Monte Carlo

[FSO Cruiser]

Is it necessary to go on a tour in Monte Carlo? Or can I easily see everything on my own? All of the major sights appear to be close to the port. Is this true?

[Andym]

There is not a lot to see in Monte Carlo. The Shops and the CAsino and then the promenade with the expensive boats. You can then take a cheap bus or road train up the hill to Monaco, or even walk as we did, to see the palace , the museum, Princess Grace's grave, the aquarium and some fantastic views.
All very doable on your own.

[cberge]

I love that area and have been there quite a few times. You can do it on your own very easily either by walking or taking the tourist tram which will take you all over.The Monaco side has more to see re sightseeing per se with the narrow winding streets, the Palace,the homes,etc.,but I both sides just as well. Make sure to stop outside the American casino at the cafe and people watch.If you find you don't need all the time there you can take the train or local bus to Nice or some other town you may wish to visit.Have a great cruise.

Karen
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[ewong]

Hi Karen,

Can you hop on/off the tourist tram? If not, where do you board one (close to the port)?

Thanks,
Evelyn

[cberge]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ewong:
Hi Karen,

Can you hop on/off the tourist tram? If not, where do you board one (close to the port)?

Thanks,
Evelyn<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I am not sure if it is hop/on hop/off..it used to be,but I think they changed it to just a tour of the area.I know you can get it by the JC museum,but I am not sure where it stops on the MC side. Your ship should have all that info for you or maybe someone will have more current info on the board.I have always walked or taken the local bus,but then I was staying in the area not just on a cruise a few times.

Karen
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[Aussie Gal]

Definitely go up the hill to the Palace area. We went through the Palace and it was a great tour of 16 rooms, all beautifully decorated.

The Cathedral is nearby and that is where Princess Grace is buried. There are some great little restaurants up there for a bite to eat. It is a lovely area and it was an easy walk down to where our ship was tendered.

Jennie.

The next cruise is always the best!

3RD OCTOBER, 2004 PRINSENDAM
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=228b22&cdt=2004;10;03;17;0;00&timezone=GMT+0100[/img]

[carmendmun]

Great information, so you do not think we need a tour in VilleFrance to enjoy the port? MY husband and I like doing things on our own but were kind of on the fence on this one as we have never been and do not speak the language

[uk1]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by carmendmun:
Great information, so you do not think we need a tour in VilleFrance to enjoy the port? MY husband and I like doing things on our own but were kind of on the fence on this one as we have never been and do not speak the language<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Villefranche itself is unlikely to keep you interested for more than half an hour or so.

Personally I find Monaco boring - but you certainly don't need any sort of guided tour. From your other post I think you dock at Villefranche. Villefranche has a train station a couple of hundred yards away from where you dock. From recollection every train that stops going in the Italian direction will stop at Monaco - which is only 30 minutes and a great train ride away. The main tip when getting of the train is not to go up in the lift and take the heavily posted exit. It'll take you hours walking into town that way. On the right hand side of the train ie the sea-side as you came into the station - depending on the platform you'll need to cross lines - you'll see a subway exit that takes you straight into town. Not helpfully well signed.

Monaco is mostly full of tourists looking at each other and gawping at the rich people. It's a place to cross off the list - and you'll see from other posts people seem to like it. In my view it's a soul-less place - no heart - no atmosphere - just stinks of tourists and rich people!

[Gardyloo]

I agree about Monaco - been there, done that, saw the Ferraris.

Instead, get a taxi to take you to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in St Jean-Cap Ferrat just down the road. Easily the most beautiful gardens on the Cote d'Azur, the house is beautiful, and it's an ideal intro into the Riviera. Now [I]here[/I] we're talking money...

Then go back to the train station at Villefranche SM and take the train into either...

