Eze or St Paul de vence ?

[Hlitner]

We'll also be in Nice on a Sunday and plan to do Eze via taxi, then go to the Flower Market. Will the Flower Market be open on Sundays? What should we expect to pay for a taxi to Eze from the port of Nice?

 

Thanks for the help! :)

 

You do need to change the order of your excursion. The Nice Flower Market does operate on Sunday mornings and is a great place to visit. But, the flower market closes by 1pm and actually starts to slow down (and start closing) as early as noon. Eze, on the other hand, is open all day. So your best bet would be to go directly to Nice and than stop in Eze later in the day. As to Sundays, we think that St Paul de Vence is the best place to go on Sundays (its also very popular with the French) but it is a bit further from the ports of Villefranche and Monte Carlo.

 

Hank

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thank you so much for the help! I have looked all over the internet and all I've found is that the Flower Market is open "some days" or "most days", so I could never tell if it was open on Sunday. Darn!!! :mad: I was really looking forward to that! I was even learning a few French phases to use in the market. :(

 

We dock in Nice itself, so I guess I do need to re-think this. I guess my next step is to re-read everything about St. Paul de Vence and figure out how to get there instead.

 

Thank you so much! :)

[Hlitner]

No need to change. Remember, the Nice Flower Market is open on Sunday morning. If you are one of the rare cruise ships to actually dock in Nice you could easily get to the market in time. If you tender into Villefranche you would still have plenty of time to get to the Flower Market. The peak hours for that market seem to be from about 10 am until 12 or 12:30. From the Flower Market you could than walk directly to the Gare Routiere Bus station (in Nice) where you can catch the local bus that goes between Nice and St Paul de Vence. My only caution about using the public bus is that you have to carefully watch the time since the bus takes about 45 min to and from St Paul de Vence.

 

Hank

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks again, Hank. I don't know why I didn't read your post more carefully, sorry. :o

 

Yes, we do actually dock in Nice since we're on the OP and it's so small. We'll do the Flower Market on Sunday morning first thing and then on to Eze or St. Paul de Vence afterwards.

 

Thanks so much! :)

[jlspence]

I wanted to see if anyone else has any input on this?

 

If we are docked in Monaco and plan to spend time there, then head to Eze and/or St Paul de Vence. If we just do Eze, we will take the bus, but if we do SPdV, we may rent a car after we see Moanaco.

 

Any suggestions??

 

We too did a private tour where we visited Tourrette, St. Paul and Eze. I would definitely pick Tourrette or St. Paul over Eze.

[JZ4621]

Any suggestions of where to have lunch in Eze

[Cruise Junky]

Any suggestions of where to have lunch in Eze

 

Haven't eaten there, but have stopped for a drink at Chateau Eza and the views are incredible...although the views are incredible from most of Eze.

[snorklinbarb]

Dear Dig21,

 

Our group of 21 used REVELATION TOURS on June 27, 2008, to transport us in three 8-passenger Mercedes minivans from the port in CANNES, to fabulous ST. PAUL DE VENCE, MONACO and MONTE CARLO.

 

The company/service was excellent. Our 3 driver-guides were prompt, courteous, informative, friendly, and very helpful.

 

In June 2007, the per-person cost for this 8-hour tour was 75 Euros which included the tip.

 

Hope this helps. REVELATION TOURS and its fantastic owner, MICHEL LEGRAND, may be contacted at www.revelationtours@aol.com.

 

In fact, REVELATION TOURS is taking my business associates to ST. PAUL DE VENCE and medieval NICE when their ship docks in MONTE CARLO in October 2009.

 

On the Gem TA, there were a few vans booked by the CC'ers on our roll call through Revelation Tours. We found Michel to be a professional, knowledgeable and friendly guide. Started out with a stop in Nice (no flower mkt since it was a Monday), then on to St. Paul and finally a short stop in Antibes. We never felt rushed even though we only had a matter of hours in the port of Cannes. On the way back Michel drove us through Cannes but we didn't get out to tour there.

 

Michel and his colleagues do a great job and we would highly recommend!

[islandmandan]

We too are going to Monaco and want to visit Eze also. We've never been to the area and I'm just curious as to why Jeff [jlspence] preferred Tourette and St. Paul over Eze? I'd love to get Jeff's input as well as Hank's [Hlitner].We only have a day so I want to make the best choice. Help me if you can, thanks. Danny

[Hlitner]

I will not comment on Tourette-sur-Loup since we have only been to that village on one occassion, but one might notice that it is not generally considered a major tour destination. As to a comparison of Eze and St Paul de Vence, they are both great places for a visit but we personally prefer St Paul de Vence because of its larger size and world-class art galleries. However, it is somewhat easier for most cruisers to get to Eze which is a strong point in Eze's favor. When we are spending time in southeastern France and have a car, we will always spend some time in St Paul de Vence. Eze would be slightly lower on our list of places to re-visit (probably have been there 5 or 6 times). For someone who has not been to either village, I think it is very important to look at your itinerary and the time factor...which usually works in the favor of Eze. I will add one other important factor. If you will be in the area on Sunday, than I strongly recommend that St Paul de Vence be your primary focus, because much of France is closed on Sundays but this is the biggest day of the week for St Pau de Vence (everything there is open on Sundays). For us the perfect Sunday would be a stop at the Nice Flower Market in the morning and than a drive to St Paul de Vence for part of the afternoon.

