Monte Carlo - Monaco

[iscotty1]

I've been searching the CC boards for Monte Carlo excursions ideas. I Hope I'm not violating any CC rules here, but I since I couldn't find anything, I thought I'd give it a shot here. Rita and I are mostly "do it ourselves" cruisers so the apparent lack of info on CC leaves me no alternative. Any suggestions, ideas or directions/links to other sources are greatly appreciated. :D

[GlendaleCruiser]

If you are staying around Monaco and Monte Carlo, a cab is sufficient. One to take you to the Hotel Paris/Casino area and another to take you to the Palace area where the church is located that houses the remains of the Prince and Princess and where they were married. Royal palace is there and the homes of Princesses Caroline and Stephanie. There are shops and restaurants there.

 

I've seen a lot of information on excursions to Nice, etc, but those may be on the France threads........

[polySeraph]

I've been searching the CC boards for Monte Carlo excursions ideas. I Hope I'm not violating any CC rules here, but I since I couldn't find anything, I thought I'd give it a shot here. Rita and I are mostly "do it ourselves" cruisers so the apparent lack of info on CC leaves me no alternative. Any suggestions, ideas or directions/links to other sources are greatly appreciated. :D

 

I was actually able to turn up quite a lot of info on Monte Carlo by searching over on the France forum. I personally prefer not to take ship's excursions, but I always take a look at what the cruise line offers as a starting point. Then I know what terms to plug into the search engines. Ultimately, we decided to go with one of the tour providers that was well-recommended over on the France forum, but there's also plenty of good DIY info on trains, buses, and walking tours.

[KirkNC]

We did Monte Carlo on our own, it is quite easy. We started by going to the Exotic Gardens which are very interesting. They are built into the side of the cliffs overlooking the city. Wh than went to the Rock and watched the changing of the guards, Napoleon Museum, Gardens Saint Martin, Chapel of Visitation, Fort Antoine. When than headed over to the casino and casino gardens. All of our transportation was via the super clean and efficient bus system.

 

Kirk

[marp109]

We had a long day in port so opted to take the bus to Eze. Spent the morning, had lunch, took bus back to Monte Carlo and still had time to walk around, visit the casino (at least the small part they let you into) and marvel at the cleanliness and beauty of the city. We were in port until 11PM but we were back well before that.

[Aussieflyer]

I second Marp109. We hopped on the local bus (1 euro when we were there in 2008) to Eze. I am sure I can find the timetable and where to catch it etc. We walked the town, had coffee then came back to Monte Carlo for a drink at the Cafe de Paris (opposite the casino). We then walked around and went to the aquarium (would not bother with that again) and had plenty of time. You do not say how many hours you have but we were not rushing. We caught a bus at about 10 or even later to Eze (as we walked through the town to the bus stop) and a 2.30 one back. Eze was a very special place and was well worth the short bus ride.

[jpver]

You have at the harbour the avenue along. But nice going upstairs the rock. ( Note from the terminal (berth) inside the rock there is a public elevator up.) You find the Prince Palace, Botanic garden, Cathedral and old city, but also the Musée Oceanographique with a splendid aquarium) Here I disagree with another comment on this subject. In 2009 the Nautica called there and as Belgians the French coast is more as known to us, but I took advantage to visit the Musée the first time.

 

Regarding Eze. Yes the old village is indeed worth the trip. Carefull not to go Eze Bord de mer (coast part) but the "Eze Village" upon the rock. Beautifull old village. Take enough bytes for your photos!

 

Of course you can also go to Nice but all depends the time yr cruise ship will stay. Nice is not far away in km or miles.. but the road alongside the coast are with heavy traffic.

[Hlitner]

There are actually lots of posts about Monte Carlo options if you look on the France board. Although MC is technically not part of France it is generally lumped-in with France on many tourist web sites.

 

Hank

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

I've been searching the CC boards for Monte Carlo excursions ideas. I Hope I'm not violating any CC rules here, but I since I couldn't find anything, I thought I'd give it a shot here. Rita and I are mostly "do it ourselves" cruisers so the apparent lack of info on CC leaves me no alternative. Any suggestions, ideas or directions/links to other sources are greatly appreciated. :D

 

http://www.visitmonaco.com/en try this site. i'm thinking to walk into town towards the palace, witness changing of the guards right before noon, then exotic gardens, and walk down towards the beach.. i'm trying to find out if the beaches are for the public.. if you find out please let me know!!:)

I just realized you will be boarding the day i disembark.. i'll warm her up for you guys!! and don't forget to read the reviews in May after her maiden voyage,, there are diehards on this site that will enlighten us on all the beauty of their voyage, including the ports!! i can't wait to hear all the amazing stories,, { HANK!!!:) }

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

found this thread about the beaches:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1264814

 

i guess it's like some black sand beaches on the big island of Hawaii, little sand, lots of rocks!

