A Place in France....
Oct 15th, 2008, 06:14 AM
#21
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Gottsa chime in about splitting between 2 areas. I can't imagine missing Paris if this is your first France trip.
We made Paris a base for 2 weeks and visits included Brugges (sp?), Versaille, 3 Chateaux, and Chartres. Many other places available by train or tour-not to mention all the sites in Paris itself!
In south, we have based in Aix, Montpellier and Nice on three different occasions. Here you need to, as other poster says, get out some books and see what calls out to you. We loved Aix but it was the least easy for travel nonetheless saw through train and tours Marseille, Cassis, Rousillon, Nimes and Loumarin; saw Arles and Avignon from Montpellier; did many tours from Nice as I was ill but it had good train connections to Italy also.
Hope to read your trip report next year!
We made Paris a base for 2 weeks and visits included Brugges (sp?), Versaille, 3 Chateaux, and Chartres. Many other places available by train or tour-not to mention all the sites in Paris itself!
In south, we have based in Aix, Montpellier and Nice on three different occasions. Here you need to, as other poster says, get out some books and see what calls out to you. We loved Aix but it was the least easy for travel nonetheless saw through train and tours Marseille, Cassis, Rousillon, Nimes and Loumarin; saw Arles and Avignon from Montpellier; did many tours from Nice as I was ill but it had good train connections to Italy also.
Hope to read your trip report next year!
Oct 15th, 2008, 06:17 AM
#22
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Who would say "NO" to Côte d'Azur"? ;-) - Considering all, transportation network, beauty if the area, etc, seriously, Côte d'Azur seems to be the one. But I agree also to avoid tourist busy season. I visited Eze village for the 4th time this June. It was the only time I wanted to leave the village quickly due to the group tourist crowd that filled most of its alleys.
Coincidentally, I have received a copy of "Walk & Eat, Nice" (sunflower books)the day before yesterday. Amazon.com had a 2nd hand one (state = new) at £3.63. It is a small format, easy to carry and gives lots of ideas on different hiking trails near Nice that can be reached by bus and train. It doesn't tell about walks in Nice city so you would need another guide book for that. Basically it says about hikings, local foods and a bit of Nice restaurants, that's all. If you decide your long stay on Côte d'Azur/Nice, it is worth getting this guide book. I never thought Nuce could be a hiking destination.
Coincidentally, I have received a copy of "Walk & Eat, Nice" (sunflower books)the day before yesterday. Amazon.com had a 2nd hand one (state = new) at £3.63. It is a small format, easy to carry and gives lots of ideas on different hiking trails near Nice that can be reached by bus and train. It doesn't tell about walks in Nice city so you would need another guide book for that. Basically it says about hikings, local foods and a bit of Nice restaurants, that's all. If you decide your long stay on Côte d'Azur/Nice, it is worth getting this guide book. I never thought Nuce could be a hiking destination.
Oct 15th, 2008, 06:43 AM
#23
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Yes, I'm afraid it will be difficult to duplicate your Swiss experience in France. France is much bigger and no country has as good a transportation system as Switzerland.
That said, I agree with the idea of Nice. In addition to the multitude of buses and trains along the coast, there is the cute little Train des Pignes, which goes back into the mountains north of Nice.
But Nice is a city, albeit a city with a laid-back, easygoing atmosphere. I get the impression you would prefer a smaller town. You might want to look into Menton, right at the French/Italian border. Or just east of Nice there's Villefranche-sur-mer and Beaulieu, also sur la mer.
That said, I agree with the idea of Nice. In addition to the multitude of buses and trains along the coast, there is the cute little Train des Pignes, which goes back into the mountains north of Nice.
But Nice is a city, albeit a city with a laid-back, easygoing atmosphere. I get the impression you would prefer a smaller town. You might want to look into Menton, right at the French/Italian border. Or just east of Nice there's Villefranche-sur-mer and Beaulieu, also sur la mer.
Oct 16th, 2008, 05:40 AM
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We rented an apartment in Vence - charming town, quaint shops. good restaurants and the famous Matisse Chapel. You can go on day trips to many wonderful towns - St Paul de Vence, Nice, and many more. Buses to many locations leave from the center of town in Vence.
Oct 16th, 2008, 06:55 AM
#27
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Hi Curlie: I see that you guys are fit, so why not go to Beaune, in Burgundy region and join a bike tour for 5 days. We went with Duvine Adventures www.duvine.com and had a great time and visited a lot of small villages. Good luck. Larry
Oct 16th, 2008, 07:39 AM
#28
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I went to France in June with my 15 year old son. We spent a week in Paris, and then picked up a car and made a large circle of France in 3 weeks. We spent several nights in each spot and were happily familiar with each stop.
