Côte d’Azur: Nice & Monaco (postponed)

Overview

THIS TRIP IS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.
ALL TRIPS ARE POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

We invite you to discover one of France’s leading destinations: the French Riviera. It is the most touristic region right after Paris with its 13 million annual visitors. We have decided to go in October in order to discover it during the low season and enjoy a weekend rich in discoveries while relaxing in the sun. You will come back to Brussels peaceful and tanned. During this trip, we will discover Nice and Monaco, the two most famous cities of the French Riviera. Monaco has been for years the favorite place for wealthy holiday-makers and the yachts in the port will be there to confirm it. The region offers a rich culture and history that can be found in its architecture influenced by the Italian style.

Pre-reserve now

This trip is not yet confirmed in terms of dates, program and time. We also cannot yet give you a price indication. Expat Club is keen on adding the Côte d’Azur to the list of destinations and travel there with a group of fun people (max. 25-30 people). If you are interested, we would love to hear that. You can now pre-reserve a spot for free and without obligations. We will then inform you whenever we have more information available. If you are a member and logged in, simply click on the RSVP button. If you are not a member, you can register first and follow these stops, or simply submit your name and email address on this page. Membership is not required for any of our trips because we only offer this online option for those who want to connect more with others.

Pictures

Monaco has an amazing harbor that we will get to discover when we will arrive there by boat.

Monaco seen from La Turbie. From left to right: Monte-Carlo, the harbor, the Rocher, and Fontvieille.

Hercules Port is a natural bay at the foot of the ancestral rock of the princes of Monaco. It is one of the few, if not the only deep-water port of the French Riviera.

One of the most famous streets of Monaco including all the famous brands.

This is the kind of view that we will see after our dinner in Monaco. The harbor at nighttime is full of lights.

Bay of Nice seen from the sky. The weather is always good in the south of France.

Picture of the Old Town of Nice, the part of the city we will visit on Saturday morning | © Vieux-Nice by Gilbert Bochenek (own work), via Wikimedia Commons

This is another view from the bay of Nice. The architecture is typical of the region.

All the lights are shining bright on the bay of Nice in the evening. A relaxing walk on the "Promenade des Anglais" is one of people's favorite occupation to spend the evening.

Nice's boulevard in the old town. A part of the city we will get to visit during our private guided tour on Saturday morning.

The roof of the Russian Cathedral in Nice. It is one of the only ones in France.

This is one of the most famous view of Monaco, from up the mountain | © Feel Good Studio - Shutterstock

Program

As with all Expat Club trips we carefully think about the entire program to arrange a smooth trip for everyone. This includes the location of the hotel, pre-reserved entrance times, organised lunches and dinners, good local transportation, etc. Still, unforeseen things can happen that may influence our program, such as traffic and roadblocks, unexpected closed destinations, etc. We always do our best to come up with the best possible alternative in collaboration with local guides, bus drivers, hotels, and welcoming restaurants and museums. The below program gives a good indication of what you can expect, but will surely still change until we can confirm it fully.

Saturday

07h30 – Breakfast
08h30 – Departure to the Promenade des Anglais
09h30 – Guided tour in the Old Town
11h30 – Lunch in Nice
12h30 – Departure to Monaco
13h00 – Arrival in Monaco
14h00 – Guided tour of the Prince’s Castle
16h00 – Visit of the Oceanographic Museum
17h30 – Free time in the Monte Carlo
19h00 – Dinner
21h00 – Departure to Nice

Sunday

08h00 – Breakfast
09h00 – Departure to Cimiez
09h30 – Guided tour of Cimiez
11h30 – Free time in Saleya (Food Market)
12h30 – Lunch
13h30 – Nice Castle and Park
15h30 – Departure to Brussels

Destinations

France has a great variety of landscapes and even if you’ve been to Paris or other regions, none of them resemble the French Riviera. Nice and Monaco are two emblematic cities in the south of France and they alone represent two very different atmospheres. Nice is as relaxing as Monaco is bursting with life. They are only about 20 kilometers away from each other, which gives us the opportunity to easily visit both.

