If we have to pick between Menton, Eze, St Paul de Vence or Nice?

[gam888]

Carnival stops at Monaco from 6 am to 2 pm. So if we get off the ship by 9am, will have 4 1/2 hour to sightsee. We have been to Monaco before, So this time if we want to take a bus or train from Monaco to either Menton, Eze, St Paul de Vence or Nice, or a combination of two of them, what would be the most cost effective and time saving way of seeing these towns? Is Eze a bit too small to warrant the trip just for one stop? Have to take in consideration how often these bus/trains run. Or if anyone has hired a private tour company to tour the Riviera? Since there are five of us. But I heard the bus or train tickets are really reasonable? Thanks in advance.

[pj-atsea]

Carnival stops at Monaco from 6 am to 2 pm. So if we get off the ship by 9am, will have 4 1/2 hour to sightsee. We have been to Monaco before, So this time if we want to take a bus or train from Monaco to either Menton, Eze, St Paul de Vence or Nice, or a combination of two of them, what would be the most cost effective and time saving way of seeing these towns? Is Eze a bit too small to warrant the trip just for one stop? Have to take in consideration how often these bus/trains run. Or if anyone has hired a private tour company to tour the Riviera? Since there are five of us. But I heard the bus or train tickets are really reasonable? Thanks in advance.

Okay. I think your best bet is Nice, I say this because it is a straight run on the train from Monaco to Nice, maybe about 1/2 hr. You will have to get up to the train station in Monaco either by bus or walking ( or taxi) and then get off at the stop called Nice Ville. You will then walk down towards the old town- maybe a 15 min walk. 4 1/2 hrs is not very long considering the walking and the train schedules. You can look the train schedules up on line before you go. Eze is small but nice and if you had more time you could take a bus from Eze to Nice. However you have to take a train first to Eze ( Eze sur mer, I think ) and then a bus up to Eze or get a taxi . You may have to get the people in the tourist office near the bus stop to call a taxi for you as they don't seem to be any nearby. St Paul de Vence is a wonderful picturesque village that is harder to get to in the time given, unless you get private transport. Maybe you can hire a taxi in Monaco for a flat fee to take you there. Hope this is of some help to you.pj

[gam888]

Thank you PJ-At Sea for your reply.

 

I watched some footage on You Tube on St Paul de Vence and it looks really charming. But it's a longer distance away from Monaco. It seems like Eze is not really straightforward to get to and it's a small place. Wonder if it's worth it going through different connection to get there and only spending a couple of hours there, or just take a longer journey to Nice or St Paul and spend a bit longer there. Last time we took a train from Villefrance to Nice after having visited Monaco first, so we had very little time in Nice. Once we got out of the train station, we walked down the main shopping blvd to the waterfront, and really didn't have time to look for the old town. Is it nice? I would want to see a town we haven't been to before we do a repeat. But in all fairness, we really didn't see much of Nice last time so I am sure there are more to see then the little bit we saw. Is the town a walking town or you have to take a bus to get to the old town from the train station?

[pj-atsea]

When you come oput of the train station- Nice Ville- you go to the left and go over quite a few streets. When you come to the top of the old town ( maybe you can ask someone for the Vieux Carre)then you head down towards the water. All of the old town is pedestrian with all small alleyways and little stores and restaurants. I am sure you could pick up a map at the train station in Nice . I know it is a lot further but if there is any way to do St Paul de Vence you should do it. It is larger than Eze and has a lot more boutiques and art stores. You could maybe google taxi's in Monaco and see if any of them do local tours. We once went to Monaco on the train from Villefranche and then got back on the train to go to Nice but we were in port until late at night.

[tiptwo2]

All sound wonderful!

[TLCOhio]

Carnival stops at Monaco from 6 am to 2 pm. So if we get off the ship by 9am, will have 4 1/2 hour to sightsee. We have been to Monaco before, So this time if we want to take a bus or train from Monaco to either Menton, Eze, St Paul de Vence or Nice, or a combination of two of them, what would be the most cost effective and time saving way of seeing these towns? Is Eze a bit too small to warrant the trip just for one stop? Have to take in consideration how often these bus/trains run. Or if anyone has hired a private tour company to tour the Riviera? Since there are five of us. But I heard the bus or train tickets are really reasonable? Thanks in advance.

