Nice
 

We will be stopping in Nice, France as one of our ports on a cruise in May. We've been told by friends that we should have no problem doing sightseeing ourselves without spending the large $$$$ on tours...can anyone give some advice? How far the pier is from the sightseeing attractions, and from Monte Carlo & Monaco?

Are you sure it's Nice or Villefranche-sur-mer? I believe that is where the cruise ships drop anchor. Villefranche is a great little city to walk around. We were able to take the bus to Eze, and could have taken the train to Monaco. If you haven't been to France before and are short on time, the tour might be the way to go but if you are comfortable having an adventure, pick up a tour book such as Rick Steves and follow the directions. <BR><BR>Eze is a beautiful little midevil town on the top of a mountain with shops like Carmel, CA, a church, perfume factory, and great views. <BR><BR>We bought a beautiful painting there and found the gallery has a web site:<BR>www.ferrerogallery.com <BR><BR>Site on Eze with directions how to get there: http://www.eze-riviera.com/emotions/ang/welcome.html<BR><BR>Villefranche site: http://www.villefranche-sur-mer.com/...s_accueil.html

You are right, it is villefranche,(nice). Our ship docks at 10:00am and leaves at 11:00pm. Will there be local buses to take from the pier to Eze? and how far is it to Monaco from there? Do we need our passports to get into Monaco? Can we walk to sights of Villefranche from the pier? Thanks!

Dear Anna,<BR>If there isn't transportation supplied by the cruise ship, you can walk to the train station, Ville-Franche is small. There are frequent trains to Monaco, no you don't need a pass port. In Monaco, there is a public bus to either the Palace area and/or Monte Carlo. There is also a tourist type little train that takes people between the two for 6 euros.

Just a thought. If you are planning on visiting the casino in Monte Carlo, they require you to show your passport to get in.

There is a very nice TI in Villefranche that gives walking tours and gave us directions to the bus. Very easy. I especially enjoyed the walking tour of Villefranche (not much to see but interesting history in town). The fort was interesting too but Eze is beautiful.

Train travel is very easy. We were there last month and took the train from Menton (which is a great town) to Monte Carlo. When you get to Monte Carlo, make sure you find the right exit (the upper level avenue de Princess Charlotte). The walk to the casino will only be about five minutes. <BR><BR>It is true that you need a passport to get into "The Casino"; however, if you want to put a few coins in the slots, no passport is needed.<BR><BR>Hope this helps. Have fun.