What do you recommend in Cannes and/or Provence

Having been on two Med cruises in the past we have tendered in Villefranche. We have taken a private tour on both occassions. Once to tour Monte Carlo/Monaco and then on to the village of Eze, and the second time we went back to Monte Carlo/Monaco (loved it so much) and then on to St Paul de Vence. We are sailing on the Epic this coming September and would like to know your feedback on what you did in these two ports? Do either of them require a tour or would they be considered an easy DIY? We like to browse through the shops and we are definatley people watchers, so a quaint cafe for a glass of wine, some local breads and cheeses, is what we enjoy. We are not much into browsing through art galleries, but beautiful scenery is something we enjoy watching....Please tell me what you did???

Whether you take a ships tour, private tour, or just DIY is simply a matter of personal preference. DW and I seldom take any kind of excursion (especially in western Europe) since we prefer to do our own thing on our own schedule. As to Cannes, you are probably aware it is a tender port which means some delays getting ashore. The tender pier in Cannes is located at the edge of the old harbor right in town. If you enjoy walking you can easily walk to all the popular spots in Cannes. However, many folks do like to use Cannes as a "gateway" port to go to other places in the region (similar to what you did in Villefranche). The train line that spans the Riviera coast can take you to nearly any of the coastal cities (Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo, etc). If you enjoyed visiting Eze (on your prior trip) you might want to consider going to St Paul de Vence which is about a 45 min drive from Cannes. St Paul is not easy to do on your own with public transit so we recommend that folks intending to visit either rent a car or take an excursion. It is also possible to get there by taking the train to Cagnes sur Mer and then transferring to the #400 bus which gets you to the village.

Hank

I will be on the Epic in August and I think we have the Italy ports figured out but we still aren't sure about these ports either. I will be watching this thread that's for sure!

The only difference for us that it will be our first time.

I will be on the Epic in August and I think we have the Italy ports figured out but we still aren't sure about these ports either. I will be watching this thread that's for sure!

 

The only difference for us that it will be our first time.

On the Epic in July and will also be watching for ideas and information on this thread. Looks like a train to Monte Carlo and perhaps Monaco is 'doable'.

We are considering renting a car in Cannes and driving to St Paul de Vence and Antibes as I believe you wrote about. Question: since we are docking on a Sunday it seems that Hertz is one of the only companies open on that day. Do you happen to know how far away the pick up site (office) is from the pier? Walkable? Better to take a taxi/bus? And since the office closes at Noon, is it easy to drop off after hours? I was just going to email them but could not find an email address and am concerned if I call I might have a language barrier/problem? Also. Did you rent a gps and was it easy to use to find the best route? And do we need any kind of International drivers license? (we have never rented a car in Europe and are concerned it won't be as straightforward as here in the states)

Thank you

We are considering renting a car in Cannes and driving to St Paul de Vence and Antibes as I believe you wrote about. Question: since we are docking on a Sunday it seems that Hertz is one of the only companies open on that day. Do you happen to know how far away the pick up site (office) is from the pier? Walkable? Better to take a taxi/bus? And since the office closes at Noon, is it easy to drop off after hours? I was just going to email them but could not find an email address and am concerned if I call I might have a language barrier/problem? Also. Did you rent a gps and was it easy to use to find the best route? And do we need any kind of International drivers license? (we have never rented a car in Europe and are concerned it won't be as straightforward as here in the states)

 

