Worth getting a guide for Nice/St. Paul de Vence?

[lcstraveler]

My family is going on our first cruise July 27, 2011. We're doing the Grand Med on the Ruby Princess. We've begun planning our shore excursions and are unsure about what to do at our stop in Monaco. Is it worth it to have a guide in Nice and St. Paul de Vence? Is it simple enough to DIY? Or, despite the detestation of cruiseline excursions, is this the time for a Princess excursion? Any insight is definitely appreciated!

[hubofhockey]

My family is going on our first cruise July 27, 2011. We're doing the Grand Med on the Ruby Princess. We've begun planning our shore excursions and are unsure about what to do at our stop in Monaco. Is it worth it to have a guide in Nice and St. Paul de Vence? Is it simple enough to DIY? Or, despite the detestation of cruiseline excursions, is this the time for a Princess excursion? Any insight is definitely appreciated!

 

The Ruby Princess has a very tight timeframe on that itinerary for that port (ours was 7 am to 2 pm). Be careful and plan accordingly and remember that buses and trains aren't that convenient to the dock in Monaco and that you also might have to tender in this port. If you do this on your own, you may want to limit it to one or the other.

[Keith1010]

If you have never been to Monaco I would spend the time there. There is so much to see. Otherwise I would do one rather than both of these places.

 

Keith

[moyaroo]

As much as I am not a huge fan of Monaco, I am not a huge fan or Nice either. I would say with 11a-7p as your port times, go to Eze and have lunch then come back and see Monaco it is pretty enough.

[Hlitner]

I agree with Mayaroo when it comes to our dislike of Monte Carlo (it is a city we avoid when in the region and run away quickly when we happen to be there on a cruise. But as to Nice, we think the city is very underrated by some and it has lots of charm. Nice is a city of neighborhoods and the Old Town area is totally charming. If you get there in the morning you can often visit the outdoor Flower Market and the cafes in that same area (Cours Selaya) are wonderful places to enjoy a very good lunch. Nice also has its share of museums (we seldom spend our port time in museums) and also has the Promanade which is a nice area for a stroll. As to Eze, we do like this village (but not nearly as much as St Paul de Vence) but generally consider it an ancillary destination if it just happens to be convenient (this happens when we are driving or if we want to take a bus).

 

Hank

[moyaroo]

Just to clarify. As French towns go Nice is quite nice, what I find a negative are the crowds that one encounters. There are so many other places of charm which also lack the crowds that I put Nice down a notch on my favorties list. Villefranche sur Mer is one I would put up above in the area, but for my idea of France one needs to go west to Aix and north to Avignon and more so to Lyon and the almost anything north or west of there.

[Hlitner]

Just to clarify. As French towns go Nice is quite nice, what I find a negative are the crowds that one encounters. There are so many other places of charm which also lack the crowds that I put Nice down a notch on my favorties list. Villefranche sur Mer is one I would put up above in the area, but for my idea of France one needs to go west to Aix and north to Avignon and more so to Lyon and the almost anything north or west of there.

 

Totally agree about the crowds. But that is also true in Aix and Avignon where there can be as many tour buses as cars. We have spent quite a lot of time in that part of Provence and enjoyed renting an apartment in St Remy where it is only crowded on market day. The reality is that it can be difficult to avoid the hoards during July and August since it seems like all of Europe gravitates to the south of France.

 

Hank

[cberge]

Totally agree about the crowds. But that is also true in Aix and Avignon where there can be as many tour buses as cars. We have spent quite a lot of time in that part of Provence and enjoyed renting an apartment in St Remy where it is only crowded on market day. The reality is that it can be difficult to avoid the hoards during July and August since it seems like all of Europe gravitates to the south of France.

 

Hank

All the cruise ships in the past few years have not helped at all.Just MHO:D

[seabreezer]

I would also skim through Monaco, skip Nice and head for the hills. The hill towns are charming and it would be the most time efficient to just hire a guide. I highly recommend Sylvie. If you only have half a day then Eze Village may be your best bet and I believe there is an easy bus route from Monaco so you may not need a guide at all. If you have a full day then a good guide can take you to several towns from Monaco.

[Green4me]

Seabreezer, what would you recommend for our time in port 9 to 8pm in June. We would rather get away from the masses if possible, see some sights, have local cusine and a glass of wine or two.

 

Thanks

[seabreezer]

First I would get a good guide book of the area and research the smaller hill towns and see what appeals to you. If you are interested in a certain artist then factor that in as there are interesting sites related to many artists. Then I would contact Sylvie and let her know which towns you might be interested in, which artists, and that you'd like to do a little wine-tasting and possibly olive oil tasting (possibly over lunch). Sylvie is very knowledgeable about the artists and wines of the region and can tailor a tour for you. She is delightful and will definitely provide a memorable day. I would steer clear of the big cities. Upon picking you up Sylvie can give you lots of historical info on your port town and do a quick "drive-by" of important sites. Be prepared to be flexible as sometimes traffic can be an issue that may force an itinerary change.

[samavarcruiser]

I would also skim through Monaco, skip Nice and head for the hills. The hill towns are charming and it would be the most time efficient to just hire a guide. I highly recommend Sylvie. If you only have half a day then Eze Village may be your best bet and I believe there is an easy bus route from Monaco so you may not need a guide at all. If you have a full day then a good guide can take you to several towns from Monaco.

 

I agree with hill town recommendation :)

[Green4me]

Seabreezer, Thanks very much for your advice. Sounds like a great plan.