Any advice on how to get to Monte Carlo to check out the Casino from a cruise ship? Or are there recommended tours?
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The cruise boats always lay on guided tour-groups to Monaco - but if you prefer to go under your own steam you can catch the 100 bus to Monaco MonteCarlo from the main road above the town, or theres a train from Villefranche station to Monaco - butallow plenty of time - the train station is in the underground centre of Monaco and some way from the Casino. You may find it easier to just go with the cruise tour if you dont get very long there
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Hi KStar
We%26#39;ve stayed in Monte Carlo twice at hotels which belong to the casino group. We had free entrance; I believe you%26#39;ll have to pay around Euro 30 for entry. You MUST have your passport. The interiors are stunning especially the ceilings and really are worth visiting. Don%26#39;t expect anything like an American casino (don%26#39;t wear shorts and baseball caps); Monte is of course very upmarket and very quiet compared to US (don%26#39;t know about Canada). There may not be much action during the day though we saw one woman betting Euro 100,000 every throw.
Trains are erratic and as said arrive quite a distance from the casino. The bus is every 20 minutes; takes about 30 minutes and drops you off (and picks up) just outside the casino.
I suspect the ship will charge you their usual rip-off amount. If you were pushed for time, a taxi back would not be that expensive (agree price first).
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The trains are being affected by intermittent strikes at the moment. There were no trains on Friday and I waited 40 minutes for the bus on the way to the airport at 8.30am (supposed to run every 15 mins) before reluctantly giving up and getting a taxi. I shared the taxi with a local who was trying to get to work (who said that strikes will become even more common when Mr Sarkozy gets into his stride)
Taxis can be hard to come by when a cruise ship is in but much better value than a tour.
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We took the #100 Ligne d%26#39;Azur bus round trip from Monaco to Beaulieu-sur-mer (next town east from Villefranche). Cost 1.30 euro each way. A real bargain. The bus is very clean and there is an electronic board that tells you the name of the next stop.
In Monaco, the bus stops near the Tourist Information Center.
You%26#39;ll walk downhill past some gardens to get to the Casino. It is a very short walk (two or three blocks)
Riding the bus and seeing the sights along the road is an experience in itself. See www.lignedzur.com for time tables.
If you only want to see the Casino, this is an easy way to get there.
WARNING about taxis. We went the Casino in Monaco one evening and had to wait 45 minutes at the taxi rank in the rear of the casino before a taxi ever showed up. (According the police officer we asked, this was the only taxi rank near the casino.) This was at 11pm in the evening.
If you do take the train to Monaco, you might have better luck getting a taxi at the train station (which is not close to the Casino). Monaco has its own bus system which is very efficient. If you go to the official Monaco website, they will send you a map of Monaco which includes the bus routes. It came in a couple of weeks. But the local Monaco buses only run until around 9pm.
Is your ship stopping in Barcelona? We were there too and can give you some ideas on touring the city if you are interested.
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