Monaco Monte Carlo Help !!!!

[Ashland]

Please help me decide between two RCI ship excursions for a first time visitor who is really confused for some reason about this port visit and wanting to do the easiest transportation from and back to the ship...not too comfortable with multiple trains or buses to get where we're going..hence the ship offering...

 

Monaco & Monte Carlo (guided) or Nice & Monte Carlo (which is a DIY)

[Keith1010]

If you want easy then just see Monaco on your own. It is all within walking distance. Just print out a map.

 

You can see the grand casino either inside or outside or both and you can walk all around that area. About a 20 minute walk from there are many other sites to see including the palace and the cathedral and the sites around that area. You can visit the oceanaire museum which also includes an aquarium and also you can walk around an area with beautiful outdoor gardens located nearby.

 

Keith

[kalex59]

Agree with Keith above, if you are docking in Villefranche make your way up to the coast road, 5 min, and get the #100 bus for Menton (further than Monaco) and get off in Monaco. Costs about 1 euro each way. Once in Monaco go up to the palace, do the palace tour if you wish, get a nice lunch at a restaurant in the streets opposite the palace (not ridiculously expensive considering it's Monaco), take the little train from outside the Oceanarium around the Principality, or go down to the town and take a Ferrari ride (or drive) round the Grand Prix circuit. The Prince's car collection is another hidden gem in Fontveille shopping centre below the palace (usually deserted and air-conditioned)

 

Do most of that and stiil have change from what a ship's tour will cost having done none of the above. Easy-peasy! :D

[Ashland]

Agree with Keith above, if you are docking in Villefranche make your way up to the coast road, 5 min, and get the #100 bus for Menton (further than Monaco) and get off in Monaco. Costs about 1 euro each way. Once in Monaco go up to the palace, do the palace tour if you wish, get a nice lunch at a restaurant in the streets opposite the palace (not ridiculously expensive considering it's Monaco), take the little train from outside the Oceanarium around the Principality, or go down to the town and take a Ferrari ride (or drive) round the Grand Prix circuit. The Prince's car collection is another hidden gem in Fontveille shopping centre below the palace (usually deserted and air-conditioned)

 

Do most of that and stiil have change from what a ship's tour will cost having done none of the above. Easy-peasy! :D

So off the ship in Villefranche and find our way to the coast road..#100 bus towards Menton but get off where in Monaco and how long will it take ? From there we will be able to see everything ? Should we do the hop on hop off if so where is this? How do we do the return back to ship ? We are in port from 7am-7pm...Thank you so very much for your help...

[Marseydotes]

Thanks for those great suggestions! Can you describe the spot where we can get a Ferrari ride or the name of the company? And, can you give me an idea of the cost? This would make a grand surprise for my husband's birthday....

;)

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

Thanks for those great suggestions! Can you describe the spot where we can get a Ferrari ride or the name of the company? And, can you give me an idea of the cost? This would make a grand surprise for my husband's birthday....

;)

 

Eze, Nice, Cannes:

http://www.drivingexperience.livenup.fr/driving-experience-en/index.cfm/individuals/

[kalex59]

So off the ship in Villefranche and find our way to the coast road..#100 bus towards Menton but get off where in Monaco and how long will it take ? From there we will be able to see everything ? Should we do the hop on hop off if so where is this? How do we do the return back to ship ? We are in port from 7am-7pm...Thank you so very much for your help...

 

You will see the palace up high on the right as you approach Monaco, get off as you draw level with it (along with everybody else usually!) Takes about 40 min from Villefranche. Climb the steep ramp up to the palace where the palace, cathedral, oceanarium and tourist shops/restaurants are. Also get the little train from outside the oceanarium around the Principality.

 

Casino Square, where the beautiful people hang out ;), is at the other end of Monaco, about a 30/40 min walk with some steep hills although there are some elevators, the little train will take you there more easily and there is a good internal bus service in Monaco. You need to be smartly dressed to get into the Grand Casino and (from memory) it's not open till the afternoon.

 

http://www.cam.mc/informations-pratiques.php?lang=en

http://www.cam.mc/plan-reseau.php

 

Haven't used (or even noticed) a HOHO bus in Monaco, no real need I don't think.

 

You get the bus back from Condamine (see map link above) more or less across the road from where you get off (or if you are really smart go to the previous stop at St Devote, get on before the crowds and get a seat :D). You will have have loads of time to go up to the palace, do the tour, get something to eat and take the train round.

 

Website for Nice-Monaco buses

 

http://www.lignesdazur.com/

 

Timetable for #100 bus (Summer T/T may change by Sept)

 

http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/lignes_FR/100%C3%A9t%C3%A9.pdf

 

 

Thanks for those great suggestions! Can you describe the spot where we can get a Ferrari ride or the name of the company? And, can you give me an idea of the cost? This would make a grand surprise for my husband's birthday....

;)

 

The Ferraris are(were?) usually at the palace end of the main street through the town (which is the start of the pit straight on the Grand Prix circuit) or beside the swimming pool, you can't miss them. Last time I used them was 2008 and it was 45 euros as a passenger, 85 to drive (license required). This is for one lap of the Grand Prix circuit which takes 5-10 min on open roads -it's quite expensive but if you have saved by taking the bus to Monaco it balances out, plus you don't get to drive a Ferrari everyday.

 

NOW, I can't find any recent references online but I have found

 

http://www.getyourguide.com/en/tours/france-french-riviera/ferrari-driving-experience-from-monaco-cannes-nice-eze/?id=6743

 

which may be the same people who have moved on and up since I last was there but I don't know. Check trip advisor and see if you can find any references. I'll have another dig about and post again if I find anything.

