A DAY TRIP FROM NICE, FRANCE: ÈZE AND MONACO
Nice is undoubtedly one of my favorite places that I have ever been. I found it hard to even want to leave the city for an afternoon trip east to Èze and Monaco, but both ended up being absolutely amazing memories.
Both Èze and Monaco do not need a full day so this is the perfect day or afternoon/evening trip. The drive out towards the border of Monaco from Nice on the Corniche Moyenne to start the trip is one of the most beautiful routes in the South of France overlooking the sea from the cliffs, and it just kept getting even more unreal from there.
I was visiting this region during October, and while it was still beautiful weather with warm Mediterranean water still, it was the beginning of the off season so it was not as chaotic as that area in South of France is during the summer.
Overall the trip took about 6 hours or so-it was one of the most perfect days of my entire life so far.
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ÈZE OVERVIEW
Tucked in between Nice and Monaco, Èze is this unbelievable little village on a mountain that over looks the sea, it is absolutely pure magic. Life does not feel real in the streets, it felt like I might as well be walking through a painting or one of my daydreams. Technically, there is two parts of the town. There is “old Èze” or the medieval part of Èze on top of the cliff, and Èze-Sur-Mer, the modern part down on the sea level.
HOW TO GET FROM NICE TO ÈZE
We made our way out by driving, but there are a couple of different options.
BY TRAIN:
Nice-Ville Station to Èze-Sur-Mer Station: 14 min direct $4 USD every 30 minutes.
France has one of my favorite commuter train systems and I never ran into any problems on any of my trips on the train itself. The village is somewhat of a hike to do from the station though.
But-you can take the #83 bus just next to the station up to the village to make it easy. If you choose to be fun and hike, the walk from the station and the beachside town up to the village will take about an hour on the sentier nietzsche.
I did not take the train into Èze, but still had to hike up from the parking below and it was not bad.
BY BUS:
Nice Valbaun Station to Èze village
If you do not want to make the hike up from the Èze-Sur-Mer train station and the beach and want a more just straight forward way to get up to Èze, you can take the Lignes D’azur #82 and #112 buses from Nice to the village on the hilltop. This way you will also still get the amazing views along the Corniche Moyenne.
BY CAR/TRANSFER:
Along with the bus option, you will also be able to experience the most amazing views on the Corniche Moyenne if you are traveling by car. When you get to Èze there are a couple of parking areas from what I can gather, the parking lot at Col D’èze, or the main parking below the entrance to the village. We parked at the Fragonard Perfumerie and walked up the hill to the village as we hit the factory and boutique first before walking up.
MY FAVORITE SPOTS TO HIT IN ÈZE
While I was on my way down from Èze to start driving to Monaco, I accidentally stumbled upon this church, doors open and completely empty.
I have been to some absolutely beautiful churches during my travels, this one by far is the most indescribable one I have walked through.
I think about this place every single day, in my dreams I am still back there. When I get back to Èze, this will be my first stop with no hesitation.
PARFUMERIE FRAGONARD L’USINE LABORATOIRE:
While we were in Èze we hit the Parfumerie Fragonard L'usine Laboratoire where they make the Fragonard perfumes, and we learned how they pull different scents from around the world and mix them together, the different levels of perfume, and how they basically make all of the fragrances we know but high end companies will buy them and up charge hundreds and hundreds of dollars, essentially just for the packaging. I bought the most beautiful perfume, a skincare set and a cute little bag that I treasure to this day.
While wondering around Èze we walked by the hotel’s entrance and figured we would peek in and see what kind of extravagant, expensive hotel we were talking about. We walked through the stone wall entrance and it opened up to the most amazing restaurant and bar on the cliff hanging over the mediterranean. I felt like I was walking through a glimpse of what my future looks like.
This was originally an old chateau that was made into a luxury hotel which in itself is so cool to me. The price for one adult in the most basic double room for one night is upwards of $500 this summer. Again-a glimpse into what my future looks like.
MONACO & MONTE CARLO
Monaco was definitely an experience, I find it hard to explain. Upon arriving to Monaco I was fully living in my gossip girl delusions. Until I was reminded that I do not have anywhere near to the funds to act like that.
Monaco, the second smallest country in the world, and
Monte Carlo itself almost felt like it was a movie set. It did not feel like an actual city where people would live and work, more like an amusement park for wealthy people.
Being from suburban Massachusetts, streets lined with designer stores, insanely huge mega-yachts, and the most expensive cars that I’ve ever seen is something that I am definitely not desensitized to. Some of the people that we saw blew our minds because we couldn’t fathom how these people were so wealthy…how and why were they there? Maybe it felt like a movie set because I am so not used to that way of life to the point that I genuinely felt like I was in a movie in real time.
If you were to tell younger me that in the future I would be running around Monte Carlo I would’ve absolutely never believed you. I don’t know. It is just a whole different world from reality.
HOW TO GET FROM ÈZE TO MONACO
Getting in and out of Monaco was extremely easy, and you will have to show your passport.
BY TRAIN:
Èze to Monaco-Monte-Carlo 8 min direct, $3 USD every 20 or so minutes.
BY BUS:
Èze village to Monte Carlo (same bus # as bus from Nice)
BY CAR/TRANSFER:
There are a bunch of places to park if you’re heading in by car, we parked at parking Du Chemin des Pêcheurs.
We got into Monaco around 7pm and spent around 2 hours exploring as the sun set, the country is pretty outside of Monte Carlo, and in the ‘city’ all of the streets are lined with all of the big fashion houses, and luxury hotels. So if you are like me and traveling on a budget budget, there is not much to do but wander around and just…imagine.
Also again this was the start of the off season so maybe it would be different if it was a summer night during the peak season on the Mediterranean.
I did get into the casino though. Doc Martens and all.
This day was such a good day, and the night after this is one of my favorite memories too. The South of France, and the Mediterranean itself are some of my most favorite, most beautiful, unreal places I have been to. I am aiming to get back immediately, and I would 100% hit Èze and Monaco again.
THINKING OF TRAVELING TO FRANCE OR MONACO? DO IT.
HERE ARE ALL OF THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN MY TRIPS:
FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION: BOOKING.COM IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS USE TO BOOK FLIGHTS AND STAYS. NEVER DONE ME WRONG.
TOURS, DRIVERS, AND ALL THAT FUN STUFF: VIATOR IS MY GO-TO.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: SAFETYWING HAS ALWAYS BEEN FABULOUS. THE BEST EVER.
RENTAL CARS: WHEN BOOKING ANY TRIP THAT YOU DECIDE TO RENT A CAR FOR, BOOKING.COM IS FABULOUS LIKE ALWAYS.
