Cannes + Monaco

[keeser]

I am just wondering if anyone can advise which would be best. I'm thinking of Monaco at moment but excursions from ship are expensive

Any ideas. Also is there any way of getting to go on the grand prix course or do they even do something like that. How long would the trip take by train and is Monaco big. I guess I'm wondering if I would be able to see the highlights and also worried that if i travel by train I will miss the ship or panic and get a taxi thus costing more than RCI trip

Also Pisa. How far is Pisa from port. I have read somewhere that RCI offer "on your own" trips but cannot get any info on them

Also considering a night in Barcelona. Any ideas on which hotel to pick - there are so many on line

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are my only source of advice

Thanks

[CruisingMouse]

I am just wondering if anyone can advise which would be best. I'm thinking of Monaco at moment but excursions from ship are expensive

Any ideas. Also is there any way of getting to go on the grand prix course or do they even do something like that. How long would the trip take by train and is Monaco big. I guess I'm wondering if I would be able to see the highlights and also worried that if i travel by train I will miss the ship or panic and get a taxi thus costing more than RCI trip

 

Also Pisa. How far is Pisa from port. I have read somewhere that RCI offer "on your own" trips but cannot get any info on them

 

Also considering a night in Barcelona. Any ideas on which hotel to pick - there are so many on line

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are my only source of advice

Thanks

 

 

Hi,

 

Not sure when you are sailing. But try this link for a read, they really helped me sort everything out.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1485875

[hubofhockey]

I am just wondering if anyone can advise which would be best. I'm thinking of Monaco at moment but excursions from ship are expensive You can take a bus to Nice for One Euro each way. It is a 10 to 15 minute walk to the bus stop. You can also walk from the ship to the aquarium.

Any ideas. Also is there any way of getting to go on the grand prix course or do they even do something like that. How long would the trip take by train and is Monaco big. I guess I'm wondering if I would be able to see the highlights and also worried that if i travel by train I will miss the ship or panic and get a taxi thus costing more than RCI trip

 

Also Pisa. How far is Pisa from port. I have read somewhere that RCI offer "on your own" trips but cannot get any info on them Just my opinion, but I would skip Pisa and get to Florence, enjoy the city and see Michaelangelo's David. It beats the Leaning Tower any day and Florence offers so much more.

 

Also considering a night in Barcelona. Any ideas on which hotel to pick - there are so many on line Hotel Jazz is very popular among folks on cruise critic. We have stayed at the Silken Gran Havana (nice) and Hotel Regina when there were four of us. Regina is very close to Ramblas. I would recommend more than one day in Barcelona. It deserves more time.

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are my only source of advice

Thanks

 

Hope my ideas above help. There are so many options from Monaco and I didn't mention Eze from there, which is also an easy bus ride and many people love that place. We have been to Nice twice. It all depends on what you like. You should research the area.

 

There is not much in Pisa other than the Leaning Tower, which is in the Field of Miracles. You could combine Pisa with Florence. But you would feel rushed in Florence. To me, Florence is amazing, even if you never stepped foot in a museum.

[macrompian1]

I am just wondering if anyone can advise which would be best. I'm thinking of Monaco at moment but excursions from ship are expensive

Any ideas. Also is there any way of getting to go on the grand prix course or do they even do something like that. How long would the trip take by train and is Monaco big. I guess I'm wondering if I would be able to see the highlights and also worried that if i travel by train I will miss the ship or panic and get a taxi thus costing more than RCI trip

 

Also Pisa. How far is Pisa from port. I have read somewhere that RCI offer "on your own" trips but cannot get any info on them

Also considering a night in Barcelona. Any ideas on which hotel to pick - there are so many on line

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are my only source of advice

Thanks

 

Hi Keeser, Welcome to Cc , my best advice would be have a good look around cruise critic threads , search for key words (like Monaco or grand prix) .The excursions on board are on the dear side but are worth it if you do not do your own research regarding distance from port & travel arrangements, because if you book through the ship, they must wait for you to return ,in case of delays. In Barcelona, we are staying on a side street of Las Ramblas, so that we can experience a little of what the city has to offer. :):)

[NorbertsNiece]

You can do Monaco easily on your own as described above. It's easy to walk around, visit the Casino, the infamous GP tunnel, the castle. I love it.

 

I've taken the RCCL bus where they drop you off in Pisa for a period of time and then on to Florence (they may reverse that). Worked perfect for us. Plenty of time to see the sights, eat, people watch and just breathe in the atmosphere.

[keeser]

Thank you all for your replies

Have any of you any experience of "on your own" tours which seem to be organised by RCCL.

 

Cant find any information on them other than they are available.

 

Tks so much

[cougfan]

We have done the RCI Rome and Florence "On your own" tours. You take a bus to a certain dropoff spot in the town. We had a guide on the bus who handed out maps and gave some history about the area. The guide was very good about telling us exactly how to get back to the bus at the end of the day. We were given a specific time to get back by. I had done a lot of research so I had an exact plan for when we were in the town. We also did Nice & Monaco "on your own" when we went to Villefrance. We took a bus to Nice, spent an hour or so, then took the bus to Monaco, spent a few hours, and then bused back to the port.

