Nice for a first Timer!!!

[josephml1]

Hello everyone I need your help, I need some advice about what to do, where to go, most do, don´t miss, where to go, where to eat, etc.... in Nice/Villafranche.

 

Is going to be my first time there...I will be there for one day..

 

Thank You all

 

:):)

[texancruzer]

Gosh, this would depend on what your interests are.

 

We ended up doing a ships tour while there for our day. Normally dont like to do those but this one worked out really well for us.

 

Went to Nice first .... had free time there of @45 minutes near the market area off the Promenade de Anglais...... actually saw the French president up close and personal (about 2 feet away) as he was visiting there that day.

 

Then to Eze, about 2 hours there - with 1 of it being free time to explore and the other hour for lunch (included in the price of the tour) which was very good !

 

Then to Monaco - the rock first and saw the Palace, the Cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier are buried - then a quick look see of the Jacques Cousteau Oceanagraphic Museum..... then to Monte Carlo where we had free time also..... some went to casino and others elsewhere. Then back to the ship. Long full day but we got to see alot of the area.

 

Just some food for thought..... have a great trip !

[MfromAMS]

Hello everyone I need your help, I need some advice about what to do, where to go, most do, don´t miss, where to go, where to eat, etc.... in Nice/Villafranche.

 

Is going to be my first time there...I will be there for one day..

 

Thank You all

 

:):)

Our ship stopped in Monte Carlo. We took the train to Nice then on our way back stopped in Villefranche for lunch. The trains are very easy to use and cheap. In Nice, we walked through the streets of old town and along the Promenade des Anglais, went into the Hotel Negresco and walked around the farmer's market. Villefranche is small and also easy to wander around on your own. We had fabulous salads at a restaurant overlooking the little chapel and the water.

[josephml1]

First for taking the time to post in this thread...I am taking notes.

 

We are young and very active, we like to do some sightseeing and of course...Looking for the most do and do not miss in Nice and Monaco...

 

Thank You All.:)

[BigGuy25]

We had a great time just wandering on our own ... both the "old town" and the modern shopping area. If the flower and vegetable market is open make sure you try the Socca ... it's a pancake made from chickpea flour. It a great street-food treat!!

[josephml1]

Excellent info, thank you for taking the time to post in this thread...

:)

[CorgiGuy]

Hi,

 

Last September we stayed in Nice for two nights prior to boarding our ship in Monte Carlo. One day was used to go on a 6-hr tour with Michel of Revelation Tours (Going to St. Paul de Vence, Tourettes sur Loup & Valbonne), the rest of the time was spent exploring Old Town area.

 

We stayed at the Hotel Suisse, which is right outside the "Old Town" section. We thought Old Town was just delightful. Lots of small shops, lovely buildings (Opera house, Palais de Justice to name two), and several very good bakery & pastry shops. As previously mentioned, the Cours Saleva Flower Market is a sight to see in the main square of Old Town. Everyday except Monday till around noon time. You could easily spend a whole leisurely day around Old Town.

 

A couple of other considerations which I think our worthwhile:

 

Le Chateau

(From the top, it provides you with a spectaular view overlooking Nice, the Promenade des Anglais and the Bay des Anges).

 

From Old Town walk out to the Promenade des Anglais. Make a left and walk 5-minutes till you get to the Hotel Suisse. Just to the left of the hotels main entrance you will see stairs going up along the building. You can either take a nice slow walk up the stairs, or you can pay to take the elevator to the top. The view from the park at the top is worth the effort. Once at the top, if you walk along the park with your back toward the Promenade des Anglais you will come to an area which provides an overlook of the port area.

 

Monument des Morts

This is Nice's war memorial to all those lost by France.

 

Once you come down from Le Chateau, it you walk past the Hotel Suisse & continue around the bend, within a 1/4 mile you will arrive at the Monument des Morts. It is an impressive structure, and accross from it you have a good view of the port. There is a wonderful yellow 8-10 story building to your left, which I thought was definately picture worthy as well.

 

Enjoy, however you decide to spend your time.

 

Anthony

[tnr]

CorgiGuy, we will be staying in Nice in April before a cruise. How did you like Hotel Suisse. And, what transportation did you take to Monte Carlo the day of the cruise?

[CorgiGuy]

CorgiGuy, we will be staying in Nice in April before a cruise. How did you like Hotel Suisse. And, what transportation did you take to Monte Carlo the day of the cruise?

 

Hi Tnr,

 

We used Hotel Suisse for our pre cruise 2-day stay, I thought it was perfect for what we were looking for which was:

 

* Very basic room, which was clean and had a view.

* Hotel close to Baie des Anges & "Old Town" area.

* reasonably prices.

 

What we got was:

 

* Very basic room, which was clean & had a nice bathroom.

* Hotel is across the street from Baie des Anges, and less than a 5 minute walk from "Old Town" area.

* Price (For Nice), was very reasonable. We paid 191 euros a night for a Privilege Room with private small balcony on the top floor.