[kazu]

You can do Monaco on your own if you want - but there is so much else to see. We did it private last year and felt it was worth every penny.

 

We used Sylvie and were very pleased.

 

in case you want more info here are the links to her email and web page:

 

NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS: DiCristoSylvie@Gmail.com

NEW WEBSITE: www.FrenchRivieraGuides.net

We're using her again this year for another port. One of the best we have ever had. highly recommend her. :)

[Hlitner]

found this thread about the beaches:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1264814

 

i guess it's like some black sand beaches on the big island of Hawaii, little sand, lots of rocks!

 

With very few exceptions the beaches to the west of Cannes are not very nice by US standards. In fact, most of the so-called Riviera beaches (west of Cannes) would not even be called a beach in the US. We always smile when we see folks laying on the rocks at Nice. As to tours of Monte Carlo (this is a city we cannot leave fast enough) sure, you can hire a car/driver. Or you can also use your feet, local buses (or a taxi) and a decent guide book and easily explore on your own. The question you need to ask is how much are you willing to pay not to buy that book? Those that tout the benefits of private tours usually do not like to post the cost...and for good reason.

 

Hank

[kazu]

With very few exceptions the beaches to the west of Cannes are not very nice by US standards. In fact, most of the so-called Riviera beaches (west of Cannes) would not even be called a beach in the US. We always smile when we see folks laying on the rocks at Nice. As to tours of Monte Carlo (this is a city we cannot leave fast enough) sure, you can hire a car/driver. Or you can also use your feet, local buses (or a taxi) and a decent guide book and easily explore on your own. The question you need to ask is how much are you willing to pay not to buy that book? Those that tout the benefits of private tours usually do not like to post the cost...and for good reason.

 

Hank

 

Hank, I know you are a very experienced traveller. When we did our private tour we did not just see Monaco We went to other places - Eze, Nice, etc.with a very knowledgeable guide - I don't think I would have gotten the same thing out of a book. Or gotten there as quickly or easily. I have no problem stating the price I paid if people want to know.

 

We each paid 70 euros and thought it was money well spent. We hadn't been before and got there more efficiently with a guide. Plus, she added a lot to the experiences. JMO though.

 

There are lots of places I will do on my own, with a map and some studies, but I really thought it was worthwhile here where there was some distance to go.

 

JMO though. and that's why I made the suggestion. :)

[KirkNC]

I would not pay for a guide in Monte Carlo (I understand you went elsewhere Kazu ;)). The bus system there is excellant, clean and easy to use and takes you anywhere. We enjoyed our DIY there, now to Hank's point, having done it once, I would probably haed out to somewhere else if a future cruise stop there. As I said earlier, our favorite place there was the Exotic Garden.

 

Kirk

[Hlitner]

Hank, I know you are a very experienced traveller. When we did our private tour we did not just see Monaco We went to other places - Eze, Nice, etc.with a very knowledgeable guide - I don't think I would have gotten the same thing out of a book. Or gotten there as quickly or easily. I have no problem stating the price I paid if people want to know.

 

We each paid 70 euros and thought it was money well spent. We hadn't been before and got there more efficiently with a guide. Plus, she added a lot to the experiences. JMO though.

 

There are lots of places I will do on my own, with a map and some studies, but I really thought it was worthwhile here where there was some distance to go.

 

JMO though. and that's why I made the suggestion. :)

 

Please do not get me wrong, we have no problem with private tours (in fact we sometimes use them ourselves) but think that when folks are trying to make decisions on ship excursions vs private excursions vs on their own, they should generally have the monetary facts. We do think that in most cases a private excursion gives you a lot more for your money then most cruise line excursions. But, going on your own can save folks thousands of dollars on a Med cruise so this is an important consideration for those on a budget.