 

If you read the descriptions of the tours on the RCI website they are pretty good at explaining what is included in the tours.

 

Julie

[NorbertsNiece]

Thank you all for your replies

Have any of you any experience of "on your own" tours which seem to be organised by RCCL.

 

Cant find any information on them other than they are available.

 

Tks so much

Yeap. The one I did to Pisa & Florence was described as 'on your own'. They drop off at a certain point and arrange the time for you to be back there. We had ample time in both places to do what we wanted to do. This was when docked at Livorno. Having read how industrialised the port is I thought this was the best option for us to be independent yet supported with transport.

[jletsgo]

We stayed in the Hotel Regina in Barcelona and it was a really nice hotel and just one block off Las Ramblas. In my opinion Monaco is not worth going to...You need to pay 20 euro to get into the grand casino...If you take a RCL sponsored excursion you walk from the bus terminal to the grand casino via the gran prix route...Everyone in my party just thought it was a wasted excursion. Now for Pisa...RCI does offer a "on your own" excursion to Florence/Pisa and that was really nice....Enjoy

[Hlitner]

We are somewhat confused by your "Cannes + Monaco" heading. If you are saying that your port is Cannes and you want to go to Monaco you can do this on your own by simply getting to the Cannes train station (about a half hour walk) and taking the inexpensive train (about 1:10 each way). Once in MC you can use your feet (assuming you have no walking limitations) and public transit (or taxis) to get to the highlights.

 

Another good hotel option in Barcelona is the Hotel Colon which is perfectly located in the Gothic Quarter across the street from the Cathedral (ask for a Cathedral view room).

 

Hank

[newlifeca]

If you go to the france port of calls bulletin boards, you will find a lot of information to plan a do it yourself trip to Monaco. If your cruise lands in Villefrance, you can take a bus for about 1 Euro to Montecarlo. I want to say that it's bus #110, but don't take my word for it. (You'll find the information on the port of call board).

 

 

Regarding Pisa - We took the train from Livorgno to Pisa, it was about a 30-40 minute trip. The walk from the train station in Pisa to the Field of Miracles (where the leaning tower is) was quite a hike. If you have to chose between Pisa and Florence, go with Florence.

 

If you can squeeze in an extra day in Barcelona, it could be worth it. We stayed at the Hotel 1898. Great hotel, but not on the cheap side. It's on the Ramblas, right in the heart of everything.

[T. Advisor King]

I am just wondering if anyone can advise which would be best. I'm thinking of Monaco at moment but excursions from ship are expensive

Any ideas. Also is there any way of getting to go on the grand prix course or do they even do something like that. How long would the trip take by train and is Monaco big. I guess I'm wondering if I would be able to see the highlights and also worried that if i travel by train I will miss the ship or panic and get a taxi thus costing more than RCI trip

 

Also Pisa. How far is Pisa from port. I have read somewhere that RCI offer "on your own" trips but cannot get any info on them

 

Also considering a night in Barcelona. Any ideas on which hotel to pick - there are so many on line

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are my only source of advice

Thanks

 

Like Hitlner below, I'm also confused by your post. What city is your port?

 

Our cruise stopped in Monaco and we had fun just wandering around. We went to the Prince's Palace and happened to be there for the changing of the guard. It isn't exactly Buckingham Palace, but it was fun. Then we walked over to the Monte Carlo Casino. One poster said there is a 20E fee to get in, which sounds right. However, if you just want to be able to say that you went in the casino, you can walk in the front door into the reception room without actually paying the fee to get into the gaming rooms. The Grand Prix is a street course, so you are welcome to walk on it all you want, just watch out for traffic! The trains out of Monaco are frequent and reliable, but it is quite a distance from Monaco to Cannes, so make sure you know the schedules.

 

In Livorno, we rented a car off the dock and drove to Pisa, then Florence. I think it took about 25 minutes or so to get to Pisa. I understand the sentiment of those who say go to Florence rather than Pisa, but I would have chosen Pisa if I could have only picked one and, having been to both, I would have been happy with that choice. The Statue of David is probably the most remarkable piece of artwork I have ever seen. However, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is beyond iconic. It was fun to climb and stand on top of it. We spent at least 3 hours on the site just taking pictures and waiting for the time on our pre-purchased tower tickets.

 

I second Hiltner's recommendation of the Hotel Colon. We stayed there pre-cruise last summer and it was a great room at a great price in an excellent part of town. They even let me use the restroom and gave me directions to a laundromat when we came back after our cruise, a week later. We also got the "Cathedral view", and it was worth the extra few Euros. Barcelona is well worth a day, or two, if you can squeeze it in.

[keeser]

Thank you so much for your replies.

With regard to Monaco we dock in Cannes. I am bit worried about the train in case something happens and we end up late for Ship. Any recommendations on an excursion - 2 adults and 2 kids. RCCL or other without breaking the bank.

