tour guide in nice, france

[spots25]

curise ends in nice,. anyone know of a tour guide to take 4 people around for the day? we have the whole day and night. any suggestions on where to eat dinner in nice?

[CintiPam]

Sylvie di Cristo is an excellent tour guide in the Cote d'Azur. If you search her name on these boards, you will read many happy reviews.

 

We spent a day with her in June on a van tour organized by fellow roll call members who had used her services previously. She is reachable at:

 

Sylvie.di.cristo@wanadoo.fr.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[CorgiGuy]

I don't know where you are staying in Nice, but if its' anywhere near the "Old Town" section I don't think a tour guide is necessary. One can easily send the better part of a day exploring in & around the Old Town section. IMO

 

Last September before our cruise, we spent two days @ Hotel Suisse in Nice. Half a day was spent on a tour with Michel of Revelation Tours exploring the nearby towns of St Paul di Vence, Tourrettes Sur Loup & Valbonne. HIGHLY recommend Michel and Revelation Tours First class experience!!!

 

But again, we used them to explore outside of Nice.

 

If you are staying Near Old Town, you might find my post under the thread "What is there to do in Nice", of interest.

 

Restaurant suggestion in Nice: If your looking for a quality Nicoise experience, I highly suggest La Merenda @ 4 rue Terrasse (At the far end of Old Town, when walking toward airport). The chief is from Le Chantecler, which is a very well know (And expensive) restaurant on the Promenade des Anglais.

 

The place does not have a phone, so you have to go there in the afternoon to make reservation for later that evening. We went around 3pm, if there is a bike in front of the restaurant, you know the owner is there to take reservations. It is worth the effort. Everything was very fresh & delicious.

 

Have a great time.

 

Anthony

 

[Peteymil]

Sylvie di Cristo is an excellent tour guide in the Cote d'Azur. If you search her name on these boards, you will read many happy reviews.

 

We spent a day with her in June on a van tour organized by fellow roll call members who had used her services previously. She is reachable at:

 

Sylvie.di.cristo@wanadoo.fr.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

I absolutely would second the vote for Sylvie. We had an incredible day with her.

[jane02]

I am currently on the Silver Whisper. We spent all day with Michel of Revelation Tours today- we are docked at Monte Carlo.

He was absolutely fantastic and so knowledgable. We spent quite a bit of time in Nice this morning - Michel lives in Nice.

I would definately recommend him.

[boneshaker]

I absolutely would second the vote for Sylvie. We had an incredible day with her.

 

We're sailing 10/11 Voyager of the Seas and had her booked since June. She just emailed us today saying she some how "double booked" for that day and canceled us at the last minute!

[CintiPam]

We're sailing 10/11 Voyager of the Seas and had her booked since June. She just emailed us today saying she some how "double booked" for that day and canceled us at the last minute!

 

I am both very sorry and very surprised. But this is hardly the last minute.

[boneshaker]

I am both very sorry and very surprised. But this is hardly the last minute.

 

What I meant by "last minute" is that she just realized after 3 months that she was double booked. A lot of the better guides are already full.

[CintiPam]

A lot of the better guides are already full.

 

Are both Revelation Tours and Dream Tours fully booked? They get quite a lot of positive comments on these boards, and business definitely is down this year.

 

Good luck!

[boneshaker]

Are both Revelation Tours and Dream Tours fully booked? They get quite a lot of positive comments on these boards, and business definitely is down this year.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks! I have emails out to both of them but no response so far. Two others I tried are booked. We'll find something. We just thought we had all our ducks in a row if you know what I mean.

[CintiPam]

Thanks! I have emails out to both of them but no response so far. Two others I tried are booked. We'll find something. We just thought we had all our ducks in a row if you know what I mean.

 

Yes, I completely understand.

 

Worst case scenario: public transportation there is good. However, IMO, the problem with DIY for the first-time visitor, as we were in June, was that there were several geographically spread-out places that we wanted to visit (unlike our day in Sorrento when Pompeii was our main destination), so travellling in a van with a guide saved a lot of time waiting for the bus or train.

 

On our next trip, in May 2010, we will go DIY because our ship will be in Nice in the morning, and we will catch up with it in Monaco at the end of the day.

 

BTW, Rick Steves' has a guidebook just on Provence and the French Riviera which contains superb and detailed practical information for DIY in Nice, which you might want to check out in your local library or bookstore. It includes transportation information, walking tours of Old Nice, and sight tours, such as for the lovely Chagall Museum there. We have used Rick Steves' guidebooks for all of our DIY in Europe in the past seven years, and they are wonderful, particularly good for art and local flavors.

[lindaann]

We are experienced Mediterranean cruisers and take private tours wherever possible. We used Michel from Revelation Tours this summer when we docked in Monaco on the Royal Princess.

 

The tour with Michel was one of the best we've ever had. Michel is amazing. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and took us from Monaco, to Eze, St.Paul de Vence, Gourdons, Tourettes sur Loupes. and Nice. He drove us through the most amazing scenic areas with breathtaking views. It was a fantastic day.

 

You have made a great choice!

 

Linda

[wandererof the world]

Toured with Michel w/ Revelation Tours 9/4, Nice to Monte Carlo-

EXCELLENT guide--knowlegeable, personable and prompt.

Hope to return to the Cote d'Azur and would definitely use him again.

[JD3]

We used dream tours (http://www.dream-tours.com), and had a wonderful day. Frederic was a GREAT tour guide, and personalized the tour to our needs. We went to Antibes, St.Paul de Vence,Eze, Monaco,La Turbie(with another Medieval village called Le Trophee d'Auguste)which was high up overlooking Monaco. Here we had a great lunch at a local place called Cafe de la Fontaine.The best of all was our last stop in Italy, where we went to a town called DolceAcqua. There is another 15th century castle/village here, where there are art shops, and wine makers. We tried the local wine at a local place called Bar California, and bought a couple bottles to bring home. I would highly recommend DTours.

