To and around Nice, Paris
May 4th, 2011, 10:56 PM
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To and around Nice, Paris
I am going to spend about 3 days in Nice. I have following questions regarding my stay and sightseeing:
1. Apart from the Nice Beach is there anything else worth visiting in the local of Nice?
2. Do I need to take a tour to visit Monte Carlo, Monaco and Eze or do I rather visit these places on my own. And if so then how? What would be preferrable to explore Monte Carlo, Monaco and Eze, a tour or going about these places on my own?
3. I have set a day aside to visit Cannes. Would like to know how do I travel to Cannes (cheaper and flexible way) and places worth sightseeing there?
Thanks in advance.
1. Apart from the Nice Beach is there anything else worth visiting in the local of Nice?
2. Do I need to take a tour to visit Monte Carlo, Monaco and Eze or do I rather visit these places on my own. And if so then how? What would be preferrable to explore Monte Carlo, Monaco and Eze, a tour or going about these places on my own?
3. I have set a day aside to visit Cannes. Would like to know how do I travel to Cannes (cheaper and flexible way) and places worth sightseeing there?
Thanks in advance.
May 5th, 2011, 02:36 AM
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To be honest the beach is probably the least interesting thing about Nice.
There are about 20 museums and art galleries- only 2 of which have an entry fee [chagall and museum of automata], Roman amphitheatre and bathouse/settlement complex ruins, a moscow style russian cathedral, lots of Baroque churches. masses of Belle epoque and art deco architecture, natural parks and viewpoints [Colline du chateau, mont boron/mont alban, vinairgirier, gariaut, Estienne d’Orves etc], coastal walks, the Promenade des anglais, Old Port area, expensive Mediaeval old town, hundreds of restaurantsm, markets, botanic gardnes etc etc.
monaco and Eze village can be combined easily in one day any day but sunday or public holidays using buses 82 or 112 to Eze village and 112 ro monaco - return by bus 100 or train , buses cost 1 euro per journey.
cheapest way to cannes is by bus 200- costs one euro but it takes 2 hours and is not the scenic route. Train is best -takes about half an hour- 6 euros 10 one way..
In summer you can get a carte isabelle rover ticket for the trains . It is also possible to break your jounrey in antibes
Cannes doesn't have a huge amount of sights -people i've taken there tend to be dissapointed but everyone is different -it is worth taking a boat to one of the iles de lerins from cannes- ste marguerite with museum and fort where man in the iron mask was held prisoner or st honorat , fortified monastery , etc
There are about 20 museums and art galleries- only 2 of which have an entry fee [chagall and museum of automata], Roman amphitheatre and bathouse/settlement complex ruins, a moscow style russian cathedral, lots of Baroque churches. masses of Belle epoque and art deco architecture, natural parks and viewpoints [Colline du chateau, mont boron/mont alban, vinairgirier, gariaut, Estienne d’Orves etc], coastal walks, the Promenade des anglais, Old Port area, expensive Mediaeval old town, hundreds of restaurantsm, markets, botanic gardnes etc etc.
monaco and Eze village can be combined easily in one day any day but sunday or public holidays using buses 82 or 112 to Eze village and 112 ro monaco - return by bus 100 or train , buses cost 1 euro per journey.
cheapest way to cannes is by bus 200- costs one euro but it takes 2 hours and is not the scenic route. Train is best -takes about half an hour- 6 euros 10 one way..
In summer you can get a carte isabelle rover ticket for the trains . It is also possible to break your jounrey in antibes
Cannes doesn't have a huge amount of sights -people i've taken there tend to be dissapointed but everyone is different -it is worth taking a boat to one of the iles de lerins from cannes- ste marguerite with museum and fort where man in the iron mask was held prisoner or st honorat , fortified monastery , etc
May 5th, 2011, 03:35 AM
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Personally I like Antibes much more than Cannes because I find the town much more interesting, but everyone is different. The beach in Cannes is spectacular, though.
In Nice, make sure you spend time wandering through Old Nice - I love all the nooks and crannies, and there are some great little restaurants and wine bars. We thoroughly enjoyed the flower market, which turns into an antique market one day a week (I found a spectacular vase there!). Definitely visit Monaco and Eze in the same day - we drove (hubby wanted to drive the Grand Corniche), but the bus-train combo that selkie mentioned would be perfect. No wrong answers!
