BradCurry16

Hey all,

I'm planning a trip to see Paris and head down toward the south of France/Northwest Italy in September. I wanted to reach out as I did a trip to Italy last year and got some invaluable advice on that trip. Like last time, my biggest constraint is length of time. I'm only planning to be on the trip for 11 days (two of which will be flights, so really 9 days).

Here's a base itenerary:

- Fly into Paris overnight, arriving at around noon.
- Stay for Two full nights, then plan to do the overnight train to Nice
- Stay in Nice/Cannes for 3 nights
- Take a train from Nice/Cannes to La Spezia in Italy
- Spend two nights in Cinque Terre area
- Take train on final day to Milan, spend time in Milan then fly home the next day

Here are my main questions:
- Nice or Cannes (read a few on both, seems like Cannes would be more fun)
- Am I grossly underestimating the time I should spend in Paris?
- Is it worth trying to do Cinque Terre? Or should I focus on France?
- Is the overnight train a good idea?

Here's my own background and points to make:
- Trip with two people in their mid twenties, in good shape (walking and hiking are not issues)
- Hotel budget would be planned to be up to $300 a night, but preferring the $150 to $225 range
- I know point to point train tickets work well, already found some good deals on these
- I'm a fan of museums/art/history, but my companion is not. They would rather see gardens/tourist sights/natural locations. What sort of issue would this cause in these locations?

I will definitely be coming back to this forum a lot as I make some decisions to provide updates. One thing to note, I was told last time I had too little time to do everything, but it worked out well, so I may be a little overconfident in getting all of this done.

Thanks for all the advice!

BradCurry16

Note, the overnight train to Nice would be on the third night. I think I may want more time in Paris... That's one of the tougher decisions at the current time.

dwdvagamundo

Answers to questions:

We preferred the area around Nice but if you're into beaches and glitz, you might like Cannes better. There are also a lot of very interesting smaller places along the Riviera that you might enjoy. E.g. Villefranche Sur Mer just east of Nice.

Yes--you should spend at least three nites in Paris (and then the overnite train as a fourth nite.) That's enough for a first trip. Two nites or one day is definitely not enough time.

No and yes, respectively. You hardly have time to go to the Riviera, let alone Italy. So just Paris and the Riviera.

I think the overnite train makes sense for the amount of time you have. I've not taken this train, however, so don't know the particulars.

As to your differing interests: Shouldn't be an issue--in Paris, for example, you just go to the Louvre and let your friend wander around Luxembourg Gardens or walk along the Seine. My spouse and I almost always split up at some point on trips (despite the fact our interests are very similar) and agree to meet at a certain place at a certain time or just meet back at the hotel.

bvlenci

In Paris, your companion would probably enjoy the Jardin des Plantes.

Last year, we did a trip split between Paris and Nîmes, four nights each. I felt the time at both places was a bit short, so I would say that trying to add Italy on a nine-day trip would be too rushed for me. I especially would have liked more time in Paris, although this was my fourth trip there.

The Cinque Terre is not one of my favorite places, mainly because it's practically sinking under the weight of the tourists for a good part of the year. (I found it too crowded on a rainy day in October.) It's a place that I feel requires at least two nights, so that you can get out of the very touristy little villages and do some hiking. (Most of the more accessible coastal trails are closed due to the risk of landslides, so you really have to get out into the hills to enjoy a hike.) In the villages themselves, there's absolutely nothing to do except buy postcards. If it rains, you'd better have some good books along.

If you were staying and Milan and asked whether two nights in the Cinque Terre were a good idea, I wouldn't hesitate to encourage you. However, I can't imagine traveling all the way from Nice or wherever just to see the Cinque Terre. I'm sure there are equally beautiful places in the south of France, or for that matter, in the US. I think the coast of Maine is more beautiful, and the few parts of the northern California coast I've seen could hold their own as well.

ElleD9

We've done similar trips on several occasions. I think you'd be shortchanging yourself with such a short time in Paris. I would probably concentrate on France and split the time between Paris and Nice. I like both Nice and Cannes, but found there was more to do in Nice so like that as a base as it is easy to take the train to other spots like Cannes, Cap d' Antibe, Monaco etc.

As an alternative to the overnight train, check Easy Jet for direct flights from Orly to Nice.

StuDudley

We just got back from 2 weeks in Nice (20th week on the Cote d'Azur).

Where did you find an overnight train from Paris to Nice or Cannes????? I only found TGVs that left around 17:00 & got into Nice just before midnight.

The train to the CT from Nice is long, slow, more un-scenic than you might think, and involves multiple train changes. And like someone mentioned - if it is "bad weather" - it's a complete waste of time, IMO.