We went to Normandy, the Loire valley,the Dordogne, Provence, the Maritime Alps, the Cote D'azur, points inbetween, and ended in Chamonix. ( and a couple of days in Italy on the way to Chamonix)
I understand this is more of a road trip than you intended, but the variety of terrain was gorgeous and it was *impossible* to pick a favorite region.
The Dordogne is often overlooked, and due to the age of my son we did not linger in the wineproducing areas, so we did not see much of Burgundy for example.
Driving was easy and very pleasant, and it would be difficult to visit some of the smaller towns without a car. I am not addicted to the vehicle, it was just so much easier to be on our own schedule and stop at the farmer's for fresh cheese, wine, bread, etc when we saw an appealing stop. yes gas is fairly expensive but small cars are economical and easy to park in small towns.
BTW, ALL happy navigating with a teenager,whether driving or on foot,was ONLY possible with a TomTom navigational device. Oone of the best features was the ability to mark the location of our car while wandering one of the darling towns and then when tired, turn it on and find the car. It was so much easier than even traveling with a competent map reading adult, and the best money I've ever spent on a travel aid. My husband used it in Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels with out other teen and it was invaluable to him as well.
We went to Normandy, the Loire valley,the Dordogne, Provence, the Maritime Alps, the Cote D'azur, points inbetween, and ended in Chamonix. ( and a couple of days in Italy on the way to Chamonix)
I understand this is more of a road trip than you intended, but the variety of terrain was gorgeous and it was *impossible* to pick a favorite region.
The Dordogne is often overlooked, and due to the age of my son we did not linger in the wineproducing areas, so we did not see much of Burgundy for example.
Driving was easy and very pleasant, and it would be difficult to visit some of the smaller towns without a car. I am not addicted to the vehicle, it was just so much easier to be on our own schedule and stop at the farmer's for fresh cheese, wine, bread, etc when we saw an appealing stop. yes gas is fairly expensive but small cars are economical and easy to park in small towns.
BTW, ALL happy navigating with a teenager,whether driving or on foot,was ONLY possible with a TomTom navigational device. Oone of the best features was the ability to mark the location of our car while wandering one of the darling towns and then when tired, turn it on and find the car. It was so much easier than even traveling with a competent map reading adult, and the best money I've ever spent on a travel aid. My husband used it in Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels with out other teen and it was invaluable to him as well.
Oct 16th, 2008, 07:42 AM
#29
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What a terrific idea. Clearly you want a little more indepth experience and prefer slowdown travel. I recommend you go in September or October for low crowds and stunning weather. There is no question that if you are only going to one place and you don't want to be centered in Paris (which you may want to reconsider, Paris and the day trip options are inexhaustible) it should be Nice. The bus and train transportation (cheap too) reflects its position as a hub. From there you can easily sample the entire Riviera/Cote d'Azure, which itself is different depending on where you go, but you can also easily get to mountains, Provence and its charm, Monaco, even Italy. You will have no trouble filling your time of three weeks. You can catch a ferry out to Corsica, take a two day cruise up the coast, and also even though Nice is fairly large, the part you would be in is not. Vieux Nice has a village feel to it, the market there is fabulous as are the antique shops. There is also a brand new tram, so anywhere you stay near the tramline means you can get to the heart of Nice easily and quickly anytime you want.
You could quite easily split your time between Paris and Nice or even a city in Provence...Avignon makes a nice base as it is a hub for trains and buses to explore Arles, St. Remy,Aix, etc. in that area. But if you don't want to go to Paris and you only want one other place, my recommendation is Nice in September or October!
You could quite easily split your time between Paris and Nice or even a city in Provence...Avignon makes a nice base as it is a hub for trains and buses to explore Arles, St. Remy,Aix, etc. in that area. But if you don't want to go to Paris and you only want one other place, my recommendation is Nice in September or October!
Oct 16th, 2008, 07:46 AM
#30
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Hi Curlie,
Check out this website:
http://www.untours.com/
Apartment rental plus car or transportation pass, etc. They have several places in France that you can settle into - usually a little out of the way - but that's what you want, right?
Check out this website:
http://www.untours.com/
Apartment rental plus car or transportation pass, etc. They have several places in France that you can settle into - usually a little out of the way - but that's what you want, right?
Oct 16th, 2008, 01:22 PM
#31
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Hi
I am a Parisian Fedorite. All the trains leave from and arrive to Paris. That means that you can travel from Paris to the South, from Paris to the Strasbourg, from Paris to Brittany, etc... with the TGV ( high speed train) in less than 4 hours, but it will take you lot of time to travel on secondary SNCF lines. If you need to book your tickets : www.voyages-sncf.com , early birds can have very cheap tickets, otherwise they can be very expensive if you buy them late. Reservations can be made 3 months ahead for TGV.
