Your Monaco

Your Monaco is a useful site for visitors to Monaco, especially regarding transport and public amenities.

The site has interactive maps to help you find:

• Access points to the Monaco train station
• Public elevators
• Bus stops & bus ticket machines
• Electric bike stations & the Mobee electric vehicle stations
• Public carparks, including PMR parking
• On street parking
• Bike parking
• Taxis

There’s also information about public beaches, walking trails, where to walk your dog, children’s playgrounds, cultural attractions such as art galleries, traffic updates, the location of defibrillators in Monaco and information about recycling and energy.

The site is available in English, French and Italian.

Bookmark the Your Monaco website for your next visit to Monaco: https://yourmonaco.mc

One week left to enter! WIN 2 tickets to Monaco Grand Prix After Party

Monaco Grand Prix is Formula 1’s most anticipated Grand Prix event and you could win 2 tickets to the Amber Lounge, Grand Prix party central where you’ll get to mingle with VIP’s and celebrities in post qualifying celebrations.

Monaco Grand Prix Driver’s Fashion Show takes place on Friday 27 May

This prize for one lucky reader is for 2 tickets to the Amber-Lounge party on Saturday 28th May, 2016 (qualifying day).

Doors open at 11pm when you can join this prestigious Grand Prix Post Qualifying Race Party with iconic live acts and DJ’s.

These passes are valued at around 650 euros each and include complimentary premium drinks all night long, including house Champagne. If you don’t win you can always book yourself into this night of fabulousness Amber-Lounge.com.

This competition is open to entrants worldwide.   To enter, you simply need to join the Luxury Travel Diary newsletter by entering your email address in the MAILING LIST box at the bottom of the page in the following link: https://www.luxurytraveldiary.com/2016/02/win-2-tickets-to-monaco-grand-prix-drivers-party/. If you are already subscribed then you are already entered!

The competition closes 30 April 2016.   Good luck!

Check out last years video of the Amber Lounge parties!

 

NOTE:  This competition prize is awarded by Luxury Travel Diary (not Access Riviera), therefore their terms & conditions apply. This prize excludes flights, accommodation and transport – you will need to arrange your own flights/transportation to and from your home to the Amber Lounge party in Monaco on Saturday 28th May.

9 French Riviera Drone Videos Worth Watching

My contribution to this month’s #AllaboutFrance blog link up hosted by Lou Messugo features some great drone videos of locations across the French Riviera.

I have a small obsession with drone videos for tourism as I believe they can really enhance a destination’s appeal and I’m the first to admit I have lost far too many hours watching various global footage on Travel by Drone.

Drones in Tourism

A while ago I wrote a dedicated blog post about Drones in Tourism and since then I have seen a huge increase in destinational videos from both amateurs and certified drone pilots, and the drone sector is now taking the marketing efforts away from the sole direction of tourism boards and into the hands – or controls – of the public.

Drone videos have the ability to take a vertical and horizontal snapshot of a location, festival or event and I have a particular interest in the usefulness of them for persons who have restricted mobility because they often show the topography and layout of a location or city (e.g. geographical slope, placement of stairs, etc) which is so often omitted from tourist brochures or websites.

Drone videos have had a solid uptake across many other industries (such as construction, real estate and military) and adventure sports have seen a colossal regeneration in interest with the likes of Red Bull quickly capturing viewer’s attention with adrenaline-racing footage of mountain biking, extreme skiing and surfing. It is an easy way for companies to spread their brand with expertly filmed videos being shared across social media.

My main gripe with drone videos is the accompanying soundtracks – many videos are accompanied with terrible music!

Here are 9 French Riviera Drone Videos Worth Watching:

1. This superb drone video highlights Menton and the beautiful Basilique Saint-Michel with the bell tower and you can see the parvis made of pebbles based on the design of the Grimaldi coat of arms (Video credit: Drone de regard / Vincent Jacques)

2.  This video includes some of my favourite places on the French Riviera including Lac St Cassien, the Esterel coastline and Antibes Old Town (Video credit: Jamie White):

3. This video offers a superb virtual tour of the gardens and surrounds at the beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothchild on the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula. If you want to visit the Villa, read my blog post with tips for visiting Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (Video credit: Drone in Nice)

4. This video showcases some of the lovely villages and picturesque scenery in the Roya Valley including the Fort Central and La Brigue (Video credit: Drone de regard / Vincent Jacques)

5.   Monaco highlights slotted into 5 minutes 51 seconds of drone footage including the Monaco Cathedral, Palais Square, Monaco Oceanarium, fly-over of Larvotto beach, Casino Square, Grand Prix highlights, Jardin Exotique, Monte-Carlo Golf Club and more. (Video credit: Team Nanopirate)

