Monaco or Villefranche and Villa Ephrussi

We are visiting Nice for a short break next week and have one day free to take a bus trip out of Nice. Any advice about which of the above would be the best place to see would be really appreciated. Many thanks

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The answer to your question is totally subjective, of course. Only YOU know which is better for you.

For me it would be the amazing Ephrussi and its beautiful gardens, and the (relatively) relaxed small seaside town atmosphere of Villefranche.

If you want fancy shops, fast cars and big yachts, the most expensive real estate in the world, and beautiful but expensive places to sit and have a drink or have a meal - Monte Carlo is the place. There are a few places to see and go in Monte Carlo that are NOT about all that, and some lovely gardens and so on, but Monte Carlo is Monte Carlo...

As I said that is just my subjective opinion. Others will have the exact opposite view, and they are no less right than I am...

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I agree with the previous answer. I was in Nice last June and had enough time to go to both places. VilleFranche is pretty and quaint and laid back. The Vill Ephrussi and gardens are fantastic! We had lunch in the restuarant there that had a breathtaking view of the sea. And to highlight the experience I had a glass of quite affordable champagne (regret not having a 2nd glass!).

Enjoy.

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I suspect that the Villa Ephrussi has quite different impacts on people from different countries. People from the US seem to be terribly impressed but I certainly wasn%26#39;t. This could be because ancient houses with art collections are unusual in the US but commonplace in the UK.

My advice would be bus or train to Villefranche and then to Monaco or bus to Eze Village and on to Monaco. In fact, with an early start, it would be perfectly feasible to do Eze, Monaco and Villefranche. People seem to either love or hate Monaco but I have never met anyone who was not bowled over by Eze. I have visited Eze about ten times a year in each of the last six years and still love the experience, while I have no real desire to visit Monaco again. This is a neat circular route with each leg of the journey taking about 20 minutes.

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The gardens at the Villa were really beautiful with the sea as a backdrop. I did think it was spectacular. Eze Village is also worthwhile. The views are breathtaking as well. I also like the shops. We went all the way to the jardin exotic. One thing to note about the quaint medieval villages is that there is usually a very steep hill to climb.

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Thank you all very much for your advice. We spent a morning in Monaco just so we could see it! We then stopped at Villefranche for the afternoon and much preferred it. Also visited Eze and walked down to Eze sur Mer which was quite exhausting on a hot day! A wonderful holiday.

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smartiepuss -

Thanks for reporting back.

You are a person of great taste and refinement!

Happy to hear you had such a good holiday!