Thank you

We have often rented at Hertz and you must be careful to arrange to drop in the afternoon when they are usually closed on Sundays. It is approximately a 1 mile walk from the tender pier to the Hertz office and you should be prepared to do the trek. Do not count on any taxis at the tender pier (maybe yes or maybe no). The walk is actually quite nice since you can stroll throught the heart of Cannes. We own our own GPS (with Europe maps) but you can usually arrange for the usual Hertz Anywhere GPS. We think a GPS is a good idea to help you get out of Cannes and find your way back to the Hertz office. The fastest route to St Paul de Vence is to head immediately out of Cannes and take the Autostrade to the exit near Cagnes sur Mer. Since we are currently out of the country we do not have our Michelin Maps or I could give you route and exit numbers. In France you only need a valid drivers license (nobody cares if you have an International Drivers Permit). You can reserve a car on Hertz's regular web site and they have always had somebody at the office who spoke some English. Keep in mind that they do not open before 9am on Sunday. Although the Hertz office is located right near a major road out of town, getting back is a bit tricky since the office is on a one-way street (a GPS and a map is helpful). Since they will probably be closed when you return make sure you find out where they want you to park the car. Also keep in mind that on a Sunday afternoon you may not find a taxi so you need to plan on walking back to the tender pier (figure on 30+ min). Personally, we prefer to return a couple of hours early and perhaps stop at the old port (near the tender pier) for a drink before returning to the tender.

Hope this is helpful. We recommend you telephone Hertz and have them confirm their Cannes (Rue d'Anitbes) office hours. In the worst case if the office lies and is not open its only a 10-15 min walk from the Hertz office over to the train station. The train can get you to Antibes, but to get to St Paul de Vence you need the train to Cagnes sur Mer where you transfer to the bus (not a fast trip on a port day).

Hank

We have decided to take a tour out of Cannes with Prestige Tours. We have used Catherine in the past and she is very knowledgeable and the other members of our party have not yet seen Monte Carlo/Monaco. We still have not decided what to do in Provence (Marseilles) Does anyone who has been there have any suggestions? Is it an easy DIY port. Or is it similar to alot of the European posts, in that it is very industrial? We ideally would like to just walk off the ship and perhaps meander along a street filled with shops, cafes, etc. It would be a plus if it was along the water????

We have decided to take a tour out of Cannes with Prestige Tours. We have used Catherine in the past and she is very knowledgeable and the other members of our party have not yet seen Monte Carlo/Monaco. We still have not decided what to do in Provence (Marseilles) Does anyone who has been there have any suggestions? Is it an easy DIY port. Or is it similar to alot of the European posts, in that it is very industrial? We ideally would like to just walk off the ship and perhaps meander along a street filled with shops, cafes, etc. It would be a plus if it was along the water????

Has no one been to Provence? lol

Has no one been to Provence? lol

I am also looking for ideas for these two ports. So, please keep the suggestions coming.

Can anyone suggest a guide who can take me to Monte Carlo?

Thx.

We used Sylvie DiCriston last October and she is fabulous. She picked us up at the port in Monte Carlo and we toured there and then went to Eze and Nice and stopped for brief visits thru a couple of other lovely areas. She really knows this area and we would definitely use her again. As far as Marseille, we used Catherine D'Antunnio (not sure of the spelling but will look it up if you are interested) and we went to Marseille, Les Baux, St. Remy and Aix. She is also terrific. Just re-read this and I spelled Sylvie's last name wrong - it is DiCristo.

On our stops in Monte Carlo and another time Cannes, a group of us booked with Dream Tours - highly recommend. for Provence area we used Catherine from Provence-travel and we put together an itinerary of: Les Beaux (perched village), Palace of the Popes at Avignon (world UNESCO site) and St. Remy ( lunch and visit to Saint Paul de Mausole, the sanitarium/monastery where Van Gogh stayed. Had a wonderful day and would highly recommend Catherine as she will work with you to customize your choices- with consideration as to time and distances involved -

On our Monte Carlo stop we did a comprehensive tour including Eze, St. Paul de Vence, Nice with visit to flower market and Old Town walking tour - driving all the corniches, tour of Monte Carlo/Monaco including a lap around the race track, Casino, and going to the Rock to visit Cathedral where Prince Ranier and Princess Grace, among others, are buried, and view of palace from outside.