 

And yes, 70 Euros for your excursion sounds very reasonable. On the other hand its easy to go between Nice and Monte Carlo for 1 Euro (local buses) and its also possible to get to Eze on a bus for 1 Euro (the bus schedule makes going to Eze a bit tricky). And another option is to rent a car (which we often do in this region) which costs us about 80 Euros for the day (split 4 ways that is 20 Euros per person). Cars are not for everyone, but we do love the freedom and convenience of having our own vehicle. With a car we have actually gone to St Paul de Vence (our favorite place in this region), Anitbes, Nice and Eze in a normal port day...although most of the time we prefer to go to fewer places.

 

Hank

[ttkh]

We did Monte Carlo on our own, it is quite easy. We started by going to the Exotic Gardens which are very interesting. They are built into the side of the cliffs overlooking the city. Wh than went to the Rock and watched the changing of the guards, Napoleon Museum, Gardens Saint Martin, Chapel of Visitation, Fort Antoine. When than headed over to the casino and casino gardens. All of our transportation was via the super clean and efficient bus system.

 

Kirk

 

Can you please tell me in detail how did you do it starting from the port? what bus to take and where? We are going to be there in June. thanks

[ollienbertsmum]

Can you please tell me in detail how did you do it starting from the port? what bus to take and where? We are going to be there in June. thanks

 

I would also welcome a detailed itinerary with a suggested route that we can decide to deviate from, but is reassuring as a starting point:)

[kazu]

Please do not get me wrong, we have no problem with private tours (in fact we sometimes use them ourselves) but think that when folks are trying to make decisions on ship excursions vs private excursions vs on their own, they should generally have the monetary facts. We do think that in most cases a private excursion gives you a lot more for your money then most cruise line excursions. But, going on your own can save folks thousands of dollars on a Med cruise so this is an important consideration for those on a budget.

 

And yes, 70 Euros for your excursion sounds very reasonable. On the other hand its easy to go between Nice and Monte Carlo for 1 Euro (local buses) and its also possible to get to Eze on a bus for 1 Euro (the bus schedule makes going to Eze a bit tricky). And another option is to rent a car (which we often do in this region) which costs us about 80 Euros for the day (split 4 ways that is 20 Euros per person). Cars are not for everyone, but we do love the freedom and convenience of having our own vehicle. With a car we have actually gone to St Paul de Vence (our favorite place in this region), Anitbes, Nice and Eze in a normal port day...although most of the time we prefer to go to fewer places.

 

Hank

 

No worries Hank, both dh and I are reluctant to drive in foreign countries. While we are studying the maps, the roads and the traffic, we are missing the view. In that area, we are a bit 'chicken'. Buses and trains we will gladly do.:)

 

We worry too much about accidents, etc. I prefer to travel worry free :)

 

Cudos to you for doing it. :D

[ollienbertsmum]

No worries Hank, both dh and I are reluctant to drive in foreign countries. While we are studying the maps, the roads and the traffic, we are missing the view. In that area, we are a bit 'chicken'. Buses and trains we will gladly do.:)

 

We worry too much about accidents, etc. I prefer to travel worry free :)

 

Cudos to you for doing it. :D

 

 

I wish that I was brave enough to hire a car - it just seems to short a time. I probably just have to take the plunge once and that will be it. I know that our day in Toulon would work out much better if we had a car.

[KirkNC]

Can you please tell me in detail how did you do it starting from the port? what bus to take and where? We are going to be there in June. thanks

 

Sure, we tendered into port and from the drop off walked to the bus stop. Here is a map of the bus routes:

 

http://www.cam.mc/cam_fr.htm

 

We got on bus #2 at the Stephanie stop, I think it was 1 euro/pp or you can get a 10 ride ticket that you can share for something like 6 euros. Make sure you are getting on the right bus, it should say 2 on the display and be heading in the right direction. If in doubt, ask the driver, they are very friendly. The last stop on #2 is at the Gardens, they are really nicely done. I attached some pictures. After the Garden we caught bus #2 again and rode it all the way back to the Monaco-Ville stop, this is on the "Rock" or old Monte Carlo. It is a very short walk to the Palace, Napoleon Museum, Cathedral de Monaco, Chapel de la Visitation, the Gardens St Martin and the Aquarium.

 

Here is a link to a walk that takes a couple hours and visits all the sites I mentioned:

 

http://www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Walks

 

You have to go to "Read More" under the Rock.

 

We also ate lunch on the Rock at La Pinocchio, it was quite tasty ;), it is located at 30 Rue Comte Felix Gastaldi.

