Monaco Bucket List Trip Resolution

[Lstansbury]

Hi traveler experts! Gambling in the Casino in Monte Carlo is on the bucket list and I'm working toward paying for the trip. But have hit a huge snag.

The locale is way pricey. Wondering if anyone has found a better way to visit? I'm looking at cruises that stay more than one night in port there, so I don't have to pay a hotel rack rate. And I'd like to work my way through Florence toward Rome to fly home. Azamara cruises seemed to fill the bill for me -- but then SO decided cruising was just too plebian. (off boat at 8 a.m., back home by 6 p.m. -- where's the fun?) And the cruises with city stay overnights were about $10K each. WAY pricey.

So, Anyone have any experience with private tours, etc., through that part of Europe? I'm hating the idea of driving through Europe and spending 7 or 8 days in towns I never wanted to visit anyway, and only spending two nights in Monaco. But he's looking to do an overland trip to parts of Italy to fill out the 13 or so days we should be there. That would be okay, but SO has never driven in Europe, (heck, he's never been!) and I've only done the trains. Not looking forward to handling too much transport on my own.

The discussion/debate/fight has reached Epic proportions. Help!!!

Many many thanks for any input.

 

[Souschef]

Have you looked at staying in Nice and taking the train to Monaco? We were actually staying in Monaco, but had to take a train from Nice to get there. It is not that long a trip.

 

[Scrapr]

We spent 3 weeks in Europe a couple years ago. Picking up our Volvo at the factory, driving to Antwerp to drop it off, then using the train to Paris. If I had it to do over again I would use the train for the whole trip. We found the car in the large cities were not used at all. Just pay to park. We used Uber & taxis if needed

There is a website called Man in seat 61 that is all about train travel in Europe. Very very helpful. I would try to work it out via the train

I saw this video on his site. Switzerland to Italy

https://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm

 

[Cut-Throat]

You can stay in Italy on the Coast, and rent a car and drive over there for the day... It's not that far. That's what we did... Gambling is not for me, but we wanted to see the Casino. On the way up the steps, a guy stops me, because I had shorts on, and wouldn't let me in...


That pretty much checked it off my bucket list... Have no desire to go in the least. This was 20 years ago.... Today, I'd just stay in Italy and eat the great food.

 

[Lstansbury]

Thanks, will check it out!

 

[Lstansbury]

Interesting! I did trains before and got lost once, couldn't figure out which train was white h, even with some prep from Rick Steve's. Will check this out, might be a better source

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Have you looked at staying in Nice and taking the train to Monaco? We were actually staying in Monaco, buthad to take a train from Nice to get there. It is not that long a trip.

+1. That's what we've done: stay in Nice and train (and bus) it to Monaco. It's a pretty short trip.
--
Train from Florence to Rome is pretty straightforward also.
It sounds like renting a car and visiting towns in between is not high on the list but I thought driving through Tuscany was pretty fun. The car is a pain in rear in town but I thought it was pretty easy driving between.

 

[Jkstrudwick]

Oceania has a cruise that overnights and ends in Monaco but you’re correct, it is a pricey cruise.

The post commuting from Nice is an excellent option. The train to and from Monaco runs frequently and cost 5 euros. It’s a convenient and inexpensive mode of transportation.

We stayed at an Air BNB in Nice and used Uber for local transportation but I’m sure there are less expensive options of getting around.

 

[DrRoy]

You could get custom planning and booking but not pay for a tour guide from Euro Travel Coach.

 

[marko]

Have you looked at staying in Nice and taking the train to Monaco? We were actually staying in Monaco, but had to take a train from Nice to get there. It is not that long a trip.

The train works but the easy drive from Nice to Monaco is absolutely breathtaking.

The only snag is in August where it can take you over an hour to go a mile on the main drag (Prom des Anglais) in Nice due to the fact that half of France is on vacation at that time.

Funny story:
50 years ago, a friend went into the Monte Carlo casino. He was walking along the street and just as he got to the casino steps, a limousine pulled up and some people got out. He was 'with them, but not with them' as they all walked in.
He never turned around to see who they were but for the rest of the night, he didn't open a door, pay for a drink or meal and everyone cow-towed to him like he was royalty; nothing was off limits. If the casino wasn't sure that he was with those people, they didn't want to take the chance!

 

[phil1ben]

We were just there in July and stayed at the Hermitage. The old casino is beautiful, however, you will be surprised how small it is. There were maybe ten table games, many of which were roulette which is the popular gambling game in Europe. The size of the casino pales in comparison to any in Las Vegas or even Atlantic City. No crap table at all. Unless you are staying at one of the hotels next to the casino, there is a small admission fee. The old casino does sit on the hair pin curve of the Grand Prix of Monaco which was interesting to see.

We have driven all through Europe and never a problem but one must have patience. The toll booths are somewhat different but the roads for the most part are excellent in Nice and Monaco. Parking is always an issue in the cities. Roads in Spain and southern France are particularly good. Most of the rental cars have manual transmissions but some automatics are available at higher prices. Very important to bring your cell phone for GPS and to have a map in case the signal is weak. I also get an International Drivers License at the local AAA office. Lastly, if you are renting a car spend some time with your insurance agent to understand what your auto insurance/homeowners insurance covers concerning liability and collision abroad. Between renting with our AMEX card, our auto policy and our umbrella insurance through Chubb we didn't need to pay the very high insurance fees through the car rental company but this takes some time to confirm. Don't miss Monaco old city and the Rothschild Mansion on St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a short drive away.