[NANCYR2]

We have toured with Michel of Revelation Tours twice in the last 3 years. Those were the best tours we have ever taken. We are booked again with him this year on Nov 6th.

[maccruising]

We used dream tours (http://www.dream-tours.com), and had a wonderful day. Frederic was a GREAT tour guide, and personalized the tour to our needs. We went to Antibes, St.Paul de Vence,Eze, Monaco,La Turbie(with another Medieval village called Le Trophee d'Auguste)which was high up overlooking Monaco. Here we had a great lunch at a local place called Cafe de la Fontaine.The best of all was our last stop in Italy, where we went to a town called DolceAcqua. There is another 15th century castle/village here, where there are art shops, and wine makers. We tried the local wine at a local place called Bar California, and bought a couple bottles to bring home. I would highly recommend DTours.

 

We just toured with Dream-Tours on Oct. 1st. I cannot say enough good praises for Frederic! He went above and beyond our requests and expectations. LOVED St. Paul de Vence - its not to be missed!

[bsteiney]

What about Sunday's? We will be docked in Cannes on Sunday 11/15 and thinking about a trip to Nice but wondering if shops, sights and restaurants will be open. We are also wondering about the train service on a weekend day.

[BandBinPA]

I absolutely would second the vote for Sylvie. We had an incredible day with her.

 

Another vote for Sylvie Di Cristo. She was a terrific guide for Nice, Eze and Monaco. Loved her!

 

Bonnie and Ben in PA

[Cruise Junky]

Add me to the Sylvie list. She was amazing. We met Michael in St. Paul and he also seemed nice. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the recommendations you've received. There are some excellent guides on the Cote d'Azur.

[sbb]

We just returned from our Med. cruise and used Frank from Revelation Tours. He was professional, prompt, friendly, and full of information. From Cannes, we visited Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and St. Paul de Vence. Since we were there on a Sunday and most stores are closed in France, this was a good itinerary where shops are open in Eze and St. Paul. He stopped along the way several times for some great picture taking. The women nicknamed him Fabio! ;)

[bellagirl]

We just returned a couple of days ago from the Med. and on the recommendation of a friend, chose Catherine. She was absolutely amazing!! There were 6 of us in all and she kept us amused throughout the entire day. She knows whereof she speaks and even has the low-down on some famous people!!! We had 8 hrs. with her and travelled to such wonderful places as St. Paul de Vence, Antibes,Eze,Monte Carlo,Monaco,Nice and Cannes.

I would definitely recommend her and would use her again if we are ever fortunate enough to return. Her e-mail is contact@traveltourprestige.com. She is very quick to reply to her mail. :)

[CintiPam]

We had 8 hrs. with her and travelled to such wonderful places as St. Paul de Vence, Antibes,Eze,Monte Carlo,Monaco,Nice and Cannes.

 

I am glad you enjoyed your tour, but did you actually stop anywhere?:D

[bellagirl]

We stopped at all the places mentioned and even had time for a wonderful local lunch in Nice. We stopped at a local farmer's market near Antibes plus stopped in Monaco at the palace and cathedral for some pics. My fav.stops were in St.Paul and Eze with all the little boutique shops.

Catherine knows how to utilize the time wisely and we greatly aPpreciated her special touch.

[CarribeanOrBust]

I've been stalking this post for a little bit now, as I'll be on my honeymoon cruise in June, with the first stop being Villefranche for 11 hours. I've taken what I believe are the top three tour guides/companies and compiled a price and destination chart. What I am wondering is, with all else being equal, why would I not go with the cheapest tour guide? All three have received rave reviews above, so it seems like a numbers game now. Below are my findings, hopefully the formatting doesn't get screwed up. You'll notice that not all tours go to the same spots, as the spots listed are the recommended tours I was given after contacting each tour. I'm sure all can be altered to be identical:

 

-Revelation Tours (http://www.revelation-tours.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/300; 3/200; 4/150; 5/120; 6/100; 7/85; 8/75

-Dream Tours (http://www.dream-tours.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/240; 3/160; 4/120; 5/110; 6/95; 7/85; 8/75

-Travel Tour Prestige (http://www.traveltourprestige.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Antibes

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/200; 3/133; 4/100; 5/80; 6/65

[cbowler]

I've been stalking this post for a little bit now, as I'll be on my honeymoon cruise in June, with the first stop being Villefranche for 11 hours. I've taken what I believe are the top three tour guides/companies and compiled a price and destination chart. What I am wondering is, with all else being equal, why would I not go with the cheapest tour guide? All three have received rave reviews above, so it seems like a numbers game now. Below are my findings, hopefully the formatting doesn't get screwed up. You'll notice that not all tours go to the same spots, as the spots listed are the recommended tours I was given after contacting each tour. I'm sure all can be altered to be identical:

 

-Revelation Tours (http://www.revelation-tours.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/300; 3/200; 4/150; 5/120; 6/100; 7/85; 8/75

-Dream Tours (http://www.dream-tours.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/240; 3/160; 4/120; 5/110; 6/95; 7/85; 8/75

-Travel Tour Prestige (http://www.traveltourprestige.com/)

Nice, St. Paul du Vence, Eze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Antibes

Persons/Per Person Rate (in Euros): 2/200; 3/133; 4/100; 5/80; 6/65

 

I know what you mean! I've been thinking the same thing for a long while now. They all seem to have great reviews so why spend the extra money? We actually ended up booking Sylvie di Cristo because her rate was even far less than the 3 you mentioned and people seem to love her as well. Just thought I'd chime in on the subject. :) Good luck with whatever you decide is the right tour guide for you.