 

After that we got back on the bus, handy bus #2 again and got off at the Casino stop. We choose not to go in but did tour the grounds and checked out all the high dollar cars parked there. We than walk over to the Bateau Bus water taxi stop (see link of bus stops) and rode the taxi back to right next to where our tender pick spot was (if you get the book of ten tickets you can use them on the BB also). All in all a great day and the three of us spent something like 6 euros for transportation and another 60 for entrance fees to all the places I mention, grand total 70 euros for three (not counting lunch).

 

Kirk

[kazu]

Sure, we tendered into port and from the drop off walked to the bus stop. Here is a map of the bus routes:

 

http://www.cam.mc/cam_fr.htm

 

We got on bus #2 at the Stephanie stop, I think it was 1 euro/pp or you can get a 10 ride ticket that you can share for something like 6 euros. Make sure you are getting on the right bus, it should say 2 on the display and be heading in the right direction. If in doubt, ask the driver, they are very friendly. The last stop on #2 is at the Gardens, they are really nicely done. I attached some pictures. After the Garden we caught bus #2 again and rode it all the way back to the Monaco-Ville stop, this is on the "Rock" or old Monte Carlo. It is a very short walk to the Palace, Napoleon Museum, Cathedral de Monaco, Chapel de la Visitation, the Gardens St Martin and the Aquarium.

 

Here is a link to a walk that takes a couple hours and visits all the sites I mentioned:

 

http://www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Walks

 

You have to go to "Read More" under the Rock.

 

We also ate lunch on the Rock at La Pinocchio, it was quite tasty ;), it is located at 30 Rue Comte Felix Gastaldi.

 

After that we got back on the bus, handy bus #2 again and got off at the Casino stop. We choose not to go in but did tour the grounds and checked out all the high dollar cars parked there. We than walk over to the Bateau Bus water taxi stop (see link of bus stops) and rode the taxi back to right next to where our tender pick spot was (if you get the book of ten tickets you can use them on the BB also). All in all a great day and the three of us spent something like 6 euros for transportation and another 60 for entrance fees to all the places I mention, grand total 70 euros for three (not counting lunch).

 

Kirk

 

very kind of you to share with those that asked Kirk :)

you must have very good notes that you kept :D

[KirkNC]

Yea, I plan to the nth degree and save everything in case we go back.

 

Kirk

[flip]

How does one get from the cruise ship terminal to the Oceanographic Museum? Can you walk, is it an easy walk? Or do you have to catch a bus? Details if you can. Thanks

[ttkh]

Sure, we tendered into port and from the drop off walked to the bus stop. Here is a map of the bus routes:

 

http://www.cam.mc/cam_fr.htm

 

We got on bus #2 at the Stephanie stop, I think it was 1 euro/pp or you can get a 10 ride ticket that you can share for something like 6 euros. Make sure you are getting on the right bus, it should say 2 on the display and be heading in the right direction. If in doubt, ask the driver, they are very friendly. The last stop on #2 is at the Gardens, they are really nicely done. I attached some pictures. After the Garden we caught bus #2 again and rode it all the way back to the Monaco-Ville stop, this is on the "Rock" or old Monte Carlo. It is a very short walk to the Palace, Napoleon Museum, Cathedral de Monaco, Chapel de la Visitation, the Gardens St Martin and the Aquarium.

 

Here is a link to a walk that takes a couple hours and visits all the sites I mentioned:

 

http://www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Walks

 

You have to go to "Read More" under the Rock.

 

We also ate lunch on the Rock at La Pinocchio, it was quite tasty ;), it is located at 30 Rue Comte Felix Gastaldi.

 

After that we got back on the bus, handy bus #2 again and got off at the Casino stop. We choose not to go in but did tour the grounds and checked out all the high dollar cars parked there. We than walk over to the Bateau Bus water taxi stop (see link of bus stops) and rode the taxi back to right next to where our tender pick spot was (if you get the book of ten tickets you can use them on the BB also). All in all a great day and the three of us spent something like 6 euros for transportation and another 60 for entrance fees to all the places I mention, grand total 70 euros for three (not counting lunch).

 

Kirk

 

Thanks Kirk, for the detailed instructions. I will cut and paste this and bring it with me. Thanks again

[KirkNC]

How does one get from the cruise ship terminal to the Oceanographic Museum? Can you walk, is it an easy walk? Or do you have to catch a bus? Details if you can. Thanks

 

You can walk but it is very uphill. You can take bus #1, or 2 (see the link in my previous post). There is supposed to be an elevator that will carry you from near the tender drop off to up on the to but we never used it, maybe other can give some detail on that.

 

Kirk