try google map or www.viamichelin.com for distances and time of travel.

I did it with the. Bus I can't remember how long it took us but its possible to do it.

Monte Carlo from Avignon will take from 4 to 5 hours by train, each way.

I´ve been to Monte Carlo and it is not worth 8 to 10 hours in a train in one day, particularly with the short amount of time you have available in western Provence.

Stay in western areas of Provence. It sounds like yo only have four days there and won't be able to that much of it.

Make sense? It is a personal call. How badly do you want to go there? Each person has an opinion.

There are trains that can do this. Is it a nightmare? Maybe to some, not at all for others.

www.voyages-sncf.com
Avigon-Monte Carlo 7:36-11:47
Monte Carlo-Avignon 17:02-20:28 or 18:32-23:07

Monte Carlo is tiny and depending on your interest, even this short time may be more than enough. What are you planning to do in Monte Carlo?

Very much a personal decision, but Monte Carlo is one of my absolutely least favorite destinations in that part of the world. I can't imagine going there but not to Nice (not to mention that just around Avignon you have a wealth of wonderful places to visit).

Monte Carlo is a monument to cement and excess and glitz. If that's appealing, by all means go and stroll along the waterfront looking at the gorgeous yachts, pay outrageous prices for food and drink, visit the casino, etc. Loads of visitors seem to do and enjoy that. Maybe you will too.

But your time is very, very short, and IMO - and that's all it is - it would be wasted on Monte Carlo, especially given the travel time to and from.

...and all this time I thought Monte Carlo was the name of a pit boss in Vegas.

No.

Sorry but MOnte CArlo has really very little to see unless you have unlimited spending money and want to go shopping for ultra luxe goods and end hte evening in the casino looking like James Bond and one of his girls.

Nice has about 10 times as much to see as Monte CArlo - and there are a host of more intersting places aong the coast. Never mind the lenth of the trip.

(We do go there if in the vicinity - but do it for a splurge dinner and then go on to the casino - and do pretend we are Bond and girl. I love watching the uber wealthy from the yachts in the harbor in their gowns and jewels.)

We drove from Cannes to the area near Avignon a few years ago and stopped for a short lunch. It was a good 3.5 hours. There is a good highway between the two cities.

Being a James Bond and a To Catch a Thief fan we went on a tour arranged by our hotel that included Monaco and Eze and the Conriche between Nice and Monaco that appears in the movie. It was a pleasant afternoon tour but I would not do a 7 hour round trip just to see Monaco. There are great places around Avignon to spend your time that are easier to get to. We loved the Pont du Gard.

Monaco is worth a few hours of your time if you are already on the Côte d'Azur. It is absolutely not worth a lengthy side trip at this time. Save it for a future trip when you are really on the Côte d'Azur. Better to visit Marseille if you are in Avignon -- only 70km away.

We have driven to Monaco from the Avignon area on two different trips. Had lunch at Ducasse's Louis the 16th and played the slots at the Casino. We left our gite at 10 a.m. and we were home by dinner time. The trip really isn't that long, and if you want to do it, it is manageable by car in one day.

Certainly manageable as a day trip BY CAR. As others have said, Monaco wouldn't be high on my list (Old Town Nice would be, by contrast). The historical part of Monaco, up by the castle was actually pretty well preserved and not too bad to walk around and the palace itself was worth a look.

So if you really have had it on your list, then go for it. If you got a very early start, you could manage Monaco and then have time to stop in Nice on the way back.

- Kevin