 

Note: Make sure you pay the few extra euros for a Privilege Room on the Top floor. The view from those rooms is the best in Nice (IMHO). Suggest rooms # 55 or 56, if either is available.

 

* Front desk was always very helpful.

* The stairs to Le Château, are right alongside the hotel, just make a hard right after you exit main entrance of hotel.

 

Note: The only thing to be aware of, which a few people object to is the elevator. It is Very small, will only fit one person & two pieces of luggage, so several trips will be necessary upon arrival & departure. Personally, I thought the elevator was neat, I did not mind it at all.

 

Also, I would not bother including breakfast with your room. There are so many cafés & bakeries in Old Town, were you can get something for breakfast at a lower cost.

 

We would definitely stay there again for a pre or post cruise stay.

 

Here is a view from our balcony on the 5th floor, room # 56.

 

 

 

If you want to provide me with your e-mail address, I will gladly share my photo album of Nice. My e-mail address is apep33 at ptd dot net.

 

The day prior to embarkation in Monte Carlo, we took a tour of several villages in the countryside. We used Michel, of Revelation Tours. We also utilized his services for are transfer to Monte Carlo. On time, van was very clean, drove around any traffic jams, and would gladly recommend him.

 

If your ship happens to be overnighting in Monte Carlo, try to make it a point to see the casino lit up at night. I thought it was much more impressive at night than during the daytime.

 

Stay well,

 

Anthony

[alexandra cruiser]

We also stayed at Hotel Suisse, good location, but very loud at nite since right on main street and a busy corner.Take the Tourist Train, ask at desk of your hotel for nearest stop, goes around all of Nice and stops at great sites.Can get on and off, much cheaper and nicer than a taxi. Eat at any of the great cafes in Old Town District,great seafood, of course.Also, google Nice tourism and will show lots of photos to get an idea of what to see.With only 1 day in Nice, I would pass on Monaco. Really looks similar to beachfront of Nice ,without the casinos.You ll have a great time, wonderful city.

[Hlitner]

I will answer the OPs question with another very important question. When will you be in Villefranche....time of year and even more importantly which day of the week. Our recommendations for this region are totally different for Sundays and can also vary depending on the time of the year. Its also helpful if you post the hours you are in port as this can also affect an itinerary because of travel time.

 

Hank

[josephml1]

Thank you everyone for an excellent post and advice...

 

I will be there in November 2009 The Voyager will dock in villafranche..

[Hlitner]

Thank you everyone for an excellent post and advice...

 

I will be there in November 2009 The Voyager will dock in villafranche..

 

Ok, So now we know you are there on a week day from 7 to 7. This is outside the main tourist season which means things will not be as crowded as during the summer months (a good thing). November weather is somewhat "iffy" so you might want to keep some flexibility in your plans and adjust for the weather. Your ship tenders here, so if you are not taking a cruise line tour you should be prepared for some delay on getting ashore since they give priority to their own tours. If you want to go on your own it is very easy to get to Nice or Monte Carlo on the local bus (1 Euro) or train (more expensive than the bus). You can walk to the local bus stop or train station from the tender pier. For a first-time visitor we think Nice is a great place to visit since it is a large city with much to offer and it has an excellent old town area where its fun to just walk, shop, and eat lunch in one of the many cafes (the fish soup in Nice is very special). One possible itinerary we recently suggested to another cruiser is to take the bus to Nice, explore Nice until you are ready to leave, than take the local bus to Eze Village. You can than spend some time exploring this hill top town and than take the bus from Eze to Monte Carlo and spend some time in this famous city. From Monte Carlo you can take another bus or the train back to Villefranche and your ship. This is a simple itinerary, lets you see two large cities and one small "artsy" village. Your total cost for transportation would be as low as 4 Euros per person.

 

Hank

[josephml1]

This is a simple itinerary, lets you see two large cities and one small "artsy" village. Your total cost for transportation would be as low as 4 Euros per person.

 

Hank

 

Excellent post Hank...thank you very much for a very useful info...do you have any preference for a good place to have lunch...

 

Thanks Again.:)

[Hlitner]

Excellent post Hank...thank you very much for a very useful info...do you have any preference for a good place to have lunch...

 

Thanks Again.:)

 

We normally like to have lunch somewhere in the old town part of Nice. That district is full of many good restaurants and cafes and for us, the fun is just walking the streets and reading the menus. Because of the lousy dollar and relatively high costs in France we tend to favor the Carte du Jour (menu of the day). Just about every restaurant and cafe posts daily specials and they are often real bargains. I always like to have the local fish soup (a famous speciality in Nice) and my wife almost always wants Moules (mussels). When the weather is nice we generally look along the Cours Saleya where there are more than a dozen places within a block, all with outdoor dining. This is the same street where they have the Flower Market in the morning (it closes by 1 pm) and is only a block from the Quai des Etats-Unis and the sea.

