Nice to Monaco

Sue, The easiest and cheapest way to get from Nice to Monaco is via Bus. As I recall, the fare is only €1 each way. The Bus stop is at the bottom of the hill, so you'll have to walk up to the city, or pay another €1 for the local Bus. From the Bus stop in Monaco, it's fairly easy to walk to Monte Carlo (takes about 20-minutes). There's lots to see in Monaco, so with limited time if may be better to focus on that. The Oceanographic Museum is excellent! If you want to see the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace, that takes place at 11:55. Be sure to get there early to get a good spot, as people start "jockeying for position" at least 15 minutes before the event. BE SURE to check on the departure time of Buses back to Nice, as you don't want to risk missing your boat. Happy travels!

I love Monaco, I try to get there every winter. There's actually plenty to do for such a small country. The RS book discusses it but, like Germany, it only covers a small amount of what I like. Just one example, how many have walked the cliffs of the Jardin Exotique? The Michelin Green Book goes into quite a lot of detail. There are also many interesting things between Nice and Monaco. Our favourite is to walk a couple of miles along the seawall. Then there are, among others, Eze (both seaside and, my favourite, Le Village, but you need to be prepared for stairs and a climb), Villefranche, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and all the walking choices around Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu-sur-Mer... Gosh, the problem is that I usually there for 10 days and its tough to condense all that into one partial day. Then again, that's also true of Nice, too. There's lots to do there too... the market, the Old Town, the museums mentioned above, the Promenade des Anglais and the various watersports along it, where to start. Just to say I wouldn't write off Monaco.

I loved Monaco when I was there. Since you have limited time, I would recommend taking the train. If you go to www.cruisecritic.com and look at the message boards for France stops, you'll probably be able to find more detailed information.

If you have one day to see either Nice or Monte Carlo, I would recommend staying in Nice. Unless you are into high rise condos and a casino with a cover charge to enter, Nice is far more interesting.

If you are art lovers, then definitely stay in Nice. Both the Chagall museum and the Matisse museum are wonderful! The Orthodox cathedral is said to be the best of its kind outside of Russia. Explore the old city (Vieux Nice) on foot.

The Matisse museum sits within a Roman ruins. I found the ruins more interesting than the museum. You can catch a bus to the museum from near the beach and Old Town. If you go to Monaco from Nice you can either take a local bus or take the tram up to the train station and go by train.

Thank you to everyone for your help. All of your information is very much appreciated.

Sue We stayed in Nice and did day trips- loved Monaco and took a bus there and back 1E each way. You can take the small train around the city and it will give you a good perspective at the whole area. The aquarium should be seen as well- facinating. Take the earliest tender to shore if you do not dock there. Get directions to the main bus station not too far from the docks. Buses leave frequently to Monaco.
As mentioned by other posters find out times for returns to Monaco so you do not miss your tender back to the ship.