I am going to Paris for two weeks for the first time in July. I really want to go to the Southern region (Nice, etc.) for just a few days during the second week. Is this realistic? Any advice would be much appreciated!!

That is certainly enough time to do both. Have you already purchased your tickets? If not, consider the open jaw so you can fly home from Nice.

You can easily reach Nice by train or plane.

www.venere.com is great for hotel info.

Train information can be found on www.sncf.com

We recently spent three nights in Nice and really loved it. We had been in Italy, took the train to Nice and flew home from there. You can find my trip report here, on Nice, for suggested activities, restaurants. Our hotel, Le Grimaldi, was a very good value four-star. It did not have a sea-view, but was otherwise very well-located for walking everywhere in old Nice and on the promenade. I think Nice would be a great contrast to Paris, if you can fly home from there.

or you could get the TGV to Avignon - again a very nice! contrast to Paris, and not quite as far as Nice.