Fly into CDG, spend 5 nights in Paris and the remainder in Nice (much more to do there than Cannes - and bus/train transportation options are better). Fly home from Nice.

Stu Dudley

nytraveler

Yes, you are grossly underestimating the time you need for Paris. 1.5 days is close to useless - you need at least 4 full days (5 nights). And yes, you should bag the CT.

Save it for a trip to Italy.

BradCurry16

Hey all,

Thanks for responding so far. StuDudley, I found the overnight to Nice at this website https://loco2.com/destinations/paris...e-by-train-tgv.

So it seems there is an overwhelming opinion I should scrape Cinque Terre from my plan and just stick with Paris and south France. In saying that, I think this may be a better itinerary:

Arrive in Paris in morning, spend 4 full nights, leave 5th night to go to Nice overnight.

Spend last 4 nights/days around Nice or Cannes (still to decide).

I haven't purchased plane tickets yet, but it looks like it may be cheaper to fly out of Lyon/Marseille than going back to Paris to fly back tot he states. Should I try to spend a day or two before leaving in one of those cities? Aside from their soccer teams, I know very little about either city.

BradCurry16

In saying all of that, if I pulled the trigger late on Cinque Terre, would a day and a half be enough time to enjoy that area?

bvlenci

As long as you have one full day (that means two nights), then, if the weather cooperates, you would be able to do some enjoyable things, like hiking or hopping from town to town by boat. Maybe not both, unless you add another night.

StuDudley

>>StuDudley, I found the overnight to Nice at this website

BradCurry16

@Stu, as I'd be using that train ride as my sleeping overnight, the length of time didn't worry me much. If somewhere here as an experience using the train, it would be helpful

StuDudley

We took an overnight sleeper from Venice to Genoa when my wife & I were in our early 30s. Didn't sleep at all & was "wasted" from Genoa on.

The only post I've seen in the last 10 years on Fodors & elsewhere about overnights, was very negative. I sure would do a little more investigating before I jeopardized my vacation by being "wiped out" - just to save a few hours and perhaps a few bucks.

I would take the 14:49 TGV that gets into Nice at 20:26, check into the hotel, and have a nice inexpensive dinner on the Cours Saleya.

Stu Dudley

BradCurry16

Hey all, so brief update, here's the new itinerary I was thinking:

Arrive in Paris after overnight flight
Paris for 4 nights
Early train to French Riviera (nice or cannes)
Nice/cannes for 4 nights
Train to Lyon next day
Lyon for the night. Fly out next day.

Easier plan? Flying out of Lyon seemed easy and was a tinge cheaper.

Mimar

Much better.

And I agree with the others. Nice is a better base than Cannes. It has a different vibe from the rest of France, much Italian influence. Nice is lazy and sensual, has lots of curvy Belle Époque architecture, its own food specialties, its own language. In addition to much to see in the city, Nice is a great base for day trips by public transportation along the Côte d'Azur and inland. Con: the beach is pebbly, not sandy.

rogandgee

I have recently returned from the Cinque Terre. Even though there were others visitors there, it was very enjoyable. You can do it within your time frame but make sure you also visit Puertovenere. I suggest you visit my travel blog where I share what we did there. It may be helpful to you.
Go to: www.mytb.org/whirl-traveller

StuDudley

>>Con: the beach is pebbly, not sandy.

BradCurry16

So I've referred to many of the past forums on this topic (cannes vs. Nice) and there seems to be a common theme. Here's what most people say:

Pros of Nice - Old city feel, more of an authentic French city, beaches that are unlike anything you've seen before, easy to navigate from there for day trips.

Pros of Cannes - Fun atmosphere (in a vibrant, youthful, ritzsy sort of way), gorgeous SANDY beaches, and access to islands near by

Because of this, I'm thinking that a better transportation hub would be easier, but is Nice really that much better as a hub than Cannes? In looking online, both places seem it wouldn't be that hard to travel from. Thoughts?

sandralist

Sorry to come to this thread so late, but I think the Italian Riviera is really much lovelier than the French Riviera, and you can get there from Paris by train in about 7 hours on a route that many people consider scenic. The train leaves Paris in the morning and goes to Torino (quite a fun city in itself!) and then you can go on the Riviera in about another 2 hours. Rather than go all the way to le Cinque Terre the same day, going to Camogli or Santa Margherita Ligure has just as much charm.

After visiting the Italian Riviera, you can fly out of Genova, Pisa or Milan.

sandralist

Here's the train ride I'm referring to

http://www.seat61.com/Paris-to-Milan...m#.U8xjlhys-zk