very impt business in villefranche

[bizmarkie24]

hey all,

 

i have a very important question to ask. what is a good spot to propose to my girlfriend in and around villefranche? eze looks like a beautiful town as well. i am taking the celebrity constellation cruise out of Barcelona and spending the day in villefranche. so if anyone has any suggestions on a nice spot, restaurant, winery etc..that they could recommend, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

also, is there a way to arrange for a rental car at this port? i saw that hertz was recommended, however, we are arriving on a sunday and it is closed. are there other rental agencies? would taking the train work for my plans?

 

any help is appreciated! thanks!

[texancruzer]

Oh my, I can't imagine a better place to propose than way up at the top of Eze......it overlooks the water and mountains and is magical. I could see you down on one knee, ring in hand, saying "I want to spend my life with you traveling to the ends of the earth" WOW - All I got was "will you marry me" but I guess it was good enough as we are getting ready to travel to Egypt to celebrate our 30th !!!! :)

 

The whole village is magical. Homes and little shops carved right out of the rock.....

 

We did a ships tour so can't help you with the best way to get there.

 

Villefranche is quite picturesque also..... enjoyed walking around after ships tour at dusk......very much the seaside village in France !

 

Congratulations.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

If Eze it is, why don't you go whole hog and hire a private driver to take you there and back? That would make it seem even more special, and you could include some other stops as well if you're there for the whole day.

 

Just a thought.

[Cruise Junky]

My vote is for Eze and go into the Cactus Garden, there are a few wonderful spots up there perfect for proposing!

[seabreezer]

Chateau Eza on the terrace - arrange to have the champagne brought out immediately!

[Cruise Junky]

Chateau Eza on the terrace - arrange to have the champagne brought out immediately!

 

That was going to be my second suggestion! We've had some lovely glasses of wine on their deck. I'd arrange it before hand so they could reserve the corner table.

[seabreezer]

As far as transportation goes, just check the internet for other rental agencies. The train wouldn't work to get all the way up to Eze - you'll have to switch to a bus to the village but a bus ride isn't very romantic, especially after a marriage proposal. There are taxi's and private cars waiting right outside the Eze village entrance or you could arrange for a car and driver both ways if you really want to splurge! If you're planning to have lunch at Chateau Eza they might be able to arrange transportation for you as well.

[TLCOhio]

Chateau Eza on the terrace - arrange to have the champagne brought out immediately!

 

Agree that Eze and this location could be super great!!! Below are my Eze notes, including the website where you can contact the folks at Chateau Eza. Sunday is a challenge for a rental car, but by contacting either this dining place or their local tourism office, they might have some good ideas to make such arrangements.

 

Below are a couple of visuals to help you see why this would be a great location.

 

COASTAL HOT SPOT: The old village of Eze, along the coast between Nice and Monaco, hangs up in the mountains above the water and crowds. It's wonderful to visit. Great, great views! Totally charming! Have lunch or dinner there at one of the two great eating places and feel like you're sitting on the edge of paradise! We ate at the Château Eza. Its website: http://www.chateauezarestaurant.com. At 1,407 feet above the Mediterranean, Eze offers commanding views of cliffs, sea, sprawling estates and off-shore islands. The village's narrow streets or more really paths among the buildings lead to the Jardin Exotique It is a maze of paths flanked by mammoth flowering plants and spiky cactuses. For about $3, you can walk up to the best view on the French Riviera. On a clear day, you can see Corsica! It does not get much better than Eze. Their tourism office:

http://www.eze-riviera.com

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

The charming mountain top village of Eze is nearby and offers great view along the coast:

 

 

 

This picture shows more of the gardens at the top of Eze that offers great views along the coast:

 

[bizmarkie24]

thank you for all your help and suggestions!!!! the chateu eza looks like a beautiful place to propose to my girlfriend. she spent a year as a exchange student in france so it is a very special place for her.

 

how much would a private driver cost? i think it would be worth it to splurge for this occasion! are there any recommended places to walk around as well?

 

thanks again!

[bizmarkie24]

my ship ports at 10am. i would also like to see monaco in the same day and perhaps propose at Chateau Eza at an early dinner around 5pm then need to be back on the ship by 8.

 

i was thinking of taking the train straight to monaco, spend the day there. then take a train back to eze and then a private driver from chateau eza back to villefranche for our departure. is this possible? any details would be helpful!! thank you everyone!

[seabreezer]

There isn't a train that goes directly to Eze Village only to Eze sur la Mer (the lower coastal village) I think there is a bus that goes from Monaco to Eze Village. I recall a pvt. car was about 45e from Eze Village to Nice so it could be less to Villefranche. You should definitely make a reservation for dinner and you can inquire about a car with the restaurant. You could do it by email or phone.

[SMARTMAN]

hey all,

 

i have a very important question to ask. what is a good spot to propose to my girlfriend in and around villefranche? eze looks like a beautiful town as well. i am taking the celebrity constellation cruise out of Barcelona and spending the day in villefranche. so if anyone has any suggestions on a nice spot, restaurant, winery etc..that they could recommend, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

also, is there a way to arrange for a rental car at this port? i saw that hertz was recommended, however, we are arriving on a sunday and it is closed. are there other rental agencies? would taking the train work for my plans?

