Villefranche port options

[lorimay]

We'll be in Villefranche in October on the Celebrity Beyond. We are sceduled to be there from 7am to 6pm. We have never been to the French Riviera before. We have an interest in seeing the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, but I was wondering if we could do that and still have time in Nice. Or would we be better off doing the Nice, Monaco, Eze tour since it's our first visit to the area. Any suggestions would be great. Also, is a private tour better than just a taxi or public transportation if we do go to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild?

 

Thank you.

[marazul]

The Villa Ephrussi is a very short distance from Villefranche.  It's only about 3 miles.  Take a taxi.

 

The flower market in Nice is about 6 miles from Villefranche in the opposite direction.  (The market closes around 12:30-1.) There would be plenty of time to go to Nice in the morning to enjoy the flower market, take the "petit train" around the old town and walk around some to the Place Massena, and even have lunch before heading back to Villefranche and on to Cap Ferrat to see the Villa Ephrussi. 

 

A taxi would cost about €30 from the port to Nice.  A taxi from Nice to the Villa E would cost a little more, about €40.  Or you can take a public bus for about 2 euros for both trips. It is bus line 15 and it has a stop very near the Villa. Search this board for details on the buses.   

 

From the Villa E you could walk to the port at St Jean-Cap Ferrat and walk around the town if you have time. Or go back to Villefranche and explore the town.  

 

You do not need a tour to visit Nice or the Villa.  https://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/home

There is an app with a free guided tour:

https://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/prepare-your-visit/visitor-information

Edited August 17, 2022 by marazul

[lorimay]

Wow. Thank you for this great and detailed information. It is greatly appreciated. Sounds like a great way to spend the day, see Nice and still get to the Villa Ephrussi.

[dronnygirl]

Is Villefranche a nice port to wander around or is there not much to see/do? 

Thanks 

[Hlitner]

31 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

Is Villefranche a nice port to wander around or is there not much to see/do? 

Thanks 

It is a small resort town which is very safe for wandering.  The area near the tender pier does have some restaurants/cafes and a small downtown area (only a few blocks).  There is a small train station which is within walking distance of the port (although there are a lot of steps go get up the hill) with the regional commuter-like trains spanning the coast from Cannes to Menton.  One can take the train to Nice or Monte Carlo or just grab a regional bus to those places (and more).

 

There is not much to do unless you want to make arrangements to go to a beach club.   Most think of this port as a gateway port to other places such as Nice, Monte Carlo, Eze Village, etc.

 

Hank

[dronnygirl]

Thank you, very useful.

[Lib0007]

I will also be stopping at Villefranche in Oct on the Beyond and still trying to plan how to wander around on our own for this stop.   Will there be any tours available via van or cabs right off the ship?   Thinking Nice, Cannes and maybe Monte Carlo if there is time (7 to 6).   Or would a HOHO bus, if there is one, be a better option?   Because it will be our first visit to Europe, I'm a little leary of hopping on trains and getting back on time.  

 

Thank you for whatever suggestions you have.  

[aaalynn1]

Im wondering too if all the local buses have direct routes to Monte Carlo?

[Hlitner]

On 8/24/2022 at 11:12 AM, Lib0007 said:

I will also be stopping at Villefranche in Oct on the Beyond and still trying to plan how to wander around on our own for this stop.   Will there be any tours available via van or cabs right off the ship?   Thinking Nice, Cannes and maybe Monte Carlo if there is time (7 to 6).   Or would a HOHO bus, if there is one, be a better option?   Because it will be our first visit to Europe, I'm a little leary of hopping on trains and getting back on time.  

 

Thank you for whatever suggestions you have.  

Generally, No!  That being said, there is a chance you will find a few waiting taxis some of who will work with you to develop a tour (for hundreds of Euros).   My advice is that if you want to use private tours it is best arranged in advance (on line).  This is a very good reason to get active on your CC Roll Call Board (unique for each cruise) where you may be able to hook up with a few other like-minded cruisers.   Private tours in France can be quite expensive, so joining with 1 or more other couples will usually result in a much more reasonable price per person.

 

I will also mention that CC has these various port blogs so that folks can share experiences and offer help/advice.  There are plenty of European ports that can easily be done Do It Yourself (DIY) while others are much more complicated (often because of the distances between port and desired sites/places).  Many cruises (even those with a lot of experience) will often use a variety of options during their cruise which often include a mix of DIY, Private tours, and cruise line excursions.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, aaalynn1 said:

Im wondering too if all the local buses have direct routes to Monte Carlo?

No!  There are various bus lines (all numbered) operated by the regional bus company (Ligne d'Azur").  All the buses are modern, clean, and safe.  The most popular bus route from Villefranche would be the #100 bus which operates between Nice and Monte Carlo (it actually goes further in both directions) along the lower road (along the coast).  If you are simply looking for low cost (and frequent) transportation between the port and Monte Carlo and/or Nice than the $100 bus is a great option

 

Other bus numbers have completely different routes.   You can try to use the Ligne d'Azur online site

Lignes d'Azur (lignesdazur.com) but many find this site somewhat difficult.  Since the #100 bus runs on a very frequent schedule (often about every 10 minutes) there is no need to be concerned with the schedule on this particular route.  But other buses (such as the bus between Nice-Eze Village-Monte Carlo, run infrequently so reading a timetable is very helpful.

 

My personal recommendation is to use the #100 bus if you are simply going to Monte Carlo or Nice.  I prefer the bus, over the trains, because of the frequency and price as well as the more convenient stops in Monte Carlo and Nice.  If you plan on going further than Monte Carlo (to the East) or Nice (to the West) than the train is often the best option.

 

Hank

[GreenFamily]

Taxis are very expensive.

[marazul]

4 hours ago, GreenFamily said:

Taxis are very expensive.

It is very expensive if you try to hire a taxi for a full day tour.

If you take a taxi between Villefranche and the Villa Ephrussi, it is $10-15. Between Villefranche and Nice it is $25-30. That is for the ride not per person.

Edited September 3, 2022 by marazul