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Monaco ??

marygal

By marygal,
in France Ports

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cberge

cberge

Posted
Posted
Does anyone know where the ship docks in Monaco and can you just walk from the ship to the casino and churches from there without taking a tour?

You might get a reply if you say which ship you are on,and you might want to post this on your cruisline board as well since you may get a quicker reply there.I am going out on a limb here and say you may dock on the Monte Carlo side,but again not knowing what ship I can't say where.I am generally on a small ship and we dock just below the Casino or at least in the past we have.There is indo on this board as well as to how to get around Monaco/MC for DIY..just read through some pages.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
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If I were to tell you that your ship will most likely dock at the Quai Rainier III which is the normal cruise ship dock. If there were too many ships in the port that same day then all bets would be off an you might even tender. As to walking, it all depends how much you like to walk. DW and I walk just about everywhere within MC from that pier....although these days we run away from MC as fast as possible since its our least favorite place in the region.

 

Hank

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  • 8 months later...
OldBoot

OldBoot

Posted
Posted
If I were to tell you that your ship will most likely dock at the Quai Rainier III which is the normal cruise ship dock. If there were too many ships in the port that same day then all bets would be off an you might even tender. As to walking, it all depends how much you like to walk. DW and I walk just about everywhere within MC from that pier....although these days we run away from MC as fast as possible since its our least favorite place in the region.

 

Hank

 

Your comment interests me. Monte Carlo does look like a convoluted pedestrian mess from the port guide I've seen. Could you recommend a private tour operator to whisk us away for a shore excursion elsewhere in the region? (In port April 29, 8am to 6pm)

 

Lila

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buggins0402

buggins0402

Posted
Posted
Your comment interests me. Monte Carlo does look like a convoluted pedestrian mess from the port guide I've seen. Could you recommend a private tour operator to whisk us away for a shore excursion elsewhere in the region? (In port April 29, 8am to 6pm)

 

Lila

 

A train or bus can whisk you to Nice - very easily.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted (edited)
Your comment interests me. Monte Carlo does look like a convoluted pedestrian mess from the port guide I've seen. Could you recommend a private tour operator to whisk us away for a shore excursion elsewhere in the region? (In port April 29, 8am to 6pm)

 

Lila

 

Sorry, but DW and I never use tours in France or Italy. I can help you figure out how to do things on your own, but if you want a private tour you have to look to some other fine CC sources :).

 

But I can put some cost issues in perspective. About 3 or 4 years ago DW and I were in Monte Carlo on a very long port day. We decided to rent a car and go to some favorite places including a few hours in St Paul de Vence where we also enjoyed lunch in a café. During our lunch we chatted with another couple, from our ship, who were eating at the next table with their female driver/guide. When we later met that couple on the ship for drinks we asked about their guide (we do not remember her name) who they praised. They told us that had paid 600 Euros to have that guide for the entire day along with her Mercedes car. When they took her to lunch they also picked up the tab for the guide plus they gave her a nice tip at the end of their day. By comparison, our rental car cost us less then 80 Euros (with gas).

 

Another thing to consider is that using the public bus (they are comfortable and clean) to get from Monte Carlo to Nice would cost you about $2 per person.

Hank

Edited by Hlitner
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OldBoot

OldBoot

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My better half is notoriously averse to navigational adventures....so much so that I always insist on driving even in our nearby local capital city. And when I do I have an irritable passenger. Lol. The cost savings are incredibly attractive though! I don't know if I could enjoy myself with a travel companion who is paranoid about getting lost. :eek:

 

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Forums mobile app

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CM2J2R2S

CM2J2R2S

Posted
Posted (edited)

We didn't love Monaco. Expensive and a bit dull. Not a lot to offer on comparison to other places. We took the bus from Ville Franche to Monaco. Very simple but next time would go to Nice instead.

 

 

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Edited by CM2J2R2S
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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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Posted
We didn't love Monaco. Expensive and a bit dull. Not a lot to offer on comparison to other places. We took the bus from Ville Franche to Monaco. Very simple but next time would go to Nice instead.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Agree! DW and I consider Monte Carlo our least favorite place in this region of Southern France/Monaco. But we do try to help others that want to discover this for themselves...and some folks do seem to like the place. For me, places like Eze, Nice, Antibes, St Paul de Vence...etc etc. are all ahead of Monte Carlo on my personal sweepstakes :)

 

Hank

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Alex71

Alex71

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Agree! DW and I consider Monte Carlo our least favorite place in this region of Southern France/Monaco. But we do try to help others that want to discover this for themselves...and some folks do seem to like the place. For me, places like Eze, Nice, Antibes, St Paul de Vence...etc etc. are all ahead of Monte Carlo on my personal sweepstakes :)

 

Hank

 

Agreed. I think one can cover MC in one or two hours, so maybe a good idea to leave that time as buffer before getting back on the ship and to take a quick look at the casino and at some of the yachts in port then.

