Villefranche any one help?

[winifred]

We are going on the voyager of the seas in June, my Dad is not able to walk too far, how far is the beach from the port, can we get a taxi? or is it a short stroll, he could just about manage that, all info appreciated thanks:)

[fmax]

I would presume if you're coming into Villefranche that you're tendering from the ship. You arrive right at the dock - see this site.

 

I can't remember what the beach was like as I took the train to Nice then a bus from Nice to Monaco then bus back to Villefranche in time to tender back to the ship.

 

http://www.europeportreviews.com/Villefranche.htm

[Keith1010]

You will have to tender. When you get off at the tender pier you walk about five minutes to the beach.

 

Keith

[whiteheather]

You will walk along the main street on the seafront so there are plenty of places to stop and have a rest. There are nice cafes where you can sit and enjoy a drink while looking out at your ship in the lovely bay.

 

I wish I was there now.....:)

[lst]

My father travels with a wheelchair as he is unable to walk more than a few steps. If your dad can make it into and out of the tender, you will be fine. We took a taxi from just outside the tourist office, where you tender, to Nice for about E10. In Nice we did a tour with the Petit Train, followed by some shopping at the market before returning by taxi. This was a very relaxing day for us & one of the few Dad could enjoy with us.

[swcruise]

Villefrance is a lovely port to tender into, it is so beautiful when you look out for the 1st time in the morning.You will have a very relaxing time there with your dad on the beech or chilling out in one of the seafront cafes... Enjoy

[mickfoxland]

if you go to the google streetview site you can walk(virtually) along the street to the beach

[winifred]

:)Many many thanks for the quick replies, you guys are good!!! I will wait and see what his energy levels are like that day whether to chill on the beach or travel into Nice, I had not even thought we could do that, our last port is

Marseille before we return to Barcelona , any suggestions for Marseille? I think it would have to be pretty easy to do as we will have already done Florence and Rome and he may be too tired out even though He will probably do the ships tours to make it as easy as possible for him and my mum, a few years ago he walked 38 miles one day across Scotland but sadly those days have gone and I just want to give him a good holiday, so thanks again all who replied

[debbeck]

We were in Villefranche last year with the Norwegian Gem and this port is a tendered port. That means that the port area is too small or too shallow for the big ships to dock and let passengers walk off the ship so they transport you in small boats (that hold 100 or more people) into the docks. It is a breathtaking port. My photos of this port were post card quality! ha. Every turn is beautiful. We were only in this port for a short time and wanted to see alot. I am so glad we did...it is one of our favorite days. We hired a tour guide that picked us up right outside the terminal where the tender boats let you off. He had a nice, air conditioned van and had beverages for us. He took us for a drive along the gorgeous coastline and on to Monaco. We stopped at the Royal Palace and the church where Grace Kelly and Prine Ranier were married and now buried. We made a quick stop at the casinos in Monaco but we were not interested in gambling. They charge 10 Euros just to walk inside! From Monaco, he took us to the village of EZE. A medieval village on a hill that overlooks the whole area. Quite interesting but if someone has trouble walking, he will customize your tour and take you to see something else. After Eze, we went to Cannes. It is along the French Riviera coastline in the other direction but a must see also. He took us for a drive along the beaches and into the town with a stop at the markets. Try to make sure you see the markets in Cannes...everything available there from fresh flowers, spices, fruit, vegetable, wines, and pastries. And everything FRESH and oh, so delicious! The tour was 260 euros for a 4 hour tour. We had 7 people so that made it more affordable but it is hard to put a price on the sights we were able to see in such a short time in such a beautiful area. The guide we used was named Jerome. He had lived in the US for several years and spoke perfect English. He is from Cannes now and knows the area. I recommend his tour company and would definitely use them again if we are ever lucky enough to get back to the south of France. Here is a link to the web site that we used to book the tour. http://www.rivierapremiumtour.com/ Hope this helps.

Debbie

[winifred]

Thanks Debbie, good advice and my daughters would love to see Monaco etc

will discuss this option further with the gang! thanks again

[MAKEM]

We were in Villefranche last Friday on the Voyager and the tendering system has improved since our last visit.

They towed a floating platoon to the ship which was wide and stable, much easier to disembark and the local tenders had a couple of big ones that took about 450 people, much better.

When you get into town if you walk towards the railway station and continue a bit further there is a small town beach.