 

Hank

[Cruise Junky]

I agree with Hank, if at all possible, I'd try and visit St. Paul de Vence. It's one of our favourite places. In 2007 we were based there for 3 days and will be again in June this year. It's a beautiful little village... great art and if at all interested, you can visit Marc Chagall's grave. Eze is beautiful and the views are outstanding of the coast and as Hank said is easier for day trippers.

[islandmandan]

Thanks Hank and Cruise Junky

Your participation on this site is invaluable. I think we'll visit Eze because it's easier and the views seem to be spectacular. Next time we come we'll definitely do St. Paul de Vence. Thanks again, Danny

[lindasp62]

I have been to StPDV, Eze, and Tourettes SL, and would go back to Eze in a heartbeat. It is just magical. I did find it less touristy than StPDV. Every corner was more beautiful architecture, historical charm, etc. I walked up the trail to the botanical garden at the top. The view is just amazing from up there. Something you will not get from the other villages you are considering. At least, not this expansive view of the Med. sea. I ate lunch at Chateau Eza. Had a fab. table overlooking the sea and the hill on which the hotel is situated. This resto. used to belong to the King of Sweden and is worth walking around a bit. Here is an article that can tell you more about Eze.

Part 1- http://www.examiner.com/x-/x-2163-Hotels-Examiner~y2010m1d1-Enticing-and-Enchanting-Eze-France

Part 2- http://www.examiner.com/x-2163-Hotels-Examiner~y2010m1d2-Enticing-and-Enchanting-Eze-Part-2

[jpver]

Agree with linda that Eze Village (you have also Eze bord de mer at the coast)

is gorgeous and you can visit it several times.

[susierailroad]

Hlitner: We are docking in Cannes on a Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. In the past, docking at Villefrance, we took the train to MC and Eze.

 

Is the train station in Cannes near to the docking point for RCCL? Do you know how to reach it? Distance? Also I recall we got off at Eze station and caught a bus up to Eze. Since it is Sunday, is it possible the local bus will bypass tourists if the bus is full?

 

Also, help me with geography, is Nice on the rail line? If so, what two stations is it between. Is it walkable from the train station to the Flower Market.

 

I assume St. Paul de Vence is inland and, if we are DIY on a train, we couldn't reach St Paul. Is that correct?

 

We have looked for a tour guide but all seem to be busy for May 16. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks very much,

[jlspence]

We too are going to Monaco and want to visit Eze also. We've never been to the area and I'm just curious as to why Jeff [jlspence] preferred Tourette and St. Paul over Eze? I'd love to get Jeff's input as well as Hank's [Hlitner].We only have a day so I want to make the best choice. Help me if you can, thanks. Danny

 

Hey Danny,

 

Haven't checked back on this thread in a while. I see you've made up your mind but I'll offer my thoughts anyway. My family's preference for Tourrette-sur-Loup over Eze was that we didn't find it to be touristy like Eze. When I'm traveling, I strive to see "real" places, people, culture and we found Tourrette-sur-Loup to fit the bill nicely in terms of a French medieval, mountain-top village. St. Paul is more touristy certainly (some 3 million visitors per year); however, I agree with Hank in that St. Paul is larger and more navigable so it seemed to us that it handled the tourist load much better than Eze. We too love art and, as Hank mentioned, there are wonderful art galleries there.

 

Eze does offer beautiful views and it is much easier to access than either St. Paul or Tourrette. Since it is easy to get to, we found it to be overrun with more people than it seemed to be able to handle and we found most of the shops to be basic tourist "stuff".

[islandmandan]

Thanks Jeff for your input. We have not decided yet on what tour to take. We dock in Monte Carlo from 11:00am-7:00pm, and I think whatever we decide we have to consider time restraints (I'm thinking 6 hours tops). We know we want to see Monte Carlo and Monaco but have not decided where else we want to go. Given our hours, what would you or anyone else on this board recommend ? Thanks again

[Hlitner]

Given your time constraint you truly need to limit your travel outside of Monte Carlo. About the only places we would recommend (given the time limitation) would be Eze and Nice (as well as exploring Monte Carlo). Both Eze and Nice can easily be reached on your own via bus (the only way to get to Eze) or train.

