questions: Monte Carlo to Nice & back-on a Monday

[jnv]

We will be in Monte Carlo from 9am-6pm on a Monday -mid October. We would like to tour the palace and also go to Nice for shopping/sightseeing. Since it is a Monday, is there any flower market or is it all antiques? If there are any flowers, can they be purchased and brought back to the ship? This is our first trip to this area. so any detailed advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated. How difficult is it to find the bus and/or the train and which would be better as far as getting us close to the shopping and sightseeing in Nice. Thanks for any help you can offer.

[lksyr]

I'm planning to do the same thing in a couple weeks. I think my plan is to go to Nice first, then Monaco in the afternoon---as we're close to the ship so it's easier to budget time. I'm not sure if there are no flowers on a Monday, but I do know that there's a flea market instead of the usual flea market. Perhaps there's a few vendors, but I honestly have no idea. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can help you out.

 

I found the website for the area buses to be pretty helpful. I printed route maps---so I can count stops. I might track the train info as a backup plan if time gets away from us.

[BiggiB]

Bonjour, jnv and lksyr !

 

It is advisable to see Nice in the morning, since the flower and vegetable market is closing around 1 p.m. However, on a Monday, only a few flower shops are open; the majority of the market is antiques and bric-a-brac.

There are wonderful little boutiques and handicraft shops in the Old Town, of which some are also closed on Mondays unfortunately, but there's always something to see and explore.

To go by bus is no problem, if ... not too many cruise ships are in Monaco or Villefranche. Encountered same problem this week: Most of the busses passed people waiting at bus stops during "tourist rush-hour times", since they were loaded to capacity. Take the train as alternative.

You will find nice shopping possibilities in Monaco, too, either in Monaco Ville (Old Town), are in the pedestrian area of Rue Princesse Charlotte, as well as along the Boulevard des Moulins and Rue Grimaldi with shops in all price ranges. A printed shopping guide is available at the Office du Tourisme as well as at the info stand in port.

To answer the question about the flowers: Yes, of course, usually you can purchase flowers and bring it back to the ship. There is also a flower and vegetable market -though smaller- every morning on Place d'Armes in Monaco between 7 a.m. and noon.

Enjoy your stay!

[sae019]

Does anyone have directions from the port to the bus stop in Monte Carlo for #112 to Eze/Nice? I am having trouble finding it on the above website.

[Hlitner]

If you want to use the #112 to Eze (this is not the best bus for going directly to Nice when you should use the #100) you are two issues. It is a bit further to get to the 112 bus stops since this line runs along the Blvd Rainier III which is about a 7/10 mile walk from the cruise ship pier (assuming you are docked). The other issue re the 112 is that this bus does not run very often. As an example for weekday mornings there is a bus at about 9:50 but then the next bus is not until 11:30 and the next is 1:24. Although many of us routinely post on CC and try to help folks wanting to use public transit, we find that in the south of France things are a lot more convenient with a rental car when it comes to going to places like Eze and St Paul de Vence. Otherwise, you must carefully plan around the bus schedule and make sure you are always at the bus stop a few minutes early. With a car we can easily visit Nice, St Paul de Vence and Eze in a port day, but using public transit this would be a bit of a challenge.

 

Hank

[Susan-M]

Does anyone have directions from the port to the bus stop in Monte Carlo for #112 to Eze/Nice? I am having trouble finding it on the above website.

 

We used the stop just above the Casino when we came into Monaco from Eze on Bus #112. On this map, the bus stop was in the vicinity of 'B", which is just beyond the Tourist Office "A". If you scroll out on this map, you'll see where it is in relation to the port.

[Susan-M]

sae019,

 

Here's another map that might be of help, from Rick Steves. Click on Page 632 in the top box, then scroll down one page to 633, where you'll see a map with an index (below the map) of the various bus stops. #10 on the map is for Bus #112.

[Green4me]

Very helpful information. We will also be in Monoco on a Monday (next June) and will be looking to take the bus to Eze village.

 

Thanks! :)

[jnv]

thank you so much for all the information. If I understand correctly, if we want to go directly to Nice from Monacco- we should take the #100 bus. Can anyone tell me where we would go once we are off the ship, to find this bus stop, and also when it arrives in Nice are there several stops to get off and which would be the best for us if we want to shop the market and do some other shopping? Is it a scenic bus ride and how long does it take from Monacco to Nice? thanks so much.

[Hlitner]

thank you so much for all the information. If I understand correctly, if we want to go directly to Nice from Monacco- we should take the #100 bus. Can anyone tell me where we would go once we are off the ship, to find this bus stop, and also when it arrives in Nice are there several stops to get off and which would be the best for us if we want to shop the market and do some other shopping? Is it a scenic bus ride and how long does it take from Monacco to Nice? thanks so much.

