Villefranche-Mediterranean Cruises Port Profile

• Overview

Villefranche in French Riviera is located at one of Rhine’s deep harbors, and many also refer to the place as Villefranche-sur-Mer. It is a vibrant little town built around a beach resort, and has a small population of 30,000. Paradise to many, this is one of the waterside cities of France that resembles a sea port. Huge river waters sparkling in blue characterize the typical scenes at Villefranche’s beaches.

The city is only a few hours away from the glamour towns of Monte Carlo and Cannes. Thick sand, smooth stones and extensions of Nice’s best beaches characterize the geography of the place. Besides being one of the most colorful, romantic areas of France, it is also one of the best connected.

• Arrival 

The city welcomes everyone with its charming 14th Century streets and a dock well remembered for its cafes and shops. You can see many cruise services lined up for the day after getting off the ship deck. Ships to Monaco, Italy and other places in the Mediterranean region are frequently available. The dock features access to various automotive and hardware shops. You can rely on the staff members to let you make intelligent purchases, especially if you know French. The Villefranche port is one of the more cosmopolitan areas in France, and English is generally useable. Exciting tours and extensive walking remain the main attractions at the little city of Villefranche. Arriving before the port closes will also let you hire special services to look after your luggage and travel documents until you reach your hotel. Car rentals like Europcar and St Jean Cap can help you with such conveniences as well.

 • Transportation

Getting around in Villefranche can be easy, especially if you are okay with walking. It being a countryside holiday location, frequent cabs and buses may not be available all the time. Unless you are planning to go to another French location, hiring a bus may not be necessary at all. All-France transport routes make Villefranche an important junction for travelers coming all around the year. The region’s unique charm becomes more evident when you are ‘travel’ without vehicles.

However, many use their own private cars. Local but unauthorized car rentals may not be a good idea unless they are being provided by your hotel. You can rely on official rental companies, and all the international brands like Hertz and Avis ply throughout the region. All you need to do is call them, but the economical tourist may be alert about high car rental prices. You must understand that the hired vehicle might have to travel more than you plan, even before it has picked you up from your location in Villefranche.

 
• Telecommunication

All modern hotels and resorts in Villafranche are facilitated with French internet connections, which may also be available in wireless forms. For making phone calls, you can access any port side communication center, or an internet café. Travel offices in the region are also available if you want to make emergency phone calls during the day. In order to make calls regularly from your handheld device, you can choose calling cards that can economize your communication. You can avail them through applications to the French communications department or any private service provider in the region. It is better to use online access for getting in touch with the representatives as Villefranche may not be facilitated with too many service outlets within its perimeter.

 • Shopping

While looking for options to shop in Villefranche, you may need to give mall visits a break. The city’s shoppers find the multitude of small shops such a pleasure that they keep frequenting them on a regular basis. Most vacationers in Villefranche are city people used to malls and departmental stores. However, food shopping can be slightly difficult on weekdays, and the couple of malls present are quite poorly stocked and overpriced too. The old-town charm of the area blends excellently with the shopping alleys, often located alongside stepped streets. If you want to take home some souvenirs, you may have to travel quite a bit, as most gift shops are overpriced. However, happy shopping can remain the order of the day if you manage to visit stores selling products like clothes, antiques, perfumes and digital products. A large number of shopping zones become visible during weekends, as the locals start teeming out the food market on Saturday mornings. Sundays are a perfect time to visit stores that sell traditional second-hand furniture and other home décor products. You can also visit hotel-based stores for buying good quality wines, coffee and dry fruits.

• Attractions

Chapelle St Pierre and the Citadel Arch are the most frequented historic sites around Villefranche. One can also visit the Old Church premises while visiting these as it tells you the history of the region from centuries. Cathedral la Major, which is perhaps the grandest structure in all of Rhine basin, is one of the more recent churches. Entries to these places are free and you can go there to pray whenever the gates are open. However, the Volti Museum in Chapelle St Pierre can be worth visiting on a ticket of less than 15 euros. The Citadel also features another museum called the Goetz-Boumeester Museum, and the entry costs are similar. One even takes pleasure in roaming the cobbled streets in the region, especially because of the reminiscence factor. Moreover, these areas are typically populated with traditional flower, chocolate and wine shops.

 • Dining

Make sure that you check out all the restaurants during your stay because there are not too many. La Serre being the most economical for travelers, is one of the most popular French and international cuisine restaurants in the area. Snack bar Café del a Arte and meal restaurants Le Cosmo and Les Palmiers can be perfect choices for your dining.

• Tips

Exclude Villafranche from your itinerary if you cannot give up a typical urban way of living at all. Unless you stay in an established home with a family or a prepared kitchen, Villafranche is not a place where you can cook and eat all by yourself that easily

Original Article Written for www.mediterraneanfuncruises.com