Public Transportation in Villefranche

[tuft]

Dear Fellow Cruisers,

 

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of how efficient the public transportation is in Villefranche? Has anyone taken the train from Villefranche to Nice? Was it easy to get to the train station from the ship? Did anyone utilize public transportation from Nice to Monaco? St. Vincent? Eze? What was your experience? We have approximately 11 hours in port. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!

 

Peg

[Margarita Jane]

We have been in Villafrache a couple of times - once we took a ships tour to Nice and Eze; another time the transportation was on strike when we arrived, so we hooked up with another couple and hired a taxi to take us to Monaco..a bit pricey, but what are you going to do? The last time we were there we took a bus to Nice, and then changed buses and went to St. Paul and Vence. It was very easy, even with changing buses in Nice.

 

We will be there again in October and plan to take either a bus or train back to Nice. The bus stop was closer to the port than the train station.

 

~ Jane

[bmazzo]

The train In Villafranche is within walking distance from the tender point. We did Nice in the morning and the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo in the afternoon. The train is easy and efficient. Villefranche is located right in the middle of both and is less than a half hour frombetween them.

[terrydtx]

My personal experience in Europe is that the trains run on time, frequently and are for the most part very clean, safe and inexpensive!!:D The train runs along the water front to Nice and Monaco from Villefranche. This information I got right out of Rick Steve's guide book as I have not been to Villefranche, but have traveled in Italy and other areas in France using the trains.

[tuft]

Thanks, Jane and BMAZZO, for the information. Nice on our own sounded pretty manageable and you have confirmed it. I wish you both wonderful sailing ahead.

 

Thanks again,

 

Peg

[tuft]

Hi Terrydtx,

 

Thanks for your comments. I agree with you about the trains in Europe. My husband and I did a "Europe by Rail" tour several years ago and it was fantastic. Regarding our cruise (11/1/08 Summit, Med.) I did a lot of research in various guide books (love Rick Steeves!) regarding our ports of call. In some we are using private tours, others the ship's excursions and some on our own. For those we are doing on our own, such as Villefranche, with limited time in port, I just wanted to be sure it was as uncomplicated as the tour books made it out to be. We don't want to waste time chasing our tails!!

Thanks again for your help.

 

Peg

[Susan-M]

Hi Peg,

We took the bus from Villefranche to Eze and from Eze to Monaco, and the train back to Villefranche. There are quite a few posts on the Europe forum on this.

 

Using public transportation worked really well for us. Buses and trains were on time. Carrying bus/train schedules, a map, and having an itinerary planned out in advance (with a back up plan) made our day run very smoothly, with no waiting or guesswork as to how to get around. You'll also want to be aware of where the bus and train stops are in Villefranche, Nice, Monaco ... and like us, may have to ask for the occasional direction once there.

[nonnie1998]

Just FYI--we have friends who say this is a port you really don't have to leave--it is a very pretty city and very walkable--we have been to Monaco/Monte Carlo so we plan to just stay here while in port--so if you haven't been to other areas the train is a good way to go but if you have been to other spots this may be a good day to just stay put!

[Sky Sweet]

Dear Fellow Cruisers,

 

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of how efficient the public transportation is in Villefranche? Has anyone taken the train from Villefranche to Nice? Was it easy to get to the train station from the ship? Did anyone utilize public transportation from Nice to Monaco? St. Vincent? Eze? What was your experience? We have approximately 11 hours in port. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!

 

Peg

 

Hi Tuft :)

 

The train station is a short walk from the pier in Villefranche.

 

However, when we tried to take the train to Nice, we had an interesting experience. There were several trains going in the other direction while we were waiting for ours.

 

Fortunately, a local resident informed us that the trains were on strike going to Nice, but not in the other direction. She was nice enough to walk us to a bus stop where we were able to take a bus to Nice instead. We then took a taxi back to the ship.

 

I learned two things from that experience. Strikes in Europe can take place at a moments notice, and there were others in Italy that subsequently affected our cruise.

 

Secondly, people in France are very nice and helpful :)

[terrydtx]

Hi Tuft :)

 

The train station is a short walk from the pier in Villefranche.

 

However, when we tried to take the train to Nice, we had an interesting experience. There were several trains going in the other direction while we were waiting for ours.

 

Fortunately, a local resident informed us that the trains were on strike going to Nice, but not in the other direction. She was nice enough to walk us to a bus stop where we were able to take a bus to Nice instead. We then took a taxi back to the ship.

 

I learned two things from that experience. Strikes in Europe can take place at a moments notice, and there were others in Italy that subsequently affected our cruise.

 

Secondly, people in France are very nice and helpful :)

 

You are so right about the strikes, in 2006 when we were in Florence Italy for a week the trains were on strike for 2 days for about 4 hours each day.

