Fly to Nice...then to Cinque Terre...?
 

Hello...I know I have been given some very useful advice concerning this trip. I am back to planning it and I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts....

- travelling via public transportation throughout this trip
- looking at July (lavender)...
- want to do day trips and have some down time at the beach
- hoping for 14 days (12 days)...trying for 16 days....
- travelling solo for most of the trip

any thoughts...

I would really love to get to see the lavender and not just a fleeting view from a tour bus window. I also don't want to miss the lavender all together by starting off in Italy. If I flew to Nice and spent a couple of days there, then find some place to stay in Provence and then train to Cinque Terre. Am I thinking about this all wrong? Many thanks...

It's a long LONG train ride from even Nice to the Cinque Terre - consider flying from Provence to Pisa's international airport - it is hard to get into the Lavender district by public transportation I believe - anyway for lots of great info on trains should you go that route check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61`.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - scour www.voyages-sncf.com for discounted TGV tickets Nice to Provence - if going by train fly into Lyon or somewhere near Provence, go by train to Nice then train via Genoa to the Cinque Terre - but it takes several hours by train to go straight thru from Nice - no high-speed train son that route.

I see what you mean PalenQ. If I stayed in Nice and just did day trips from there...I might be spending too much time going back and forth though.

You can travel by train from Nice to Monterosso in CT. Leave at 8 AM, arrive about 2 PM in Monterosso. At least 2 changes, in Ventimiglia and Savona. We did the reverse a few years back and had a surprise change of train (everyone had to disembark) in Monaco as well. But it was mostly pleasant and not too stresddul...

Thanks for the response mocha_dolce. I am still working on the logistics. Which villages did you all stay in (Cinque Terre)?

Stayed in Monterosso for two nights which has some direct trains from outside CT. Visited ALL of the five villages. They are very close to each other, less than five minutes by train or 20 minutes-a couple of hours walking, depending on the trail. You can also hike, except where the trail/path is closed or take the ferry boat (except when it doesn't run due to rough water). But generally people choose one village to sleep in.

But generally people choose one village to sleep in>

well it would be hard to sleep in two villages!

We spent about 9 days in Provence (7 in the Luberon area, 1 in Arles, 1 in Avignon) and 3 nights in Nice. Then we also took a train similar to mocha_dolce from Nice to the Cinque Terre towns. I think we only had one change in Ventimiglia. We were able to buy tickets in France to Ventimiglia and then had to buy tickets on to Cinque Terre once at the Ventimiglia train station as the person at Nice said he could not book the train tickets for travel only within Italy. We stayed for 3 nights in Manarola. I think if you decide to go to Cinque Terre, just choose one town and stay there. Vernazza, Manarola, Monterosso, or Riomaggiorie are all near the water, however, Corniglia is up high so I would recommend one of the others. But you can easily get from town to town by train or by walking the trail. I would recommend getting Rick Steves book on Cinque Terre, its the most comprehensive I've seen on this area and it should give you all the info you need to decide on which town to stay in and what you want to do once you get there.

Of all the 5 lands Vernazza to me and many is the most colorful and dreamy - with a neat old port and small beach - Corniglia is way different, being high up on a hill overlooking the four other Lands - but I think a seafront town is most romantic and Vernazza to me was tops. Riomaggiore and Monterosso are way too busy - after all cars can reach their outskirts so they become parking lots for day trippers - the other three can be reached by car but only if you have hotel bookings I believe as they have tiny lots tucked away behind the main part of town.

All great information - thanks so much! Any recommendations on where to stay? Vernazza sounds perfect!

https://www.google.com/search?q=vern...=1600&bih=1075

I've never stayed in the 5 Lands but have day tripped in several times from nearby towns - there are lots of B&Bs by locals and a swarm of hotels - in summer you may have to book more than one day, especially if a weekend is involved.

Are you looking for "down time" or are you looking to go hiking?

Le Cinque Terre in July can be quite hot and crowded with foreign tourists. There are many other towns along the Italian Riviera where you can enjoy lovely views, lovely food, lovely swimming and lovely day trips to nearby medieval towns of great beauty, and spend only half the time on the train getting there.

Do you need to go back to Nice to fly home?

You might want to check out pictures of Noli, Varigotti, Bordighera, Finale Ligure and Alassio. If you pick one of those towns, make sure you also visit Albenga and its lovely mosaics and historic center.

You can even go hiking in that area if you want. Hotels and tourist offices have hiking maps

http://www.come-to-liguria.com/wordp...manie-plateau/

People are very friendly in that area and since they see so few foreign tourists, they really take care of you. Plus, the food can be fantastic because it is all intensely local.

There's a reason "foreign tourists" (I assume this means everybody but Italians) go certain places.

Yes, guidebooks and other forms of marketing, plus just the follow-the-herd mentality. There are at least a dozen towns along the Italian Riviera that are a more wonderful experience of it than Portofino or le Cinque Terre, with better food, swimming, prices and charm.

Here's a perfect example of precisely that phenomenon:

This is a current thread that began much earlier in the year, when a new poster asked about where to go on the French or Italian Riviera. At the bottom of the thread (it is not that long), you will see the poster just got back from the trip and reports on what she chose.

It turns out she picked a place recommended by a Fodor's poster that never appears in guidebooks aimed at foreign visitors. You can read for yourself how much she loved it (and she cautions about the crowds in the famous places).

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

People who never get off the tourist trail because they are just so certain that if it isn't where tourists go it must not be "worth it" end up missing the best of Italy.

Thank you for all of your information and suggestions. I have gotten so many great ideas from Fodorites - that is why I keep coming back. I will look at those other towns. Would the transportation be as accessible?...I won't have a car.

@stevewith - I don't have to fly home from Nice - in fact, I am not really sure where to fly home from! I thought I would be flying home from Paris but now that I have decided to do the lavender first, I have no idea...

Kelsey
Another option is to take the train from Nice to Santa Margharita Liguria (4-5 hours with two stops), spend a day or two around Santa Marg, Rapallo, Portofino and Paraggi (easily done via bus and ferry) then take a ferry to Vernazza - it also goes onto Portovenere. Make sure you check the days the ferries run as they change each month. It's a lovely way of seeing the Italian Riviera and Ligurian coastline.

kelsey,

Yes, there a train stations all along the Italian Riviera. Sometimes, 2 towns will share a station, so to get to one of them, you might need a short taxi ride (less than 5ms).

In addition to checking out Santa Margherita Ligure, check out the picturesque village of Camogli, which is one train stop closer to Nice. It is somewhat easier to go hiking from there than from Santa Margherita Ligure, and it has a nice pebble beach for swimming. But if you want more of a nightlife scene, Santa Margherita Ligure is better for that.

http://goitaly.about.com/od/italianr...cture-Gallery/

There are a great many boats and ferries that travel between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino and Camogli, but it is only in the peak tourist season that you can find boats from these places that go to le Cinque Terre (mainly on weekends). However, you can take the train to visit le Cinque Terre, about an hour away.

What is really at issue is how long you want to spend on the train to have a relaxing stay on the Italian Riviera, with scenery and atmosphere that appeals to you. You don't have to spend 5 hours on a train from Nice. There a lovely spots much closer to Nice than that.