toulon and villefranche with a teen boy

[latenthart]

Looking for ideas for Provence (Toulon) port and Villefranche (Nice) ports.

Assuming the other days will be hot and long, we are looking for someplace relaxed and perhaps near the water. We are all in good shape and do have a 17yr old boy traveling with us. We are all in our late 30s

 

Ideas:

Toulon

Cassis and boat tour of calanques

As you can see very few ideas here...help?

 

Villefranche ideas

Promenade des Anglais - ideas of exactly what we could do here?

boat tour found here: http://en.nicetourisme.com/things-to-do/1297

 

CONFISERIE FLORIAN http://www.confiserieflorian.co.uk/about-us

apparently they have tours? see tour here: http://www.confiserieflorian.co.uk/guided-tours

 

We thought about beach time but there are so many beach clubs, I cant tell which one would be the best. Here is a a list I found http://en.nicetourisme.com/beaches/pg/1

 

 

This is what we are booked for already.

We have booked 3 days back to back in the following ports

 

July3 la spezia (lucca and florence)

July 4 Civitavecchia (Rome highlights with St peters and crypts but no vatican museum)

 

July 5 Positano, winery, pompeii

[xxHadleyxx]

I have two teens who really just enjoy the public beach right in Villefranche (much more so than any in Nice). It is a 5 minute walk from the tender dock :)

 

Our son also enjoys taking the train into Monaco just to ogle the nice cars, etc for a couple of hours.

 

On a port intensive Med cruise--just one of the other or both of those might be all you want in Villefranche, for a chance to relax and still see something.

[cdnishk]

what are the beaches in Villefranche like? I was in Nice years ago and not impressed by the beach there at all. pls tell me more about the train ride to monaco. we have 3 young teens with us on a july liberty cruise. As i remember there wasn't really anything to see in nice.

[xxHadleyxx]

We are not fond of Nice (my teens HATE it). By contrast--both kids love Villefranche and begged to go back until we ended up staying there two weeks over Christmas (and they STILL want to go back more). It is a quaint little town with fun shops to browse in and a nice, yet small, beach.

 

Villefranche has one smallish beach. It is very close to the tender dock. It is not sand, but it is made of smallish pebbles that are not painful on your feet at all--not the bigger stones you see in most of Nice. It is clean and fairly gentle to go into.

It is a free, public beach.

 

There are free restrooms right across the street, and of course you can always walk back to those in the tender terminal as well--or go back to the ship for lunch, etc.

 

The train station is just above the beach--less than 10 minutes walk from the tender dock. Follow the water line to the start of the beach and then take the stairs up the hillside--they let out in the station.

 

In Monaco my two love the nice cars and shops and people watching around the casino area. We like to walk along the harbor and check out the REALLY nice yachts as well. They also have enjoyed the church Grace Kelly got married in and the palace over on the other side as well.

 

I don't recall what the train cost, but it was not much and it is a pretty ride. Most of the trains are double decker--sit up top and enjoy the view. The ride is only 15 minutes or so (maybe less--things are running together in my mind) and you can easily walk anywhere you want to go in Monaco or take inexpensive and frequent public buses.

 

We find the best way FOR US to do this port is to head to Monaco after breakfast on the ship, spend about 2 hours there, then head back to the ship for lunch and to change into beachwear, then go back off again to spend a couple of hours on the beach afterwards.

 

It is a very relaxing day :)

[Can'tstopcruising]

Cassis and a boat ride through the Calanques would be amazing.

 

Monte Carlo has the Oceanographic Museum that may interest them. Also a visit to the Palace and the changing of the Guards. There may be something relating to the Grand Prix races.

 

Enjoy!

[pobulus]

:) hello

 

wich day are you in villefranche exactly???

[marazul]

Cassis - definitely take the boat tour of the Calanques.

 

Nice - if you decide to go to the beach there instead of Villefranche, any of the beach clubs will do. They all have similar facilities and menus. I would go to one across the hotel Meridien or the Beau Rivage. That would be the most centrally located and with an easy walk of the flower market. And of course, have the salade niçoise or a pan bagnat (niçoise on a round roll) for lunch.

 

Most of the beaches on the Riviera are pebbles - but think of no sand in the bathing suit. The main sandy beaches would be in Juan-les-Pins, Cannes or St Tropez.

 

And there is a lot to see in Nice. The area of the flower market and old Nice behind it are well worth seeing and very accessible on foot. The Nice Cathedral and the Lascaris palace are well worth visiting. For other sites such as the Chagall museum you would need a car. If it is not too hot, the hill above the hotel La Perouse has nice gardens, nice views and the ruins of an old castle.

[Deebs2]

We are on the liberty 7/14 sailing. We were planning Cassis w/ride through Calanques (ship tour is cheap !)

And do it ourselves Nice in Villefranche. I have a 10 and 12 year old

[Hstergo]

If he doesn't want to go I am willing to take his place :D

[pobulus]

:) 14 JULY ... it"s sunday and our National day !

 

it s going to be very busy that day specialy at the end of the afternoon We have fireworks in all town from Menton to Cannes and a lot of people are out that day Also as a sunday generaly you have less buses and train but like it's the 14......

Aniway you can stay in Villefranche you have nice beaches around the most popular is: plage de Passable i think you can even see it from your boat but you need a car to get there it's not far away it on the other side of the bay but i don't think a bus get there

you have to take the 100 to get to NICE ( about 20mn ride) if you want to go to a nice beach you have the one under the castle it's not far away from the Saleya market ( flower market, the tourist call it like that it 's true you have flowers but it's really known for the fruit and vegetables) from there you can walk into the "old town" very specific narrow streets ,stop at the " palais Lascaris" and you have several place to eat speciality from sout of France ( socca , pissaladiere , pan bagnat etc...)

hope that help !:)

[BlackhawksCup2013]

Toulon -- Mount Faron Cable Car?????

 

Villefranche -- Trip to Eze?????

 

We are making these port stops in about three weeks with two teenagers...

 

Toulon is our first port after departing Barcelona; we are thinking it best to forgo excursions and mainly check out the ship / deal with jet-lag. We may venture into Toulon - any good beach nearby? - and plan on taking the Cable Car to top of Mount Faron.

 

Villefranche is the day after; planning a short trip to Eze. Heard it was a little different than ostentatious parts of the surrounding area (i.e. Nice, Cannes, Monaco) and heard the views were amazing. Based on this thread, it sounds like we should spend the remaining time at the Villefranche beach!

[silton1]

walk across the road to the tourist office, they will dirct you to the bus stop and which bus for the cable car. ride the car and take a walk around. beuatiful country side, trails views every direction. few cafes for hot cold drink. this was our favourite last year and we will do again this year. not to be missed