 

The French in Southern France are very nice, but those who live in Paris are another story:eek: On the way to Florence we had to go through CDG airport in Paris and change terminals from International to domestic. All the directional signs are only in French and when we asked for directions it seemed like no one could or would speak with us in English to help. One person I asked for help actually turned his back on us when I spoke English. As a side note; in Florence Italy you will see directional signs in Italian, English, Spanish and even some German. I asked our waiter one night at a restaurant that had no menus in French why there was little or no French language anywhere in Florence. He told me if we did signs and menus in French they would come visit and we do not like French Tourists,:p

[barbarah33]

The train is VERY easy to use and right in Villefranche so no worries there at all. We took it in the AM to Nice and had a wonderful day walking around the town, etc. Then we went back to the ship, cleaned up and changed, got our passports and took the train again to Monte Carlo for dinner and the casino. (You need your passport to enter the casino.)

 

The only trouble we encountered at all was a lack of people to ask for help when we got off the train in Monte Carlo. The signs were not very clear as to where to go and we didn't see a cab at all. Luckily I happen to speak French - although I don't get much of a chance to practice here at home, so I went into a hotel and asked the front desk and the woman was more than happy to direct me to a cab. Omce we were down by the casino and major hotels there were no problems at all.

 

Enjoy your day - it's a wonderful one!!:cool:

[tuft]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful and insightful assistance regarding Villefranche. Here's to another successful adventure!!

 

Peg

[nerysj]

We have just returned from Villefranche..........as others have said, a beautiful place (you need not leave it)!! BUT we did.....a #100 bus leaves every 30 mins for Monaco and cost only Euro 1.00 pp!! You need to walk up th hill to the Octroi bus station. Slight climb up. The trip along the coast is beautiful. We took the train from Monaco to Nice ....these run frequently. Both buses and trains get VERY busy in summer, so be prepared to stand! The trains are more expensive than buses (and apparently NOT as reliable) When we return to Europe, we will most defintely stay in Villefranche..........it is idyllic.

 

Have a good trip:)

[med2cruise]

Susan,

 

I am on the Summit next week and was planning to do exactly what you are doing. Any more words of wisdom. I am traveling with a group of 8 people and wanted to use the trains and buses using the same route you did, trying to squeeze all of it in. Any recommendations would help.

 

Thanks,

Karen

[Cruising Blue]

Tuft and all, here is a link to a step by step explanation with pictures of how to get to the train station in Villefranche. I also went on to Google maps and zoomed in on the train station and surrounding area. Also saw some more pictures somewhere (I will have to try and remember).

 

Kay T

 

P.S. Wouldn't it be nice to be so organized as to take pictures of things like this to share with others. Ha!

[tuft]

Wow, Kay,

 

Great link you posted regarding the train in Villefranche. Things are always a bit easier when you have an idea of what to expect beforehand! Thanks.

 

Peg

[Susan-M]

Susan,

 

I am on the Summit next week and was planning to do exactly what you are doing. Any more words of wisdom. I am traveling with a group of 8 people and wanted to use the trains and buses using the same route you did, trying to squeeze all of it in. Any recommendations would help.

 

Thanks,

Karen

 

Hi Karen,

We were in Villefranche 3 years ago... here's some info based on what we did (sorry, it's a bit long...and hopefully not too confusing... if so, let me know what you need help with):

 

From the port in Villefranche, we walked up to the Octroi bus stop ... on this map, it is in the bottom left corner, where the green area (park) is ... there's a TI, and two bus stops shown. You'll catch the bus on the same side of the street as the park. http://www.villefranche-sur-mer.com/pages/plan/planville.html The ship docks at Port de la Sante, and the orange area is the Citadel...with the bus stops above. It's an uphill climb...about 10 minutes. We walked towards the Citadel and then up.

 

Catch bus #100 in Villefranche and get off at Eze Bord du Mer at either Eze David or Gare SNFC stop. Schedules: http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6&thm_id=538&gpl_id=0&lign_id=1092&sens=1&date=01%2F09%2F2008&index=16 Enter the date that you'll be there, and once the schedule comes up, you can see different times by clicking on "earlier" or "later" and you can also get the opposite direction.

If you have a schedule with stop names, you can keep track of the stops and then you'll know when to get off.

 

At Eze Bord du Mer, you'll transfer to Bus #83 which will take you up to Eze Village. #83 doesn't run that frequently, so I would try to co-ordinate your departure from Villefranche with #83 so that you aren't sitting at the bus stop in Eze Bord du Mer for an hour. You can find the schedule for #83 here: (see "Depart Eze Bord du Mer" in the 4th column of the chart for #83): http://www.eze-riviera.com/emotions/deplacement/ang/bus.htm

I would aim for a bus from V.F. at around 9:15 and then the 9:55 bus to Eze Village.