 

any help is appreciated! thanks!

 

Hi Bizmarkie24 it looks as if you have been given some excellent advice on a suitable site and how to get there, for the very special day you are planning on the Sunday at Villefranche. Hope everything goes well. You dont say when your trip is, but just as a bit of a side thread to your question and Im sorry if you already knew this , but their are individual Roll Calls dependant on the date of your trip where you can get similar information from knowledgable cruisers and ask questions or just link up with those who will be on the same trip as you. We are sailing on Constellation on the 18th Sept and the roll call is fairly lively with many asking for information or setting up trips with other guys. Worth a look if you want to consider activities later in the week.

 

Enjoy

[bizmarkie24]

thank you for your information. i am also sailing on the constellation out of barcelona but on the 25th. so ill be going to villefranche on the 26th. where do i find these roll calls?

 

 

Hi Bizmarkie24 it looks as if you have been given some excellent advice on a suitable site and how to get there, for the very special day you are planning on the Sunday at Villefranche. Hope everything goes well. You dont say when your trip is, but just as a bit of a side thread to your question and Im sorry if you already knew this , but their are individual Roll Calls dependant on the date of your trip where you can get similar information from knowledgable cruisers and ask questions or just link up with those who will be on the same trip as you. We are sailing on Constellation on the 18th Sept and the roll call is fairly lively with many asking for information or setting up trips with other guys. Worth a look if you want to consider activities later in the week.

 

Enjoy

[Andym]

Hi Bizmarkie24 ,

 

We are on the same cruise as you, there is an active roll call across on the Celebrity roll call board.

Have you thought about the Cathedral in Monaco. Princess Grace is burried there along with Prince Ranier. You can't get much more romantic that their story.

There are also some beautifull gardens in Monte Carlo and every time you see the Grand Prix you'll be reminded of your time there.

[seabreezer]

Bizmarkie - you have to let us know how all this turns out. Good luck!

[catllar]

my ship ports at 10am. i would also like to see monaco in the same day and perhaps propose at Chateau Eza at an early dinner around 5pm then need to be back on the ship by 8.

 

i was thinking of taking the train straight to monaco, spend the day there. then take a train back to eze and then a private driver from chateau eza back to villefranche for our departure. is this possible? any details would be helpful!! thank you everyone!

Sorry to be a party pooper but you are unlikely to get dinner anywhere in France at 5pm! Most fine dining restaurants don't start service until 7pm at the earliest. I'd consider a long romantic lunch!

[bizmarkie24]

sorry, I know about the later dinners in europe. we have dinner on the boat anyways. i know chateau eza does tapas and salads through out the afternoon. i figure that with a nice bottle of champagne to celebrate would be fitting for a late lunch!

Sorry to be a party pooper but you are unlikely to get dinner anywhere in France at 5pm! Most fine dining restaurants don't start service until 7pm at the earliest. I'd consider a long romantic lunch!

[bizmarkie24]

does anyone know how much a taxi would cost to go from the train station in Eze up to the Jardin Exotique? and are there any good spots within the jardin exotique to propose? and finally, is the walk through the jardin exotique lead to the chateau eza? thanks!!!

[Cruise Junky]

does anyone know how much a taxi would cost to go from the train station in Eze up to the Jardin Exotique? and are there any good spots within the jardin exotique to propose? and finally, is the walk through the jardin exotique lead to the chateau eza? thanks!!!

 

I don't know about how much. But all vehicles can only take you to the parking lot area of Eze Village, you would then have to walk up to the Gardens. You can see Chateau Eza very well from the Gardens and it would only be a short walk down to their door.

[BiggiB]

Bonjour, bizmarkie24!

 

To make this day really special, I suggest another idea: Take the bus from Villefranche to Nice and have a morning walk over the famous Flower Market. Take a taxi or the local bus to the airport and FLY WITH A HELICOPTER to Monaco... a flight right into 7th heaven!

Flights are around EUR 120 pp.

From there, transportation will be provided free of charge to Casino Square. On the top (private) terrace of Café de Paris a reception could be arranged with a bottle of bubbly and roses for the bride-to-be, all with a view of the Casino and gardens.

What a backdrop for a proposal!

To have a special tour of Monaco, there are private local (!) guides to take you to the best and most interesting places. If you want to have lunch in town, there is a wide choice of romantic settings for any kind of budget.

If Eze Village should top off your day in France, there's the bus line #112 taking you from Monaco to Eze, as it has been described before.

I recommend to contact a local organizer for above mentioned special events, to make it an unforgettable "success". Try Claudia on the incoming pages of http://www.heliairmonaco.com; her email is listed there and she speaks English well.

Wishing you a most wonderful day in France and the Principality!

[seabreezer]

Bizmarkie - how did it go????

[Working 2 Cruise]

BiGgib, I miss the south of France so much... Used to be my playgeound... Spent many vacations in Cannes...