(1) Nice, then the bus up to the lovely Matisse and/or Chagall museums, tour the flower market in the old town, go shopping for cheap and beautiful edible souvenirs at Monoprix on the main drag just down from the train station....or

(2) Menton, the other way and past Monaco - nice old town area, lovely squares with lemon and orange trees - a relatively unspoilt and "lived-in" small town on the beach, with Italy at the city limits. Interesting Cocteau museum, good promenade along the beach, some tourist conveniences but not over the top.

Either Nice or Menton can be reached easily by train from Villefranche SM.

[uk1]

Oh thank God. Your suggestion about Villa Ephrussi is spot on. The Sloop I mentioned in other posts is just a 20 minute walk away. It is all actually a walk from the boat and unless you book a taxi they may be scarse in VF.

Nice is a real living town where the tourists are there almost as a side issue. The course salaya (flower market) in the mornings for the flowers and food - sunday it's a flea market - - which magically transfers to restaurants in the afternoon and evening. The old town - great.

Menton is under quite a lot of road improvements at the moment and looks horrible dusty and dug-up and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Chick's pal]

Let me preface my reply with the respectful request that we don't discourage people from seeing sights they're inquiring about, as we're never sure how "travel savvy" each participant is, or what their travel experience has been to date. Traveling & sightseeing are different things to different people.

If you have an interest, I believe Monte Carlo / Monaco is worth seeing, if at least once. We found it very easy to see both Monaco and Eze in one day docked at Villefranche, did these leisurely, and felt quite fulfilled as travelers. It was our first trip to Europe and we would not have DREAMED of missing out on seeing something we had even the slightest interest in. So jump right in!

Of course we went in knowing full well these are "tourist traps," as are many of the places cruise ships go. After all, we are going to these places because there are things to easily see...and can save the very esoteric travel experiences for subsequent trips.

As for logistics, we took a city bus from the port (up the hill) to the palace. It was about 2 Euro per person and the bus driver speaks English. Once we saw the palace, cathedral and other spots in Monaco, we took a return bus to Eze-Sur-Mer, where you can either take a shuttle up to Eze (about 3 Euro) or you can take a cab (about 30 Euro). Try to get the shuttle timetable from your ship's personnel before you head off (there are times of day it doesn't run). Once done with Eze we took the shuttle back to Eze-Sur-Mer and took the train (about 2 Euro) back to Villefranche.

This was a good way to see Monaco and a perched medieval village all in one day. This itinerary will satisfy history buffs, shopping buffs, scenery buffs and photo buffs.

You can skip Eze and take the train or bus to Nice if you want that experience (beach buffs!). It was all quite easy, people were friendly and spoke English. Public transportation is very affordable. Taxis are not so great a deal.

To allay your concerns, we were totally unsure of what we would do in Villefranche or how. But once we got there, we successfully "played it by ear" and had a great time.

[cberge]

Thank you Chick's pal for a really good post.When people ask about an area they should be given the info they asked for not some other places that they didn't althought extra info can always be added.I have been to the SOF quite a bit on cruises,on land trips and even stayed in Menton for a bit.I happen to like MC/M as well as other towns along the way,but the original poster did ask about Monte Carlo,and it is fun to explore..all of it not just the tourist sights.Actually there are some shops there especially by where the small ships dock that have some great prices on some wonderful souvenirs as in Carlton Houses,perfumes etc.I don't mean to belittle anyone's reply either,but the poster did ask about MC.

Karen
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[Gardyloo]

It seemed to me that the OP's question had been answered, then Carmendmun asked about things to do at Villefranche. I think uk1's reply and mine were more in relation to that question rather than the OP's.

One of the reasons people come to these boards is for additional information, lateral connections, and personal viewpoints. If you can't diverge off-topic here among cordial correspondents, then where? I'd prefer the readers to do the information sorting and editing rather than the posters. Chick's Pal raised the topic of Eze, in point of fact, not the OP.

[FSO Cruiser]

As the original person to post this question, I would like to say thank you to all who took the time to reply. I now have lots of information thanks to many more experienced travelers. I plan to see the sights in Monaco and then travel to Eze. Should be a great day!