Private chauffeur inVence
Alpes-Maritimes · Middle country · 43°43′ N
« Vence looks upon the sea without ever descending to it. The Maison has its address here. »
I
A portrait of the place
Vence holds the hillside, at three hundred and twenty-five metres, between the baous and the plain. The historic town encloses itself within its ramparts — the Peyra gate, the Peyra square and its fountain, the smallest cathedral in France — while the modern town extends southward, as far as the olive hills that separate it from Saint-Paul.
It is a town of art before it is a town of leisure. Matisse left here the Rosary Chapel, which he held to be his accomplished work. Dubuffet, Chagall and Carzou worked here. The Château de Villeneuve today houses the Fondation Émile Hugues. The market of the Place du Grand Jardin, two mornings a week, remains the true centre of gravity of the town.
Vence retains a double nature: a town inhabited year-round, with its shops and its schools, and a refuge for an international clientele settled in the mas of the heights, along the route de Saint-Jeannet and the Templiers hill.
II
The Maison in Vence
Maison Vehira is domiciled in Vence, rue Gambetta. This is no address of convenience: it is the point from which its motorcars depart, and the commune its chauffeurs know down to the bend. They know which streets of old Vence are not to be taken, where one may wait without hindrance, and at what hour the descent towards Cagnes closes upon itself.
It serves here the residents for their departures towards Nice airport, the guests of the hotel houses of the heights, and the families settled year-round in the middle country. It also assures the regular connections towards the coastal stations, for which punctuality prevails above all else.
Its motorcars are Mercedes E-Class, S-Class or V-Class, all of dark hue. For families with children, the Maison equips the car with seats suited to the composition of the household.
III
Signature journeys
The habitual journeys departing from Vence
- 01
Vence Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
35 minutes
By the M2210 then the A8, exit 47. The Maison adjusts the departure according to the hour: at peak times, the descent towards Cagnes imposes ten additional minutes.
- 02
Vence Saint-Paul-de-Vence
10 minutes
Four kilometres of corniche road between the two towns. A daily journey of the Maison, often doubled by a wait for the duration of a visit to the village.
- 03
Vence Tourrettes-sur-Loup
15 minutes
Six kilometres of winding road along the hillside. A favoured luncheon destination, and gateway to the Loup gorges.
- 04
Vence Nice (centre)
40 minutes
By Cagnes-sur-Mer and the Promenade des Anglais, or by the motorway depending on the address of the drop-off. The Maison regularly serves the port and Vieux-Nice.
- 05
Vence Monaco
1 hour
By the A8 as far as La Turbie, then the descent upon the Principality. In season, allow a further quarter of an hour on approaching the tunnels.
- 06
Vence Cannes
45 minutes
By the A8 westward, exit 42. A habitual journey during the market weeks and the Festival, when the Maison operates from the hinterland.
- 07
Vence Cagnes-sur-Mer station
20 minutes
The nearest station to the middle country. The Maison assures there the connections towards Nice, Antibes and Cannes, as well as TGV arrivals at Antibes station.
IV
The addresses of the Maison
The Maison serves the Rosary Chapel, the Fondation Émile Hugues and the historic centre for its passing guests, and drives regularly to the Fondation Maeght, ten minutes below. The Col de Vence and the route de Coursegoules, to the north, open onto a hinterland that few chauffeurs practise — the Maison willingly accompanies there those who wish to leave the coast for a day.
It also serves, without permitting itself to name them, the two great hotel houses of the Templiers hill and the tables of the town, one of which is distinguished by the red guide. The heights — route de Saint-Jeannet, chemin des Salettes, quartier des Baumettes — are served upon prior instruction, the accesses there being often narrow and poorly signposted.
V
The Vence attachment
For prolonged stays in the middle country
For families who rent a mas for the season, for second-home residents settled several weeks, and for guests who radiate from Vence towards Monaco, Cannes or the hinterland, the Maison offers a by-the-hour service by the day or by the week. A single chauffeur is then attached, with a motorcar reserved and hours established with the household.
This arrangement answers the constraint proper to the middle country: distances there are short but the roads slow, and the absence of public transport renders every movement dependent upon the motorcar. The attachment renders that dependence invisible.
VI
The seasons
May
Cannes Film Festival
The Maison operates from the hinterland, apart from the saturation of the coast.
September
Monaco Yacht Show
The late season, the truest light of the middle country, and the crews on escapade.
All year
Maeght exhibitions
The programme of the Fondation, ten minutes from the centre of Vence, gives rhythm to the year.
IX
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to reach Nice airport from Vence?
Allow 35 minutes door to door, for approximately 22 kilometres. The Maison recommends a departure three hours before an international flight, two hours before a Schengen flight. At peak times, the descent towards Cagnes-sur-Mer may add ten to fifteen minutes.
May a chauffeur be booked in Vence for a very early morning flight?
Yes. The Maison assures pick-ups from 4 a.m. from Vence and the neighbouring communes, upon prior reservation. The chauffeur presents himself at the indicated address, without night supplement for airport transfers booked online.
May a chauffeur access the historic centre of Vence?
The historic town, within the ramparts, is pedestrian. The pick-up is made at the Peyra gate, the Place du Grand Jardin or the avenue Marcellin Maurel according to the address. The chauffeur accompanies the luggage to the door when the distance permits.
How many passengers may the Maison convey in Vence?
From 1 to 3 passengers in a Mercedes E-Class or S-Class, up to 7 passengers in a Mercedes V-Class. Beyond that, the Maison composes a convoy of several motorcars, coordinated by a lead chauffeur.
X
The Maison welcomes requests for Vence with the same measure as those that reach it from elsewhere — with, perhaps, the familiarity of one returning home.
The Maison's conditions are communicated upon request, after a preliminary exchange.
Address a request for Vence