 

Hank

[susierailroad]

Hank: I enjoy reading your posts and thank you for sharing your knowledge. Our ship, too, is only in port at Cannes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and it is on May 16--the day of the Grand Prix as well as the Cannes Film Festival going on. Prestige Tours is the only tour company I could find who is available. They have offered an 8 hour tour in an 8 passenger minibus. Bearing in mind that we tender in (who knows how expedient that will be!), would you recommend that we do the tour of Eze, Nice, Tourettes, St. Paul de Vence, etc.--everything BUT Monte Carlo.

 

OR in light of the fact that we have been in this area a couple of times before, do you think we could do Eze and Nice by train ourselves with no difficulties as a result of the crush of tourists/film and car enthusiasts in the area. Also, we have never seen Cannes. Do you have any idea when the film festival begins/ends? Was just wondering about the duration of this event.

[Hlitner]

Hank: I enjoy reading your posts and thank you for sharing your knowledge. Our ship, too, is only in port at Cannes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and it is on May 16--the day of the Grand Prix as well as the Cannes Film Festival going on. Prestige Tours is the only tour company I could find who is available. They have offered an 8 hour tour in an 8 passenger minibus. Bearing in mind that we tender in (who knows how expedient that will be!), would you recommend that we do the tour of Eze, Nice, Tourettes, St. Paul de Vence, etc.--everything BUT Monte Carlo.

 

OR in light of the fact that we have been in this area a couple of times before, do you think we could do Eze and Nice by train ourselves with no difficulties as a result of the crush of tourists/film and car enthusiasts in the area. Also, we have never seen Cannes. Do you have any idea when the film festival begins/ends? Was just wondering about the duration of this event.

 

I believe the film festival runs from the 12th to 23rd of May, but that should not have a major impact on your port day. The Festival centers around the convention center (only a few minute walk from the tender pier) but doesn't cause too many difficulties in Cannes unless you need a hotel room or a decent restaurant reservation. If you are lucky you might get to see some celebrities walking along the beach or streets of Cannes. But the Grand Prix has a huge impact on Monte Carlo and the surrounding roads since the race is run through the city streets and creates traffic issues. I am guessing, but would think that Eze will not be affected other than having some additional visitors. Those going to the Grand Prix should all be in Monte Carlo (a good reason for you not to be in Monte Carlo). Using the train to get from Cannes to Nice should be no problem other than the train being more crowded because of folks heading over to Monte Carlo (it is the same train line). But these trains are similar to commuter trains and can handle the crowds although it might be hard to grab seats. I would be concerned about using the train to Eze since you still need to use the local bus to get from Eze/Bord sur Mer up to the village and we have no idea if the Grand Prix would impact on this bus route. Of course if you use the tour company they will have all the latest info on traffic issues and all will be fine if you decide to use that company. With a group of 6+ you might get a good enough price to make the tour a good deal.

 

Hank

[JZ4621]

Hiltner, do you have any lunch recs for Eze ?

[Hlitner]

Hiltner, do you have any lunch recs for Eze ?

 

We cannot recommend any specific restaurant. We usually just walk through the town and, if we want lunch, we like to look at the various cafe menus and primarily focus on the Plat or Carte de jour to see the specials. For anyone wanting to mortgage their home you could spend a couple of hours at Chevre d'or, but we tend to avoid the very expensive haute cuisine places for lunch.

 

Hank

[KAZGIRL]

Dear Dig21,

 

Our group of 21 used REVELATION TOURS on June 27, 2008, to transport us in three 8-passenger Mercedes minivans from the port in CANNES, to fabulous ST. PAUL DE VENCE, MONACO and MONTE CARLO.

 

The company/service was excellent. Our 3 driver-guides were prompt, courteous, informative, friendly, and very helpful.

 

In June 2007, the per-person cost for this 8-hour tour was 75 Euros which included the tip.

 

Hope this helps. REVELATION TOURS and its fantastic owner, MICHEL LEGRAND, may be contacted at www.revelationtours@aol.com.

 

 

In fact, REVELATION TOURS is taking my business associates to ST. PAUL DE VENCE and medieval NICE when their ship docks in MONTE CARLO in October 2009.

 

We also used Revelation Tours and I think this may hav been the BEST tour we have ever had. We visited St. Paul de Vence, Eze, Tourette sur Loup, Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo. Absolutely fabulous day and I can't reccommend them enough.

[tahoemw]

we used them too last October, Michel was wonderful, we stopped at a candy factory in Nice, a perfume factory in Eze and Monoco.

[LarryF]

Thought I would resurrect this post. DW and I will tender into Monte Carlo in late September and only have about 7 hours in port. I am looking to take bus somewhere to soak in the views and scenery. Do not care much for shopping (but don't mind a little window shopping and nice outside cafe for lunch) and was wondering where some of you would suggest we go for a few hours. Would like to have a little time walking around Monte Carlo as well.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry