Public Transportation from Monaco to Eze and Nice

[mrszuhwiggins]

Hi,

We are arriving in Monaco in July and would like to see Eze and Nice. Is it possible to take public transportation to Eze then continue on to Nice and then travel back to Monaco? We are in port from 8AM - 6PM. I did see some threads about public transport from Monaco to Nice, but nothing about stopping in Eze. Thanks in advance.

[cberge]

Hi,

We are arriving in Monaco in July and would like to see Eze and Nice. Is it possible to take public transportation to Eze then continue on to Nice and then travel back to Monaco? We are in port from 8AM - 6PM. I did see some threads about public transport from Monaco to Nice, but nothing about stopping in Eze. Thanks in advance.

 

Just do a search putting in getting to Eze and a lot of info re the bus will come up...Hank has posted a lot on this subject.

[Hlitner]

You need to separate your question into two issues, Nice to Monte Carlo (or reverse) and getting to Eze Village. There is very frequent transportation between Nice and Monte Carlo on both the regional bus line (very inexpensive) and train line. But Eze Village is a bit more complicated because it sits along the Middle (Moyene) Corniche which is one of the routes that connects Monte Carlo and Nice. The train line runs along the coast (below the hilltop town of Eze Village) so will not get you directly to Eze Village. The main bus line (#100) runs along the coastal road (similar to the train line) and also does not get you to Eze Village. There is a bus line that does run along that Middle Corniche (between Nice and Monte Carlo) that will get you to Eze Village, but it does not run very frequently (usually about every 1 1/2 hours) so you must do some careful planning to utilize this bus. DW and I do often stop at Eze Village, but then we usually have a rental car which makes it quite easy.

 

Hank

[Alan2504]

Hi,

We are arriving in Monaco in July and would like to see Eze and Nice. Is it possible to take public transportation to Eze then continue on to Nice and then travel back to Monaco? We are in port from 8AM - 6PM. I did see some threads about public transport from Monaco to Nice, but nothing about stopping in Eze. Thanks in advance.

 

We are on the same cruise, the major problem is that we arrive on a Sunday and the usual Nice- Eze- Monaco bus route (112) doesn't seem to operate on Sundays according to current schedule.:(

[syesmar]

Alan2504,

 

I'm not suggesting you take this route, but wanted to point out that last summer the Bus 100 connecting to Bus 83 option operated on Sundays. This Thread has bus info for the area (but be sure to get the latest schedules before you go): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43891324

 

Enjoy your trip!

Edited January 20, 2015 by syesmar

[Hlitner]

Alan2504,

 

I'm not suggesting you take this route, but wanted to point out that last summer the Bus 100 connecting to Bus 83 option operated on Sundays.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

One can also use the train to connect to the #83. But the 83 only runs once per hour (and only about once per 2 hours at midday) so making a connection can be quite frustrating.

 

Hank

[Alan2504]

Alan2504,

 

I'm not suggesting you take this route, but wanted to point out that last summer the Bus 100 connecting to Bus 83 option operated on Sundays. This Thread has bus info for the area (but be sure to get the latest schedules before you go): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43891324

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

I have been doing a little more research and as mentioned in your link there is also the option of bus #82 from Nice which seems to operate on Sundays.

 

So maybe the train Monaco to Nice-Riquier, along to Vauban and pick up the #82 and vice versa on the return will work :)

 

Thanks

[syesmar]

Great, Alan2504! Hope your trip goes well.

 

Just wanted to pass this along to those whose primary interest is visiting Eze Village. If it were me and it was a Sunday and I really wanted to go to Eze Village and the bus was the only option I had, I would have Villa Kerylos as a backup to bide my time if I missed the connection with Bus 83. http://www.villa-kerylos.com/en/home (opens at 10am).

 

Bus 100 stops there (Eglise stop) and it's less than a 10 minute walk to the Beaulieu bus stop (or 2 stops from Eglise stop on Bus 100) where one can also pick up Bus 83 (in addition to the normal connection for Eze Village).

 

Happy Travels!

[Hlitner]

Don't want to rain on any parades but the 83 bus only runs about once every hour (its actually longer). So when I hear folks saying just go somewhere and "pick up bus so and so" my thought is that you may well walk to that bus stop and wait from 1-2 hours for the next bus (not a good way to spend a port day).

 

So, can you go to Eze with buses? Yep. But you will need to plan your entire day around the bus schedule and will possibly not have much time left to do anything else. If you really want to get to Eze you might want to consider getting together with another couple (you can do this on a Roll Call) and splitting the cost of a taxi to get to the city. Then check the bus schedules and plan to leave Eze at the appropriate time to grab a bus.

 

And there is always our favorite transportation in the region which is simply a rental car. But this can be darn near impossible to arrange on Sundays since most French (and Italian) rental car agencies are closed on Sundays and Holidays.

 

Hank

[Alan2504]

Don't want to rain on any parades but the 83 bus only runs about once every hour (its actually longer). So when I hear folks saying just go somewhere and "pick up bus so and so" my thought is that you may well walk to that bus stop and wait from 1-2 hours for the next bus (not a good way to spend a port day).

 

So, can you go to Eze with buses? Yep. But you will need to plan your entire day around the bus schedule and will possibly not have much time left to do anything else. If you really want to get to Eze you might want to consider getting together with another couple (you can do this on a Roll Call) and splitting the cost of a taxi to get to the city. Then check the bus schedules and plan to leave Eze at the appropriate time to grab a bus.

 

And there is always our favorite transportation in the region which is simply a rental car. But this can be darn near impossible to arrange on Sundays since most French (and Italian) rental car agencies are closed on Sundays and Holidays.

 

Hank

 

Hence, if you are going to try it on a Sunday the #82 bus seems a better option the most recent timetables show departures (morning) from Nice (Vauban) as follows:

09:45

10:30

11:00

11:45

With returns from Eze village (late morning/early afternoon)

11:07

11:37

12:22

12:52

14:27

15:07

 

(Transit time around 30mins)

 

As you say, all this is kinda academic and depends what you want to try to achieve, and it being a Sunday, it is probably best to have a "laissez faire" attitude to it all ;)

[syesmar]

It's very true that you could wait a while for buses in this area! That's why I always have a backup nearby, just in case.

 

For example, this past summer Bus 100 in Monaco was scheduled to circulate every 15 minutes....we waited 45! This was in the 9am hour. There were several ships in port and being that most buy tickets from the driver, it can slow the bus route way down if a dozen people are getting on at each stop (rumor was that's why the buses were off-schedule).

 

I've learned to go with the flow here, know my options, and definitely have a backup plan! Plan for your ideal itinerary, and then have a "what if" itinerary, too. All that being said, it's one of my favorite ports. I've been 3 times and would love to go back.

 

Happy Travels!

[Hlitner]

Hence, if you are going to try it on a Sunday the #82 bus seems a better option the most recent timetables show departures (morning) from Nice (Vauban) as follows:

09:45

10:30

11:00

11:45

With returns from Eze village (late morning/early afternoon)

11:07

11:37

12:22

12:52

14:27

15:07

 

(Transit time around 30mins)

 

As you say, all this is kinda academic and depends what you want to try to achieve, and it being a Sunday, it is probably best to have a "laissez faire" attitude to it all ;)

 

Here is a link to the Ligne d'Azur website where they have all the current timetables (by date) for each bus on their regional routes:

 

http://www.lignesdazur.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6

 

Hank

Edited January 21, 2015 by Hlitner

[mrszuhwiggins]

Wow - there has been a lot of activity on my question since I last checked. Thanks so much to all for the info. I will have to sort through it.... I have been to all 3 cities previously, however, my husband and two teens have not. I'm wondering if it might be more trouble than it is worth to try to fit in all 3 in one day with the bus schedule not cooperating. We will also be gearing up for 3 very port intensive days (Florence/Pisa, Rome, and Amalfi Coast) so maybe hitting Nice early and then making our way back to tour Monaco in the afternoon is a better idea. Not to mention that my 16 year old son would probably prefer to look at the "sights" in Nice versus Eze... :)

[syesmar]

mrszuhwiggins,

I don't know your teens' interests, but the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco is excellent: http://www.oceano.mc/en

 

If they like exotic cars, be sure to visit the Casino Gardens in the afternoon.

 

Have a great cruise!

[buggins0402]

mrszuhwiggins,

 

If they like exotic cars, be sure to visit the Casino Gardens in the afternoon.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Last comment brought up a story I remember from a few years ago....

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019340/Hapless-blonde-crashes-250k-Bentley-FOUR-supercars.html

Edited January 21, 2015 by buggins0402

[mrszuhwiggins]

Oh boy, that could definitely have been something that would happen to me. Which is why I will not be renting any cars in any port we visit. Put me on a bus or train any day.... And I will definitely check out the Oceanographic Museum. Thanks!!

[chubbypiggy]

Don't want to rain on any parades but the 83 bus only runs about once every hour (its actually longer). So when I hear folks saying just go somewhere and "pick up bus so and so" my thought is that you may well walk to that bus stop and wait from 1-2 hours for the next bus (not a good way to spend a port day).

 

So, can you go to Eze with buses? Yep. But you will need to plan your entire day around the bus schedule and will possibly not have much time left to do anything else. If you really want to get to Eze you might want to consider getting together with another couple (you can do this on a Roll Call) and splitting the cost of a taxi to get to the city. Then check the bus schedules and plan to leave Eze at the appropriate time to grab a bus.

 

And there is always our favorite transportation in the region which is simply a rental car. But this can be darn near impossible to arrange on Sundays since most French (and Italian) rental car agencies are closed on Sundays and Holidays.

 

Hank

 

My group has 9 people and we are interested in going to EZE. We will be in Monte Carlo in early May (on a Thursday). We will be there from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; I think we will need to take the tender boat; so the earliest time we will get to the port will probably be around 9 a.m.

 

We would like to take the taxi. Do you know there is any taxi van that can take 9 people? If not, how about 5 people (then we will take 2 taxis with 4 people in one and 5 people in the other). Do you know the approximate time it will take to get there by taxi? And the approximate taxi fare? We plan to spend maybe 3 hours there, and then take taxis back to Monte Carlo and do some sightseeing there. Are taxis easily available in EZE for our return trip?

 

Thank you in advance for any suggestions/information.

[Hlitner]

My group has 9 people and we are interested in going to EZE. We will be in Monte Carlo in early May (on a Thursday). We will be there from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; I think we will need to take the tender boat; so the earliest time we will get to the port will probably be around 9 a.m.

 

We would like to take the taxi. Do you know there is any taxi van that can take 9 people? If not, how about 5 people (then we will take 2 taxis with 4 people in one and 5 people in the other). Do you know the approximate time it will take to get there by taxi? And the approximate taxi fare? We plan to spend maybe 3 hours there, and then take taxis back to Monte Carlo and do some sightseeing there. Are taxis easily available in EZE for our return trip?

 

Thank you in advance for any suggestions/information.

 

We have seen some mini-van taxis that can probably carry 5, but there is no guarantee you would stumble on one. As to the time, from the port it is 15-20 min by car depending on the traffic getting out of Monte Carlo. You will not generally find taxis waiting at Eze Village unless they happen to be dropping off others. You can certainly call a taxi (or ask one of the shop folks in Eze to do you a favor) however you might want to consider using the regional bus to return to Monte Carlo. Once you arrive at Eze take a look at the bus schedule at the bus stop right in front of the main parking lot entrance (which is where your taxi will drop you) and make a note of the times of buses going back to Monte Carlo. You can then try to time your visit so that you can catch the bus (I know they had a recent fare increase but it should be less then 2 Euros).

 

Hank

[chubbypiggy]

We have seen some mini-van taxis that can probably carry 5, but there is no guarantee you would stumble on one. As to the time, from the port it is 15-20 min by car depending on the traffic getting out of Monte Carlo. You will not generally find taxis waiting at Eze Village unless they happen to be dropping off others. You can certainly call a taxi (or ask one of the shop folks in Eze to do you a favor) however you might want to consider using the regional bus to return to Monte Carlo. Once you arrive at Eze take a look at the bus schedule at the bus stop right in front of the main parking lot entrance (which is where your taxi will drop you) and make a note of the times of buses going back to Monte Carlo. You can then try to time your visit so that you can catch the bus (I know they had a recent fare increase but it should be less then 2 Euros).

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank,

 

Thank you so much for the information.

 

I have a few more questions:

1. Do you know the approximate taxi fare from Monte Carlo cruise port to EZE? I am thinking maybe we will just take 3 taxis for the 9 of us.

2. How often do the bus run from EZE to Monte Carlo? At least one bus per hour?

3. Is the bus station in Monte Carlo within 30 minutes walking distance from the cruise port?

4. We are interested in seeing medieval village that is not too far away from Monte Carlo. Is EZE worth a visit?

5. If we stay in Monte Carlo, will we find enough to do/see for about 6 hours?

 

Thank you. :)

[Hlitner]

Great questions for which we do not have all the answers. Not sure of the current taxi fare to Eze but would guess its in the 35-40 Euro range (per taxi). The bus schedule has been oft discussed here and we recently looked at the schedule. Depending on which schedule you believe they run from as little as ever hour to sometimes more then 2 hours between buses. And its a long way to July and schedules can change so you might want to ask this question again in the spring.

 

DW and I also love the smaller old villages and Eze Village is certainly popular. However, our favorite village in the region is called St Paul de Vence (it is larger then Eze with more shops, galleries and restaurants) but it is also a challenge to go there on public transit and is much further then Eze Village. We normally rent a car in this region and have often driven to both Eze and St Paul de Vence in a single day.

