Two days in Monaco Area

Diane, if you change your mind about Monaco just shout and Monaco highlights can be available. I wouldn't likely drive from Monaco to Cannes because the train is so easy. I can't speak for congestion in October but it has to be much lighter than in the summer.

Cannes and St. Tropez aren't really one "area." St. Tropez is substantially farther from Monaco than Cannes, and since St. Tropez has no train service, will take longer to reach. If Monaco doesn't appeal to you, you can easily get to anywhere else in the area by train or bus. Look into Nice, Cannes, Antibes, etc. Nice is by far the largest place and will have the most to see, as well as the best transit connections directly to other places (even places not right on the coast, like St. Paul de Vence or Eze Village). Or, if you want smaller places, you can look into Menton (right at the Italian border), Juan-les-Pins (near Antibes, but quite a different vibe), Villefranche-sur-mer, etc. Unfortunately, with only two days, it will be hard to get much further away. Marseille is three hours by train, so that's doable.

So great to hear back from both Nigel and Harold, thank you both. Never used train system in France, any suggestions? Since we have spent a day each in Monaco and Eze and Nice in the past, just looking to see some place else, and do overnight somewhere.. i like your destination ideas Harold. If you want to share anything further that would be awesome. There are four of us, no car, unfamiliar w trains, but would like to pursue that, and no knowledge of area.. thank you again so much...

French trains are relatively easy to use. Be sure to get tickets before you board - there are several ticket windows hidden away in the Monaco station near the tourist info agency. Most of the trains east and west of Monaco are PACA Regional double decker trains. If you are on them you must validate your ticket before boarding by ing the ticket in the validation machine near the platform or you are liable to an instant expensive fine. If traveling from Monaco towards Nice sit, upstairs if possible, on the left side of the train so you can see the lovely sea. It is worth checking if there is a strike. PACA (the Provence and Cote d'Azur regional trains, owned by SNCF) doesn't get on very well with its employees who think that many will lose their jobs and that they will have to adopt the same working conditions as other SNCF (French national railways) staff. They often have planned and announced strikes for a day or two. There are also occasional double and single decker TGV express trains which stop at many of the Cote d'Azur stations. Unless you have a TGV ticket you must not board them. They are completely extra fare all reserved seats. If you get on a TGV with a Regional ticket you are liable for a substantial fine. Don't worry, the trains look quite different and the screens next to the track will show which train it actually is. Hint: if the destination is Paris, its express, either TEOZ (can't get on them either - but rare -, or TGV. If the destination is Cannes (the furthest west you can go with PACA without changing) it is PACA. Both the Tourist Info office at Monaco station and the ticket sellers speak some English.

Local trains along the coast (Cannes to Juan-les-Pins to Antibes to Nice to Villefranche to Monaco to Menton, and other places in between) run every half hour, with the last train around 11:30 PM (or 23:30 in train time). They cost only a few euros. In addition to Nigel's advice, be aware that later in the evening the ticket windows may be closed; the ticket machines take coins, but not paper money or US issued cards. So, either have coins ready for your return ticket, or buy a round trip ticket to start. In addition to trains, there are buses every 15 minutes on this route, stopping in even more places, with the last around 8 PM (20:00). These cost €1 (yes, one euro), but take about twice as long. For shorter distances, like Monaco to Nice, either bus or train works well. For longer ones, like Monaco to Cannes, the bus seems to take forever, and you'll be glad you spent a few extra euros on the train. If you're taking a lot of buses in a day (say, Monaco to Eze, then Eze to Nice, then a local bus in Nice to the Matisse or Chagall museums, then back to Monaco), there is a €4 day pass. Note that buses to non-coastal destinations run less frequently. For example, from Nice to Eze, there's 16 buses on weekdays and 8 on weekends. So, you will need to consult a schedule for these. Nigel already told you to be sure to validate your train ticket before boarding; you also have validate a bus ticket on board the bus (watch others and imitate). Other than that, there's not much to it. These are local trains and buses, with no reservations necessary or possible; as long as you have a validated ticket, you can hop on the next train, and the buses sell tickets on board.