I see some excursions mention visiting a perfumery which I could do without considering all the lovely scenery. We would be thinking of spending 4 - 5 hours on this so we could walk around Cannes on return

 

RE Car hire to see Pisa. Would we have to pre book the car and any ideas on cost. We just want to see Pisa and feel it would be too much crammed in to do Florence in same day as well as kids want to spend as much time as possible on ship. I feel the leaning tower is something you always hear about and now is our one chance!

 

How is parking in Pisa. Is it a large city.

 

 

Any other help would be gratefully accepted.

[Hlitner]

I guess my response to Keeser is that if you want absolute guarantees then you should simply spend the big bucks and book all ship's tours. After thirty+ years of helping folks who want to do things on their own and save lots of money, we have learned not to push the point with those who have lots of fears such as missing the ship. As to hiring a car to drive to Pisa, you fail to ask...what if we have an accident or what if the car breaks down and we miss the ship (all valid questons). Personally, we would not rent a car just to go to Pisa. You can grab a taxi to the Livorno train station for about 20 Euros and take the cheap train to Pisa in about 20 min. If you really do want a rental car we suggest you book with the local Hertz franchiser (Sifracar.com) who has a very good record of being able to deliver their cars to the pier (not always easy with port security). A rental from them would probably cost around $150 and most cars in Italy are manual transmission (auto transmissions when available are costly). As to driving in Pisa, you also need to be cognizant of the ZTL (limited driving zones) which exists near the Tower. If you accidently stray into a ZTL your license plate is photographed and you get a nasty charge on your credit card (this can take months) which can be in excess of $100. When we park near the tower (after dodging the ZTLs) we normally find a free spot on the street within 8 or 10 blocks. There are also a few paid parking lots in the area.

 

Regarding excursions from Cannes, yes, they are all overpriced (the norm for cruise ships who see excursions as a profit center). We assume the tour to a perfumery will take you to Grasse which is certainly not one of the "highlight" places in this region. We once stopped at one of the perfume factories in Grasse (we do a lot of driving in this region) and DW actually made her own scent (you can do this at some of the factories) which she gave to her mother as a gift. Within a few months that scent in that perfume bottle faded to near nothing which was a real shock. You can look on the Roll Call for your cruise (here on CC) and perhaps find a private tour you can join with other passengers. Booking your own private excursions will be very expensive in France and again, you will have to live with the worry, "what if we miss the ship?"

 

Hank

 

P.S. The secret of DIY is always having a "Plan B." i.e. if the trains are late you might have to hire a taxi. or...sometimes we will even call it close getting back to the ship because we know its easy to catch-up the next day.

[T. Advisor King]

Other than re some smaller details, I agree with Hitliner.

 

The trains between Cannes and Monaco are regular and generally reliable. I would determine what time I wanted to be back to port and aim for the return train from Monaco that gets me back to Cannes an hour before that time, just in case there are any delays.

 

Hitlner may have been to Livorno more than my one trip. Our "Plan A" was to get a cab to the train station. But they announced a rail strike the night before. So "Plan B" involved getting a cab to Pisa. However, when we stepped out on the dock, there was an Avis agent there with a folding table and a row of shiny cars behind him. We rented an automatic on the spot for 95 or 100E.

 

Hintlner is right that there are "no fly zones" in the middle of Pisa and Florence. We had studied the map the day before to identify those sites and the closest parking areas to the Leaning Tower. I thought we were more like 3-4 blocks away, in an on-street pay area. It cost a couple euros for the meter and it was easy.

 

We also went to Florence that day and saw David and the car just gave us the flexibility to do what we wanted, when we wanted and not worry about bus or train schedules. We studied the no-go zones for Florence and parked in an underground parking lot just outside the zone.

 

I worry less about missing the ship in Europe -- especially when travelling the Italian coast because the worst thing that probably happens is you just buy a train ticket to the next port and catch up. It costs you 100 Euros or something for a family of four and depending on the schedule, maybe you get a cheap hotel to crash in if you arrive far enough ahead of the ship.

 

It's a different ballgame if you miss your ship in Cozumel and now you have to get yourself back to Houston.

[Cornishpastyman1]

You can do Monaco easily on your own as described above. It's easy to walk around, visit the Casino, the infamous GP tunnel, the castle.

Absolutely. We had a lovely day just strolling around

[Pamulla]

Just looking for info on Monaco. Docking in Monaco and would like to rent a car to go to Biot, Grasse, and Mougins. Unfortunately, it is on a Sunday. Any help would be appreciated. We have been to the area before and both have driven the Autoroute and the Corniches.

[Hlitner]

Just looking for info on Monaco. Docking in Monaco and would like to rent a car to go to Biot, Grasse, and Mougins. Unfortunately, it is on a Sunday. Any help would be appreciated. We have been to the area before and both have driven the Autoroute and the Corniches.

 

You might try contacting the local Europcar office in Monte Carlo. They are normally open on Sunday's until 12:30pm. It used to be possible to drop the car after hours...but this is something that should be confirmed. You might also be able to get this resolved by calling the Europcar toll free number.

 

Hank