 

EDIT The link in the post above appears to be the same people who previously did it in Monaco, I recognise the car registrations so they may not be in Monaco anymore.

[Newtoncruise]

Or take the train.....just a walk along the beach to the train station and take the train to Monaco for a few euros. Internal buses in the principality will get you around for a few euros more.

 

Not a port to take take an organised tour. Save your money for Rome or Naples. It is dangerous to wander around Naples I hear.......

[Metaxus]

We're reckoning on sightseeing round Monaco Ville seeing the palace and the cathedral, and then getting the little train from the Observatory round the Principality.

 

Not sure whether to do a round trip, and then get the No 1 bus to get from Monaco Ville to the Casino, or whether you can get off the train at the Casino?

Or is it is worth staying on the train for the whole tour from the Observatory back to the Observatory?

Can you stay on the train for 1 1/2 tours to the Casino, or would you have to pay again?

[agabbymama]

I'm confused. How do you know the OP is docking in Villafranche? When we did Grand Princess, we docked right in Monte Carlo.

 

BEWARE, Monte Carlo is very hilly. Up and down. We walked for about two hours (with lots of rest time) and never did reach the top of the hill. We made it to a gift shop about half way up, then turned around and went back to the ship.

 

We could see everything above us, but just couldn't get to it. MAJOR disappointment. I had gotten a very nice map from Monaco Tourist Office, and it said there were taxi's at the pier, BUT THERE WASN'T.

 

Just before sail away, we decided to go back to the small souvenir kiosk on the pier but had to go through a building as the gate was now closed. Well, we saw the tourist desk, my friend went over to complain about no taxi's and no easy access to the top. We were told there is an elevator and she would take us to it. But there was no time, our ship was leaving in about 45 minutes.

 

Now all that said, we are two older ladies with mobility issues. We can walk, just not fast and not far. Princess nor anyone else we asked told us how to get to the elevator. This was our first port, and it made us real leery of trying to do things on our own. We did do a few ship's tours after this debacle.

 

So while it's easy peasy to some, it wasn't for us.

[kalex59]

I'm confused. How do you know the OP is docking in Villafranche?

 

We were told there is an elevator and she would take us to it. But there was no time, our ship was leaving in about 45 minutes.

 

Now all that said, we are two older ladies with mobility issues. We can walk, just not fast and not far. Princess nor anyone else we asked told us how to get to the elevator. This was our first port, and it made us real leery of trying to do things on our own. We did do a few ship's tours after this debacle.

 

So while it's easy peasy to some, it wasn't for us.

 

OP stated sailing with RCI which docks(tenders) in Villefranche for Monaco/Nice for excursions listed.

 

I know there is an elevator to Monaco Ville, but I've never used it; it may have been marked on your map. It is a steep hill up to Monaco Ville but my 75 year old Mother in law, who has angina, managed it OK.

 

There are various other elevators around the principality to avoid the hills, all listed on wikipedia, amongst other places.

 

DIY in Monaco is about as straightforward as it gets, but that doesn't mean that you don't prepare, there are plentiful and cheap buses around Monaco, good transport links to Villefranche by bus and train and a little train to tour the principality.

 

If you have mobility problems then you need to consider your limitations and evaluate whether DIY is feasible; I can't think of another port where the main attractions are all in such a small area but to see them all still requires a fair amount of walking.

[lorrdean]

we are docking in Cannes, how easy is it to get to Monaco from there?

[wcook]

It's very easy to get from Cannes to Monaco on your own. Short walk to train station, tran to Monaco. However, it's pretty far, you can be spending a couple hours on the train, plus another waiting for trains, getting to the station etc.

[Hlitner]

The waiting time is not too bad. There is usually at least one train per hour (sometimes two) that go along the coastal line between Monte Carlo and Cannes. This same train also stops at a few other interesting places such as Antibes and Nice. I believe it normally takes about an hour (one way). The regional trains on this line are similar to commuter trains, are a single class, and do not require (or accept) any reservations. You can even take your bicycles on these trains. You simply buy your ticket at the train station (from the window or in vending machines) and validate your ticket in the stamp machine (you must do this or you can get fined) and hop on the next train. It takes a fast walker about 20 - 25 min to walk from the Cannes tender pier to the train station...and its a pretty nice walk since it takes you through some of the nice parts of Cannes.

 

Hank

[lorrdean]

The waiting time is not too bad. There is usually at least one train per hour (sometimes two) that go along the coastal line between Monte Carlo and Cannes. This same train also stops at a few other interesting places such as Antibes and Nice. I believe it normally takes about an hour (one way). The regional trains on this line are similar to commuter trains, are a single class, and do not require (or accept) any reservations. You can even take your bicycles on these trains. You simply buy your ticket at the train station (from the window or in vending machines) and validate your ticket in the stamp machine (you must do this or you can get fined) and hop on the next train. It takes a fast walker about 20 - 25 min to walk from the Cannes tender pier to the train station...and its a pretty nice walk since it takes you through some of the nice parts of Cannes.

 

Hank

 

 

thanks hank

that sounds easy enough, do we have to change trains? or is it the one all inclusive journey/

[Hlitner]

thanks hank

that sounds easy enough, do we have to change trains? or is it the one all inclusive journey/

 

No changing of trains is necessary. The same train line spans the entire coast.

 

Hank