In Nice, make sure you spend time wandering through Old Nice - I love all the nooks and crannies, and there are some great little restaurants and wine bars. We thoroughly enjoyed the flower market, which turns into an antique market one day a week (I found a spectacular vase there!). Definitely visit Monaco and Eze in the same day - we drove (hubby wanted to drive the Grand Corniche), but the bus-train combo that selkie mentioned would be perfect. No wrong answers!
May 5th, 2011, 05:10 AM
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We took a van tour that included Monaco, Eze, St. Paul de Vence and Cannes in one day. We did return to Monaco to Casino (bring your passport if you want to get inside), but we were fine with just a short time in the other places. Van picked us up at our hotel.
Old Nice is nice. We walked aimlessly for a half day.
Old Nice is nice. We walked aimlessly for a half day.
May 5th, 2011, 05:26 AM
#8
Get a guidebook! As selkieNice says, there's so much more to Nice than the beach. I've been to Nice twice, for six days each time, and never set foot on the beach.
You don't need a tour or a guide, and the public transport is great. I usually buy a pass, but you may not be there long enough to make it worthwhile - it's only 1 euro a ride in Nice and surrounds. Monaco's not really worth a visit unless you just want to check it off a list. Go up to Vence or St. Paul, or walk round Cap Ferrat, instead.
You don't need a tour or a guide, and the public transport is great. I usually buy a pass, but you may not be there long enough to make it worthwhile - it's only 1 euro a ride in Nice and surrounds. Monaco's not really worth a visit unless you just want to check it off a list. Go up to Vence or St. Paul, or walk round Cap Ferrat, instead.
May 5th, 2011, 05:44 AM
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You don't need a tour or a guide
Monaco's not really worth a visit
√thursdaysd, I have to disagree with your statements a bit. If time is short, sometimes a tour and guide are great ideas. Also, busses and trains don't necessarily leave you off at the door. This can be a big problem for people with health/walking issues. As for Monaco, it has some great architecture-the areas around the casino and the palace might be of interest..
Setting foot on that beach can be a trial since it is composed of stones! As thursdaysd says, do read up and see what calls out to you.
Monaco's not really worth a visit
√thursdaysd, I have to disagree with your statements a bit. If time is short, sometimes a tour and guide are great ideas. Also, busses and trains don't necessarily leave you off at the door. This can be a big problem for people with health/walking issues. As for Monaco, it has some great architecture-the areas around the casino and the palace might be of interest..
Setting foot on that beach can be a trial since it is composed of stones! As thursdaysd says, do read up and see what calls out to you.
May 5th, 2011, 06:05 AM
#10
TDudette - if time is short there are many more worthwhile sights around Nice than Monaco. I agree the Casino area isn't bad, although I found all those floating penthouses aka yachts more interesting, but I've now been twice and won't bother to go again. For a first timer it shouldn't be top of the list. And the OP seemed quite willing to go it alone and mentioned no health issues. Guidebooks are a lot cheaper than guides.
May 5th, 2011, 11:01 AM
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For a first timer it shouldn't be top of the list.
√It's OP's list. Monaco is usually on most tour itineraries for first timers.
Guidebooks are a lot cheaper than guides
√But a guidebook won't buy your tickets and pick you up. Or get lost. Or make you return a rental car or expect you to know when to get off the bus.
√It's OP's list. Monaco is usually on most tour itineraries for first timers.
Guidebooks are a lot cheaper than guides
√But a guidebook won't buy your tickets and pick you up. Or get lost. Or make you return a rental car or expect you to know when to get off the bus.
May 5th, 2011, 11:57 AM
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selkieNice - Thanks, that was really useful information! I will do consider the boat ride to the iles de lerins. Are there charges for the places you mentioned in Nice..
tejana - not sure abt Antibes. I will make it a point to check out the tourist attractions there. We too had a plan to hire car for a day or two...still figuring if we should or not!
TDudette - What i have heard is tht people recommend to go privately for Monaco and Eze rather than a tour...coz they dont provide any guidance and leave you to discover the place on your own...so not worth to pay for it. (Thats what i've heard).
thursdaysd - Ill have a look at the guidebooks..how much do they cost? And how far would be St. Paul or Vence from Nice? Is it worth?
tejana - not sure abt Antibes. I will make it a point to check out the tourist attractions there. We too had a plan to hire car for a day or two...still figuring if we should or not!
TDudette - What i have heard is tht people recommend to go privately for Monaco and Eze rather than a tour...coz they dont provide any guidance and leave you to discover the place on your own...so not worth to pay for it. (Thats what i've heard).
thursdaysd - Ill have a look at the guidebooks..how much do they cost? And how far would be St. Paul or Vence from Nice? Is it worth?
