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Should I forego Eze?


bellagirl

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I guess part of that depends on what it is you want to see. I haven't been to St. Paul De Vence, so I can't comment on that.

 

But when I was in Villefranche, I had a half day as well. I believe we tendered at 7:00 am, and we left at about 2:00 pm.

 

In that amount of time, I was able to take the train to Eze bord du Mer, take a bus up to Eze Village and walk around for a bit, take a bus over to Monte Carlo, take a bus up to Monaco and the Palais area and walk around for a little bit, take the bus back to Monaco and then the train back to Villefranche, walking around Villefranche for a short time.

 

I will say that Eze and Monaco are vastly different. Eze is a sleepy little village high atop the mountain with stunning views out into the French Riviera. It's got small cobblestone lanes. It's famous for its perfume factory. It's one of those sleey, quiet way of life, medieval type of towns.

 

Monaco/Monte Carlo on the other hand is a sprawling country. It's fast, paced. Jet boats, upper class, oppulence. The Palais area up at Monaco is a bit more small cobblestone lanes, etc. But it's still different glitz and glamour compared to Eze.

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It really is a matter of personal preference. Our ship docked in Monaco in June, and our guide drove us around Monaco a bit first, following the Grand Prix path, since we could return on our own after our day tour. However, we really preferred our time in Nice (the lovely Chagall Museum), St. Paul de Vence, and Haut du Cagnes, with a brief stop at the end of our day for the Cathedral and Royal Palace in Monaco requested by others sharing our tour. As justducky stated, it really depends on what you want to see.

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Ricky-I've heard that the town of St. Paul is very artsy which sounds wonderful. Did you have a big tour with you and was it easy to navigate?

Thanks to all who have helped me out! Any further suggestions would also be appreciated! Shelly:)

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If you want to go to Eze from Villefranche by bus or by train....

 

By train: take the train from Villefranche to Eze bord du Mer, then transfer to a bus from Eze bord du Mer to Eze Village.

 

By bus: take a bus from Villefranche to Eze bord du Mer, then transfer to another bus from Eze bord du Mer to Eze Village

 

Either way, it requires you to change modes of transporation.

 

But rest assured, its very simple and easy. And cheap!

 

A taxi will cost more. But may be more convenient for not having to change modes of transportation. Not sure how difficult it may be to get a taxi from Eze back to Villefranche though.

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We went to both St Paul de Vence and Eze, and I had a strong preference for Eze. It is really small, and won't take much time. There are a few shops to wander around in, and a couple of restaurants with really nice views. It was interesting to me to walk through the city "streets" that were barely wider than I could reach from side to side with my arms spread........but I guess in the 1200's when it was established they did really need room for two cars going opposite directions.

 

St Paul seemed way more commercial to me. It came across as a "tourist trap" with lots and lots of expensive shops. I guess if you want shopping time it may be a better choice for you.

 

We also visited Nice and Monaco during our day there.....my preference was still Eze.

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We just returned from a cruise where we took a private tour that covered all that you mentioned. Monaco was a disappointment. St.Paul de Vence was our favorite. And Eze....the one place we had always wanted to visit (a place that we were determined to see and to return next year for a couple of nights) was a big disappointment. As has been said on these boards many times....it's a personal decision...and this person has decided not to return to Eze next year...we'll be booking Cinque Terre instead.

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We went to both St Paul de Vence and Eze, and I had a strong preference for Eze. It is really small, and won't take much time. There are a few shops to wander around in, and a couple of restaurants with really nice views. It was interesting to me to walk through the city "streets" that were barely wider than I could reach from side to side with my arms spread........but I guess in the 1200's when it was established they did really need room for two cars going opposite directions.

 

St Paul seemed way more commercial to me. It came across as a "tourist trap" with lots and lots of expensive shops. I guess if you want shopping time it may be a better choice for you.

 

We also visited Nice and Monaco during our day there.....my preference was still Eze.

 

Hi robbinsca,

 

Did you do a private tour or did you do this all on your own. We would like to do Nice, Monaco and Eze on our own via trains and buses. Do you think it's doable? We have a full day 7am to 7pm.

Thanks!

Monika

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  • 2 weeks later...

We docked in Monaco. Our guide took us to the changing of the guard at the Palace and the Cathedral. Then we went out to St. Paul de Vence, Nice and finally, Eze. We could have skipped Eze. It was like a trip through a maze. He gave us 20 minutes to work our way up to the top and then meet him in the parking lot. We saw little there, and it was trecherous. If you go to Eze, give yourself more than 20 minutes.

 

St Paul is a beautiful village with lots of art galleries, restaurants, shops and of course, history.

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St. Paul de Vence is a lovely village, although certainly oriented towards tourists, as are all of the villages in that area. It gets perhaps a bit fewer tour bus crowds than Eze. If you like art galleries, pottery shops, etc., St. Paul de Vence is a good choice. It's easy to walk around and has gorgeous stone buildings, many covered in flowering vines.

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