By train + bus
The closest station to Les Courmettes is Cagnes-sur-Mer station. Grasse station is another option (avoid Sundays and public holidays, as there are no buses to Les Courmettes).
From Cagnes-sur-Mer SNCF station: bus 655 : towards ‘Vence – Halte routière de l’ARA’
- Bus stop immediately outside the station
- Frequency: approximately every 40 minutes
- You can buy a bus ticket on board, provided you have change (approximately €2.50)
- Get off at the terminus.
Note: it is also possible to take bus 9 from Cagnes station towards ‘Vence – Halte routière de l’ARA’, but it is more expensive and you need a smartphone or a prepaid card (see note below)1. Please note that if you choose this option, make sure you board the bus marked ‘Vence – Halte Routière’ and not the one marked ‘Shopping Promenade’.
For group stays & residential weeks, we provide shuttles to Les Courmettes from Vence – Halte routière de l’Ara (€10/trip) (information provided prior to your stay) .
Once in Vence, it is also possible (few connections) to take bus 651 towards ‘Pont-du-Loup/Grasse’ . Departure from Vence: ‘Foch Lycée Matisse’ stop, 2 minutes from the Ara bus station. Get off at the ‘Tourrettes village’ or ‘Courmettes’ stop. For the more adventurous, it is possible to walk from either of these stops (see below), or we can pick you up at the ‘Courmettes’ stop. Please note that bus 651 does not run on Sundays or public holidays!
From the Grasse SNCF train station, take bus 651 (direction Vence) to the ‘Capucins Bas’ stop (except on Sundays and bank holidays). To get there, turn left out of the station and walk along the station building. Get off at the ‘Courmettes’ stop, where you can be picked up (please let us know in advance), or go as far as Vence if you take a shuttle bus that we can organise.
Useful site for working out your routes using public transport in the Alpes Maritimes : Zou Ma région Sud
Plane + bus
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)
Take the tram from Terminal 1 or 2 to the Grand Arenas stop (1 or 2 stops), then walk to the Bus station (“Gare routière”), and take bus no. 9 (towards “Vence Halte routière Ara”). The same ticket is valid for both the tram and the bus. There are ticket machines at the airport and at Grand Arenas.
Please note: some No. 9 buses do not go to Vence and terminate at ‘Shopping Promenade’. Please check carefully!
Two useful websites for calculating public transport routes in the Alpes-Maritimes, checking timetables and viewing fares:
Once in Vence, it is possible (few connections) to take bus 651 towards ‘Pont-du-Loup/Grasse’. Departure from Vence: ‘Foch Lycée Matisse’ stop, 2 minutes from the Ara bus station. Get off at the ‘Tourrettes village’ or ‘Courmettes’ stop. You can then walk up from either of these stops (see below)…
Shuttle
During seminars and events organised by A Rocha, we usually provide a shuttle service between the Vence bus station and Les Courmettes (€10/person/journey).
In any case :
Please contact us and consider the following information before booking your flight or train tickets:
It takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour by bus from the station or airport to Vence, then 30 minutes by car from Vence to Les Courmettes. Please avoid arriving at the station or airport too late (if possible, not after 6 p.m.).
Similarly, when leaving Les Courmettes, please avoid early morning flights or trains. For example, for an 11 a.m. flight, if you need to be at the airport two hours in advance, this means leaving Les Courmettes around 7 a.m. Please plan to take trains/flights after 11 a.m., or consult us if you need to leave earlier (in which case it is also possible to book a hotel near the airport).
By car
From Grasse: Go through Pont-du-Loup towards Tourrettes-sur-Loup. After 3 km, turn left at the « Courmettes » sign (this is on the right-hand side of the road).
From Nice and Italy: take exit 48 Cagnes-sur-Mer, towards Vence and then Tourrettes-sur-Loup. Go through Tourrettes-sur-Loup heading towards Grasse/Pont-du-Loup. After 5 km turn right at the sign for « Courmettes », which is a short distance after the bus stop marked « Saint Antoine » and road marker 26.
The « Route de Courmettes » is narrow and winding for 4 km. After the farm on your right continue for 300 metres when you will see the buildings on your left.
You can then park in the free area near the buildings.
GPS coordinates: Google Maps accurately locates ‘A Rocha France Domaine des Courmettes’. Alternatively, you can enter the following address: 1 Route des Courmettes (or, for GPS devices that locate intersections, the intersection between Route des Courmettes and Route de Grasse).
Please note: some GPS devices will direct you via the Route du Caire (a road that climbs steeply from the centre of the village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup). If this happens, turn back, as the road between Le Caire and Les Courmettes is not suitable for vehicles (DFCI track) and is closed to traffic.
On foot
For those brave enough you can walk up to Courmettes along the paved but quiet mountain road from the « Courmettes » bus stop (route de Grasse, Tourrettes-sur-Loup). Allow a good hour for the climb of 4.5 km and more than 500 metres of ascent.
It is also possible to walk up using various footpaths (superb views) from the centre of Tourrettes-sur-Loup. The distance is about 5 km and involves more than 500 metres of ascent. Find here a possible route
Carbon offsetting
We encourage you to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from your trip with Climate Stewards, a member organisation of the A Rocha family, or with another carbon offset platform.
Notes
- Bus 9 from Cagnes sur Mer station: For this bus, the stop is on the other side of the street when you walk along the esplanade to the right as you leave the station. Fares must be paid using the ‘Ligne d’Azur’ smartphone app or an individual prepaid card. The driver only sells pre-loaded cards for €4 (=€2) with a single journey (=€2) and only accepts cash, not bank cards. ↩︎