Need Eze Village Information!!!!! PLEASE!
 

Hi - My husband and I will be in the French Riviera region in a few weeks and wanted to include the must talked about day trip to Eze and Monaco. We are planning to leave early in the morning from Nice - the delima is whether to take the bus or train.

What are the differences in travel time between the 2? The reason being - I understand that the Train drops you off at Eze Sur Mer - which requires a further hike up to the village - which we do NOT want to do since we have heard TERRIBLE things about it. I think there is a shuttle that take you up? If so, how frequent is it and what are the costs?

The Bus however, supposedly drops you off at the entrance to the village. I want to know from fodorites that have been to Eze - which method they took and how simple/difficult it was. Considering the fact that we do want to continue the journey to Monaco afterwards - should we bus/train that? PLEASE PLEASE HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT!

Don't know about bus but must be frequent service but I took the train to the seaside station and hiked an unfathomable number - hundreds - up to Eze. Not sure Eze is that wonderful, it's nice but except for the kitschy perfume "plant" not much here except for rave views over the coast. If going by train I highly recommend walking between the Cap d'Ail train station two miles along paved flat footpaths along a gorgeous undeveloped coast to Monaco, where you can rail back to Nice. The Cap' d'Ail-Eze walk is spectacular and lets you see the real beauty of the Riviera and its azur-hued water. Cap' d'ail is just a short stop beyond the Eze station. Personally I enjoyed day trips to Grasse, where the real perfume factories are, especially to St. Paul and St. Paul-du-Vence, two superb villages with views, though not as spectacular as at Eze because Eze is on a cliff right over the coast.

Last Sept we took the bus from Beaulieu sur Mer [east of Nice] to Eze sur Mer. We then had to buy tickets at the small building along the highway for the winding bus ride up to Eze Ville. The tickets were rather expensive and the bus left hourly [approx]. But it's better than hiking down the Niche Trail, which I did 19 years ago. I'm pretty sure footed but my leg collapsed and I got cut on the stones. You can get back on the bus you came on and continue on to Monaco. From Monaco you can take the train to Nice. There are some nice restaurants in Eze Village at which to have lunch. Service on the Chateau Eza was awful but the view is terrific.

I've never taken the train, or driven, along the coast so I don't know how scenic that is but one advantage of taking the bus from Nice to Eze Village on the Moyenne (middle) Corniche road is that you'll get great views from that road. I've never taken the bus (always driven) but I'm sure the bus also goes between Eze Village and Monaco.

One recommendation for Eze Village: get there very early or late in the day to avoid the hordes of tourists. I've been there during the day (once) and late in the day (numerous times) and the village has a completely different feel to it when you're one of the few people there.

I assume when you mention 'Niche Trail' you are talking about a walk up from a parking lot to the village. ?? Just how long, and how steep is this trail? I really want to do it but my husband has what I call rugby knees.

Daph: so when you took the bus the dropped you off at Eze Sur Mer? Hmm - I thought I read that they drop you off at the entrance to the village. So in either case (Train/Bus) you have to take a shuttle but up to the village?

Do you all think there is much of a travel time difference between bus ot train?

hopingtotravel,
I think the "niche" trail is the one that goes all the way down to the sea.

If you're driving, you can park just below Eze and walk up to town-- we did that a couple of years ago.

It is steep, but you can take your time and stop in little shops on the way up, so it's not too bad.

Walking all the way up from the sea would be quite a bit more daunting.

I took the trains and unfathomably steep stairs but I saw a bus stand just outside the old village, up above.

Thanks Marcy. That sounds encouraging.

We hiked the Niche Trail from Eze village down to the sea [Eze au Bord de Mer?]. It definately did not have any shops or restaurants. It is just a trail down the side of a mountain. The local bus that we took from the highway [middle Corniche, I think] last summer did leave us right off at the entrance to Eze village. I was wrong to say that it left us at Eze au Bord de Mer. Sorry! There was nothing much there but the small port that you can see from way above and a large apt building, which I had wanted to hike down to, thinking that it was a nice hotel.