 

We will defer to others on whether Monte Carlo is worth 6 hours. We have been somewhat outspoken in saying that Monte Carlo is not one of our favorite places....but there are others that do love the city.

 

We have often recommended that cruisers consider just going to Nice (via train or the #100 bus) where there is an excellent Flower Market most mornings and a compact old town area. But Nice is a large city and does not fit anyone's definition of a medieval village :).

 

And we now have a question for you. You mentioned that your ship is tendering into Monte Carlo, and while this does happen with some ships, most ships dock in Monte Carlo. You might want to double check this info. Many cruises in this region do tender, but they tend to do this in the small town of Villefranche. If a ship does tender into Monte Carlo we would assume it happens because another ship has filled the pier.

 

Hank

[chubbypiggy]

Hank,

 

Thank you so much for the information.

 

We will be there on May 7, not July. According to the itinerary that Princess sent me, it indicated "tender required" for the Monte Carlo port.

 

We have visited Nice in the past. St. Paul de Vence is actually our first choice, but from what I read, the drive is about 1.5 hour from Monte Carlo. I have looked into tours that cover St. Paul de Vence, Nice, EZE, and Monte Carlo; but all those tours only take a maximum of 8 people in their van. I also thought of a rental car, but also can not find a car that can take 9 people (of the 9 of us, only 1 person is willing to drive in a foreign country).

 

Maybe taking the taxi at the port is our best option. And after we get to EZE, hopefully we will be able to find/call for 3 taxis that can take us back to the port.

[Hlitner]

We looked at the Port of Monte Carlo schedule and your ship is, indeed, scheduled to be a the Port Hercule area which does have a large pier and is also sometimes used for tendering. So assuming that the Princess info is accurate (not always the case) this is where you will be :). We do agree that the logistics of getting a group of 9 to St Paul de Vence are problematic. Use of public transit means using a public bus or train to first get to either Nice or Cagnes sur Mer where one can then use the #400 bus to get out to St Paul de Vence. This is fraught with too many challenges for a large group and DW and I no avoid this method...preferring to simply rent a car for the day.

 

So get yourself to Eze by taxi and then worry later (not too much later) on how to get back. Not only do you have the public buses that stop at Eze Village, but its also possible to take a bus down the hill to Eze/Bord sur Mer where you can catch the train (or another bus) back to Monte Carlo.

 

Hank

[chubbypiggy]

We looked at the Port of Monte Carlo schedule and your ship is, indeed, scheduled to be a the Port Hercule area which does have a large pier and is also sometimes used for tendering. So assuming that the Princess info is accurate (not always the case) this is where you will be :). We do agree that the logistics of getting a group of 9 to St Paul de Vence are problematic. Use of public transit means using a public bus or train to first get to either Nice or Cagnes sur Mer where one can then use the #400 bus to get out to St Paul de Vence. This is fraught with too many challenges for a large group and DW and I no avoid this method...preferring to simply rent a car for the day.

 

So get yourself to Eze by taxi and then worry later (not too much later) on how to get back. Not only do you have the public buses that stop at Eze Village, but its also possible to take a bus down the hill to Eze/Bord sur Mer where you can catch the train (or another bus) back to Monte Carlo.

 

Hank

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

I read there might be tour operators or taxi driver at the port trying to sell tours. After our arrival, maybe we will be able to find 3 taxi drivers that are willing to take us to EZE and wait for us for about 3 hours and take us back. I am sure we probably will need to pay for a tour price for the wait.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I read there might be tour operators or taxi driver at the port trying to sell tours. After our arrival, maybe we will be able to find 3 taxi drivers that are willing to take us to EZE and wait for us for about 3 hours and take us back. I am sure we probably will need to pay for a tour price for the wait.

 

You might find some drivers willing to do that. But be prepared to pay several hundred Euros per taxi. Ask yourself how much a local taxi (where you live) would charge for about 4 hours of their time. And then consider that taxis in France are often more expensive then taxis in the US.

 

Hank

Edited January 27, 2015 by Hlitner

[chubbypiggy]

You might find some drivers willing to do that. But be prepared to pay several hundred Euros per taxi. Ask yourself how much a local taxi (where you live) would charge for about 4 hours of their time. And then consider that taxis in France are often more expensive then taxis in the US.

 

Hank

 

I found a tour company that said they can give us a 15-passenger van for a 8-hour guided tour of Eze, Nice, St. Paul de Vence, Gourdon, and Monaco for 750 euros. Most likely I will go with this option. They have the 8-passenger van for the same tour for only 490 euros; too bad we have 9 people so have to pay an extra of 260 euros for the larger van. My group prefers not to share the van with others (otherwise I can probably find 6 some people from my CC group to join and only need to pay 50 euros per person).