40th Birthday prezzie

[itsonlymoney]

As you all no by previous post it is my 40th today.
I thought you may like to know what my wonderfull partners prezzie was.

A three day trip to the "Cote d azure" We are staying in Nice and fly at 7.30am Tues. returning 12am Fri. Can't wait to see Monaco and all the Boats moored there. Any tips from anyone ie. places to go/eat/drink anything really.
Regards - Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[Roy]

Monaco...... We have company incentive trips there - two so far. Its stunning and well worth some time. You will see some megaboats and restaurants that are ..... 'different' from what most of us are used to. Take plenty plastic as it can be expensive and have a wonderful holiday there. Happy birthday. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[jfm]

Cote D\'Azur

Monte Carlo worth a look, also try the casino one evening. If you want to see lots of boats go to Port Vauban Antibes and stroll about on the south side (ie near the town) and also go on the IYCA quay to get right up to the most mega of mega yachts. Octopus might be there, Carinthia7 (most beautiful of the superyachts imho) will definitely be there. Also take a walk around Antibes old town inside the walled part of the town, it is beautiful. Sorry not to be there those days or would have offered you a boat ride - the Cote D'Azur is best viewed from the sea. Have a great trip, prepare to be hooked on med boating

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[LittleShip]

Sell the boat you'll need the money, £10 for a G&T Have a great time it a stunning place.

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[John_Lana]

In Monaco, Stars and Bars, about half way along the south side of the port has good food at a price that will not break the bank - it is also a bit of a hangout for some if the F1 drivers if any of them are in town. Do take a walk up to the old town, on top of the rock where the palace is situated. Good views and a glimpse of the town as it was.
As previoiusly mentioned though, if it is big boats you want to see, then Port Vaubin is where they are at.

John

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.john-lana.com>http://www.john-lana.com</A> Mainly about boats, but also a bit about my other toy, my Caterham 7

 

[PaulF]

Well that sounds brilliant. Happy birthday to you.

After your splendid 40th pressie you can look positively towards your 50th! It may ease the 'growing older' thought!

Have a great time with that very special lady.

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[jfm]

car renting in Nice

Also if you are renting a car, beware. At Nice airport you get bussed to a car rental centre, full of portacabins and massive Qs as people collect their cars and (slowly) do the paperwork. Don't use the firm that the easyjet website links to, as evryone else will have done the same so massive Q. Use one of the more expensive outlets like Hertz, which doesn't have links from budget airline websites, then no Qs

Actually the best place used to be Easycar, as they are not in the main car rental centre, they're in a hotel just across the street from airport. But I heard that has now closed. (I'm not up to date, hardly ever rent a car down there). If you have a Hertz VIP card, use that because they bring the car to arrivals and meet you there, absoutely no queue

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[Nat]

Happy Birthday & hope you have many more. Havent been there but sounds great
enjoy...........Nat

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[jhr]

Ian,

Happy birthday. Hope 40 isn't as bad as you feared it would be......... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Monaco is worth a look but, as other have said, Antibes is the place to go, to look at gobsmackingly amazing megayachts. Monaco is actually a rather rubbish harbour, with lots of swell (or used to be - there's been a lot of reconstruction in recent years), so the real cognoscenti don't moor there. Dunno if you're into art, but I never knew that I liked Picasso until I went to the Musee Picasso in Antibes (in the old Town) - there's a lot of his early stuff there.

The other place I really like in the SoF is Beaulieu sur Mer, which is on the way between Nice and Monaco. Like its UK namesake, it's comparatively unspoilt and a pleasant place to while away a few hours on the waterfront, with a drink in your hand.

There used to be a club in the backstreets of Nice called Le Cyrano, where........ but it's probably gone by now, and I always felt that you shouldn't do that sort of thing with a whip, anyway.

I used to have family living in the SoF, and I loved it to bits; I'm sure you will too.



<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[itsonlymoney]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. It certainly sounds the dogs ******** jhr.
given the choice if we havent enough time do I go to Antibes rather than Monaco ? and no its not that bad /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[jhr]

Monaco or Antibes

Ideally, try and find time to do both, but that doesn't really answer your question.
There's probably more varied things to do and see in Monaco, and Antibes is primarily interesting from a boaty point of view, so SWMBO may prefer the bright lights and retail therapy of Monaco. But hey - it's your birthday!

I prefer Antibes but that's a purely personal prejudice. I've been to Monaco several times, and was fascinated by it, but I always felt it was a bit soulless, which may be due to the fact that there is just so much money swilling around. Antibes is much more "French" than Monaco (though there's a fair sized expat Brit. community there) and the Old Town and Harbour are wonderful places for a chilled out stroll. There's also an excellent Market in the Town. In fact, I think I want to go back there now /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.



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[jfm]

If time is limited, definitely do Antibes not Monaco, imho. But in 3 days with hire car you can easily do both. Or if no car, take the train, it is a fabulously beautiful train ride because it goes right along the coast, really close to the sea. must have the best views of any train line anywhere in the world. There are stops in Monaco, Villefranche, Antibes, Golfe Juan, Cannes, all the places you would want to go. We use it to get about, better than car.

If there's time to get as far west as St Tropez, you might also spend an afternoon at la Voile Rouge, a very pleasant bar on the beach at Pampelonne. (Learner, please dont chip in with any erudite "extra info" at this point - he's just turned 40 and he'll enjoy it, okay? )

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[itsonlymoney]

Two more questions just occurred to me.
How expensive and how regular are the trains ?
Best way to centre of Nice from airport and how much ?
Approx prices will do of course/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[jhr]

Generally, trains are cheaper, more regular and reliable than the UK. I seem to recall Nice to Antibes as taking about 15 - 20 minutes and I'd echo jfm's comments about the route, which goes through some beautiful scenery.

There's an <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ter-sncf.com/uk/paca/default.htm>online timetable</A> (it's in English) which should help.

Quickest way into the centre of Nice from the Airport is probably by taxi, though to be really cool, you should be picked up at the Airport in a Riva, and blatted into Town that way................

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[jhr]

Should just clarify a bit - the scenery on the line between Nice and Antibes is not that wonderful, but heading t'other way towards Monaco, it all gets much better...........

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[itsonlymoney]

I no this sounds very uncool but are there any buses from the airport.
Just a thought.

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[EME]

..getting from Airport to MC Can be a bit of a pain. There is a bus which goes from Terminal but unsure on times. Best way is to take helicopter, only a 5 minute ride.

If you want to save money get a cab to Nice station and take the train would be another alternative. Trains run frequently ( about 30 a day)

Mc booze prices are not that bad --- if you do stay there , go up the rock to the old town -- loads of decent bars up there and restaurants galore. Funny someone reccomended Stars and Bars - full of ex-pats and closest thing to an American sports bar in the South of France. Nice places to go are Eze ( which is also a short train ride) - also a great restaurant in THE hotel . Cannes and Nice are also both interesting BUT you are in the height of the tourist season - so be prepared for a few waits , restaurants / bars better there ...

If you want any other advice on specifics just ask..

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[EME]

should have added Villefranche as place to visit ( good bars / restaurants on the 'quay', nicer than Beaulieu IMHO ... but a GOOD walk back uphill to train !

and I have a train timetable here if you want to pm me with your arrival time.

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[jhr]

Bus times from Airport to Nice are <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.nice.aeroport.fr/acces_stationnement/bus/recherche.asp?dest_id={6ED478A1-D897-48A2-B320-900EE02EE24F}>here</A> but in French, I'm afraid. €3.50 and half an hour, apparently (though traffic can be a bit of a problem and might add to it).

Depends where you are staying in Nice, but you probably need a bus to the "Centre Ville" rather than to the "Gare SNCF" (Railway Station) - which is a bit away from the centre of Town, as I recall.

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[jhr]

Absolutely final PS

Have a look at the Lonely Planet website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/nice/>here</A> for some useful info. Must go and do some work now. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho