Private car or taxi from Monaco

[winefoodandsong]

We will be arriving in Monaco at 7 AM then spending the night there, leaving the next day at 6 PM. On one of the days, I would like to take a day trip using a taxi or a driver to Eze and St. Paul de Vence and other local cool spots but I don’t want to spend a bunch of money on it. I speak French fluently so that doesn’t worry me. Anybody have any experience with this?

[Hlitner]

We will be arriving in Monaco at 7 AM then spending the night there, leaving the next day at 6 PM. On one of the days, I would like to take a day trip using a taxi or a driver to Eze and St. Paul de Vence and other local cool spots but I don’t want to spend a bunch of money on it. I speak French fluently so that doesn’t worry me. Anybody have any experience with this?

 

You are not going to find any bargains if you plan on hiring a taxi or private/car driver for a day. The cost will be in the hundreds of Euros. Lower cost options include using public buses or simply renting a car. You might want to consider that the cost of taxis is actually more expensive then in many places of the USA.

 

Hank

[Ski Mom 2]

We will be one day in Monte Carlo and I was trying to decide if we should take the train to Nice and back. After further research, I found Hertz to have a favorable 1 day rate and have reserved a car to drive instead of taking the train.

[Hlitner]

We will be one day in Monte Carlo and I was trying to decide if we should take the train to Nice and back. After further research, I found Hertz to have a favorable 1 day rate and have reserved a car to drive instead of taking the train.

 

Just a warning. A majority of European rental cars are manual shift (stick shift)...which even includes Hertz. If you do not want or cannot drive a stick...make sure to specify that you MUST have an automatic. Your discovery actually works in most of Europe and North American ports. The price of a one day rental car is generally a fraction of the cost for 2 folks booking excursions. With a car you get maximum flexibility and can do what you want, when you want, with who you want :). The downside is somebody has to drive and not everyone likes driving.

 

I will suggest that if you primary goal is to go to Nice, then the train (or local bus) makes more sense then a rental car. But if you are expecting to go to multiple places then a rental car is perfect.

 

And I forgot to mention, in one of my previous posts, that if you (or anyone) drives out to St Paul de Vence...you might want to leave some time to drive over to the nearby Maeght Fondation...which is a fascinating art gallery for those that enjoy modern art (especially Miro). This museum is generally skipped by cruise line excursions...which is another good reason for DIY :).

 

Hank

[Fred321]

You can take the 100 bus from Monaco to Nice for about 1.50 euro each way. The bus runs about every 15 minutes all day at least until about 8PM. The ride takes about 30 minutes with some spectacular scenery. Sit on left side going to Nice or right coming back if possible. You can pay on the bus.

 

Trains run to Nice about every 20 to 30 minutes and will cost about 3-5 euro. Takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You can take the tram right outside the Nice central train station down to the old town of Nice and the Place Messina.

 

You may want to stop short of Nice and spend time in Villefranche sur Mer or Beaulieu sur Mer. Both have stops on the bus route and the train and are beautiful small towns that are just what you think of when you think of the Cote D'Azur. The movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with Michael Caine and Steve Martin was filmed in these towns so you can check before you go to see the scenery. If you stop in Beaulieu ask at the tourist office by the train station about the walk along the coast out to St Jean on Cap Ferrat. Wonderful little town on the most expensive piece of real estate anywhere. You can even walk right by David Nivens' old house.