jhm

Any last minute tips/pointers? It's a short trip, so we'll be based in Nice and doing trips to Eze/Monte Carlo/around the area <BR>and St. Paul de Vence/Vence/Aix...barring last minute suggestions! Thanks.

Carol

If you like flea markets, Nice has a fabulous one on Mondays, on the Cours Saleya in Vieux Nice. Plan to have dinner at the Hotel de la Chevre D'Or in Eze and be sure to request a table with a view. If dinner's just too expensive, then plan to have cocktails there. Plan your visit to Vence on a day when the Matisse chapel is open--it's only open a couple of days a week. Aix-en-Provence is a 3-hour drive from Nice and environs, and, frankly, IMO it's not worth spending six hours of a short trip to see. Use the time to see more of the Riviera or to wander around Nice or do its museums and save Aix for a trip to Provence. Have a great trip.

jhm

Thanks -- that's helpful. Any particular small towns we should make sure to stop by?

kimmy

I'll be in same area in April.I need restaurant suggestions .Any price range ,but casual,great food and atmosphere are important. <BR> <BR>Merci,kimmy

Capo

Hi jhm. Ahhhh...small towns near Nice, one of my favorite topics! First, if you have time before you leave -- and you live in an area with a large bookstore -- see if you can find the coffee table book "The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence". If you can, look at the photos of both Peillon (very near Nice) & Saorge (an Italianesque town, further from Nice on the old salt route to Turin.) I drove to both of these hilltowns in October of 1999 after being taken by the stunning photos in that book and, in person, they were even more captivating than the photos. Peille (near Peillon) is also worth a visit. A hilltown near Menton with a stunning setting is Gorbio, Breil-sur-Roya is a town on the Roya river on the way to Saorge, and Sospel is another charming town on a river. I never made it to Tende or La Brigue (both near Saorge), but they're supposed to be wonderful as well. <BR> <BR>I love Eze, but, personally, only go there in the early morning or late afternoon/early evening when the narrow winding streets are not flooded with other tourists. <BR> <BR>St.Paul-de-Vence and Vence are both excellent choices. <BR> <BR>I think Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful city but it's a bit of drive to get there and back from Nice.

kam

I don't think I would bother with Monte Carlo if it's a really short trip. There are too many small beautiful towns in France and, forgive me, but I don't see any attraction there except the casinos. Can someone advise jhm as to the location of the Picasso Museum? That was interesting and another vote for Eze.

Capo

The Picasso Museum is in Antibes, a charming little town a short distance east of Nice. <BR> <BR>kam, I actually thought that seeing the Casino in Monte Carlo (designed by Charles Garnier, the same man who designed the Paris Opera), and the gardens that lead down to it was well worth a visit to Monte Carlo. However, I found "The Rock", with the palace, a lot less interesting. <BR> <BR>One of the most impressive views of Monte Carlo is from above, from the Roman Trophee des Alpes, in La Turbie, also well worth a visit.

jhm

Thanks everyone -- I think we'll skip Aix and spend a day going from Nice - St. Paul de Vence - Vence - whatever else you guys recommend... <BR> <BR>leaving tomorrow evening! hooray!

Byrd

Hi--One of our fondest memories is of a day spent taking the train from Nice over into Italy. There are wonderful views of the Med for much of the trip. We changed trains in Ventimiglia (where there was a flea market going on) and went to Bordighera. We had a great lunch at a restaurant overlooking the sea. After wandering around there for a while, we took the train back to Monte Carlo, looked about, and then back to Nice before dark.

Sue

There was a good thread on this subject last month. I'll bring it to the top for you. Have a great trip!

coco

I'm assuming you will be driving, so...while up in the hills at Vence and St. Paul, you might also head a little further west along the Loup river run (all fairly well sign-posted): Tourrette-sur-Loup is an old walled city with several wonderful restaurants and lots of art galleries and craftpeople (I think it's where all the St. Paul people went when they got priced out of there!)...next Pont-du-Loup is a bump in the road but does have an absolutely adorable chocolate/candy factory (Florian) right on the main(only?) road that's worth a quick stop at their shop (great gift stuff at super prices and like falling through a time warp) and right next door is a little mom-and-pop shop that sews up pouches, purses, table clothes, place mats, whatever in great provencal fabrics--it's like Pierre Deux stuff for pennies. (Literally! I bought hair scrunchies 4 for dollar and what I call make-up pouches for dollar each! We're talking feather weight souvenirs.) <BR>Then on around the bend to Bar-sur-Loup: the little church is worth a look and there is some sort of weird small museum, the exact nature of which eludes me at the moment, but somewhat in the weird-and-wacky category! Shortly south of there you can pick up the road back east to Nice. Bar-sur-Loup also has several nice restaurants. Veering right outside of Pont (on the way to Bar) will take you on a spectcular drive past waterfalls and whitewater on the way up to Gordon (which is the worst kind of tourist trap with a great panoramic view). A little further up is what they call the Grand Canyon of France, but I've not yet made it there. Oh, do have fun! (Can you tell I'm salivating!)

jhm

Again, thanks all. I'll report when I get back next week (too short a trip...). A bientot!