boxcox

Hi I see there are many tours for the day going to Monaco, Monte Carlo and Eze. Some are 5 hours others 8. Any suggestions for time and tours? I know we can go on our own ,but we sometimes like a tour and someone getting us there. thank you

nytraveler

Are you sure this is how you really want to spend your time. There area huge number of wonderful/interesting things/places to see along the coast and I would put Monaco near the bottom unless:

1)You really want to see the royal castle
2)You are really wealthy and want to do a lot of shopping at uber expensive designer boutiques
3) You really want to visit the casino (open only from afternoon through the early hours, requires "Proper" dress - no jeans or tees - and has high limits

We go every time we visit the Riviera - but we make an evening of it - upscale dinner, visiting the casino to see the uber wealthy in their gowns and jewels from the incredibly huge yachts in the harbor (Yes, just like a Bond movie - but very big $)).

Otherwise I would look at other places - fascinating museums, charming small towns and lovely Nice - with a Roman history.

WWK

I agree with nytraveler. It's really not necessary to take a tour to either place. Monaco is about 20 minutes by train; Eze about the same by bus; train and bus station are near or in the center of Nice.

There are many other places I'd recommend over all of these unless you really want to see the palace and casino.

Nice itself is a wonderful, vibrant city full of interesting neighborhoods, museums, and just plain strolling in Old Nice and on the seaside Blvd. des Anglais.

I would definitely try to visit St. Paul De Vence for a day, which again is doable by bus from Nice. Antibes is also worth a visit. So is St. Jean du Cap. All of these destinations accessible by train or bus.

joannyc

Bookmarking

boxcox

Thank you. We will have time to do Nice, but I like the idea of going there for a dinner and seeing the casino ,people etc as you mentioned. Sounds like a new plan!

Underhill

Take lots of money--Monte Carlo, which makes up nearly all of Monaco, is expensive.

nytraveler

Do take lots of csh and check out the dress requirements. If you aren;t dressed formally enough you will be limited to the outer room with slots and not get into the real casino (roulette,21, etc)

Entry to the inner rooms is 10 euros per person. Casino opens at 2 pm and after 8 pm sports jackets are required for men with equivalent attire for women.

boxcox

Hi yes I have been faithfully looking up all this for the past few hours now. Lots of great restaurant choices I see. We will be decked out! We at least enough so that we can also walk around. but look like we fit in!

cmeyer54

Things to do in Monte Carlo: palace, cathedal (Princess Grace's tomb among others), aquarium, exotic gardens, classic car museum, walk the F1 course, window shop, beautiful gardens and landscaping, etc. We asked our hotel for restaurant recommnendations that wouldn't break the bank and there were plenty of choices. I think I have trip report on it somewhere on this forum!

aliced

From Nice, I wouldn't have missed Monte Carlo for the world! But Grace Kelly was a childhood icon... (going to see her show this wk at the Michener in PA, in fact). Eze was a stunning stop en route that some tours would most likely include. Believe we did it in one day as well w/ lunch in Eze or La Turbie (Roman village) and dinner in Monte Carlo then back to Nice(driving back along the flattest route). Very doable, but we were a bit younger..... You do not go there to shop, that's for sure. We were not dressed formally enough (nor were our pockets sufficiently lined) to gain entry to the ultra inner gaming rooms of the casino. Don't know current standards. Dinner along water was excellent and no more than elsewhere along Riviera as we recall. There is only one principality of Monaco, definitely do it.

boxcox

thank you all good advice. . found your report cmeyer. thank you.. Karen

aliced

Have a blast, Karen, but just had to add my two-cents more: on this snowy day, cleaning out drawers only to come upon, yup, trip journal from our first trip to Paris and the Riviera. Stayed at La Perouse in Nice (still operating) and more importantly, note that we drove to Monaco twice; first after winding through Villefranche, Cap Ferrat (love the Rue d' Obscure), then dined in Monte Carlo at Chez Gianni (still operating!), did the Loews Casino and returned to Nice at 2 a.m. We returned via Eze two days later, then to Monte Carlo touring the Palace, Cathedral, returning via the Grande Corniche stopping at La Turbie to see the Trophhy to Augustus from 5 B.C. We had dinner that night back in Nice. So, it's not far, and it's so fun. 5-8 hours will not do it.