 

Hank

[josephml1]

We normally like to have lunch somewhere in the old town part of Nice. That district is full of many good restaurants and cafes and for us, the fun is just walking the streets and reading the menus. Because of the lousy dollar and relatively high costs in France we tend to favor the Carte du Jour (menu of the day). Just about every restaurant and cafe posts daily specials and they are often real bargains. I always like to have the local fish soup (a famous speciality in Nice) and my wife almost always wants Moules (mussels). When the weather is nice we generally look along the Cours Saleya where there are more than a dozen places within a block, all with outdoor dining. This is the same street where they have the Flower Market in the morning (it closes by 1 pm) and is only a block from the Quai des Etats-Unis and the sea.

 

Hank

 

I will follow your advice, I also heard about excellent bouillabaisse in Nice...I will come with my review.

 

You are very Helpful.

 

Again thank you very much for your time:):):)

[Leo Jay]

Here is a view from our balcony on the 5th floor, room # 56.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the great shot; makes me very excited for my first trip to the South of France. I'm going to feel like I'm a Cary Grant movie, or something.

:)

[Hlitner]

I will follow your advice, I also heard about excellent bouillabaisse in Nice...I will come with my review.

 

You are very Helpful.

 

Again thank you very much for your time:):):)

 

'

Oh My! When in Nice you do not want to call it bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse is great, but is the term used for fish stew that is native to the area around Marseille. In Nice, there fish soup is totally different and they would probably be insulted if you called Bouillabaise. The soup in Nice is really a soup (as opposed to the stew served in Marseille) full of good fish flavor. They serve it with little side bowls containing shredded cheese, croutons and an aoili which is used to enhance the soup. Everyone has their own way of using these extra items. Sometimes I will spread the aioli on some croutons, put the croutons in the soup and than sprinkle some cheese on top. We have seen other folks just dump everything into the soup. Its all a lot of fun.

 

Hank

[josephml1]

'

Oh My! When in Nice you do not want to call it bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse is great, but is the term used for fish stew that is native to the area around Marseille. In Nice, there fish soup is totally different and they would probably be insulted if you called Bouillabaise.

 

Hank

 

Well that is very good information I dont want to insult anyone by my lack of knowledge in that specific area;)

 

I truly appreciated the time you take to post in this thread and help with all this matters.

 

I will try the fish soup and come back with my comments.

 

Thanks Again.:)

[kmclmc]

Hlitner, can you please be specific as to how to follow the itinerary you mentioned? ie, any specific stop names or locations? We are also in town in November & would like to use the bus.

Which bus # are we looking for on these transfers, and would it be easy for a first-timer?

Villefrance to Nice

Nice to Eze village

Eze Village to Monte carlo

MonteCarlo to Villefrance

Thanks

Linda

[snorklinbarb]

Hi,

 

Last September we stayed in Nice for two nights prior to boarding our ship in Monte Carlo. One day was used to go on a 6-hr tour with Michel of Revelation Tours (Going to St. Paul de Vence, Tourettes sur Loup & Valbonne), the rest of the time was spent exploring Old Town area.

 

We stayed at the Hotel Suisse, which is right outside the "Old Town" section. We thought Old Town was just delightful. Lots of small shops, lovely buildings (Opera house, Palais de Justice to name two), and several very good bakery & pastry shops. As previously mentioned, the Cours Saleva Flower Market is a sight to see in the main square of Old Town. Everyday except Monday till around noon time. You could easily spend a whole leisurely day around Old Town.

 

A couple of other considerations which I think our worthwhile:

 

Le Chateau

(From the top, it provides you with a spectaular view overlooking Nice, the Promenade des Anglais and the Bay des Anges).

 

From Old Town walk out to the Promenade des Anglais. Make a left and walk 5-minutes till you get to the Hotel Suisse. Just to the left of the hotels main entrance you will see stairs going up along the building. You can either take a nice slow walk up the stairs, or you can pay to take the elevator to the top. The view from the park at the top is worth the effort. Once at the top, if you walk along the park with your back toward the Promenade des Anglais you will come to an area which provides an overlook of the port area.

 

Monument des Morts

This is Nice's war memorial to all those lost by France.

 

Once you come down from Le Chateau, it you walk past the Hotel Suisse & continue around the bend, within a 1/4 mile you will arrive at the Monument des Morts. It is an impressive structure, and accross from it you have a good view of the port. There is a wonderful yellow 8-10 story building to your left, which I thought was definately picture worthy as well.

 

Enjoy, however you decide to spend your time.

 

Anthony

 

What was your opinion of Michel and Revelation Tours? In process of putting together a private tour for a group of us. Pros and cons welcome!

[dcinmb]

We'll be docked in Villefranche on Thanksgiving from 7 am to 8 pm. I've been to Nice and Monte Carlo but my friends haven't so we're trying to put together an itinerary that would suit all of us. The itinerary that Hank suggested---Nice-->Eze-->Monte Carlo-->Villefranche---would be ideal for my friends, but I was thinking of skipping out on the Eze/Monte Carlo legs and heading out to St-Paul-de-Vence. Has anyone been there and is it worth the trip? How does it compare to Eze?

 

Thanks for everyone's invaluable advice!

 

Diana