50 each way. There are multiple stops in town depending on where your hotel is. The main stop in the city centre is Jean Médecin. The whole journey won’t take longer than 30 minutes. The tram leaves the airport every 8 minutes and runs from around 4am to after midnight depending on the day. You can find more information including timetables here.
Getting around the French Riviera
Before diving into this guide for Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, I wanted to cover off the basics on how to get around the French Riviera. It’s unlikely you’re only visiting the villa so we think it’s helpful information for your entire trip. Southern France is one of the easiest regions to travel around by public transport that we have ever experienced! It’s so well interconnected and affordable. Below we cover off all the major options for traveling around southern France including public and private transport.
Public transport
To get to destinations outside of Nice you will want to take public transport. It’s quick, affordable and you won’t have to worry about traffic and parking.
Bike and e-bike rental
Nice has a fantastic bike share scheme with e-bikes available at VéloBleu stations around Nice. These stations are self service and you can rent a bike with your credit card. There is a €3 subscription, and after that it will cost you €1.50 per half hour. You’ll need to download the app.
Train
There are two train stations in Nice, Nice Ville and Nice Riquier. If you’re booking your tickets in advance be sure to check which station is closer to your accommodation. Nice Ville is to the north west of the old town. If you’re planning on staying close to the promenade this will probably be the closer option for you. Nice Riquier is further east, just above Quartier du Port. We found using the Trainline app to book our tickets ahead of time to be very easy and convenient. The prices are the same, and the schedule is accurate and up to date.
Bus
You will find that the train will get you to most surrounding villages much quicker than the bus, but there are exceptions. A notable example is Èze. The train station goes to the town on the coast, whereas most people want to visit the village at the top of the hill which can only be reached by bus. Bus tickets can be bought from the bus driver, just bring cash with you (typically a ticket will cost you €1.5 each way).
Car
Realistically a lot of destinations on the French Riviera are much more convenient to visit by public transport due to the lack of availability and high cost of parking in many villages. If you do need to hire a car, there are plenty of options in Nice both at the airport and in town. This is a hugely popular destination, so booking your hire car in advance will help you to secure a good price and the kind of vehicle you are after. If you’re driving make sure you plan your days so that you are arriving at your destination early in the morning so that you can find parking, and also make sure you’re factoring in parking fees in your budget as this will add up.
Where to stay
While visiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild we definitely recommend that you stay in Nice. You’ll likely be visiting a lot of other nearby villages and beaches and Nice makes a great home base. We suggest that you try to stay in the area between the train station and the old town / beach. These are the areas of Le Carré d’Or (green in map above), Thiers (red in map above) or Carabacel (purple in map above). We split our visit between staying very close to the train station for a few days, and then a few days very close to the promenade.
Hôtel Byakko Nice
At Hotel Byakko Nice we paid €490.50 for 3 nights in August 2022 (the MOST EXPENSIVE time of year to visit Nice). The hotel’s location was perfect for day trips, being only a 6 minute walk to the train station. It was also only a 15 minute walk into the old town and a 20 minute walk to the promenade. We really liked this hotel. The staff were really friendly, the aircon was cold, and the room was perfect for a few nights with enough space to spread out our luggage. An added bonus was the rooftop here, perfect for a rose at the end of the day.
Hôtel de la Fontaine
We also stayed at Hotel de le Fontaine and paid €585 for 4 nights in August 2022. It was only a 2 minute walk to the promenade, which was perfect for our beach days, and sunsets on the beach with a pizza and a bottle of wine. It was a 15 minute walk into the old town, and a 15 minute walk to the train station (or take the tram for €1.50 and you will cut down walking time to just 7 minutes). The distance to the promenade was our favourite thing about this hotel, but again the staff were incredibly friendly and the rooms were super spacious for a few nights.
Visiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
History
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild would not exist without its visionary, Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild. Béatrice was the daughter of a banker and art collector, and grew up in some of the most opulent residences in Paris. She was incredibly fond of animals and had exquisite taste particularly in art and porcelain. At 19 she married a banker which quickly turned sour and led her to take her art collection more seriously. Almost 20 years later she decided to purchase the property on Cap-Ferrat that Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild currently stands on after falling in love with its beauty and surroundings. 7 years later in 1912, the Baroness moves in and makes it her official winter residence for a decade. The result of her time here has created an eclectic mix of styles from across the ages with incredible gardens (that required a huge amount of earth works at the time).
How to get there
Take Bus 15 from Promenade des Arts or your closest stop and ride for about 35 to 45 minutes to Passable / Rothschild (€1.50 each way). From there it’s only a 7 minute walk to the villa. Bus schedules do change frequently, just use google maps to plan out your trip when you’re there as it will give you the option for this bus route.
The trains are not convenient for Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. The closest station is Beaulieu-sur-Mer which is half an hour walk away (though we recommend you check this town out afterwards as it is gorgeous! More on our nearby suggestions below).
You can drive as well of course, there is a free small car park right at the entrance, as well as street parking nearby. Our biggest suggestion if you’re driving is to arrive before opening time (10am) to ensure you can find a spot.
Note: right before Covid, Nice overhauled its public transport system. You will see that a lot of blogs reference Bus 81 to get to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, this bus no longer exists and you will need to take bus 15.
How much time you need
We would suggest 2-3 hours to give you enough time to snap some photos, visit the gardens, take the audio tour and maybe get a coffee in The Tea Room. The audio tour itself lasts 1.5 hours, and there are 9 gardens to explore so there is plenty to do to fill your time while visiting. And on that, below we provide everything that you should see and do while visiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.
What to do
The Villa
Take a step back in history to the high society of the early 1900’s at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. It’s easy to picture the grand events held by the Baroness in her magnificent villa. Start your tour of the villa by admiring the pink-hued exterior. The south facade was my favourite and more than the other facades was actually designed with perspective and viewpoints in mind. The symmetry is very satisfying, best observed from the opposite end of the French garden (the garden directly in front of the villa).
Inside you’ll find the state rooms and you’ll be immediately impressed by the indoor patio (where the ticket stall is located). There are large living rooms filled with beautiful historical pieces, a lot of which were personally selected by the Baroness. There’s a sizeable porcelain collection and then there are Béatrice’s rooms which showcase her epic taste and design.
Audio tour
Admission includes an audio guide, which we highly recommend! Learning about the history of the villa and Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild who built and decorated it is incredibly interesting. She had taste! The audio guide is a self-guided tour of the permanent collection, providing commentary on the history of the villa. In particular you will learn of Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild’s collections and leisure activities, and some general thematic information about the French Riviera and the sumptuous world of the Belle Epoque.
The audio guide is available in 9 languages: French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Chinese. If you have a smartphone you can download the app ahead of time, but otherwise they will provide you with a device when you arrive.
The gardens
Directly in front of the villa are the formal French gardens where you’ll find a beautiful water feature with fountains that come to life every half an hour against the background of music by French composers. In total, there are 9 themed gardens including a Spanish garden, a rose garden, an exotic garden (cacti and succulents) and a Japanese garden among others. I would suggest that you leave yourself an hour or so to wander the grounds.
The Team Room
The Team Room is located in the former dining room of the villa. The restaurant overlooks the azure waters of Villefranche and is a great way to end your day trip to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. There is an orchard of orange trees in the restaurant’s terrace, a beautiful spot to sit and soak up the atmosphere during summer over a light lunch.
You will need to have a ticket to visit the Tea Room as well. The Tea Room is open between 11am and 5.30pm from mid February to October. From November to mid February the Team Room is only open on weekends, holidays and public holidays.
A pastry will cost €9.50, which certainly isn’t cheap but a lot of people do choose to pay the price to be able to sit and relax for a while in this exquisite part of the villa. One of the current chefs has previously worked at two different Michelin star restaurants, which is also a big draw card! You can find the menu here.
Seasonal events
Depending on the time of year, you may be able to visit the villa in the evenings on select days, pre-organise for picnics in the garden or attend a dinner at the villa. We really wish we had known that when we were visiting! Each of these events cost extra and can occur only on certain days. For example while we were visiting in summer you could visit the villa for dinner but only on certain days (I think it was Tuesdays and Thursdays). Make sure to check the website well ahead of your visit so that you can plan your visit to coincide with any special events happening.
Ticket prices and opening hours
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild opens at 10am daily and standard entry is €16. Tickets can be bought ahead online here. Kids under 7 can enter for free. We’ve listed other prices here:
- Full price: €16
- Senior price: €15
- Concession price: €13
- Youth price: €11 (7-25 years old)
- Family price: €45 (for 2 adults and 2 children aged 7 to 25)
You will want to arrive as close to opening time as possible. We had about 15 minutes where we had the whole garden to ourselves which was very peaceful. After this, a HUGE amount of people arrived and the gardens and villa got crazy busy. The villa and gardens are typically open 10 am to 6 pm. Always check the website however, as the entire villa can be booked out for private events and can therefore be closed on some days, particularly on weekends. In summer it will be open until 7pm and in winter there are reduced hours on weekdays. You will need to have a ticket to visit the Tea Room as well.