Our Cannes tour : Cannes, visit to Antibes and local market, Chagall Museum and surrounding roman ruins, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and a short stop on St. Paul de Vence again. Chagall is buried in the cemetery in Vence.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful time on the Cote d'Azur.

I'm doing the same cruise at the end of May and currently researching it. We are DIYers, and have both been to Nice and Monaco before. At the Cannes stop, I think we are going to take it a bit easy, after three hard core days (Naples, Rome and Florence) and will probably just do an afternoon walk around Cannes. Really excited about the Marseille stop and would love to do Arles and Avignon in one day but as our stop is 7-4pm and we are using the train, I think we will go for a day trip to Avignon. Depends on train times etc.

We used Sylvain at

http://www.taxi-provencetours.com/

The hill-top villages were gorgeous!! And very few tourists.

(The prices at the website are listed for Provence. They are slightly higher for pick-up from Marseille.)

We traveled with 3 couples and it was a fantastic day.

Sylvain is young and somewhat quiet.

He is very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. He is not the type of guide with constant descriptions as you drive. Very relaxing.

The most amazing views over the country-side. We stopped at a tiny winery for a tasting on the way back to port. Nice wines, very reasonable. We bought a few bottles back to the ship.

We used Sylvie DiCristos out of Cannes she is excellent and very talkative. She blends in a lot of humor with her tours.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your posts regarding tours...does anyone have the contact info for Sylvie DiCristo? I would be interested in using her for Nice and the other one recommended for Provence. Any suggestions, welcomed. DH and I would just like a car and guide for 4-6 hours to do wine tastings, tours, maybe a bit of shopping...not into all of the historical stuff.

Thanks!!:)

Thanks everyone for your posts regarding tours...does anyone have the contact info for Sylvie DiCristo? I would be interested in using her for Nice and the other one recommended for Provence. Any suggestions, welcomed. DH and I would just like a car and guide for 4-6 hours to do wine tastings, tours, maybe a bit of shopping...not into all of the historical stuff.

Thanks!!:)

i

Cristo

E-Mail : DiCristoSylvie@gmail.com

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187220-d1861193-Reviews-Sylvie_Di_Cristo_Tour_Guide-Cagnes_sur_Mer_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html

We have decided to take a tour out of Cannes with Prestige Tours. We have used Catherine in the past and she is very knowledgeable and the other members of our party have not yet seen Monte Carlo/Monaco. We still have not decided what to do in Provence (Marseilles) Does anyone who has been there have any suggestions? Is it an easy DIY port. Or is it similar to alot of the European posts, in that it is very industrial? We ideally would like to just walk off the ship and perhaps meander along a street filled with shops, cafes, etc. It would be a plus if it was along the water????

If I read this correctly, you have a stop in Marseille (Provence)? If so, you might consider the following:

--simply spend the day in Marseille--lots to see and do and experience in the second city of France, but be aware that this is certainly not Paris--this is gritty, mediterranean/north African-influenced, working-class Marseilles. For better or for worse, you will experience more of the 'real' France here in Marseille.

--take the train to Arles, one of our favourite smaller, southern French cities (big town, really)--great atmosphere.

--take the train to Aix-en-Provence, a really nice, 'classy' French town (fountains, tree-lined boulevards)--just wander, and soak up the atmosphere.

--Avignon, also in the area, we found to be vastly over-rated, unless one has, perhaps, some overpowering scholarly interest in the history of the Papacy. Arles and Aix are way more interesting, IMO.

My feeling is that a day in Aix might best satisfy your preference towards interesting local shoppping, people-watching, strolling, cafe clture, et cetera.

Enjoy Provence!

Hi GradTrip:

I saw this on another thread, and don't know of them, but it may be of interest and worth checking out?

A great tour would be the villages of the Luberon. Gorgeous scenery and undisturbed by tourists!Great waking and pace as you wish. We went with Sylvain Martinez for http://www.taxi-provencetours.com/pr...zed-tours.html. A very knowledgeable but quiet frenchmen. He will answer any questions you have but not gab the entire trip. He is young and from the area and has the patience to provide a fun tour that includes kids, or teens.

good luck and check out his website. Our group of 5 loved our tour!

