Port at Villefranche - Best way to see Grand Casino?

[cruiser1025]

We will be in port at Villefranche, where I understand that we must be tendered to shore. We want to go to Grand Casino. I see many people on these threads saying that the cruise tours are crowded and make you feel a bit like herded cattle...not appealing to me. However, I also understand that the cruiselines give priority to people who have booked their tours for tendering and independent travelers end up waiting a long time to be tendered. Is the need to be tendered to shore enough reason to just go with the Royal Caribbean tour to Grand Casino? If not, I'd appreciate recommendations on the best way to travel independently to Grand Casino.

 

Thanks!

[HeinBloed]

We will be in port at Villefranche, where I understand that we must be tendered to shore. We want to go to Grand Casino. I see many people on these threads saying that the cruise tours are crowded and make you feel a bit like herded cattle...not appealing to me. However, I also understand that the cruiselines give priority to people who have booked their tours for tendering and independent travelers end up waiting a long time to be tendered. Is the need to be tendered to shore enough reason to just go with the Royal Caribbean tour to Grand Casino? If not, I'd appreciate recommendations on the best way to travel independently to Grand Casino.

 

Thanks!

 

You can easily go by bus or by train:

 

http://www.rca.tm.fr/ftp/FR_plan/Thermom%C3%A8tre%20100.pdf

 

http://www.rca.tm.fr/ftp/lignes/100%20FINALE.pdf

 

The Bus 100 takes you directy to the Casino.

 

http://www.ter-sncf.com/Images/FH04-Mandelieu-Grasse-Vintimiglia_ete_tcm21-63473.pdf

 

 

 

But do not forget the dressing code if you want to get inside to gamble.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[Kathy130]

HeinBloed.....you always have wonderful info. Can you get INTO the casino at all......slots only....for a few minutes without the dress code restriction? Is it just to move further into it that the dress code is enforced? We will be there next week.

 

Also, Princess is the only ship in port that day, so it should dock where? Would we take the bus /train/ or this elevator I keep hearing about to get to the Casino. Actually meeting a cousin from France at the port, so want to get this right. Thanks for any info.

[dlhoward]

How do you find out what ships are in the ports for the day?

[HeinBloed]

HeinBloed.....you always have wonderful info. Can you get INTO the casino at all......slots only....for a few minutes without the dress code restriction? Is it just to move further into it that the dress code is enforced? We will be there next week.

 

Also, Princess is the only ship in port that day, so it should dock where? Would we take the bus /train/ or this elevator I keep hearing about to get to the Casino. Actually meeting a cousin from France at the port, so want to get this right. Thanks for any info.

 

I don't know: we had only shorts and t-shirt on and I did not try to get in.

 

Check here:

 

http://en.montecarloresort.com/Casino-de-Monte-Carlo,507.html

 

Villefranche-sur-mer is a tender port. Everything is in walking distance there.

 

All ships arrives at the "Gare Maritime"-Tender Terminal.

 

 

Here is a map:

 

http://www.villefranche-sur-mer.org/pages/plan/planville.html

 

The terminal is located at Port de la Santé.

 

Click on "Se deplacer" and you see the bus routes.

 

The bus route is along Ave Foch.

 

Then you click to "Route" and a window in the bottom opens:

 

"Route Basse Corniche" and "03 Station" is the bus stop L'Octroi of the Bus 100.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[goldenmama]

We just did this while on a RCCL cruise. It is a very quick walk to the train station where we purchased RT tickets to Monaco. It was a 10 minute ride at the most from Villefranche to Monaco. It is super easy to walk around there on your own, and we found the casino quite easily.

 

I wouldn't spend money on a cruise tour there, as it is much more pleasant to be on your own.

[Kathy130]

*************

[HeinBloed]

How do you find out what ships are in the ports for the day?

 

My preferred website:

 

http://www.cruisecal.com

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[Kathy130]

cruise plus the letter after s...two times.....then dot com

[PekoePeony]

Kathy130:

 

My husband & I stayed in Monaco last year one night during our honeymoon (we drove all over France) and we decided to enter the Grand Casino. First, you need to pay about 10 euros/person to get in, which is a bit expensive, but I guess that's how they keep out the riff-raff. They do have a dress code (no shorts & tshirts) and they take your camera -- no photos allowed inside. We went in the evening so they might relax the dress code during the day, but I rather doubt it since the folks who worked there seemed a bit high on the instep.

 

The inside is stunningly ornate, with beautifully decorated high ceilings and a very regal feel. When we went in June, there weren't many guests so many of the rooms were empty, but there were a few tables of guests playing BlackJack (don't remember the minimum, I think it was 25 euros per hand). We mostly wandered around a bit, I think my husband played a few hands of BJ. There may have been slots as well but since we don't play slots, I didn't pay much attention.

 

If you want to gamble then there are some casinos in Nice (where we stayed the next couple of nights) with lower minimums, but of course they're nothing like the Grand Casino in terms of opulence.

 

Hope this helps,

Alice

[jascarb]

How do you find out what ships are in the ports for the day?

 

http://www.cruisett.com/

 

You don't have to sign up to look up the information on which ships are in port on this website. Information is available to all.