What to do nearby
Baie de l Espalmador
How to get there
Literally walk across the road from Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild! It’s a 10 minute walk (downhill!) to paradise.
What to do
We saw this incredibly beautiful and quiet bay as we were walking to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. It was quite shaded in the morning due to protection from Passable and relatively free of boat traffic. There’s an entry to the water on both sides of the bay with the named beach at the north end ‘Plage de Grasseuil – Espalmador’. There’s certainly no shortage of beaches along this strip of coastline however, all within walking distance from Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, including the chic Passable Beach and the secluded Bibou Plage, which is a romantic spot perfect for snorkelling.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
How to get there
You’re already here. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is located on the peninsular of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, so you may as well explore while you’re here. The whole cape is very compact and walkable, however you can also rent an e-bike if you prefer from the main town of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat through VéloBleu. The town is a 15 minute walk or 6 minute bus (line 15 again) from Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.
What to do
There is a coastal trail (Sentier du Littoral) that runs from nearby Cap d’Ail around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The portion around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat runs from Beaulieu-sur-Mer town centre and hugs that water until Passable beach (or vice versa). It’s an incredibly scenic trail and is 8 km (5 miles) long which can be completed one way in about 2.5 hours. Another popular thing to do is obviously a beach day. The most well known beach is probably Plage Paloma but you could pick almost any bay along the cape and find yourself in some of the most private and beautiful beaches on the French Riviera. Just avoid Plage Cros Dei Pin if you can due to its proximity to the port (which therefore makes it a little dirty).
Left: Baie de I Espalmador, Right: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
How to get there
From Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild it’s only a 30 minute walk to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Otherwise take Bus 15 from Passable / Rothschild back the way you came and hop off at Kerylos (€1.50 each way).
What do to
If we go back to the Cote d’Azur and hire a car, we would try to stay in an Airbnb in Beaulieu-sur-Mer or somewhere close by in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
1. Get away from the crowds
Often overlooked for more glitzy destinations like Antibes or Monaco, Beaulieu-sur-Mer provides a bit of a reprieve from the crowds. It feels a lot more authentic than most other villages along the coast and is free from souvenir shops and overpriced gelato stands even though it’s only a stones throw from Nice (you can literally walk here if you wanted to).
2. Plage Petite Afrique
This beach frequently tops lists for one of the best beaches in the French Riviera. It’s a fine pebble beach (easy to walk and sit on), has all of the amenities you will need including showers, toilets and life guards, there are plenty of water sports available and there is even a line of pine trees to find some shade near the kids playground. But what makes this beach top most lists is its beauty. Plage Petite Afrique is located in an incredibly wide bay that is set against the backdrop of a dramatic mountain range, absolutely stunning!
3. Have lunch along the harbour
Along the waterfront is another pretty harbour that has a string of affordable restaurants sitting right on the water. You will need to walk through the harbour to reach Plage Petite Afrique from the train station so you may as well check it out while you’re there! If you’re visiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, we suggest going there in the morning and then walking into Beaulieu-sur-Mer for lunch and an afternoon soaking up the sun at the beach.
Plage Petite Afrique
Villefranche-sur-Mer
How to get there
Take Bus 15 from Passable / Rothschild for 12 minutes to Léopold II in Villefranche-sur-Mer (€1.50 each way).
What to do
1. Explore the Old Town
Villefranche-sur-Mer is another colourful fishing village with incredible waterfront restaurants. There’s not so much to do here, and it’s quite a small town, so you won’t need too much time. Wander through the pretty alleyways admiring the playfully coloured houses and beautiful pots of flowers lining the streets. Then head down to the waterfront to sit at one of the many trendy cafes and restaurants that line the beach.
2. Stroll along the harbour
This is one of the deepest harbours in the area so another great place to do some yacht-watching! Taking a stroll around the harbour and absorbing the atmosphere is a wonderful way to spend some time.
3. Plage des Marinieres
This is one of the best beaches in the French Riviera. It’s a sandy beach that stretches along a wide bay in front of the colorful old town. This is a very easily accessed beach with the train station only steps behind it so it does get busy. The shallow water extends about 10m out making this a great family friendly beach. Showers and toilets are available onsite also.
Thanks for stopping by!
We hope we’ve inspired you to visit the beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on your next trip to the south of France. Our guide covers everything you need to know to plan the ultimate day trip to this beautiful seaside location on the Cote d’Azur. We think that this Italian-palazzo-inspired building and its 9 astounding gardens should be on everyone’s south of France itinerary.
We have plenty of other guides to southern France including a 10 day south of France itinerary (by public transport), city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille, Cassis and Monaco, and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
If you have any questions, please let us know, and please subscribe!
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