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Paris to Nice - 4x 50 somethings and 5 nights - what to do!

Paris to Nice - 4x 50 somethings and 5 nights - what to do!

Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:48 PM
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Paris to Nice - 4x 50 somethings and 5 nights - what to do!

Hi Everyone,

My Mum, Aunty and 2 of their friends are planning a trip to France and Italy in May this year and are planning a leg each. My Mum has been given 5 nights to plan between their stays in Paris and Nice and we were hoping for some suggestions on what to do/where to stay.

They are all in their 50s, coming from Tasmania, Australia, love their wine and sight seeing (castles, countryside, markets etc) and were thinking of 2 different places to stay where they can experience the smaller town side of France (Mums been practicing her French and is dying to try it out in a small town) They like the look of the Dordogne and Provence areas but are open to any suggestions - their only requirement is they want at least 1 night staying in a castle

They won't have a car for the majority of the trip (happy to hire one for day trips if needed) so will be relying on public transport - would train be best?

Hoping for suggestions on where you would spend your time and if there are any particular sights/tours/activities you would recommend. There's so much to chose from so any help to narrow the planning down would be fantastic!

Thanks everyone!
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 07:08 PM
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A few days in Burgundy would do the trick.
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 07:11 PM
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Thanks Michael - is there a train direct from Paris there? I'll check it out!
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 02:16 AM
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you have direct TGV's (fast trains) from Paris to Dijon.
From there select a smaller town like Beaune or Nuits Saint-Georges.
But : very touristy.

For castles I prefer the Loire or the Dordogne - Dordogne is full of real (fighting) castles and Loire from castles of the king and queen and big families. But these regions clearly do not lie on your path.

In Nice region there are now a lot of good wines (côtes de Provence).

We recently slept in Tournus - a very small town - there is a B&B (held by a Belgian actually and his french wife) in the old treasury tower. THe main house dates from 14th century or so, with one wall being the old rampart and the house was rebuild around 16th to enclose a former road that led into the city. Very special. Not cheap. From there we cisited the Castle of Cormatin, which has a beautiful spiral stairs, the abbey of Cluny is close by and all of it is linked by fields of mustard. You need a car.


http://www.tour-du-tresorier.com/ind...age=gb-accueil
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 04:15 AM
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The Loire valley is beautiful. Chenonceau is one of May favorite chateau to visit. You will want to check how easy it will be for them to travel around the area they choose without a car, some areas will be easier to visit without a car.

You can check train service at https://www.trainline.eu/

There are a number of previous threads that might be valuable in planning. If you search for Loire Valley and Chateau you will see a list of threads that could be helpful....here is one that has many suggestions for chateau lodging and links to sites.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ire-valley.cfm
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 04:36 AM
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Thank you both very much - so helpful!
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 05:49 AM
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Without a car they will not be able to visit the Dordogne. Without a car it is going to be very difficult to stay in a castle.
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 07:14 AM
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Welcome to Fodors.

The Dordogne isn't exactly on the way from Paris to Nice - especially with only 5 nights available.

I would take the TGV from Paris to Dijon/Burgundy or Avignon/Provence, rent a car, explore Burgundy or Provence, and then take the TGV to Nice.

Five nights isn't much time if you want 2 destinations, and then end the trip in Nice. That's really only 2 1/4 days in a single destination. We normally spend 2 weeks in a single destination.

My wife & I have vacationed for 20 weeks in Provence, 20 along the Cote d'Azur, and 4 weeks in Burgundy. I developed a 32 page itinerary for Provence & the Cote d'Azur that I've sent to over 4,000 people on Fodors. The itinerary describes our favorite villages, scenic drives, markets, sites, restaurants, etc. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. I have a shorter one for Burgundy also. Specify which itineraries you would like - I receive around 4-8 requests for my various itineraries every day.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 08:30 AM
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The fast train will whip them down to Avignon in a couple of hours. The small city has a "castle" (the palace of the French popes) in the centre, splendid views across the Rhone, and a very helpful tourist office which can guide them on day tours. Going north to Orange will show off a famous Roman ampitheatre (still used for an opera festival) and the nearby Chateauneuf du Pape with wineries all around, although the palace itself is defunct. That could be done on a bus tour or a day car rental. A couple of days in Marseille might suit, en route to Nice, or fly from Marseille airport to Italy skipping Nice.
http://www.avignon-tourisme.com/home-1-2.html
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 09:06 AM
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If it were me: Paris to Avignon. Avignon to Eze-Villages (train to Eze, then bus or taxi to Eze-Villages). Stay a night or two at the La Chèvre d’Or (Chateau). Then on to Nice, with visits to Saint Paul de Vence, Antibes, etc. all accessible by bus or by train.

Musée Picasso in Antibes is quite a treat and has terrific views. Just outside of Saint Paul de Vence is the Fondation Maeght. Now, I'm not a huge fan of modern art, but these museums are clear exceptions to my general rule.

This itinerary, I thing, will give your mum and her friends everything they want!

We usually just rent a car while in the south of France for the freedom, but do use public transport a lot.
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 09:08 AM
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>>2 different places to stay where they can experience the smaller town side of France
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 09:49 AM
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[Stu, the gites there will not take 4. They would need 2.]
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 11:13 AM
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One of the three bedrooms has twin beds - perhaps the sisters in that room?? With en-suite bathroom.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 11:22 AM
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I would suggest also the Avignon/Arles area -about half-way by train to Nice and so many easy day trips by train or bus or ideal place to rent a car too.

for info on trains - www.voyages-sncf.com -official site of French Railways; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Antibes is a great smaller city on the French Riviera with train and bus links all along the coast and to the iconic hill towns.
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 11:27 AM
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ah, that's "Le Chene," the house rental you are talking about stu. There is a 10% off for dates prior to May 12th, that would help. Plus it's low season rates. IF they OP was looking for early May, that would be perfect!
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 01:20 PM
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>>2 different places to stay where they can experience the smaller town side of France
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 02:09 PM
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I think the wish list is a little confusing and the potential travelers may not have traveled very much as some of the requirements are not logical. For example, not having a car for most of the trip (why?) but still being willing to rent one for day trips. First, that would probably cost as much or more than renting one for a week as cars by the day are very expensive. And that means it can't be that they don't know how or cannot drive. Second, you can't really rent cars very well in small towns, real small ones don't even have car rental agencies. So that would mean they need a larger city. I've stayed in places with a couple thousand population or even 10K in Provence and they didn't have any car rental companies.

For example, I've stayed in Roussillon and Pernes-les-fontaines in Provence, and even Isle-sur-la-Sorgue does not have any car rental company. The closest one is Carpentras, I believe, or Cavaillon. So that idea is just not going to work, renting cars by the day when you are staying in small towns. I don't think even St Remy has a car rental company.

so something has to give here
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 04:28 PM
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Thanks everyone, you're right none of us have been to France before, this is a once in a lifetime trip for Mum and her friends so logistically we've no idea - hence the questions �� As for hiring a car a post on another forum highly recommended not driving the full length from Paris to Nice, something about the tolls and car hire was expensive and it was better to catch a train from Paris somewhere then hire a car... they are looking at all options so your feedback is very helpful ��
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 05:17 PM
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>>catch a train from Paris somewhere
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