 

[folivier]

This was 5 years ago but took the train to Monaco from Genoa which was a beautiful ride along the coast but slow as we stopped often. We stayed 2 nights at the Marriott for free. Before the trip we got Marriott credit cards on a promotion which gave us 1 free night each. Didn't do the casino but did see the palace and the Cousteau museum.

 

[NW-Bound]

In 2003, we went from Nice to Monaco by train. We stayed at the Marriott in Cap d'Ail, and this hotel was on the water, and right at the border of France and Monaco. We walked from the hotel to the palace while sightseeing, and it was less than 1 mile away.

This hotel picked up and dropped off customers at the Monaco train station for free. Not sure if they still do.

PS. The stop at Monaco was part of a longer train trip which started from Nice and ended up in Paris, with stays in Monaco, Sorrento, Venice, etc...

 

[Teacher Terry]

We spent 2 weeks in the Tuscany area and it’s beautiful. We chose Sienna as our home base and drove to the surrounding towns every day.

 

[Scuba]

We’ve driven in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Greece. Never had any problem and outside of the UK where you have to get used to driving on the other side of the road, it was very easy. To me, having the flexibility to stop where you like and see “off the beaten path” places is very important. The train doesn’t allow this as well as having your own car.

 

[220volt]

We stayed in Paris for 7 days and then took the train from Paris to Aix Provence.
Stayed in Aix Provence for 5 days and then train from Aix to --> Nice.
Stayed 3 days in Nice and took the train couple of times to Monaco and back. Super easy. Takes literary 15 minutes.
Then we drove from Nice to Florence (rent-a-car). Easy drive. Trough Tuscany and Pisa. Beautiful.
Stayed in Florence for 6 days and took the train to Rome. Again, super easy and comfy hour and a half ride. You definitely don’t want to drive in Rome.
Stayed in Rome for 2 days and then train back to Florence
We drove from Florence to Geneva, Switzerland and then drove to Paris.
Dropped the car at the Paris airport and flew back to US. No cross border charges for the rent-a-car since we rented it in Nice and dropped it off in Paris.
One of the best trips of our lives.

 

[poppydog]

We’ve stayed in the Marriott Porte de Monaco hotel, which is really good, and because it’s just in France officially (Monaco starts on the other side of the narrow road, literally) it’s quite inexpensive.

 

[Chuckanut]

We’ve driven in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Greece. Never had any problem and outside of the UK where you have to get used to driving on the other side of the road, it was very easy.

Not to hijack the thread, but did you need an International Driver's License?

I got one years ago on my 2nd trip to Italy, and nobody gave a hoot about it. They wanted to see my official state license for the car rental and that was it.

 

[Freedom56]

Hi traveler experts! Gambling in the Casino in Monte Carlo is on the bucket list and I'm working toward paying for the trip. But have hit a huge snag.

The locale is way pricey. Wondering if anyone has found a better way to visit? I'm looking at cruises that stay more than one night in port there, so I don't have to pay a hotel rack rate. And I'd like to work my way through Florence toward Rome to fly home. Azamara cruises seemed to fill the bill for me -- but then SO decided cruising was just too plebian. (off boat at 8 a.m., back home by 6 p.m. -- where's the fun?) And the cruises with city stay overnights were about $10K each. WAY pricey.

So, Anyone have any experience with private tours, etc., through that part of Europe? I'm hating the idea of driving through Europe and spending 7 or 8 days in towns I never wanted to visit anyway, and only spending two nights in Monaco. But he's looking to do an overland trip to parts of Italy to fill out the 13 or so days we should be there. That would be okay, but SO has never driven in Europe, (heck, he's never been!) and I've only done the trains. Not looking forward to handling too much transport on my own.

The discussion/debate/fight has reached Epic proportions. Help!!!

Many many thanks for any input.

We have been to Monaco many times. The last time was in 2016. In all cases we stayed in Nice or Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We drove by car all the times we visited. You can also take a train or bus there. The tram/bus from Nice or towns outside Nice is the lowest cost option. The bus drives along the coast.

Monaco has changed a lot over the past three decades. They have really overbuilt and the city is dominated by concrete with very little green space in the center. The first time I visited was in the early 90's and thought wow!. During our last visit during the summer of 2016, we thought what a mess! The casino is more historic than anything else. It's much smaller than the tiniest casino in Las Vegas. Monte Carlo isn't really a gambling destination any longer. Of all the places on Cotes D'Azur from Cannes to the Italian border, I would say that Monaco/Monte Carlo was our least favorite. I wouldn't spend more than a day visiting. The Palace was the highlight last time. Nice and Cannes are a lot nicer. Cannes has replaced Monaco as the upscale destination in the Riviera. The food is much better in Nice and Cannes. If you want to stay at a nice place not too far from Monaco, hotels around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat would be a good option. The views are stunning around there. I would stay in Nice and drive or use public transportation.

 

[winger]

Monaco Formula 1 race is on May 26 this year. It's a street course through the main parts of Monaco. They begin blocking roads and setting up the track, repaving some places a couple weeks ahead of the race.

Hotel prices go even higher. Traffic is bad.

On the other hand, there are some awesome yachts in the harbor.

 

[audreyh1]

Have you looked at staying in Nice and taking the train to Monaco? We were actually staying in Monaco, but had to take a train from Nice to get there. It is not that long a trip.

That’s wha I would recommend.

A very scenic route.

 

[conversationalphrase]

We went to the Monaco Grand Prix last year and rented an AirBnB in Beausoleil. It was very affordable,
<$200 per night. Two days we walked to and from the track and two days we took the city bus for 2 euros each way. If you walk be advised there are many stairways, but it was great exercise!