Shore Excursions from Cannes

Posted by Linda (Seattle) on 08/17/15 03:04 PM

Hello. We are doing a first time MSC cruise in September that stops at Cannes at 10:30 and leaves at 7:00 on a Monday. Since there is not a lot of time here and the ship is tendered, we are thinking about doing one of the ships excursions. We went to a Rick Steves cruise port seminar and the presenter said it could be challenging to see very much on our own. I wanted to see Monaco and my husband wants Nice. Of course the two together are not an option unless we try to do them on our own. We like the outdoors and architecture. Any ideas on what might be the best option?
1. Monaco & Eze
2. Monaco and Montecarlo
3. Nice and Eze

Thank you for your assistance. Linda

Posted by Laura

Rick Steves' Europe

08/17/15 08:30 PM

16893 posts

Monaco and Montecarlo are the same destination. Trains from Cannes to Montecarlo take one hour, some with a connection in Nice, which is half-way between. Bus takes longer, but if you start with a train to Nice and your sightseeing takes you down to the waterfront, then a bus connection to Montecarlo (45 minutes) will be more convenient than returning to Nice Ville train station. You can buy tickets as you go for both trains and buses; most are not reserved. Eze has the benefit of being a smaller destination, but not any faster to reach.

Your boat is scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. the same day (19:00), right? For instance, a 16:40 train departure from Montecarlo gets to Cannes train station at 17:50, then the walk back to the port is about 15 minutes, per Rick's description. The same train stops at Nice at 17:05, in this example. I assume that's probably the latest train that might work, but I don't know how much time you need to allow for tendering. If you take the ship's excursion, then I understand they are responsible for getting you back on time.

How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it.

Posted by Harold

New York, NY, USA

08/18/15 05:06 AM

11294 posts

Do you have Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports? If not, get it. It has all the logistics of visiting this area, including transit options, where to catch the various buses, etc. It should also have info for most (if not all) of your other cruise ports as well.

With your limited time, I'd take the train from Cannes to Monaco, then bus or train back to Nice (depending on how much time you have), then train from Nice to Cannes. The bus between Cannes and Nice was quite slow; the train saves lots of time on this stretch.

The problem with trying to visit Eze on your own is that there are 16 buses per day between Nice and Eze Village (the one on the hilltop that you want to visit), and 8 per day between Monaco and Eze Village. There are no trains, and no transit direct from Cannes (you have to change in Nice or Monaco). This makes the scheduling tricky and precarious; if something goes wrong, you could miss your ship. If you do want to see Eze, be sure to do it on a ship excursion.

Posted by Linda OP

Seattle

08/18/15 07:56 PM

25 posts

Thank you for your replies. It looks like we need to be back to the ship 1 - 1/2 hours before it leaves if we do things on our own because of the ship being tendered. I do have the RS Mediterranean cruise port book. It recommended not to go to Monaco by bus. Who knows how long it will take to get off the ship and to shore. The shore excursion by the cruise company may be the best option. We just have to decide what would be the best option. Maybe Monaco and Eze. Thanks again.