 

You have received some good suggestions. Much depends on what you personally seek and need. Tell us more on your loves, desires, interests, etc. Museums, history, shopping, etc.??? Clearly, Nice has more of the larger-city options but does take some time geting around there and from your ship's docking point. Being in port until only 2 pm is kind of cheating you. Getting there at 6 am doesn't help much. Sorry for my bluntness.

 

We've been in three of these four, including Menton in June. Below are some of my pictures. I would seriously consider Eze. Super great views from up there. Villefranche also has some interesting options. Menton doesn't get as crowded and has a relaxed charm and character.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 50,158 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

The charm, style and beauty of Villefranche are clear in this picture of its harbor area greeting visitors as we arrived via tender from the ship.:

 

 

 

Villefranche’s walled fortress or Saint Elme citadel is the “real thing”. It makes the point of how this town’s history was based on its 1500’s coastal/security setting, etc.:

 

 

 

The charming mountain top village of Eze is nearby and offers great view along the southern French coast to the west.:

 

 

 

This picture shows more of the gardens at the top of Eze that offers great views along the coast:

 

 

 

Menton is to the east of Monaco and right next to the Italy border. It is a charming seaside town without the crowds and congestion seen in some of the larger coastal towns.:

 

 

 

To the west of Menton’s central town, here is the view of the beach and newer, nearby residential structures.:

 

[gam888]

Thanks for the great pictures TLCOhio! It is indeed a bad port schedule from 6-2 in Monaco. As if we are going to jump out of bed at 6am while we are on vacation. At best, I think if we get up at 7, have a quick breakfast, and aim to be off the ship by 8:30, we will have 5 hours on shore. The ship offers a 4 hour tour to Eze and Menton for $50. It doesn't sound totally unreasonable. Although we usually do shore excursions booked with private vendors or on our own while in the Caribbean. I would like to see Eze but haven't heard much about Mention. Last time we sailed with Disney we docked in Villefranche. We took a train to Monte Carlo, then took another train to Nice. We only saw Nice briefly and run out of time before finding the old town. But I am avoiding Nice for now knowing it is very easy to get to by train. If we cruise again in the Med, chances are we might dock somewhere near it again. Then we will visit it again and can get there on our own. This time, we would rather see something we haven't seen yet and places that are hard to get to by public transit. So I figure might as well visit Eze and Mention. Perhaps another time we will go west and visit Nice and St Paul. Except I was really captivated by the charms of St Paul from what I have seen on You Tube. We like the charming medieval towns, winding cobble stones road, some cafe and quaint shops, (not big shoppers on junk souvenirs though). Breath taking scenery...etc. We were really impressed with Positano and Amalfi on the Amalfi coast. Not a big fan on big cities. The ship charges $65 to go to St Paul, it says it's a 4 1/2 hour excursion. So just wonder if it's worth sitting in transit for 1 1/2 hour to get there by coastal road and just spend a couple of hours there. Wonder if I should wait till next time we dock closer to Nice and then we will be closer to St Paul. But then again it could be a long time before we save up enough money to go on another Med cruise again. So who knows. The private tour companies I have contacted don't seem to do better then the ship. So maybe we should just spend the $50 and go with the ship to Eze and Mention. What is there to see in Menton, is there an old town?There are five of us, but the private tour companies still charge more then the ship unless we have 8 people!!!!

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for the great pictures TLCOhio! At best, I think if we get up at 7, have a quick breakfast, and aim to be off the ship by 8:30, we will have 5 hours on shore. The ship offers a 4 hour tour to Eze and Menton for $50. It doesn't sound totally unreasonable. Although we usually do shore excursions booked with private vendors or on our own while in the Caribbean. I would like to see Eze but haven't heard much about Mention. So I figure might as well visit Eze and Mention. Perhaps another time we will go west and visit Nice and St Paul. Except I was really captivated by the charms of St Paul from what I have seen on You Tube. So maybe we should just spend the $50 and go with the ship to Eze and Mention. What is there to see in Menton, is there an old town?There are five of us, but the private tour companies still charge more then the ship unless we have 8 people!!!!