Where to stay :
Paris, and while staying in Paris take the train to Versailles, Deauville, Chateaux de la Loire may be.
If you do not want to hire a car,then you may go to the French Riviera by TGV with a stop in Aix-en-Provence, then Marseille, Antibes, Cannes or Nice. Once in the South ( from Marseille to Nice) you will be able to stay at one two or three places and take buses for sightseeing.
There should be a TGV bringing you directly to Charles de Gaulle Airport for the return.
If you like the Atlantic Coast, there is La Rochelle ( TGV from Paris) than you can visit the Ile de Ré, a very nice island.
If you wish to visit the country and the small villages, you must have a car.
If you really have time, why not book a carriage drawn by a horse (roulotte) or a barge to visit Burgundy and taste the wines!
May and June is the best period to visit south of France. July and August are crowded and everything will be much more expensive.
If you need to rent an aparment :
www.homelidays.com
Have a nice trip !
I am a Parisian Fedorite. All the trains leave from and arrive to Paris. That means that you can travel from Paris to the South, from Paris to the Strasbourg, from Paris to Brittany, etc... with the TGV ( high speed train) in less than 4 hours, but it will take you lot of time to travel on secondary SNCF lines. If you need to book your tickets : www.voyages-sncf.com , early birds can have very cheap tickets, otherwise they can be very expensive if you buy them late. Reservations can be made 3 months ahead for TGV.
Where to stay :
Paris, and while staying in Paris take the train to Versailles, Deauville, Chateaux de la Loire may be.
If you do not want to hire a car,then you may go to the French Riviera by TGV with a stop in Aix-en-Provence, then Marseille, Antibes, Cannes or Nice. Once in the South ( from Marseille to Nice) you will be able to stay at one two or three places and take buses for sightseeing.
There should be a TGV bringing you directly to Charles de Gaulle Airport for the return.
If you like the Atlantic Coast, there is La Rochelle ( TGV from Paris) than you can visit the Ile de Ré, a very nice island.
If you wish to visit the country and the small villages, you must have a car.
If you really have time, why not book a carriage drawn by a horse (roulotte) or a barge to visit Burgundy and taste the wines!
May and June is the best period to visit south of France. July and August are crowded and everything will be much more expensive.
If you need to rent an aparment :
www.homelidays.com
Have a nice trip !
Oct 16th, 2008, 04:29 PM
#32
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Hi everyone - I am so overwhelmed by the responses. Sorry if it takes so long to reply but we are Aussies in Sydney and it takes us longer to receive messages and we reply when you are sleeping. Most of you have suggested Cote d'azur and around Nice as a base. As we are retired and can go at any time - some of you say May/June or Sept/October. We were in Interlaken in May this year and the weather was pleasant but still snow on the mountains so we could not do a lot of the walks. Could this happen in these areas? What is the weather like in Sept/Oct? We would also like to go when there are less crowds. Is it a good idea to get a French train pass for a few weeks? We had to buy our Swiss Pass in Australia before we left home - the one we bought was not available in Switzerland. We could use it every day for 1 month if we wanted. I am asking as we do not have a French Travel Centre in Sydney and our travel centres here do not have the knowledge of Europe. Until next time.
Oct 16th, 2008, 06:19 PM
#33
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Hello Curlie (from a fellow Australian). I read your post and felt envious of you planning your next trip - we too had a lovely time in Switzerland a couple of years ago. I cannot give you any first hand experience in France, but the areas around St Remy and Avignon sound lovely. I have them on my list of possible places to visit. Someone posted something on a delightful sounding place called "Provence Paradise". Type it into the "search this forum" and you may get some more inspiration there. Happy planning!
