Villefranche vs Eze

[Musigurl]

Is there enough to see in Villefranche or would it be better to take the bus/train to Eze?

 

Just looking to wander around, poke into a few shops, have lunch -- nothing major.

[Hlitner]

Is there enough to see in Villefranche or would it be better to take the bus/train to Eze?

 

Just looking to wander around, poke into a few shops, have lunch -- nothing major.

 

My suggestion would be to just wait until you get there and see if Villefranche satisfies your requirements. If not, you can always go to Eze or into Nice (Nice is nice). One nice thing about doing things on your own is the ability to be flexible (which is one reason why we rarely ever take a tour).

 

Personally, we would recommend taking an early bus to Nice where you can enjoy the Flower Market (on the Cours Selaya in the old town area) and then head back to the bus station where you can catch the bus to Eze. From Eze you can then take the bus down to the train station (and then back to Villefranche) or hike all the way down to the train station (this is the Eze/Bord sur Mer station).

 

 

 

Hank

Edited February 9, 2014 by Hlitner

[mskaufman]

I would recommend going to Eze early. If it takes up your day - great. If not, when you are done, go back to Villefranche and wander around. Links to both sets of pictures follow.

 

https://markandkareneurope2012.shutterfly.com/pictures/564

 

https://markandkareneurope2012.shutterfly.com/pictures/668

 

 

And Nice, as long as someone mentioned that. We were able to do all three in a port day.

 

https://markandkareneurope2012.shutterfly.com/pictures/626

[Fieldofdreams]

mskautman -

 

Wonder if you would share how you got to Eze from the port in Villefranche. My understanding is that getting to the train station is a bit of a hike uphill, or if you take a bus it drops you off at the bottom of Eze and you have to take another bus or walk. We were thinking of just taking a taxi, a bit expensive $40-60 each way, but it might save with time and trying to figure out bus/train schedules. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[mskaufman]

Hi Fieldofdreams, We went through the exact same questions that you are asking. In the end we took a ship's tour to Nice and Eze. That let us wander around Villefranche in the morning and go back to the ship for an early lunch. The 1/2 tour went to Nice and then Eze. Had time on our own in both places. I don't remember the cost but we would never have gotten as much done that day on our own.

[Hlitner]

Ok, so I will answer the question of how you get to Eze on public transit. You can use either the public regional bus (such as the #100 bus) or the train to get between Villefranche and Eze/Bord sur Mer (which is a train station and a bus stop along the lower coastal road). Once at Eze/Bord sur Mer there is another bus that can take you to Eze Village...but this bus does not run as often as one would hope :(. It is also possible to get to Eze Village from either Nice or Monte Carlo on a different bus route....but even these buses do not run as often as one would hope (sometimes can be more then an hour between buses) so one must plan their day around these bus schedules. This is one reason why DW and I prefer to have a rental car when we are in the South of France. Unless you are simply going to major cities (i.e. Nice, Monte Carlo, Eze, Cannes) the public transit options can leave you spending an awful lot of time waiting. Popular places like Eze Village and St Paul de Vence (one of our favorite places in the entire region) are not well-served by public transit.

 

Hank

[cruiseathon]

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a fantastic place to spend a day, so unless you have done it before, there's no need to rush around like a headless chicken visiting other places. The two stars are the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (about a 20 minute walk onwards from Villefranche beach) and Villa Kerylon (a bit beyond). Villa Ephrussi is very impressive, with beautiful gardens and is well worth a visit (and the Baroness had an amazing collection of furniture made for her dogs!). Villa Kerylon likewise. Then there's the gorgeous beach, and finally the fort and (frankly less exciting) the underground? street. I've attached a couple of pictures - one of Villa Ephrussi, taken during the musical fountains - better than it looks ;) and the other of Villefranche beach.

Edited February 11, 2014 by cruiseathon