 

THANKS for the added info! The price on the Eze-Menton option is good. We would have liked to have seen St. Paul, but some warned it can get over-run with shoppers and tourists. It does take time getting there, and back, from Monaco. Here are some of my notes on Menton:

 

Fodors: Menton is “the most Mediterranean of the French resort towns . . . picturesque harbor skyline seems to beg artists to immortalize it . . . ceramic tiles glistening on their steeples all evoke the villages of the Italian coast. Menton is the least pretentious of the French Riviera resorts and all the more alluring for its modesty . . . the marvelous Marche Couvert (Covered Market) sums up Menton style with its Belle Epoque facade decorated in jewel-tone ceramics.” Gives high marks to “Paradise Found: The Magnificent Gardens of Menton”.

 

Rick Steves: “unrefined and unpretentious with lower prices . . . the old town blankets a hill immersed in a pastel-painted Old World scene with almost no commerce . . . small squares are alive with jazz bands playing under palm trees . . . breathtaking Mediterranean views.”

 

Michelin: “on the lower slopes of a picturesque natural amphitheatre of mountains . . . on the cliffs around are the remains of fortifications and human settlements going back to the Neolithic times.” Don’t miss the Tropical Gardens.

 

Plus some more pictures below. We had a nice lunch in Menton at a charming outdoor place with a friend who lives in Monaco and was our guide for the day.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 50,158 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

This is Menton’s historic fortress structure that sits along its coast.:

 

 

 

From the beach area of Menton, here is the view for the various church towers, buildings and palms in this coastal town.:

 

 

 

In central Menton there are a variety of architecture styles, including this hotel building named and design with an “oriental” look.:

 

 

 

Menton is known for its citrus products and here’s a example of those wonderful products.:

 

 

 

Here is another sampling of central Menton art, gardens, design, ceramic wall designs.:

 

 

 

[gam888]

Thanks TLCOhio!

 

I think we will consider the $50 ship excursion to Eze and Mention unless we come across something else more interesting and reasonable. Lemon for 1 Euro each, that is $1.35 Canadian a piece, wow! But then again you are in French Riviera! I read from CC someone said they have great lemon drop candies. Thanks again TLCOhio!

[TLCOhio]

Thanks TLCOhio! I think we will consider the $50 ship excursion to Eze and Mention unless we come across something else more interesting and reasonable. Lemon for 1 Euro each, that is $1.35 Canadian a piece, wow! But then again you are in French Riviera! I read from CC someone said they have great lemon drop candies. Thanks again TLCOhio!

 

Glad to help your planning and research. Those lemons were large, large! Not your regular, small ones. Let me know any other questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 50,158 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[gam888]

Glad to help your planning and research. Those lemons were large, large! Not your regular, small ones. Let me know any other questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 50,158 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

I just read your other posts from your last cruise with all the fantastic pictures. Oh my god I want to go on a Med cruise right now. Cannot wait! Just put me on the ship! Some other ports that the Carnival Breeze will be visiting are: Barcelona, Rome, Naples which we have visited during the Disney cruise. The other ones are: Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Olbia (Sardinia) and Livorno and Monaco. In fact, the cruise starts from Venice and ends in Barcelona. We have been in Venice over 25 years ago, so for that port, since we have 1 1/2 day there, we will just walk around. Dubrovnik, walk around in the old town. Livorno, take the train to Florence, we have visited Pisa last time. We were in Florence over 25 years ago as well, so once in town, we will just walk around. For Messina, I contacted Mario Astone Tours which I have heard about from CC, but his prices don't seem that competitive. I think the ship has an excursion to Taromina, and there is another one called the Footsteps of Godfather that takes you to some small towns which sounds interesting. I am still investigating to see if there are other local tours that will do a half day tour. We are in Messina from 7 - 4pm. For Olbia Sardinia we have no idea what to do, it seems to be a beach resort town? So maybe a beach day? Naples we went on the Almafi coast tour with a private company and absolutely loved the scenery and the small towns we visited. This trip think we will take the hydrofoil to Capri and maybe Sorrento. Can you do both in one day? We are in Naples from 7 - 7. The trick is to catch the connection for the hydrofoils to Capri and to Sorrento and to Naples. So if you have any DIY information or regarding private tour companies that you have regarding any of these places, please share it with us. Thanks so much.