Oct 17th, 2008, 04:27 AM
#34
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G'day curlie from sunny Sth Australia... the consensus seems to be for Nice, checkout this place just 4km outside of Nice at Villefranche sur Mer
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Fra...Mer/p15149.htm
We stayed there for 1 week in May last year and the weather was perfect and although we had a car we hardly used it as the bus was much easier. The rental is very reasonable so you could easily skip a few nights whilst training it into Italy for an overnight stay. Just be aware that this Cote dAzur area is quite heavily populated (like Bondi)so if it's the quaint village atmosphere you are after then consider leasing a Peugeot/Renault/Citroen for 4 weeks and slowtravel through Provence. It only takes a few hours to adjust to LHD. 3 simple rules....turn left, move over to the right...turn right,stay on the right...anticlockwise on roundabouts
cheers....Valvster
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Fra...Mer/p15149.htm
We stayed there for 1 week in May last year and the weather was perfect and although we had a car we hardly used it as the bus was much easier. The rental is very reasonable so you could easily skip a few nights whilst training it into Italy for an overnight stay. Just be aware that this Cote dAzur area is quite heavily populated (like Bondi)so if it's the quaint village atmosphere you are after then consider leasing a Peugeot/Renault/Citroen for 4 weeks and slowtravel through Provence. It only takes a few hours to adjust to LHD. 3 simple rules....turn left, move over to the right...turn right,stay on the right...anticlockwise on roundabouts
cheers....Valvster
Oct 17th, 2008, 07:42 AM
#36
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Someone else has suggested Provence and I would too. Hire a car and drive to the wonderful little villages built up high on hillsides. Buy a guide book covering that area and stay in several different places. You can start by the coast and work your way along inland. Every village is picture postcard and some of them make pottery that has been handed down for hundreds of years that they will send all over the world to save you being concerned about breakage. Particularly visit Moustiers-ste Marie where most of this beautiful pottery is made and the town is wonderful with a waterfall running down through the centre and cafes and restaurants around it. The town is built high into the hillside but the drive up is really awe inspiring. If you like climbing there is a very old church even higher up the hillside that you can walk to and obviously the view from there will be spectacular. Sisteron is another amazing place built up high looking over the Durone Valley. On your way to Moustiers you will drive through the Gorge du Verdon and can visit on the way Lac de st-croix which is the most wonderful blue especially if the sun is shining down on it. We visited in early May and the weather was lovely quite hot too by this time.
Oct 17th, 2008, 07:59 AM
#37
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A few years ago, I was fortunate to get free lodging in a town called LUNEL, in Languedoc. The town is pretty non-descript, but it's pretty and has good restaurants. It is certainly not a tourist town, and that's to its credit. However, it has a good railroad station, which makes it possible to travel to many fantastic spots in the area, among them, Avignon, Nimes, Arles, Montpielier, and the sleeper of them all, MONTELIMAR, a great town. I spent most of my time travelling to those towns. It was very easy and buying a rail pass made it very inexpensive. It ranks as one of the best vacations I've ever had. If it were up to me, I would surely investigate it. Lunel is smack in between Montpelier and Nimes. Easy to reach.
Oct 17th, 2008, 08:54 AM
#38
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If you chose to go to Nimes include the Pont du Gard and Uzes on your itinerary. Uzes is a fabulous medieval town with lots of shopping and good restaurants. Nime has one of the best preserved Roman temples in the world, and it is being cleaned as I write this. The ampitheater there is the finest in France, perhaps the world.
Oct 18th, 2008, 09:30 PM
#39
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Thank you fellow Australians for your info.
PRLCH - I'm glad you enjoyed Switzerland. We were overawed with the train system there - always on time and clean. I will check out the Provence website - many thanks.
Valvster - Thank you too - the areas from Montelimar , Avignon, St Remy, Nimes and Montpellier sound like our type of places, especially as you said there was a good train system there. My husband is not keen on hiring a car - he would prefer to have a train pass. As you said the rental is reasonable, the idea of spending a few nights in another village would be a good idea but have a base to go back to.
May seems to be a good month - Switzerland in May was lovely. I will check out the web site. If Cote d'azur (as you say, likened to populated Bondi) it may be better not to stay in Nice and stay in a couple of the above areas instead. As you can see, Bondi is not our favourite place.
Smorg, Waldo and Nametaken - all your thoughts are taken in and will follow up.
Waldo, did you buy your train pass in France or at home before you left for your trip. As I have previously mentioned, we had to buy our Swiss Pass at home as we could not buy the pass in Switzerland.
Curlie
PRLCH - I'm glad you enjoyed Switzerland. We were overawed with the train system there - always on time and clean. I will check out the Provence website - many thanks.
Valvster - Thank you too - the areas from Montelimar , Avignon, St Remy, Nimes and Montpellier sound like our type of places, especially as you said there was a good train system there. My husband is not keen on hiring a car - he would prefer to have a train pass. As you said the rental is reasonable, the idea of spending a few nights in another village would be a good idea but have a base to go back to.
May seems to be a good month - Switzerland in May was lovely. I will check out the web site. If Cote d'azur (as you say, likened to populated Bondi) it may be better not to stay in Nice and stay in a couple of the above areas instead. As you can see, Bondi is not our favourite place.
Smorg, Waldo and Nametaken - all your thoughts are taken in and will follow up.
Waldo, did you buy your train pass in France or at home before you left for your trip. As I have previously mentioned, we had to buy our Swiss Pass at home as we could not buy the pass in Switzerland.
Curlie
