We have a one day cruise stop in July to Villefranche which I believe is the port for Nice. I have made no shore excursion plans as it sounds as if Nice is lovely and walkable. We frequently prefer independent walking sightseeing at our leisure. Markets, shops, churches, parks, gardens, historic architecture, art….? Will it be difficult and or distance from the cruiseport to possibly the historic district? We have never been there and unsure of what doing this may require? Might they have some sort of hop on hop off busses or trams? Anybody have experience with doing this?
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1450 posts
The port is a 30 minute bus ride to Old Town Nice which is the historic district you are looking for. You have to go early in the day for the Markets especially for Flowers. It is worth going to the Marc Chagall Museum. It is up a hill; so, it is better to take a bus or taxi. I was on a chartered bus tour so I don't know about the public transportation.
Posted by
Washington DC
27120 posts
There is regional-train service from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Nice. I don't know how far the Villefranche station is from the port. In Nice there's a tram stop not far from the train station with service down toward the waterfront. I have no idea how the convenience and cost of the bus from the port would compare.
Nice has at least six art museums, plus other types of museums. I believe there's one with old musical instruments. There are enough additional sights to occupy multiple days.
If you happen to get back to Villefranche with time to spare, you can enjoy its historic area until you need to return to the ship. (Again, I know nothing about the location of the port.)
Since you mentioned gardens:
Nice has a botanical garden on the west end of town, out in the direction of the airport. It was recommended to me by a local, but I ran out of time before getting there. In that general area are two good, specialized museums. One shows Asian art; the other, naive art. I really liked both those museums.
The town of Menton east of Villefranche (near the Italian border), which has rail service, has a couple of nice hillside gardens. Neither is in the center of town; one is accessible by bus (not necessarily with frequent service) and the other is walkable from Menton's second train station.
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat is interesting for its furnishings and is surrounded by very nice gardens. There's bus service--from the Beaulieu-dur-Mer train station, I beieve.
However, given the time it takes to make your way from a train station to the sights you want to see, and then get back to the train station, and probably wait for the next train for your destination, I'd be inclined to stick to one city, plus Villefranche itself if you end up with extra time there.
Posted by
55 posts
We visited the Marc Chagall museum in Nice and it is beautiful. There is a little cafe (at least years ago when we visited) where you can relax with a coffee and dessert after touring the museum. Enjoy your cruise.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
678 posts
The cruise ship will use tenders that drop off in the center of the village. Facing the village, you would head to the right (east) along the bay to get to the train station. There are some steps to get up to the station (not as many as climbing the hill to get to the bus stops). Trains are more frequent than the buses and you won't be fighting so much for space with the other daytrippers. Go to Nice Ville and from the station, head to the left (past the shiny new Iconic hotel) and you'll find the tram stop (Euro 1.70 from the machines) or you can simply stroll down Jean-Medecin (take a right) past the shops and cafes to Place Massena.
Posted by
OP
464 posts
Wow…..Thank you for much helpful advice all!