Add an extra night in Monte Carlo?
My wife and I are booked on the June 4th French Escapade: Paris to the Riviera. We have added an extra night in Paris and need to decide whether to add an extra night at the end. The last two nights of this tour are usually spent in Cannes at the Hotel Martinez but it was not available so we will be staying at the Fairmont Monte Carlo instead. There are two excursions offered. One includes a walking tour of Nice and Monte Carlo plus a drive to see where the rich and famous hang out. The other excursion takes you into the hills above Cannes to visit Grasse and the Provencal hilltop town of Saint Paul de Vence. Based on the descriptions I expect we would opt for the latter. Since we will be staying in Monte Carlo right next to the Casino and probably driving along the coast through Nice the first excursion may not add much. But, we may not see Cannes at all. If anyone has taken this tour and these excursions I would appreciate any comments on what to choose and whether there are other things worth doing that would warrant staying an extra night.
Comments
Opt for extra time, Cleverpig. There is much to see. We did this tour last year. Many were disappointed in the Nice/Monte Carlo excursion and little time time was spent in Nice - seemed like more of a bathroom stop. Having been to Monte Carlo before we didn't continue the tour and spent the day in Nice before taking the train back to our hotel. St Paul de Vence is fun. Just a short walk from the village is the Fondation Maeght - highly recommend it. Also, you can arrange to have a short lesson on playing boules, which is fun. But, it would probably mean you would have to skip Grasse and take the bus/train/uber back to Monte Carlo. It has been decades since I've been to Grasse - can't remember much about it. With your extra day consider spending the time in Nice - you could easily spend more than a day here but do include the Chagall Museum - or go to the Rothschild's Ephrussi Villa with its beautiful gardens. Nearby is Eze or take the train to Antibes. A favorite village of ours is Mougins. Use a combination of the train, bus, uber, or hire a driver for the day. There are many other places on the Riviera to visit. Google for them and see what interests you.