Nice or Monte-Carlo
 

My husband and I will be traveling to Europe for the first time in October. Our plans are to fly into Paris for 4 days then rail to either Nice/Monte-Carlo. My first question is which city should we stay in. I think we're planning to be in that area for about 3 nights then rail on to Florence for 3 nights and finish in Venice for 3-4 nights.Any suggestions?

Well I wouldn't pick Monte Carlo as a base. There aren't enough hotels to choose from and it's not as interesting as other options. It would help to know your tastes (ie big 4* hotel or small charming b & b) & budget because there are lots of options besides Nice. Also, whether you plan on renting a car in this area.

I would not pick Monte Carlo either - it's one of my least favorite places in that area. Nice is a lot more interesting & has plenty of things to do.

Stu Dudley

IMHO Monte Carlo makes a nice day trip.

The train is easy up and down the coast and you can stop at Eze, etc from the Nice tain station.

Nice is a fascinating city with a myriad of neat aspects - Monaco/Monte Carlo is a sideshow!

It depends on your taste. Monaco is traditionally more expensive. But I preferred it over Nice or Cannes (cleaner MHO). Nice is more relaxed and hometown friendly than Monaco. Overall, I think Nice is more central for daytrips. Actually I prefer Menton on the France--Italy border. Beautiful but not a well known town.

I prefer Nice. You can take day trips from there (including to Monte Carlo) and be home in Nice in the evening. Enjoy. I'm envious! CJ

I think saying that Monaco is clean is an understatment. It reminded me of a hospital.

Nice is full of life and your choice of relaxing by the beach or going to museums and other sightseeing.

Have you timed the train trip between Nice and Firenze? I would think it would be quite long. You might check into seeing if you can fly between Nice and Pisa/Firenze.

Nice is an authentic city with character. Monaco is not.

flagging

We thought that Monaco felt like a movie set rather than a living city: it's just too perfect.

I went to Nice once on a 24 hour layover years ago when I used to fly, and I LOVED it. So charming, cute little seacoast town, quaint and intimate feeling.

It probably has changed some, but for 30 years now it has stayed in my mind as one of the most picturesque places I have traveled to...if this helps you.

Ditto on timing the train. If I remember correctly, it takes a roundabout way from Nice to Northern Italy to get to Florence. I mapped it out on mapquest and it took less time to rent a car and drive than taking the train.

Something I read before our recent trip to Nice called Monaco "an unhappy compound of Beverly Hills and Miami." We opted to view it only from far above, while driving along the corniche.

Heavens, Nice is not a quaint charming little town any more; it's definitely a city, but a wonderful one to visit. We loved it there; you can see photos of our Christmas trip at:
http://rozault.com/riviera2005

Nice it is. Thanks to all of you. I really enjoyed the pictures!

Loved the photos nonnafelice. I <font color="green">hope</font> you bought those garden gnomes ;)

I would have had fun getting those garden gnomes home on Air France!! I did buy a little chess set for my grandson at the Antibes market, and later discovered what a terrible bargainer I am. I got it for less than the price it was marked, but then later on in Nice I saw a street vendor selling the exact same thing with an even lower starting price than what I paid. So I'm sure I should have offered MUCH less, but I am no good at that kind of hassling. No wonder the woman at the stall seemed so happy when I handed over my money!

My kids were amazed by the policemen in Monaco; they look so immaculate, with their spotless white gloves.
Even though it is an extremely clean place, one of my children still managed to step in dog mess. Wearing sandals. And then we witnessed a fire at the posh Spa right on the seafront, opposite the Casino. Not a typical day in Monaco I suppose.
If you're only in Nice for 3 nights, I would not visit Monaco; plenty of prettier places nearby.

There is a public bus that goes from Nice to Monaco - along the coast line. Wonderful views (and cheap!).

Nice, definitely. Don't know what your price range is, but I highly recommend the Hotel Le Grimaldi. Make sure you request a superior room, though, as they are vastly - well - superior. I think it will run you around $185 euros per night. Very lovely.

Actually, the train from Nice to Monaco is probably more scenic as I think the train tracks are closer to the water than the road. Wonderful views.

nice is quite lovely for a few days....the old town is nice to wander in .....the old russian church is a must see...

several medium priced hotels....the beach is only so so...

an easy over nite ride to corsica can be made from nice....

i would not waste my time on monaco honestly...

Hello from Detroit..
Just got back From touring the South of France. We stayed in Nice (the Hotel was a DUMP) but the city was Beautiful. I loved walking around just absorbing the French way of life. I ate at least 2 salads a day because they were so good and fresh. And the Bread! Forgetaboutit. I have a bread roll around my waist right now. I ate so much bread in France. Only someone dead could resist.
Monaco, what a Country. I must say I considered Cancun to have the MOST Beautiful Water in the world. I was wrong. Monaco has the MOST beautiful. I could not take my eyes off the shoreline. I stood where the Palace is and looked over the water forever. It is just mind blowing. The entire Place is Fantastic. And the best part for Me NO TAXES for the Locals. I loved that. I kept repeating that in my Head all day.
The prices of Food and Trinkets were very reasonable too. I also bought pre-posted postcard to mail, and that made it so much easier to mail.
I got the chance to watch the changing of the Guards which was really cool. But very crowded. Thank God I'm 6', I was able to take pic's from above My head. The Police there are Large and in charge. They are everywhere. I felt very comfortable with the Police surrounding Us everywhere we walked. And they are awfully cute too.
I suggest You stay in Nice and take the train back and forth to Monaco. It's fast and cheap. We let several students and teachers stay behind in Monaco and take the train back to Nice. But be aware there are 3 train stations in Monaco.
Take the best Camera You got to Monaco, You will take many many shots. The views are Awesome and the Medd. is so blue it reminded me of Heaven. Not like I've been there Yet, just what I think it may look like.
I must say the shopping in Nice is great. I got some great deals while there. The good shopping is on the Blvd. that has major constrution. That was a pain in the a**. But I loved flirting with the Consrt. Workers. Oh La La.
Walk down to the Sea, and it will be like walking up to a dream of blue clouds. Some of our group actually got in the water, just up to their knee's. There were locals out swimming, and I couldn't believe it. God Bless em. It is a very nice walk along the sea. They have a wonderful boardwalk there, and lots of places to stop and eat or get coffee. Rent a bike if Your up to it. That looked like alot of fun.
Take lots of Money, You'll spend it. Hopefully like Me, on Food.

Mclaurie, last November I took the bus No100 from Nice to Eze-Mer (a little more than half the way to Monaco) and the route was mostly along the coast, closer than the train rail. I had taken train to Menton and Ventimiglia before but now BUS no100 is my favorite mean of transportation when I go to that direction. Not only the view was better than from the train, the price was a lot cheaper. EURO1.30 for any distance between Nice and Menton. Still you better be careful if you are in a hurry. Just before getting back into Nice in the late afternoon, the traffic got tight really slow. Maybe the bus was late arriving Nice city center for 10-15 minutes. Train would not have this problem.

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