May 5th, 2011, 12:33 PM
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St. Paul is a local bus ride from Nice. If you like contemporary art, it is a must because of the near-by Fondation Maeght (closed for lunch).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57624404539441
and subsequent pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57624404539441
and subsequent pictures
May 5th, 2011, 12:56 PM
#15
Guidebooks:
I start by borrowing the kind with pictures from the library, and using those to decide where to go. Fodor's Exploring, DK Eyewitness, Insight, Knopf, etc. It doesn't matter so much if they're out of date for that.
Then I go to the bookstore and drink coffee while checking out logistics in their copies of Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, maybe Moon or Bradt if they have those, maybe Fodors and Frommers.
Then I buy the guide I'll take with me (after the bookstore review), usually over the net - try checking http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/ for prices.
BUT YOU NEED A GUIDEBOOK! A good guidebook will tell you what there is to see, when the sights are open, what they charge or if they're free, how to get there by public transport. It will have maps (although you might feel a need for a magnifying glass), information on money-saving passes for sights and transport, lists of places to sleep and eat in assorted price ranges, etc. etc....
If you're just going to Nice you could buy a small guide just for Nice, otherwise look at ones for Provence, or for France. The bigger the area the bigger (therefore heavier - I cut them up) and pricier the book.
St. Paul and Vence are close together, a 1 euro bus ride out of Nice, although it's a slow one. (Actually all bus rides in and around Nice are 1 euro, unless you buy a pass, except for the 98 and 99 to the airport.) It's often faster to take a train along the coast, but you can't take a train up to the villages. See http://www.lignesdazur.com/
I start by borrowing the kind with pictures from the library, and using those to decide where to go. Fodor's Exploring, DK Eyewitness, Insight, Knopf, etc. It doesn't matter so much if they're out of date for that.
Then I go to the bookstore and drink coffee while checking out logistics in their copies of Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, maybe Moon or Bradt if they have those, maybe Fodors and Frommers.
Then I buy the guide I'll take with me (after the bookstore review), usually over the net - try checking http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/ for prices.
BUT YOU NEED A GUIDEBOOK! A good guidebook will tell you what there is to see, when the sights are open, what they charge or if they're free, how to get there by public transport. It will have maps (although you might feel a need for a magnifying glass), information on money-saving passes for sights and transport, lists of places to sleep and eat in assorted price ranges, etc. etc....
If you're just going to Nice you could buy a small guide just for Nice, otherwise look at ones for Provence, or for France. The bigger the area the bigger (therefore heavier - I cut them up) and pricier the book.
St. Paul and Vence are close together, a 1 euro bus ride out of Nice, although it's a slow one. (Actually all bus rides in and around Nice are 1 euro, unless you buy a pass, except for the 98 and 99 to the airport.) It's often faster to take a train along the coast, but you can't take a train up to the villages. See http://www.lignesdazur.com/
May 5th, 2011, 11:34 PM
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Michael - that seemed quite interesting, i will give it a thought!
Tejana - not really a great fan of Picasso. But if the time premits will visit there!
thursdaysd - i'll check out the books in the local store there, if the need be!
Thanks once again.
Tejana - not really a great fan of Picasso. But if the time premits will visit there!
thursdaysd - i'll check out the books in the local store there, if the need be!
Thanks once again.
May 6th, 2011, 11:57 AM
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What i have heard is tht people recommend to go privately for Monaco and Eze rather than a tour...coz they dont provide any guidance and leave you to discover the place on your own...so not worth to pay for it.
√That was certainly true of Eze. In Monaco, van dropped us at the palace for changing of the guard, gave us shopping time, then took us in the square facing Casino with time for looking (hub and I returned another day by train to gamble), then drove around the city. While in Eze, we also drove to a perfume factory and did get a guided tour there.
Hope to hear back about your trip, whatever you do!
√That was certainly true of Eze. In Monaco, van dropped us at the palace for changing of the guard, gave us shopping time, then took us in the square facing Casino with time for looking (hub and I returned another day by train to gamble), then drove around the city. While in Eze, we also drove to a perfume factory and did get a guided tour there.
Hope to hear back about your trip, whatever you do!
May 7th, 2011, 06:12 AM
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thursdaysd, I'm not disagreeing about needing a guidebook. Rather, sweeping statements about what one should and shouldn't see. In this case, OP has limited time and, in such cases, tours CAN be good.
peace99, again, please let us know all about your trip when you return. Every bit of knowledge helps us all.
peace99, again, please let us know all about your trip when you return. Every bit of knowledge helps us all.