[TLCOhio]

I just read your other posts from your last cruise with all the fantastic pictures. Oh my god I want to go on a Med cruise right now. Cannot wait! Just put me on the ship! Some other ports that the Carnival Breeze will be visiting are: Barcelona, Rome, Naples which we have visited during the Disney cruise. The other ones are: Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Olbia (Sardinia) and Livorno and Monaco. In fact, the cruise starts from Venice and ends in Barcelona. We have been in Venice over 25 years ago, so for that port, since we have 1 1/2 day there, we will just walk around. Dubrovnik, walk around in the old town. Livorno, take the train to Florence, we have visited Pisa last time. We were in Florence over 25 years ago as well, so once in town, we will just walk around. For Messina, I contacted Mario Astone Tours which I have heard about from CC, but his prices don't seem that competitive. I think the ship has an excursion to Taromina, and there is another one called the Footsteps of Godfather that takes you to some small towns which sounds interesting. I am still investigating to see if there are other local tours that will do a half day tour. We are in Messina from 7 - 4pm. For Olbia Sardinia we have no idea what to do, it seems to be a beach resort town? So maybe a beach day? Naples we went on the Almafi coast tour with a private company and absolutely loved the scenery and the small towns we visited. This trip think we will take the hydrofoil to Capri and maybe Sorrento. Can you do both in one day? We are in Naples from 7 - 7. The trick is to catch the connection for the hydrofoils to Capri and to Sorrento and to Naples. So if you have any DIY information or regarding private tour companies that you have regarding any of these places, please share it with us. Thanks so much.

 

Appreciate the follow-up and added details. Your upcoming cruise will have lots of great stops. Feel free to post any added questions from what we did on my live/blog on the Celebrity board. I check that fairly regular. Happy to follow-up and provide any added info needed.

 

Barcelona is totally great. Nice to start in Venice and end in Barcelona. Will you have added time at the start and end for each of these wonderful cities? In the Naples and Tuscany areas we used RomeInLimo for our private tours. Things worked very well.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 50,241 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[pj-atsea]

I just read your other posts from your last cruise with all the fantastic pictures. Oh my god I want to go on a Med cruise right now. Cannot wait! Just put me on the ship! Some other ports that the Carnival Breeze will be visiting are: Barcelona, Rome, Naples which we have visited during the Disney cruise. The other ones are: Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Olbia (Sardinia) and Livorno and Monaco. In fact, the cruise starts from Venice and ends in Barcelona. We have been in Venice over 25 years ago, so for that port, since we have 1 1/2 day there, we will just walk around. Dubrovnik, walk around in the old town. Livorno, take the train to Florence, we have visited Pisa last time. We were in Florence over 25 years ago as well, so once in town, we will just walk around. For Messina, I contacted Mario Astone Tours which I have heard about from CC, but his prices don't seem that competitive. I think the ship has an excursion to Taromina, and there is another one called the Footsteps of Godfather that takes you to some small towns which sounds interesting. I am still investigating to see if there are other local tours that will do a half day tour. We are in Messina from 7 - 4pm. For Olbia Sardinia we have no idea what to do, it seems to be a beach resort town? So maybe a beach day? Naples we went on the Almafi coast tour with a private company and absolutely loved the scenery and the small towns we visited. This trip think we will take the hydrofoil to Capri and maybe Sorrento. Can you do both in one day? We are in Naples from 7 - 7. The trick is to catch the connection for the hydrofoils to Capri and to Sorrento and to Naples. So if you have any DIY information or regarding private tour companies that you have regarding any of these places, please share it with us. Thanks so much.