Nice

Nice is a town in the South-East of France, the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region behind Marseille. It is established on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, along the Baie des Anges and at the mouth of the Paillon. With 340,017 inhabitants, it is the fifth-largest commune in France in terms of population. The architecture of the city underlines the particular evolution of its history. The old town is characteristic of the town planning of an Italian fortified town in modern times. The streets are very narrow and tortuous, the buildings are covered with warm-colored plaster (ochre and Sardinian red). The many churches are in Baroque style. The districts built after the annexation to France in 1860 are in a much more austere and Haussmann style: the streets are wide and straight, but the exposed stone replaces the colored facades. These districts are much more “French” in appearance than the others, which remain very “Italian” in appearance. In addition to being a really nice and interesting city, it is also a super sunny place to go! The sun shines 300 days/year. 

During our guided tour of Nice, we will get to see the Old Town with the Place Masséna, the Opéra, the Cours Saleya with its famous food market and the Chapelle de la Miséricorde. We will also have a walk on the Promenade des Anglais, which is one of the most famous parts of the city. On Sunday, we will visit Cimiez. It is the name given to an upscale residential area in Nice and to the hill where it is built. It hides treasures such as the park of the Cimiez arenas, the Cimiez arenas located at the entrance of the park of the same name, the garden of the monastery of Cimiez, from which you will have a panoramic view of Nice and the Baie des Anges, as well as the archaeological museum of Cimiez and its Roman ruins.

Monaco

Monaco is a small state of western Europe, as well as a municipality of the same name occupying the same area as the State itself. The Principality of Monaco is a State enclosed within the territory of the French Republic. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, along the French Riviera, about 20 kilometers east of Nice. Originally territory of the Republic of Genoa, of which the Grimaldis were one of the patrician families, it has been surrounded by France since 1861 and became a constitutional monarchy in 1911. Since 2005 the sovereign prince is Albert II of Monaco, of the Grimaldi dynasty, which is one of the oldest reigning dynasties in the world. This state currently occupies 2.02 square kilometers, making it the second smallest independent state in the world (the first being the Vatican). At the last census in 2016, Monaco had 37,308 inhabitants.

During our guided tour, we will visit the Prince’s Castle and have an expert storyteller to explain to us all the stories behind its walls. After this visit, we will then discover the Oceanographic Museum. Is it one of the most famous in Europe and from the terrace above, where we will have a coffee break, you will have an amazing view over Monaco and the harbor. We will end our trip to Monaco with a nice dinner in a good restaurant just before going back to Nice.

Hotel

For your comfort, convenience, and safety, we will be staying in a good 4* hotel in the centre of Nice. We cannot yet share which hotel, but as usual, we always pick good one at a great location and with top reviews. In this hotel you can choose between the following room types:

• Single room – 1 large bed for 1 person (surcharge applies)
• Double room – 1 large bed for 2 persons (a couple or parent/child)
• Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 persons (two friends sharing a room)
• Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 solo travelers who would like to share a room
• Triple/family rooms – at request

Room sharing for solo travellers
If you travel alone, you can share a “twin room” with 2 single beds (male or female rooms). We introduce you to the other travelers who also want to share a room. This means you don’t have to search for a friend who wants to join. We also do not assign you to a room, but you choose who you want to share the room with. You can select this room sharing option during the reservation process. It is a perfect way to lower your costs and to meet another friendly expat.

Flights & Transportation

We will be taking convenient direct flights from Brussels Airport to Nice Airport by Brussels Airlines. A private transfer from the airport to the hotel is included (by bus or taxi vans). We meet 2 hours before our flight at the Starbucks in the main departure hall of Brussels Airport. You can take 1 piece of hand luggage on board (max 12kg) and a personal item. If you also would like to check-in a bag of 23kg, you can indicate this during the reservation process. In Nice, whenever we travel as a group, transportation is already arranged and included in the price. This includes private airport transfer.

Comments

• The trip will be carried out by Brussels Airlines.
• The trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.
• The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go on your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know.
• You are personally responsible for getting good cancellation and/or travel insurance that covers you for unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses before or during the trip. 
• You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for unforeseen delays that influence the program (e.g. missed guided tours), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the coach, strikes, weather, etc.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during the guided tours. Joining this trip is safe but still at your own risk.
• If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). During the outbound trip, we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself.
• If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement or share a room with another person (if available).

Texts and photos: © De Tinta – Shutterstock | © Drozdin Vladimir – Shutterstock