8 days in Nice and Avignon
 

My trip is starting to take shape with lots of good ideas. I have decided to stay in Nice and then Avignon.

Things on my to do list:

1, lavender
2. a beach or two (rocky or not)
3. Eze or other small and public transportation accessible village
4. perhaps a short hike or two
5. boat trip along the coast
6. museum or two (or three)

I am interested in visiting Arles for a day - what could I combine with this (or do I need the day?).

I am being realistic that I can't do it all but I would like to make this trip as memorable as possible. I will be taking the day trip to the lavender fields through a touring company, much as I would like to not be on a tight schedule.

Thanks for the suggestions and help with my itinerary.

Will you be renting a car for any portion of your trip???

Stu Dudley

Not this trip. I have tried to choose things to do that will be doable by public transportation .

For the boat trip, the very best you can do is the Esterel Coves. You can board the boat in Agay. http://www.bateauxsaintraphael.com/

For the hike, the very best is the hike from Plage de Camp Long in Agay along the coastal path and up to the old battery on the rock. Absolutely breathtaking vistas! You can hike to a little port du Pouissai where you get refreshments. After the hike, you will swim at the beach - which is also stunningly beautiful.

Museums! There are hundreds of them. It depends on your interests.

Maybe the most impressive art museum is the Chagall Museum in Nice: http://www.musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr/chagall/

Another spectacular art museum with changing exhibitions but a stunning open-air section is Fondation Maeght.
http://www.fondation-maeght.com/

The Fondation is close to St. Paul, which is a very picturesque mountain village.

Of course, you will visit the Papal Palace in Avignon.
http://www.plages.tv/detail/plage-du...ong-agay-83530

We found that while Eze is very attractive and spectacularly located it is also extremely touristy. If you do go there, there is a pathway down from the village to Eze-sur-Mer where there are cafes and a beach (not the greatest beach but the water is wet after your hike down!). You can then take the bus or train back to Nice.

If you should end up at Les Baux, there is an off road trail from Les Baux to St Remy but we found it to not be well sign posted (but that was five years ago). There were maps available from the tourist office in St Remy. From memory it's about 12km. There are buses to St Remy from Avignon (about 40 mins) and there used to be buses from St Remy to Les Baux during the summer season. Otherwise it's a taxi to Les Baux (which is what we did). To do all this from Avignon would be a very long day so you might decide to stay closer to Avignon but offer it up as you were interested in a hike.

Any villages that are "not to be missed"? I am not stuck on Eze but if I were to go I would certainly try to get there early as possible.

There are plenty of museums in Nice and Avignon that seeing museums won't be an issue. As for Arles -- you don't need to combine it with anything if you are staying in Avignon, it's a good day trip from there by train. In fact, I think that's how I visited it. So if you feel you've seen enough, go back to Avignon. There is a wonderful museum in Avignon which few people seem to mention, don't know why -- the Petit Palais museum right on the main square (towards the river direction). There are a couple others in Avignon, but that one is really nice. http://www.petit-palais.org/

I spent a very special day last year taking the bus to Vence, visitng the old town section first seeing the old chapel that has a great Chagall, having lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant and then walking to the other side of the town and seeing the extraordinary Matisse Rosary Chapel.A highlight of my stay in Nice.
I then took the bus back to St. Paul de Vence and walked around the town which is very touristy, full of shope and galleries but a fun place to visit.
Then taking the bus back to Nice and having dinner there. I go to Nice every year and thoroughly enjoyed doing this.

Both sound wonderful...I love meandering around...thanks for sharing.

You've received many good ideas. With only 4 days in Nice, I'd save some time to enjoy its own great offerings - you'll want to wander the Old Town maze of streets more than once, stroll the Promenade des Anglais along the beaches (sit on a bench here as the sun sets and watch the constant flow of planes making their curving approaches/takeoffs over the water), walk through the Port area and to Place Garibaldi with its trompe l'oeuil buildings for a cafe stop (all in your guidebook, for sure). So try for no more than 2 day trips from Nice: St. Paul de Vence is about an hour by super inexpensive bus and has just tons of fine art and Provence craft shops to browse along its cobblestone lanes- it's larger than Eze (which was our least favorite of multiple Riviera destinations), and less steep, plus you can include a visit to Fondation Maught with its Chagalls from the same bus stop if you'd like. Another easy bus or train trip is Antibes, also fun to wander and with a different look from most of the other towns. For your sandy beach, make it easy on yourself and head to Villefranche sur Mer, not only a short 10- 20 minute train or bus ride away, but a smaller, more Italian looking town(beautiful pastel-colored buildings). Villefranche can take less than a half day.

You'll be glad you're arriving in Avignon by train, as entering the city from the train station you get an incomparable view of the entrance gate into the old walled city. It surprised me much as did seeing the Grand Canal immediately upon exiting the Venice train station for the first time. Your Arles choice is good one and we also enjoyed Nimes by train from Avignon (Nimes also has a Roman coliseum).

You've chosen two great cities from which to make easy train/bus trips, and you really can't fail to have amazing experiences - have a wonderful trip!

@blueridge - Thanks for your kind words! I am so looking forward to making this trip special.

To Christina and tdk - thanks for the suggestions. I am noting everything down and will come up with a workable itinerary - with lots of wiggle room to sit back with a coffee and watch the world go by.

Having visited the area several times our favorite towns were
Eze (touristy, yes, but we loved the hilly, cobblestone streets and the views from the garden on top)
Villefranche-sur-Mer (just what you want in a seaside town)
Antibes (alot to offer and the rocky walk along the sea was spectacular from Garoupe beach. Keller Plage was a great place to rent a beach chair & have lunch)

OTOH, our least favorite was St. Paul de Vence (cute, but full of very expensive antique shops)

We also loved Monaco (the yachts in the harbor, the walks in the lovely gardens along the sea, and the Palace tour was an unexpected delight)

Another wonderful day was spent at The Roschild Villa and the Greek House in the Cap Ferrat area. Beautiful estates with gorgeous gardens and views. They are both very famous and you might be able to get public transportation.

That said, we did have a car so I can't comment on transportation.

Nice makes a good center for public transportation along the Riviera. As well as being very beautiful and interesting in itself. We took a bus to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Beautiful house and gardens overlooking the Med on two sides. As I remember, that bus continued east along the coast to the Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-mer (TPAYT's Greek house).

Note that there are two train stations for Avignon. The fast trains stop at the Avignon TGV station well outside the town, and you have to switch to a local train to the Avignon Center station.

<<The fast trains stop at the Avignon TGV station<<

Actually, there are two trains/day from Paris that go directly to the Avignon Center station. None from CDG.

Stu Dudley

So much to see, so little time :(

Make sure you spend enough time in Nice itself, lots to enjoy. For a day trip, skip Eze, and go to Antibes or St-Jean Cap Ferrat where you can visit Villa Ephrussi and it's gardens or enjoy lunch in lovely St-Jean.
Villefranche is very close to Nice and charming when no cruise ships are there.

What time of the year are you going to Provence? The lavender is in bloom only from late June through mid-August, and getting to the fields without a car can be dicey.

FYI, it's the Fondation Maeght, which has a terrific collection of modern sculpture in a mostly outdoor setting--plus some paintings indoors.

I am planning to take a tour (yikes the dreaded word. I will be there at the end of July/August.