HI, regarding Naples,,,You can definitely get the hydrofoil to Sorrento and back and the same with Capris but I think you might be ppushed for time to do both. The timing of the Hydrofoils might not be good for both places. It takes about 1/2 to get to Sorrento on the Hydrofoil and then you can walk up to the town ( big hill) or take the local bus up to the town. In Capri you will have to take the funicular up to the top, Anacapri, or a shuttle.. All this takes time and will have to be factored into your schedule.Another thing you may have to consider is weather. Sometimes if the water is really rough, they cancel the hydrofoils or reschedule them. It is a lot longer to get from Sorrento back to Naples by bus,Train or Taxi. I have been there several times, though, and never seen the water that rough. You can access the hydrofoil schedules on line to get an idea of the timing, that may help you decide. Hope this helps somewhat.pj

BTW I love all the photos that have been posted..

[gam888]

Thanks pj-atsea for your reply.

 

I heard about cancellation of hydrofoil before and am worried about that as well. Say you make it to Capri, and the sea got rough, and they cancel the hydrofoil, would the ferry still run? You are on an island and obviously need to get back to Naples via water transportation. So is it possible to be stuck on the island for an unknown duration of time? That would not be a good thing. If we go to Sorrento, worst come to worst if the hydrofoils are cancelled, we can still take the train back although it would depend on schedule etc. If you could only pick one stop, which one is more scenic? We visited the Almalfi coast with a private company last time and visited Positano, which I thought it was really pretty, and Almafi, and Revello, the whole coast is beautiful. We run out of time and didn't stop in Sorrento. Compared Sorrento to Capri, which one is more charming with little streets and cafes and quaint shops to explore? Perhaps a little town square where you can sit down and people watch? Sorrento has some kind of beach club you can sun bath, but I would imagine they charge a lot to get in? I don't presume Capri or Sorrento has a beach front? Let's say we don't go all the way to Europe to swim, but it's an option to break up the journey if the facilities is available! But it is pretty low priority.

[pj-atsea]

That is a hard question, which to pick...Well when we went to Capri we went on the ferry and I do not know if they ever cancel that due to weather but I am guessing they might. Once in Capri, we went up to Anacapri which has lots of little stores and is quaint, Great views from up there too. However most times we have picked Sorrento to visit, because it doesn't take as long to get there, and has a main street as well as many pedestrian streets and alleyways. They also have many cafes and restaurants and it it larger than Amalfi and Positano with much the same atmosphere. I don't remember seeing anywhere with beaches but there may well be some there. Plus there is the fact that you can get back to Naples another way if the hydrofoil is cancelled. When you try to do something independent of a ship's tour you do have to think of how to get back to the ship on time. We had a nice leisurely day in Sorrento. There are lots of stores that sell wood products and marquetry wooden music boxes . But as I said it is hard to choose between Capri and Sorrento..pj

[gam888]

Thanks again pj-atsea

 

We have lots of time to investigate between now and next August, no need to make a decision today, but it doesn't hurt to compile information now! Thanks again!

[lalique]

Thanks again pj-atsea

 

We have lots of time to investigate between now and next August, no need to make a decision today, but it doesn't hurt to compile information now! Thanks again!

We just used Mario Astone for Taormina in early Nov. for our group of 6 and he gave us a wonderful tour. He first took us up to Castemola which is only a short distance from Taormina and I would definitely go there too. It is higher up than Taormina and you can look down at the coastline - magnificent views and also great views of Mt. Etna from there. We then drove down to Taormina and spent the rest of the day there . Would highly recommend him.

[gam888]

Thanks lalique for your reply!

[wantocruisemore]

We just used Mario Astone for Taormina in early Nov. for our group of 6 and he gave us a wonderful tour. He first took us up to Castemola which is only a short distance from Taormina and I would definitely go there too. It is higher up than Taormina and you can look down at the coastline - magnificent views and also great views of Mt. Etna from there. We then drove down to Taormina and spent the rest of the day there . Would highly recommend him.

 

I'm a little curious as to how a question about French Riviera's stops on the France forum got into an answer about Sicily.

But anyway, you can find more info about Mario on the Italy forum section. And our family used him this past summer and we were very pleased. So if your cruise does stop in Messina, Sicily, I can recommend him.