 

From Eze Village, you'll take #112 to Monte Carlo: http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6&thm_id=538&gpl_id=0&lign_id=1093&sens=1&date=10%2F09%2F2008&submit1=OK Again, this bus doesn't run that frequently, but if you know the schedule, you'll avoid waiting around for it. Probably the 12:50 bus would be a good one, which would get you to Monte Carlo at approx. 1:15. The schedule doesn't show Monte Carlo in the list of stops (instead, I think it shows the last stop in France, however, the bus does go to Monte Carlo). You can also see a simplified schedule for #112 on the schedule I posted above for Eze). Getting off in Monte Carlo was a bit of a guess ... the bus travels on a road above (uphill) from the Casino.

 

I'm sorry I don't have a link for the train schedule. It was a quick way back (although finding the station was interesting) .... bus #100 from Monte Carlo to V.F. would be OK too (no transfers required.)

 

Going to Eze, you can use the same ticket on Bus #100 and #83 (we validated it on #100 and again on #83). We were on Millennium and they gave us small maps of V.F. and Monte Carlo/Monaco. In addition, I had copied some pages from Rick Steves "Provence and the French Riviera" which were helpful for our day there.

 

Have fun ... you've picked a wonderful cruise (it's my favorite...so far)!

[tuft]

Susan, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a thorough review on Villefranche (et all) for us. I found it extremely helpful and informative. I love the enthusiasm for all the folks here on CC!! Thanks again and happy sailing in the future.

 

Peg

[nemaf]

Dear Fellow Cruisers,

 

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of how efficient the public transportation is in Villefranche? Has anyone taken the train from Villefranche to Nice? Was it easy to get to the train station from the ship? Did anyone utilize public transportation from Nice to Monaco? St. Vincent? Eze? What was your experience? We have approximately 11 hours in port. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!

 

Peg

 

A couple of years ago we stopped at Villefranche on a cruise and then public transport was excellent, I doubt if that has changed. A very efficient frequent and fast public bus service exists from VF to Nice and also eastward direction Monaco and Menton. If I recall it was bus no. 100 but the number might have changed. Between Nice and Monaco there is also a fast and frequent train service but you may need to walk and extra 300m or so to reach the town centres whereas the bus travels smack in the centres of the towns. Enjoy the cote d'Azur!

[Cruising Blue]

Hi Karen,

Catch bus #100 in Villefranche and get off at Eze Bord du Mer at either Eze David or Gare SNFC stop. Schedules: http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6&thm_id=538&gpl_id=0&lign_id=1092&sens=1&date=01%2F09%2F2008&index=16 Enter the date that you'll be there, and once the schedule comes up, you can see different times by clicking on "earlier" or "later" and you can also get the opposite direction.

If you have a schedule with stop names, you can keep track of the stops and then you'll know when to get off.

 

Susan, thanks for this great info. I can't get the above link to work. Going in starting at their home page also doesn't seem to work. Are there any other secrets? Maybe you have to download Adobe Reader for French? Oh well, thanks anyway.

 

Kay T

[Susan-M]

Peg & Kay... you're welcome.:)

 

Kay ... I'm not sure what happened. I was on the site last night and accessed the timetables for routes 100 and 112, but I can't access them tonight. I even checked my links after posting last night just to be sure that they brought up the correct page. :confused:

[med2cruise]

Susan,

 

Thank you very much for this - this will definetly help us. I am a first time cruiser and 1st time to the Mediterranean. You have eased some of my fears since I have 7 other people counting on me to get us to our destinations. We have one gentleman that's eyes are set on the casino even though we heard it was not as great as expected.

 

Thanks again for your help,

Karen

[Susan-M]

Hi Karen,

Thanks ... and hope your day in V.F. goes well!

 

Kay ... the website is working again, the problem must have been with the website and not our computers. It came up in French, but if you click on the U.J. and then go to 'timetables', the list of all route numbers comes up.

[Cruising Blue]

Hi Karen,

Kay ... the website is working again, the problem must have been with the website and not our computers. It came up in French, but if you click on the U.J. and then go to 'timetables', the list of all route numbers comes up.

 

Thanks, it is working now. I am going to pass on your info to some of my non-CC friends on this cruise if that is okay with you!

 

Kay T

[Cruising Blue]

Okay, Susan, here is another question.

 

Why can't you stay on the 100 line to Monaco? Did you go into Eze village to see the village or because the 100 line does not go into Monaco? Did it go closer the Monte Carlo area you wanted to see?

 

Kay T