marazul

It could take close to an hour easily. There can be a lot of traffic getting into MC. Just saying. Nice in the morning. About 15 minutes to get there.

Good. Here is a picture of the supermarket: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7355194,7.421202,3a,75y,186.51h,93.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sP8WmpmSuxqTatNOBSF7ZxQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu

Mykonos and Crete have the best beaches. The ones in Mykonos are easily accessible by bus. This would be your best bet. The ones in Crete depend on where you port. Rhodes would be my next pick. Santorini has red and black sand beaches, but it is more complicated to get there.

Here is a map showing the Casino Supermarket right at the port. They always have a great selection of cheese and cold cuts, pastries, fruit, and ready made food, etc. Pick something up and a bottle of wine and you are all set. Picnic somewhere along the port. There are benches right across the road. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Casino+Supermarket/@43.7348133,7.4206379,16.37z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x12cdc28c3ababf93:0xcc3dcded52cf771e!8m2!3d43.7353046!4d7.4210558!16s%2Fg%2F1hhkp3jj9?hl=en&entry=ttu Benches: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7357291,7.4212052,3a,75y,60.49h,111.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNKtScr3rpYpoh5EA-JY1Ig!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu

Anyone can park there. Go with a reputable agency and let them worry about those details.

MC is one of the most expensive places on earth. There are some inexpensive places here and there and some street food sometimes around the port. Go to a supermarket (Casino, a French supermarket chain, has some small ones around there) and get some takeout.

@Travel To Be Free I am not sure about the regulations since we haven't been there in two years. Having said that, we always drive ourselves and park in the garage. Yes, it is a very short walk of about 5 minutes once you are on the top. If they can drop you off in front of the Cathedral, it is about a 3 minute walk to the palace. The parking is quick. The driver can always drop you off by an elevator and you can call him when you are ready to go back down. Did you check with https://www.friend-in-france.com/?

@zinniagirl The Hypogeum only allows 10 people in at a time about 4 or 5 times a day. You must book it now and then plan your day around that. A taxi can take you to the Blue Grotto and Hypogeum. You don't need transport to Valletta, the ship docks there and you just walk around. Save it for after the other two.

My TA got me prices for a couple of them, but the itineraries are nowhere to be found.

@Hlitner Dolceacqua is a medieval, almost vertical town. Monet painted the bridge. Apricale is another medieval mountain village without the tarting up of Eze or St Paul. There is a really good restaurant, La Capanna di Baci (the kissing bell), which is very good. In both, there is plenty to enyoy quietly. Not much to do if they mean shops. Just look around. Tourists have not arrived, yet. They are both in the "most beautiful villages" of Italy list. On the way back you can stop at Ventimiglia, the last town in Italy before France, where they used to sell $20 "rolexes" at the market. Or continue on to Menton for a very civilized time. But as an experiment, stop for an espresso at both Ventimiglia and Menton. You will go from coffee heaven to just very good coffee.

@Hlitner Love it, although we may be your elders. (Respect, now!) The rental to Dolceacqua would be from MC. If anyone can manage it, it would be you. I should have known you have been to Menton, but that incursion into Italy is really worth it. We have been hearing about age restrictions here and there, but so far no one has refused to rent us a car.

There is always renting a car and going to Dolceacqua and Apricale. 😉

How about going to Menton instead of Eze? It's the next town on the train from MC. And it is lovely with fabulous restaurants.

If you stay at Montalcino or Montepulciano there will be plenty of wine tasting within walking distance.

If you want to do more hiking, there is a great trail that goes around the Cap Ferrat peninsula. Also while there, see if you can visit the Villa Santo Sospir to see all the Jean Cocteau murals. He got invited for a week and stayed for several years. 🤪 It was closed for restoration a couple of years ago but maybe it has reopened by now. Also interesting is the Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu. It is a reconstruction of a Greek villa. Lots of good places to eat around the port in St Jean. Plus the usual assortment of Michelin starred places both in St Jean and Beaulieu.

They are a tour company. https://santorini-privatetour.com/ or santorinidaytour.gr

I still think you are doing it in the wrong order. It should be Nice-Eze-Monaco. The traffic between Villefranche and Nice at 9 am will be a lot easier than later on. (I have been in many traffic jams there.) You can easily visit Nice and be in Eze around 11. The traffic coming back to Nice and then to Villefranche in the afternoon can be really bad and it will take you more than time than you think. You will have to take the autoroute back to Nice and then go to Villefranche instead of taking the more scenic and shorter Basse Corniche to Villefranche. The flow of sightseeing opportunities is also better that way, especially driving the whole length of the Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Eze. There are things to do in Nice available only in the morning while the Monaco sites are available all day. Google maps has a nice feature where you can enter the month and day of the week when you are going and the time for each segment of your trip. if you haven't done it why don't you give it a try with different times for each segment? But it is your trip and what you imagine would work out for you best. Maybe you will get lucky with the traffic. You could also ask your driver for their opinion on order of the itinerary.