[gam888]

Hi wantocruisemore:

 

The ship we are considering stops in Monaco, Messina, Olbia in Sardinia, Barcelona, Rome, Livorno, Naples, Dubrovnik and Venice. Any information on the above ports are welcome!

[wantocruisemore]

Hi wantocruisemore:

 

The ship we are considering stops in Monaco, Messina, Olbia in Sardinia, Barcelona, Rome, Livorno, Naples, Dubrovnik and Venice. Any information on the above ports are welcome!

 

 

Definitely check out the Italy forum. There is sooo much info on Rome. If it is your first visit and you are not comfortable about DIY, then I can recommend Rome in Limo. Check out there thread with all those satisfied past customers. We used them last summer for our pre-cruise/post-cruise Rome transfers, as well as a Vatican tour and a seperate all day tour to Pompeii/Herculaneum & Sorrento. We have already reserved them for our cruise next June again.

 

For Naples, if you are interested in Pompeii that is a must see. Rome in Limo is great. Also highly recommend you get guides at the sites.

 

I have never been to the other places but the other boards are unbeatable for info.

 

Good luck planning.

[BiggiB]

To add to the various points by TLCOhio in regard to Menton:

 

There is a BRANDNEW museum in Menton, featuring the works of art by JEAN COCTEAU. To be able to receive the art donations from the private collection of Severin Wunderman, Menton has built an incredible museum from the point of modern architecture, at one of the nicest spots in town right at the beach. Worthwhile a visit by itself!

Find more information, see http://www.tourisme-menton.fr (also in English).

 

Menton has a VERY pitoresque old city, which is situated high above the pedestrian area. Two baroque churches, an impressive staircase from the church square to the beach, steep, winding, cobblestoned streets, a multitude of scenes for photo ops, a 360°C view of the city and the Med from the top, which is an old cemetery, used by the foreign community of Menton, dating from the 19th century. Interesting spot: the burial place of the inventor of the Rugby game... and you find Harry Potter there as well :-).

 

Nice shopping with a lot of craft stores and boutiques, and lined with small bars, restaurants, the pedestrian area is a perfect place for a quiet morning stroll.

 

PLUS: The local bus lines are never really overloaded going from Monaco to Menton in the morning and back at noon, as they are between Nice and Villefranche or Monaco.

[gam888]

To add to the various points by TLCOhio in regard to Menton:

 

There is a BRANDNEW museum in Menton, featuring the works of art by JEAN COCTEAU. To be able to receive the art donations from the private collection of Severin Wunderman, Menton has built an incredible museum from the point of modern architecture, at one of the nicest spots in town right at the beach. Worthwhile a visit by itself!

Find more information, see www.tourisme-menton.fr (also in English).

 

Menton has a VERY pitoresque old city, which is situated high above the pedestrian area. Two baroque churches, an impressive staircase from the church square to the beach, steep, winding, cobblestoned streets, a multitude of scenes for photo ops, a 360°C view of the city and the Med from the top, which is an old cemetery, used by the foreign community of

 

Menton, dating from the 19th century. Interesting spot: the burial place of the inventor of the Rugby game... and you find Harry Potter there as well :-).

 

Nice shopping with a lot of craft stores and boutiques, and lined with small bars, restaurants, the pedestrian area is a perfect place for a quiet morning stroll.

 

PLUS: The local bus lines are never really overloaded going from Monaco to Menton in the morning and back at noon, as they are between Nice and Villefranche or Monaco.

 

Do you recall how much is the bus for a return trip from Monaco to Menton per person? The ship offers an excursion from Monaco to Menton and Eze, total of 4 hours for $50. Based on what I have read so far, it seems Eze is harder to DIY because you need to take taxi + bus and having to work out the connection etc. So we might consider the ship excursion but I have an open mind. We don't sail till next summer so lots of time to investigate. Although we would really like to see St Paul de Provence, but it seems the distance is kind of far and we would have to rush around to see one place. Maybe save it for another time when we go back to the Med and perhaps dock in Nice so it's closer.