?? and suggestions re: 2nd visit Monte Carlo area

[CJcruzer]

we have done the St.Paul de Vence, Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo and bit of Nice route last visit to the area.

 

We are using the same tour company as last time, same driver/guide - 8 of us total:

 

This time I mainly want to visit Chagall museum and the 2 villas (Ephrussi and Rothschild) - and visit Nice in the a.m. (flower market, old town) before the museum opens at 10 a.m.

 

to round out the day I could add the roman ruins at Ciminez (near Chagall museum) and also take in the Matisse museum (not everyone on tour may want a 2nd museum - I know the Chagall is world-known and also a small collection) BUT instead could add the town of Biot (glassblowers, medieval) or Cagnes-sur-mer....

 

I am leaning toward leaving off the Matisse museum, and adding Biot to the day.

 

 

Opinions and/or suggestions? thanks

[BiggiB]

You've got a lot of different museums on your one-day-schedule... why not enjoy some of the laid back French life style, instead of rushing from museum to museum, and from one village to another.

 

Nice flower market in Old Nice is not too big, I admit, but if you stop for photos and some tastings of local products, an hour is almost not enough. When you are already in this part of town, why not take a stroll through the picturesque streets and check out on the craft shops, shops with local food specialities, go to the tiny fish market, sip a locally produced coffee.

In the Old Town, there's the Lascaris Palace open to the public (free of charge on top of it), which is a good opportunity to see one of the original houses of Old Nice from the inside.

A short drive to Villefranche and the Cap Ferrat brings you to the Villa Ephrussi-Rothschild. It is actually only one villa (the lady owner was a Rothschild married to Count Ephrussi). The villa consist of two floors full of extraordinary antiques covering several centuries. The lower floor can be visited on your own, but I recommend to take a guided tour of the 2nd floor as well. Take you time at the gardens as well. They are beautifully kept theme gardens, there's a "water ballett" and gorgious views of both the Bay of Villefranche and the Bay of San Jean. Plenty of photo opportunities, too.

The villa has a nice and stylish coffee shop in the former winter garden and terrace.

 

Since you will have a driver, take a tour of the famous Cap Ferrat peninsula; stop at the old light house for a little walk. The Cap is green, shaded by century-old pine trees and has a beautiful coastal walkway at sea level.

 

There will be time to visit eitehr the Chagall museum or the Matisse museum, too, of course and a stroll through the Roman ruins at Cimiez. However, it is much smaller than other Roman excavations in the South of France and not as impressive as any of those. The Arena is closed for renovations.

If you are in Cimiez, don't miss a peek into the church of the medieval Franciscan monastery and the adjacent rose garden, as well as a stop at the fomer "Regina Hotel", built for Queen Victoria in the 1890's and a landmark of Nice.

 

And time flies, when you are having fun ... a day is almost too short to see all those beautiful places.

[BiggiB]

You've got a lot of different museums on your one-day-schedule... why not enjoy some of the laid back French life style, instead of rushing from museum to museum, and from one village to another.

 

Nice flower market in Old Nice is not too big, I admit, but if you stop for photos and some tastings of local products, an hour is almost not enough. When you are already in this part of town, why not take a stroll through the picturesque streets and check out on the craft shops, shops with local food specialities, go to the tiny fish market, sip a locally produced coffee.

In the Old Town, there's the Lascaris Palace open to the public (free of charge on top of it), which is a good opportunity to see one of the original houses of Old Nice from the inside.

A short drive to Villefranche and the Cap Ferrat brings you to the Villa Ephrussi-Rothschild. It is actually only one villa (the lady owner was a Rothschild married to Count Ephrussi). The villa consist of two floors full of extraordinary antiques covering several centuries. The lower floor can be visited on your own, but I recommend to take a guided tour of the 2nd floor too. Take you time at the gardens as well. They are beautifully kept theme gardens, there's a "water ballett" and gorgious views of both the Bay of Villefranche and the Bay of San Jean. Plenty of photo opportunities, too.

The villa has a nice and stylish coffee shop in the former winter garden and terrace.

 

Since you will have a driver, take a tour of the famous Cap Ferrat peninsula; stop at the old light house for a little walk. The Cap is green, shaded by century-old pine trees and has a beautiful coastal walkway at sea level.

 

There will be time to visit either the Chagall museum or the Matisse museum, too, of course and a stroll through the Roman ruins at Cimiez. However, it is much smaller than other Roman excavations in the South of France and not as impressive as any of those. The Arena is closed for renovations. Check on the internet about opening times, since those museums as well as the Roman museum/historic site are closed for lunch in off season and are closed one day of the week (usually Mondays).

 

If you are in Cimiez, don't miss a peek into the church of the medieval Franciscan monastery and the adjacent rose garden, as well as a stop at the fomer "Regina Hotel", built for Queen Victoria in the 1890's and a landmark of Nice.

 

And time flies, when you are having fun ... a day is almost too short to see all those beautiful places.

[Tahoesnow]

Antibes and Mougins. Would you mind giving me the name of the tour operator in Nice I am looking for one. Are you travelling on the RCCL leaving on 8/1

[CJcruzer]

We are using Dream Tours - www.dream-tours.com - we used them 2 years ago for a day tour of Eze, St. Paul de Vence, a bit of Nice (first thing in the a.m. when the flower market is open) and Monte Carlo (casino, drive-around) and ending up at the palace grounds, visit to the Cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are buried.