Monaco and Nice - DIY

[luv2sail7]

Hello All - I've been reading the threads and my head is spinning. My DH, DS (18) and myself will be on Voyager in late October. Our plan for Villefranche port is to take the train or bus to both Monte Carlo and Nice. In what order would you do these two stops? We understand that its a tender port and we are in from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Thanks to all in advance!

[cruiselover1250]

We'll be in Villefranche from 10 am to 8 pm, and it's a tender port. Since time is limited, and it seems this port has access to a lot of beautiful places (Eze, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, etc), what do you recommend as "must sees"/highlights? If we can only pick 2 or 3 places, what do you suggest? (And the order we should do it to maximize on time)?

 

(We're into beautiful nature/sights, not so much museums).

 

Thanks for any help or input you can provide!

[BiggiB]

Here are some more suggestions.

I agree with SeaIngisBelieving - go to Nice first thing in the morning.

Pick up a map of Nice at the information counter in the arrival hall in Villefranche for easy reference.

Take local TAM bus #100 to Place Garibaldi in Nice and have a leisurely walk through the narrow streets of Vieux Nice (Old Town). There's plenty of local life to see and nice little shops to explore. Try "Socca" from one of the food stalls, it's a provencal chick-pea pancake, eaten with the fingers. And don't miss the flower market, which is located on Cours Saleya; on Mondays in a smaller versions since they use half of the space for the antiques/flea/old books market.

At the other end of Vieux Nice, take the elevator up Tour Bellanda (they charge a small fee) to the public park on top with a fabulous view over the whole Bay of Nice. It is only a short walk back to the Port of Nice, where the local bus line # 100 takes to you directly to Monaco for just € 1.

Or you take bus # 112 from the same stop at the Port to go up to Eze Village.

For nature lovers: The Exotic Garden of Eze is spectacular! The Office du Tourisme is situated just above the parking lot at the entrance to the village, for maps and information.

Continue later with the bus down to Monaco (leaves at the same bus stop).

Maps and information can be downloaded from http://www.visitmonaco.com.

 

Don't miss the gardens of Monaco either: The lovely Exotic Garden (Jardin Exotique - can be reached with Monaco bus # 2) on a steep cliff above the Principality, the tiny elegant Japanese Garden along the sea side promenade or the Jardin Afrique alongside the Casino Gardens with their beautiful fountains.

The Garden of St. Martin in Monaco Ville (old town) has some spectacular views as well.

All of those places can be easily reach with the local bus lines. Just purchase a ticket for multiple trips (4 or 10 trips).

 

TAM Bus #100 takes you back to Villefranche (or you choose to go back by train and walk along the seafront of Villefranche back to the tender pier).

There are ample opportunities for light luncheons on the way in each town.

 

Bus lines and schedules can be found online on : http://www.cg06.fr/fr/servir-les-habitants/deplacements/transport-collectifs/lignes-et-horaires/lignes-et-horaires/

 

Enjoy a relaxed day along the coast !

[Adsmama]

How easy is it to find the bus stops and trains in Villefrenche? How long does the bus take to get to monte carlo, nice, etc?

[Susan-M]

How easy is it to find the bus stops and trains in Villefrenche? How long does the bus take to get to monte carlo, nice, etc?

 

Here's a map of Villefranche. The port is Port de la Sante; the bus stops for Nice and Monte Carlo are the two stops where the "T" (tourist office) is in the bottom left corner of the map. The train station is SNCF - at the top of the map. (About a 10 minute walk to bus stops and train station from the port.)

 

The bus to Nice and Monaco is #100 - you can find the schedule here, and it will tell you the departure/arrival times. i.e. to get the timetable for #100, type 100 into the white box under "Timetables" at the right side of that page.

Once the schedule comes up, you have options for changing the times to earlier or later, and to reverse the direction.