Address & Directions

Villefranche-sur-mer is a small town of the French Riviera. It is situated between Nice (France) and the Principality of Monaco, and may be reached :

• by plane: The International Airport of Nice Côte d’Azur is linked to many national and international destinations. The airport is located about 15 kilometers west of Villefranche-sur-mer.  From the airport you may either choose to take a taxi, or take a bus to the main bus station of Nice and from there catch another bus to Villefranche-sur-mer (e.g. line 100).
• by train: Trains are linking Villefranche-sur-mer with Nice and many other French and European cities.  The SNCF train station of Villefranche-sur-mer is within walking distance of the lab (ca. 15 minutes).
•  by bus: Several busses (e.g. line 100; departure about every ¼ of hour during day) running from Nice to Monaco and Menton, stop at Villefranche-sur-mer.   The bus station in the city center is within walking distance of the lab (ca. 10 minutes up-/downhill).
• by car: Driving on the motorway A8 and coming from the direction Marseille/Toulon/Antibes, take the exit 50 “Nice-Promenade des Anglais”. Following the seafront (on your right) and cross Nice and the old harbor. Then continue on the RN 98 (Basse Corniche) until Villefranche-sur-mer.  Driving on the motorway A8 coming from the direction Genoa (Italy)/Menton (France), take the exit 58 “Roquebrune-Monaco”. Continue towards Monaco, take the direction towards Nice and cross Cap d’Ail, Eze and Beaulieu.

Based at the Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche, OAO headquaters are in the so-called “Corderie” an old yellow building which is facing the marina “Port Royal de la Darse” on the western side of the fortress “Citadelle”.