Help with excursions please

[Essexlass2]

Hi

 

We have just booked a cruise with Cannes and Toulon on the itinerary. Ship excursions are so expensive and we normally do our own thing. However, we are unsure whether these ports of call are similar to the Caribbean in that there will be lots of taxis waiting at the port. We really prefer to make our own arrangements but haven't a clue where to start on the French Riviera ports and would appreciate some help.

 

From Cannes, is it possible to do Monaco and Monte Carlo under our own steam or by private tour operators (and how do we find these?)?

 

From Toulon, we really do not know whether its interesting to wander around the port or whether to try and make our way to Saint Tropez and/or Port Grimaud or maybe Aix en Provence.

 

I have been to most of these places many, many years ago but my husband has never been to these areas and, in particular, I know he would dearly love to visit Monaco, Monte Carlo and maybe even be able to enjoy seeing the Monaco Grand Prix route.

 

Any help, tips or advice will be very much appreciated by this young-at-heart and fairly active couple of seniors. :)

[JohninDC]

Buy a good guide book, or spend some time at your local library and take notes. It is easy to cab to the train station in Cannes and make your own way to Monte Carlo; there's also a local bus that will run you through Nice ot Monte Carlo - self guided walking tours, or even "smart phone" :o guided self tours are easy.

 

Sorry - can't help with Toulon. Good luck! :)

[NYCruiser23]

I am going to toulon next year, you do need to do some research, almost all of the really good sightseeing tours are 1 1/2 to 2 hours ride inland..we opted for a half day tour closer in since the rest of the cruise was so port intensive.

 

as for Monaco, you should be able to find a tour company way cheaper than the cruise ships, not sure how many of you there are but just do a search for private tour companies in nice and you should come up with something.

[kazu]

For Cannes - you can easily get to Monaco - we did a private tour with Sylvie diCristo last year and she is fantastic. Definitely one of our highlights last year :)Just another option:D

[Ashland]

We were in Toulon on a Sunday (first port on our western med) this past August..other than a walk up the main street and a farmers market (closes by noon) there was nothing to do in this port...But since in all our other ports we had DIY and private excursions planned we were prepared to have a quiet day there and back to the ship early to continue recovering from jet lag ;):)

[tomko2]

We stopped in Cannes two years ago and decided to enjoy the day there rather than take an excursion since Cannes was new to us.

Had a wonderful day. Walked around the town, enjoyed the beach, rode the Carousel, ate lunch at a lovely place near the water, wandered thru the shops, etc. Lots of photos in the link below.

 

All in all, we were very happy to spend the day in beautiful Cannes.

 

Kathy:)

[lalique]

For Cannes - you can easily get to Monaco - we did a private tour with Sylvie diCristo last year and she is fantastic. Definitely one of our highlights last year :)Just another option:D

Our group of 6 used Sylvie diCristo this past Oct. and she is a fantastic guide. We did Monaco - Monte Carlo, Eze and Nice. Would highly recommend her. You can cover so much more with a private guide and Sylvie is so much fun and very knowledgable.

[wantocruisemore]

Our group of 6 used Sylvie diCristo this past Oct. and she is a fantastic guide. We did Monaco - Monte Carlo, Eze and Nice. Would highly recommend her. You can cover so much more with a private guide and Sylvie is so much fun and very knowledgable.

 

 

What did you see in Nice? We'll be there in June and have booked with Ingrid with Kultours at Sylvie's recommendation (Sylvie was already booked). We plan to skip Monaco/Monte Carlo and concentrate on Nice, Eze and St. Paul de Vence.

[Adventurous Grandmom]

We used Revelation tours this past October with Michel as our guide. We had a fantastic day. He is very knowledgeable about the area and speaks wonderful English. We visited Cannes, Nice, Antibes and St. Paul du Vence. In Nice there is a wonderful flower market. Kathy

[BiggiB]

Since you will be arriving during Grand Prix weekend in Monaco, be aware of the traffic problems. Traffic is horrific that weekend and most of Monaco closed to public traffic anyway.

 

If your cruise company offers a tour to Monaco, I recommend to choose this option. They will guarantee that you will be back on board in time.

With trains, busses and streets congested with thousands of GP spectators, I would never take the chance to get stuck along the coast.

 

Monaco Ville and the areas of town further away from the race track (like the Exotic Garden or the Princesse Grace Rose Garden), are all open to the public. However, the Casinos will all be closed during day time, due to their location in and around the race course. Only the Casino at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel will be accessible during day time; they open at 2 p.m. and admission is free.

 

From Monaco Ville there is a nice view of most of the race course and admission to the "Rocher" is free of charge on Thursday. Formula 1 trials are scheduled for 10 a.m and 2 p.m., GP2-cars will run in between for trials - they are almost as fast and almost as noisy :) . More info: http://www.acm.mc

 

The atmosphere in Monaco is MOST exciting during the Grand Prix days and even for only a glimpse of car racing on Thursday it is worth the visit if you are a race car fan.

 

Enjoy!

[shoesonfire]

Our group of 6 used Sylvie diCristo this past Oct. and she is a fantastic guide. We did Monaco - Monte Carlo, Eze and Nice. Would highly recommend her. You can cover so much more with a private guide and Sylvie is so much fun and very knowledgable.

 

Hi, we're a group of 8 who will be in Nice in Oct. and have booked Sylvie diCristo for a full day tour. Can you give us an idea of the type of tour she gave you and any suggestions about what to include or what not? Thank you ahead of time for any tips you can offer.