 

The #100 bus does make a few stops in Nice, but probably your best bet is to simply go to the end of the line which is the Nice Gare Routiere Bus Station. From that bus station it is a short walk to the northern edge of the old town (Vieux Nice) which is actually our favorite part of town. If you want to get to the Flower Market area (Cours Selaya) you would need to stroll through the old town to get to the southern edge (a block from the water). Since the old town is mostly narrow windy streets it is very helpful to have a decent street map (either download one or get a guide book with maps). Otherwise, you can do what we do which is to get delightfully lost in the old town and eventually we find our way or simply ask some locals for help :) It takes about 35 - 40 min to ride between Monte Carlo and Nice and the views are much better than what you get on the train (and the bus is a lot cheaper at only 1 Euro). If heading towards Nice the best views are on the left side of the bus.

 

For those that want to take the train between Monte Carlo and Nice we offer the following. It is further to get from the Monte Carlo port to the train station, the trains do not run as often as the bus, the trains cost more than the bus, and the train station in Nice is in a location that is not very close to the old town (but it is convenient to the center of town).

 

Hank

[Susan-M]

Can anyone tell me where we would go once we are off the ship, to find this bus stop ...

 

In Monaco, the closest stop to the port for #100 heading to Nice, would be Sainte Devote. On this schedule, beside each stop name there is a map (click on the white box). To find the schedule for the day and time that you'll be there, and to change direction of the schedule for your return trip, use the box at the top titled, "Journey Date and Time".

 

Returning from Nice on #100, the stop at the port in Monaco is Stade Nautique.

 

P.S. the schedule for #100 isn't that important for times, since the bus comes every 20 minutes, but it's helpful for getting bus stop info, and calculating the length of the journey.

[jnv]

wow-thank you Hank and Susan for your detailed information! that is going to be very helpful. Since you obviously are experts, what do you think are the "must sees" in Monacco and Nice? We are hoping to tour the Prince's castle, and would love to see the changing of the guards if the timing works out. This is our first trip to Europe, so any and all suggestions are truly appreciated. thank you!

[Hlitner]

wow-thank you Hank and Susan for your detailed information! that is going to be very helpful. Since you obviously are experts, what do you think are the "must sees" in Monacco and Nice? We are hoping to tour the Prince's castle, and would love to see the changing of the guards if the timing works out. This is our first trip to Europe, so any and all suggestions are truly appreciated. thank you!

 

My DW would tell you there are no "must sees" in Monte Carlo (we do not particularly like this city) but certainly the Palace and Changing of the Guard are the highlights. Some also enjoy visiting the Casino (we never thought it made sense to deal with their dress code and pay an admission fee for a casino) and there is a world-class Oceanarium in town. As to Nice (we think Nice is nice) we enjoy strolling around the old town neighborhood (interesting shops, boutiques, cafes, etc), visiting some of the museums (we like the Chagall and Matisse museums), walking along the Promanade des Anglais, etc. Many folks do not know that Nice is actually 2nd to only Paris in the number of museums within France (many Nice museums are quite small). Our favorite place in the immediate region is the village of St Paul de Vence and we also find Eze to be a great place for a visit.

 

We could have a long discussion as to why we are not fans of Monte Carlo (and many would disagree) but we just think the city is not a particularly great place for normal income folks (most cruisers). We have been to this region many times on both land and sea trips and never miss an opportunity to either skip Monte Carlo (we bypass the place when we have a car) or quickly leave the city if we happen to dock (or tender) on a cruise. Some might find it fun to browse among $500 men's swim suits or $350 baby shoes, but we prefer the artsy shops in places like Eze. As to lunch, we would rather be eating wonderful fish soup or moules et frites in an outdoor cafe on the Cours Selaya (Nice) than paying $12 for a glass of beer at an outdoor cafe in Monte Carlo.

 

Hank

[nikel]

Looks like our ship has changed ports.

What is the best way to get to Nice from Cannes . Bus, train, how do we do either one and how long do they take including stops?

Thanks

[Hlitner]

Looks like our ship has changed ports.

What is the best way to get to Nice from Cannes . Bus, train, how do we do either one and how long do they take including stops?

Thanks

 

We answered this, in detail, on your cross-post. For others reading here you would want to take the train (runs at least twice an hour).

 

Hank

[Green4me]

Hank, I like the way you summed it up regarding Monte Carlo. Appreciate your candidness and we will take your advice next June when in town on the Magic!:)

[Hlitner]

Hank, I like the way you summed it up regarding Monte Carlo. Appreciate your candidness and we will take your advice next June when in town on the Magic!:)

 

Thanks for the kind words. But keep in mind that there are many folks who do enjoy Monte Carlo and do not share our bias against the place. The bottom line for us is that there are just so many nicer places in the region (at least in our humble opinion) :)

 

Hank