We will be staying at the hotel welcome; not too much luggage and we will not rent a car.
Are there any other good options apart from a taxi? After an 8 hr plus flight I will only want to use public transportation if its very convenient to both the terminal and the hotel.
Also, does anyone know how long and difficult a walk it is from the Hotel Welcome to the train that runs between the Riviera towns? Thanks.

I don't know about catching the train from the airport as we had a car but I do know it's less than 5 minute walk from train station in Villefranche to Hotel Welcome. It's also on flat surface as you will be skirting the beach area once you descend steps from station.

My take is slightly different from grimmy's.

Villefranche-S.M. Railway station is a bit higher than water level as you can understand why. The town itself is kind of on a slope. The lowest part is of course the sea shore with Welcome Hotel almost on the water level. So Station to Hotel needs some walking down the steps or slopes. If your luggage is not huge, that won't be too much of a problem.

Airprot to Villefranche-S.M., I' m not sure if there is direct bus. You can do : Airport to Coach Terminal(Gare Routière/Nice city) by a bus and change to bus No.100 that goes to Villefranche, then on to Beaulieu >Eze-Mer> Monaco. If you do this, buy a day ticket when you get on the first bus at the airport for 4€ that entitle you with the bus for Villefranche. I think it is compulsory to buy this €4 ticket anyway from airport anyway(usual single ticket is €1.30). I find it more convenient than changing from bus to a train at Station Nice-Ville. Buying another (train) ticket is sometime inconvenient (waiting on the line or figuring out how to buy from the machine). Only I'm not sure where the bus stop is located at Villefranche. If it is higher up than the train station, you would want to arrive by train. I've done this bus line between Nice and Eze or Beaulieu and don'z rememebr where the bus stopped in Villefranche. It is frequent, like 3 bus per hour. You had better ask your hotel which is convenient train or bus to get to the hotel.


http://www.nice.aeroport.fr/acces_st...us/default.asp

According to the map in my Rick Steves guidebook, the bus station in Villefranche-sur-Mer is slightly closer to your hotel than is the train station, but it's a downhill rather than a level walk. The book recommends taking bus #98 from the Nice airport to the Nice bus station (3/hr, 30 min) and then bus #100 to Villefranche (4/hr, 20 min).

Thanks to all who responded.

I have just returned from 2 wonderful weeks in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
If taking the bus, get off at L'Octroi stop. It will be a downhill walk.
A taxi from Nice airport on a busy Saturday afternoon cost me 37 Euros,

Thanks! 2 weeks, wow...can you tell me/us more? Restaurants, sites etc.

We spent the last week of June in Villefranche, and managed well without a car. Kappa's bus instructions from the airport are right on. Right near the Villefranche bus stop (L'Octroi) there is a Tourist Information office that was very helpful for us.
From that same bus stop we went out to St Jean Cap Ferrat to visit the Villa Ephrussi Rothschild with the lovely gardens and great views back to Villefranche. The bus let us off right accross from the entrance -- the TI office can give you the schedule and point out the bus stop. We also used the bus to visit Nice. The trains (which we preferred over the bus) worked well for day trips to Monaco, Antibes, and Cannes. From Cannes, we took the 15minute boat ride out to Ile Sainte Marguerite for a picnic and swimming. The Trans Cote D'Azur company also runs other longer boat trips out of Cannes and Nice.
Oh, one other thing to note, I had to pay cash for our train tickets -- no credit card which surprised me. Have a great trip!

Many thanks for the good info.
Do you know how far the ti, bus station and the tgv station are from Hotel Welcome where we will be staying? Thanks.

Sorry, I see that grimmy answered that already.

TGV trains do not stop at Villefranche-Sur-Mer. Nice Ville station is the limit. Besides it's a tiny station. If you meant by "TGV station", just a French railway station, yes, grimmy has answered it.

I was in Nice recently on a public holiday and there was no bus service between Nice and the airport or anywhere else in the vicinity for that matter.We had to walk as the taxi service was inadequate!

Edmundus, did you find out why there was no bus on that day? I ask you this because there is Bus No98 that runs between airport and the city, Sunday including (naturally). Was there a strike ?