Only have 1/2 day in Monaco, thinking of Eze or Saint Paul De Vence

[gam888]

Carnival is docking in Monaco from 6am to 2pm. So if we get off the ship at 9am after breakfast, would have about 4 1/2 hour to sightsee, considering that Carnival would want passengers back on the ship before 1:30pm. We were in Villefrance before, we took a train to Monaco and visited the palace, casino etc, then we had a breif stop in Nice and didn't see much. We didn't have time to find the old town, we had just enough time to see a bit of the beach front. In any case, I heard that Eze and Saint Paul de Vence are two charming towns. In view of the fact that we don't have a long stop in port, would it be possible to take a train or bus to see both of these towns. Failing that, if there is only time to see one, which one would be more charming. Eze is closer to Monaco but my understanding is it's smaller? Any suggestions are welcome!What about Nice, is the old town charming? We are not overly impressed with the" bigcityness" of Nice from the little bit we have seen, but of course having just seen the area between the train station, down the shopping blvd to the beach front, it's a small slice of what the city might have to offer!? Is it faster to take a bus or train to Eze and/or Saint Paul de Vence? Anyone knows the price? Do they depart regularly?

[baggal]

Using public transportation, St. Paul de Vence is doable only by train or bus to Nice and then another bus. You'd have to check the schedules but it would probably take at least 1.5 hours to get there by public transportation, so I would scratch that idea - even though it was my favorite French Riviera stop.

 

I loved the Nice "Flower Market" and Old Town and some people think Eze is fantastic too. Either one would make a great leisurely morning excursion. Some of the private tour operators offer a half day tour. If you're going by car with someone who knows where they're driving, you might be able to squeeze in St. Paul de Vence.

[gam888]

Thanks Baggal!

 

What about Menton? it's east of Monaco. Do you know anything about this town? One of the Carnival's ship excursion combines Eze and Menton together, they want $50 for a 4 hour excursion. We have 5 of us, so for $250 I wonder if we can hire a private tour company. But I have heard bus and train tickets are really reasonable. Last time we took a train from Villefrance to Monaco for 5 Euros a person.

[sippican]

We did both Eze and St. Paul de Vence (along with brief stops a some lovely vantage points) on a four hour private tour with Exclusive Riviera. It was a bit pricey but worth every penny. I do not regret spending the money to see both, and loved St. Paul de Vence - each very unique in their own way.

Be aware that fellow cruisers mentioned long waits even for the short train ride to Eze.

[Hlitner]

A good reason to not book Carnival is because of these absurd port times. Since nothing in the south of France (or Monte Carlo) opens before 9am (and not much is happening at that hour) the first 3 hours of your port call are wasted. St Paul de Vence (one of my favorite places in this part of France) is not possible via public transit with those hours. Even Eze Village is not really doable by public transit since the 112 bus does not run very often. So if you want to go to Eze you should either take a tour or use a taxi. Given your hours in port, and depending on the day of the week, we would probably grab the 100 bus to Nice and go to the Flower Market.

 

Hank

[cberge]

I know Menton well,and you would need more time to see it than what time you have in port.Your port time is so short...do like Hank says..bus to Nice and the flower market.You would need a lot of time for St.P as well.

[gam888]

I know Menton well,and you would need more time to see it than what time you have in port.Your port time is so short...do like Hank says..bus to Nice and the flower market.You would need a lot of time for St.P as well.

 

Thanks everyone for replying my post. The ship docks from 6 - 2. I looked at some of the private tour company for a 4 hour tour. The 4 hour Carnival ship tour that goes to Eze and Menton for $50 seems almost reasonable. I have heard that the bus or train to Eze is just one or two Euros per person, but if it involve infrequent schedule and bad connection time, maybe it's worth it spending the money for the ship excursion so we can at least see two places within that short time. I found very little footage on You Tube on Menton, it looks like a big town, more modern? St Paul de Vence looks really charming, but it's probably too far to go on that short port time? Eze looks pretty charming as well. We prefer the old medieval towns and not so much bigger modern cities. Is there an old town section in Menton?

[gam888]

A good reason to not book Carnival is because of these absurd port times. Since nothing in the south of France (or Monte Carlo) opens before 9am (and not much is happening at that hour) the first 3 hours of your port call are wasted. St Paul de Vence (one of my favorite places in this part of France) is not possible via public transit with those hours. Even Eze Village is not really doable by public transit since the 112 bus does not run very often. So if you want to go to Eze you should either take a tour or use a taxi. Given your hours in port, and depending on the day of the week, we would probably grab the 100 bus to Nice and go to the Flower Market.

 

Hank

 

Thank you Hank for your info. Do you need to take a taxi from the Eze train station to the town itself? Any ideas how much it would cost? Could you please tell me what is the other bus combination, something about taking one bus and then getting another bus that would take you to the village? Since there are 5 of us, would it be better to just take a taxi all the way from Monaco to Eze? It looks like a really high climb up from the waterfront to the top of the hill, any idea how long it would take to walk all the way up and down again? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks in advance!

[Hlitner]

Try to picture Eze sitting high-up on a hill (along the Middle Corniche) with the Med being far below (great views from Eze). The train station is at a place called Eze/Bord sur Mer which is along the coast. There are three ways to get from that train station to the Village. 1. You can walk....but this is for serious hikers and takes about an hour (uphill). 2. You can take the local bus....but that bus does not coordinate with the train schedule so its luck if your timing is good. And...as I recall that bus line stops running for about 1 1/2 hours a mid-day. 3. A taxi. The problem is that there are very few taxis in this area and it is unlikely you will find any taxi waiting at the train station. There is a bar/cafe across the road where you could ask them to call for a taxi but there is no guarantee as to how fast they will come..... I am not sure of the cost but assume it would be about 15 Euros (one way) as taxis in this part of France are very expensive. As to a taxi from Monaco...with 5 that might make sense if you can find a taxi capable of taking 5 (many can only take 4). We are not sure of the taxi fare but would guess its in the 30-35 Euro range (each way). If you do take a taxi either arrange for the driver to come back or get a phone number where you can call to get a taxi.. We do not recall seeing taxis just waiting around at Eze (although you might get lucky). As to using the #112 bus to get back to Monoco, the only bus that works for your schedule stops at Eze Village at 11:30 (the next one is not until 2:30).

 

You might be aware that I am dislike cruise line excursions....however...in your particular situation that $50 tour to Menton and Eze might be a good option. We have actually stayed in Menton (one night) while on a driving trip from Italy to France and enjoyed the city. Menton is not high on our list of places to go, but it is a typical "shore" resort town with a nice walkway along the water and has its share of shops, cafes and restaurants.

 

Hank

[cberge]

Thanks everyone for replying my post. The ship docks from 6 - 2. I looked at some of the private tour company for a 4 hour tour. The 4 hour Carnival ship tour that goes to Eze and Menton for $50 seems almost reasonable. I have heard that the bus or train to Eze is just one or two Euros per person, but if it involve infrequent schedule and bad connection time, maybe it's worth it spending the money for the ship excursion so we can at least see two places within that short time. I found very little footage on You Tube on Menton, it looks like a big town, more modern? St Paul de Vence looks really charming, but it's probably too far to go on that short port time? Eze looks pretty charming as well. We prefer the old medieval towns and not so much bigger modern cities. Is there an old town section in Menton?

Check out Menton on Google.It is a more modern city as opposed to St. P which is a favorite place of mine,and there is an old section,but not like the old part of Nice per se.It is quaint to say the least.I totally agree with Hank on doing the ship's tour for Eze and Menton got the 50.00.Easier than you trying to get around on your own.