6. Turn down the volume (personally I find the soundtrack distracting), then enjoy this excellent drone video with highlights of Cannes, Mandelieu La Napoule and the Esterels including Cap du Dramont and L’île d’Or (Video credit: Team Nanopirate)

7. This video is a nice overview of Tende and surrounds including the Chapelle Saint-Saveur (Video credit: Drone de regard / Vincent Jacques)

8.  A superb drone video by the Droning Dutchman with aerial shots of the Ésterels, Île d’Or, Fréjus and Saint Raphael.

9.   This is one of my favourite drone videos of our beautiful region, mainly because it includes footage of many locations near where I live and I love the choice of soundtrack.  No explanation needed, just enjoy it and understand why I feel lucky to live here (Video credit:  Thomas Hubener/UBNR)

Which drone video above is your favourite? And why?

 

7 ways to plan for strikes, traffic jams and speed cameras on the French Riviera

France loves strikes and industrial action.  Fact.  And not so conveniently for tourists to the French Riviera, many strikes fall on bank holidays and/or during vacances scolaires (school holidays).

The month of May crosses over printemps vacances (spring holidays) plus 4 bank holidays and major Riviera events including Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix – perfect conditions for unions to capitalise on huge movements of people.

Be prepared

If you are travelling by train, airplane, bus, car it pays to be aware that there can be frequent strikes by French transport workers so check ahead if you can to save yourself time, money and frustration.

Another thing to note is that public transport has reduced schedules on bank holidays, so allow extra time for travelling and double-check attractions or activities will be open.

Vocabulary related to French strikes and travel disruptions

Grève / un movement social = strike / industrial action

Perturbation = disruption

Retard = delay

Bouchon / Embouteillage = traffic jam

Éboulement = road block due to collapse (e.g. cliff, rockfall). Also effrondrement (block due to collapse/subsidence) and coulée de boue (mudslip)

Réfection de la chaussée = repairing road surface

Supprimer/annulation = to cancel / cancellation

My recommended 7 websites for travel planning for strikes, traffic jams and speed cameras

Please note, I’m sharing these weblinks for information purposes only.  I appreciate that finding information on French strikes in English is difficult but don’t shoot the messenger – I don’t own or update any of these sites myself!

1.   Bison Futé is a French website detailing major road works, main closures or highway disruptions. They have a calendar of peak travel congestion (handy for travel planning during French school holidays which have different dates according to regions), and regular updates by department (area) in France.  In my opinion, this website is essential for any car journeys through France.  http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/

Bison Futé is useful for journey planning in France

2.   Train updates from SNCF (French national rail) including line works and strikes. http://www.infolignes.com/previsions.php?zoneId=3&zoneName=Sud-Est

3.   Useful local news website with links to updates on bus strikes.  http://www.nicematin.com/t/Ligne-d’Azur

4.   A great website initiative from Penny Ciocchi for global transport strikes. Very helpful for advice regarding strikes at Nice Airport including strikes by air traffic controllers and ground workers. Also, covers Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and Paris Metro. www.easytravelreport.com

5.   French air traffic controller strike updates; if you need up-to-date info these are my go-to sites:

– Official site for the ATC union (Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien) http://www.sncta.fr/

– www.eurocontrol.int (The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation)

– http://dsnado.canalblog.com/ (DSNA – Direction des Opérations – bilingual information about air traffic situation)

– https://www.public.nm.eurocontrol.int/PUBPORTAL/gateway/spec/index.html (NOP Network Operations Portal – read their Headline News for strike updates and check flight status under ‘Flights’)

(French air traffic controller strikes – image: DailyMotion)

6.   Map and information on the location of speed cameras in the French Riviera region. Also, covers other areas in France.  http://english.controleradar.org/provence-riviera-speed-cameras.php

7.   One of my favourite sites for estimated driving times and costs – particularly good for fuel estimates and costs of tolls in France.  Add 10%-15% time buffer to the travel times given as does not take into account stopping at traffic lights, major congestion etc www.viamichelin.com

Italian transport strikes

I’m including links to some Italian strike sites too as many visitors to the French Riviera combine trips to Italy:

1.   Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport (note: the Italian word for strike is sciopero) http://www.mit.gov.it/mit/site.php

2.   Blog site with Italian strike updates http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/italy_transport_strikes/

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Disclaimer:  Access Riviera strives to give current and accurate information, however bear in mind that strikes can be cancelled or shifted without notice. The information above is provided on an “as is” basis, and your use of this information is at your own risk. We can not assume any kind of liability for any damage, loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from any information published on this page or from any kind of changes, such as scheduled times, cancellations etc., mentioned or not on this page. We encourage you to verify any strike information that might interfere with your travel plans with your ticket office, airline or with your transport operator.