Drive or take train from St. Remy to Nice
 

We will be going from St. Remy to Nice in mid-May. We will have a car in both but are trying to decide if we should drive from St. Remy or take a train (maybe from Avignon) to Nice and rent another car there. Is it enjoyable and visually rewarding to drive, and will the scenic routes be too crowded at this time of year? Are there towns we would miss that you would suggest we drive through, instead of taking the train? Thanks.

I vote for &quot;drive&quot;.<BR><BR>There are a number of places to see on the way and I wouldn't think it would be too crowded in most places. You can jump on and off the Autostrada (Turnpike) along the way if you wish.

In mid-May there won't be much traffic on the roads, and you can drive to Nice from Avignon faster on the highway (autoroute) than you can train it. <BR><BR>I would suggest that you take the autoroute (the A7 and then the 8) from Avignon to just past Aix-en-Provence and then cut down to the coast, visit Cassis and then take the coast road, if you've got the time.<BR><BR>PB

PB-<BR><BR>If we take the coast road, how long do you think it will take? We wouldn't mind taking a leisurely drive down the coast if there are some spectacular views or nice little towns to stop in on the way. Thanks.

Thanks PB for the correction of Autoroute- I just got back from Italy and had Autostrada on my mind.<BR><BR>Steve- your question cannot be answered as it depends on how often you stop and what you like to see. PB gave you excellent advice. I could stay in Cassis all day or five minutes, depending on how I felt. The point is that if you want to make time, get on the autoroute. Otherwise, look at a map and figure out how far things are from each other and you decide how long you want it to take.

Thanks jj. If this is not a busy time (May), we would definitely take the coast road. I am assuming it will be a very quiet drive without much traffic and we would be able to slowly meander our way to Nice, stopping several times on the way (I'm an avid photographer so I always take my time when there is a good photo op). I was curious how long it would take on this route if we mostly drove straight through, then I can factor in several stops for lunch, shopping, etc. Also, do you have any suggestions for a good place to stop for lunch overlooking the water? Thanks.

Via A7 &amp; A8 St Remy - Nice is about 2 1/2 hours.<BR>Via Cassis, Toulon, St Tropez and further along the coast, it is more like 5 hours.<BR>Anyway, take your time, knowing you can always hop back on the A8 in Fr&eacute;jus or Cannes and make up time at the end of the afternoon.