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mexico8

mexico8

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Posted
My better half is notoriously averse to navigational adventures....so much so that I always insist on driving even in our nearby local capital city. And when I do I have an irritable passenger. Lol. The cost savings are incredibly attractive though! I don't know if I could enjoy myself with a travel companion who is paranoid about getting lost. :eek:

 

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Forums mobile app

 

My dh and I have spent a lot of time in the Monaco area and find it tricky to follow the signs. There seem to be 10 signs on every corner or bend and time after time we found ourselves in the wrong area. I think you would be better off with the bus or the train. I highly recommend going to Menton (which is right on the border with Italy) and not too far from Monaco. Check out the train schedule. There is a nice pedestrian street to stroll with nice stores and food shops etc.

 

Wendy

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  • 2 weeks later...
3ssn

3ssn

Posted
Posted

You should check out tomsportguides dot com for his Monaco port guide. Everything is walkable (and there are elevators) but a busride is 2 eur or a day pass for 5 eur

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agabbymama

agabbymama

Posted
Posted

BE VERY CAREFUL IN MONTE CARLO.

 

We are two elderly ladies that were on the Grand Princess. Monte Carlo was our first port. I had a map from the Monte Carlo Visitor Bureau that showed a taxi at the port. Well guess what???? We got off the ship, no taxis. We walked for two hours getting thoroughly lost trying to climb the hill ourselves. Everywhere we turned, was wrong. We finally returned to the ship for lunch and a nap. At 4:00 we decided to go to a small souvenir kiosk on the pier so we at least had something from there. The lady in the visitor terminal very nicely offered to take us up in the elevator. But we didn't have enough time as our ship was sailing at 5:00.

 

So long story short, we were very sorry we hadn't taken a ship's tour. After 18 months of preparation, we still weren't PREPARED for the unexpected.

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cruisemuse13

cruisemuse13

Posted
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You should check out tomsportguides dot com for his Monaco port guide. Everything is walkable (and there are elevators) but a busride is 2 eur or a day pass for 5 eur

 

I totally agree with this posting. We used the information from Tom's port guides to find the elevators in the parking garage to easily get to the top of the hill by the Aquarium, the gardens, and the Palace.

 

We visited the tourism office on the pier, when we first left the ship, and they gave us a map, and told us which bus to take to get to the botanical garden, and then back to the casino. So when we finished visiting the old town around the Palace, we got a day pass and took the local bus. The buses were clean, not busy, stops were well marked, and it was only a few euros each for an all day pass. We found the local bus much cheaper than the HOHO bus and easily went where we wanted.

 

So , in retrospect, Monaco/Monte Carlo was one of the easiest and cheapest ports to navigate. I hope you have a good time too.

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  • 3 weeks later...
ROCruiser

ROCruiser

Posted
Posted

We basically walked our way in Monte Carlos when we were there in 2008. Got off the ship at the port and took the "Boat Bus" (1euro pp at that time) to the other side of the harbor. Took the elevator up to the garden and casino area, then walked downhill to the waterfront. Walked up to the ROCK where the palace is and back to the ship. All very easy.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted
BE VERY CAREFUL IN MONTE CARLO.

 

We are two elderly ladies that were on the Grand Princess. Monte Carlo was our first port. I had a map from the Monte Carlo Visitor Bureau that showed a taxi at the port. Well guess what???? We got off the ship, no taxis. We walked for two hours getting thoroughly lost trying to climb the hill ourselves. Everywhere we turned, was wrong. We finally returned to the ship for lunch and a nap. At 4:00 we decided to go to a small souvenir kiosk on the pier so we at least had something from there. The lady in the visitor terminal very nicely offered to take us up in the elevator. But we didn't have enough time as our ship was sailing at 5:00.

 

So long story short, we were very sorry we hadn't taken a ship's tour. After 18 months of preparation, we still weren't PREPARED for the unexpected.

 

We are sorry to read that your plans were foiled by the lack of taxis. Over the years we have posted multiple warnings about French taxis/drivers who seem to march to their own drum. Perhaps you came ashore during their morning break when drivers were sitting in a café enjoying café au lait and a cigarette. One can never depend on a waiting taxi in any French port, and even if you find a taxi they might not agree to take you as a fare for various reasons.

 

Just 9 days ago we needed a taxi to get us from the port in Le Havre to the train station (only a little over 1 mile). Since we had a Noon train to catch we decided to get off the ship at 10:15 giving us 1 1/2 hours to find a taxi for a 5 min trip. We thought ourselves lucky that it only took 20 min to convince a driver to haul us (and our luggage). Putting ourselves into a position where we must rely on a French taxi does drive me to drink. The one notable exception is in Paris where the G7 Taxi Company is very reliable if you book a taxi in advance.

 

Hank

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Chairsin

Chairsin

Posted
Posted

Monte Carlo is not in France --- it is in the principality of Monaco.

 

And the main problem with taxis in Monte Carlo is not the attitude of the drivers but the limited quantity. The principality only issues a small number of licenses so when a big ship comes in there are enough TA is to meeting momentary high demand.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
ConnieInNewJersey

ConnieInNewJersey

Posted
Posted (edited)
Agreed. I think one can cover MC in one or two hours, so maybe a good idea to leave that time as buffer before getting back on the ship and to take a quick look at the casino and at some of the yachts in port then.

 

 

Would two hours be enough time to cover the palace,casino and cathedral?

Edited by ConnieInNewJersey
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