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Hi GradTrip:

 

I saw this on another thread, and don't know of them, but it may be of interest and worth checking out?

 

A great tour would be the villages of the Luberon. Gorgeous scenery and undisturbed by tourists!Great waking and pace as you wish. We went with Sylvain Martinez for http://www.taxi-provencetours.com/pr...zed-tours.html. A very knowledgeable but quiet frenchmen. He will answer any questions you have but not gab the entire trip. He is young and from the area and has the patience to provide a fun tour that includes kids, or teens.

good luck and check out his website. Our group of 5 loved our tour!

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Thank you for your reply. What we would ideally like to do is a DIY stop. We have tours booked on almost every stop on our cruise, and this, being our last stop, we wondered if it was possible to get off the ship and perhaps walk to an area of interest or take a short taxi ride or bus. Our thought is to have a leisure day of a local cafe for lunch, and browse the shops for french soaps, etc. Are you aware of anyone that was able to do this on your cruise?

No--we have been to Marseille, but not on a cruise port day. It sounds like you might consider simply making your way from the ship to Marseille's Vieux Port ("Old port"). Lots of shops, cafes, great seafood restaurants, lots to stroll and explore.

Only one thing to say....don't waste your time in plastic Cannes....get a tour guide or taxi and head to St. Paul de Vence...it is spectacular! get the guide to drive you back through the villages over to the foothills of The Alps and stop for lunch.

Revelatin Tours...ask for Michel (if he's still there) and go for a fabulous lunch in Tourettes sur Loupes... I think the restaurant with spectacular views is called Relais des Coches. Unforgettable.

We docked in Cannes last week on the Thomson Dream and took the #200 bus to and from Antibes. Took about 20 minutes each way, little traffic, very easy. Bus stop in Cannes is between City hall and small park just outside the port. Cost was one Euro per person each way and you can pay the driver directly.

Antibes is a nice place to spend the day, we walked around, shopped, had an outdoor lunch, weather was lovely,enjoy.

We used Sylvie DiCriston last October and she is fabulous. She picked us up at the port in Monte Carlo and we toured there and then went to Eze and Nice and stopped for brief visits thru a couple of other lovely areas. She really knows this area and we would definitely use her again. As far as Marseille, we used Catherine D'Antunnio (not sure of the spelling but will look it up if you are interested) and we went to Marseille, Les Baux, St. Remy and Aix. She is also terrific. Just re-read this and I spelled Sylvie's last name wrong - it is DiCristo.

Lalique: I've just read your posting and would appreciate if you would let me know how to contact Catherine D'Antunnio for a tour from Marseilles simlar to the one you went on during your October trip. My e-mail address is RAPENTES@AOL.COM . It's been difficult to find tour operators/drivers from Marseilles. Thank you in advance.

Are the two little islands right off Cannes "plastic"? I've read somewhere that they're quite lovely. Was what we were intending to do after our excursion to St Paul de Vence (which we've visited before and like, though we don't enjoy all the shops; much prefer visiting the wonderful museum and strolling the non-shoppy part).

Thank you for your reply. What we would ideally like to do is a DIY stop. We have tours booked on almost every stop on our cruise, and this, being our last stop, we wondered if it was possible to get off the ship and perhaps walk to an area of interest or take a short taxi ride or bus. Our thought is to have a leisure day of a local cafe for lunch, and browse the shops for french soaps, etc. Are you aware of anyone that was able to do this on your cruise?

Agree with Number6. Just take a taxi (or ship shuttle) to vieux port. Town has a ho/ho. Shops and cafes line the old port and the little streets surrounding. Cathedral is worth a peek. While there are prettier towns around - this makes for a nice, "real France", easy day. If weather is nice you might consider a short tour of the Calanques by boat for a few of the hours.