If all you want to do is take a look inside the cathedral, you can be back at the car in half an hour. How long are you in port?

@livetravelcruise07 If you want to go to Nice, you need transportation there - buses, train, excursion. It is about 6 miles away and it is not walkable. UPDATE: A taxi from Villefranche to Nice should be about 20 euros. If you want to stay in Villefranche, look at this post:

I used the VR glasses in Olympia and thought it was fun and it added interest to the site. However, it was our third (fourth?) trip to Olympia. On the technical side, the VR images were at a 90 degree angle to the actual ruins so I had to turn sideways to see the intended object. Apparently my set was the only one with that problem out of the four of us. But no matter, I only wore them on and off to see actual and reconstructed. I would try it in Ephesus. If you are on a private tour, you can specify you want to visit the Terrace Houses and just remove the VR set while you are there. You can also ask your guide to bring a spare set in case of problems. Let us know how you like it.

You have 9 hours in port. You can (and should) go to Olympia. Either a private or ship's excursion will take you there and back with ample time. Search this board for the many posts on excursions. It is not a tender port.

Yes, continue on the Blvd. Jean Jaures past the Place Massena up to the Tête Carrée. Turn left on Rue Barla and return on the other side of the Paillon on Av. Félix Faure. By the way, the Paillon is a river (torrent, actually) that comes through the center of Nice. It is paved over in the area between the two parallel avenues you will be following. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Square+Ηead/@43.6985134,7.2742693,16.5z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x12cddab083f4b905:0xb36c90b511289f55!8m2!3d43.7027768!4d7.2791114!16s%2Fg%2F1216x1jc?hl=en&entry=ttu I am trying to facilitate the things you want to do, but I would encourage you to reconsider your plans for a better experience. Consider that Monte Carlo is a much better place for a drive-through than Nice because it is much more compact, and Nice is more about enjoying the Old Town. I would start by going to Nice first, getting out and spending an hour at the Flower Market and some side streets. The drive there already takes you around the Old Port. After walking, it is easy to drive the short distance to the Negresco, then turn around back to the Old Port along the Promenade des Anglais. Then get on the Moyenne Corniche for the ride to Eze. This is a spectacular drive. After lunch, drive to Monte Carlo. Do your drive around or whatever you had planned. Then return to Villefranche along the sea by the Basse Corniche. This plan gets you to Eze at about the same time as your original plan. It also avoids the traffic between Nice and Villefranche in the late afternoon. Most of all, it maximizes the views, photo ops and places of interest.

I am reposting my reply here to add some comments about time. You do not need three hours in Eze. One hour is sufficient unless you plan to stay for lunch at La Chëvre d'Or. 😉 That would give you plenty of time to walk in Old Nice. That is a must if you want your family to see the most iconic photo-ops in Nice. It should take one hour. There is underground parking right off the Quai des Etats-Unis just a few steps from the Old Town. Afterwards you can continue the drive along the Promenade. As for driving around Nice, before arriving at the Promenade des Anglais, you drive around the very scenic old port. It is also possible to drive up to the Chäteau, the promontory between the port and old Nice for eyepopping views of the Riviera. You could also go up to Cimiez to the Matisse Museum and the Roman Arena; drive alongside the Paillon to see the Tête Carrëe (Square Head - headquarters of the Public Libraries) and other buildings such as the Theater, etc. This additional driving time should not take more than an hour, but traffic can be pretty bad. Prioritize the Old Port and Chäteau and then the Promenade des Anglais and Cathedral. The drive along the Paillon and Cimiez would be last and the most prone for traffic. Your driver will advise you when it is time to turn back and return to Villefranche.

You do not need three hours in Eze. One hour is sufficient unless you plan to stay for lunch at La Chëvre d'Or. 😉 That would give you plenty of time to walk in Old Nice. That is a must if you want your family to see the most iconic photo-ops in Nice. As for Nice, before arriving at the Promenade des Anglais, you drive around the very scenic old port. It is also possible to drive up to the Chäteau, the promontory between the port and old Nice for eyepopping views of the Riviera. You could also go up to Cimiez to the Matisse Museum and the Roman Arena; drive alongside the Paillon to see the Tête Carrëe (Square Head - headquarters of the Public Libraries) and other buildings such as the Theater, etc.

That strike was scheduled months in advance. It should not have taken anyone by surprise.