I could sure use some help. My idea all along has been a trip to the French and Italian Rivieras. In France, I want to see villages, art sites and mueums, and general lovelieness.

I am so bonkers over Italy that I can't get that close without paying a visit.

We were able to get FF tickets into Paris on May 16, arriving early am May 17, and departing from Paris on May 31, 2007.

EasyJet can connect us well to Nice.

We are booked in Paris at Jardin de l'Odeon from the 17th to the 20th.

Our flight out of Nice departs very early on the 31st with a good connection to our Air Canada flight to Toronto and then home (Pittsburgh). So it seems we are staying in Nice at the end of our trip. I think two nights would be good.

Before that, I want to stay at Le Hameau in St Paul de Vence for 4 nights.

Those are the facts. Here is my question:

Do we got to Italy for the other 5 nights?

I am thinking of 3 nights in the CT, then two in Santa Margherita Ligure.

DH has not been to the CT.

We are both fond of SML.

Please give me your thoughts. I am confused about eliminating Italy all together, or just doing the CT. Or staying in Provence.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be very very welcome.

Thanks

Your dilemma is a personal choice. I would train to Avignon, get a car there and tour Provence for 5 days and then end up at le Hameau for your last few nites--it is not far to the Nice airport. If you must visit Italy then include a diversion to San Remo on the day trip to Menton and Monaco from St. Paul. Italy will still be there next time.

I agree with Bob; I would also visit Provence for those 5 days rather than go on to Italy.

Provence is beautiful and definitely worth visiting, and you'll be "in the area." From Nice, it's a bit of hassle to get to the Italian Riviera, not much of a hassle, but Provence would be an easier destination to get to. If you drive to SML and the Cinque Terre, check on what driving in Italy might to do the rental rate (possibly nothing). Also check train schedules from Nice to SML.

Hmmmm, Provence, eh?

We could TGV to Avignon but I am really not interested in staying there.

Can you suggest another spot in Provence for us? I ordered several books from the library, but I am not familiar with Provence. I know I like seaside towns and villages, and so far, if we skip Italy, there won't be any on my itinerary. I need water.

I have driven from Nice to SML. ViaMichelin says it is 2.5 hours, and 3 to the CT. I remember it as an OK drive, but it was some time ago.

No Nice? Arent there museums there that would fit in my "Artists and Beaches" dream plan?

The choice is indeed personal, but I am influenced bv the savvy travelers here, and hope to gain ideas.

Pretty towns in Provence, and some water is what I'm looking for. I don't really see us going to Arles and Avignon this trip. Unless you guys want to convince me.

Provence--which includes Nice, as the region runs clear east to the Italian border--is huge; with limited time you would probably do best to stay in one area. Since you want to see villages and art, Le Hameau—a wonderful little hotel-- will be a very good location for you. From there you can visit the Matisse chapel in Vence, the Fondation Maeght near St-Paul-de-Vence, and the collection of paintings at the restaurant La Colombe d'Or (with a meal, that is).

The villages of St-Paul, Vence, and Tourettes-sur-Loup are interesting to visit. A bit farther west is the perched village of Mougin, home to many art galleries and good restaurants. Just a bit north, on the way to Grasse, is the charming village of Valbonne, another art center. If time permits you could drive up into the moutains to see the extremely perched village of Gourdon.

Nice is another good place to base; there you can visit the Matisse museum, the Chagall museum, and the Beaux Arts museum. Just beyond Nice to the east is the pretty village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, where you will find the chapel designed by Jean Cocteau. Nearby, on St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, with its fine collection of objets d'art, beautiful carpets and furniture, and seven gardens in different styles. Lunch in the tea room overlooking the bay is a real treat.

By the time you get there the Picasso museum in Antibes should have re-opened, but there's also the small one in Vallauris. In Biot is an outstanding art-glass museum maintained by Corning, and you can watch glassblowers at work in a large studio. Up in Grasse is the perfume museum, with a fine collection of ancient to modern bottles. The Provençal folk-art museum is just down the street.

I am just about convinced to let go of Italy on this trip. As I said, I know little of Province, but I am learning. Been surfing like mad.

Underhill, I am copying your suggestions into my vacation notes for this trip.

Now, how about this:

May 16 PIT TO CDG
May 17.....Paris
May 18.....Paris
May 19.....Paris
May 20.....TGV to Avignon

It gets a little cloudy here; should we spend the night in Avignon???

May 21.....St Remy
May 22.....St Remy
May 23.....St Remy

May 24.....St Paul de Vence
May 25.....St Paul de Vence
May 26.....St Paul de Vence
May 28.....St Paul de Vence

May 29.....Nice
May 30.....Nice
May 31..... Depart Nice very very early for flight to CDG, then home

Comments and suggestions are seriously welcomed. Do we spend the night in Avignon?

Help!

OOOPS; I lost May 27. Feel free to make suggestions. ;-)

You have a good start there. St. Remy makes a good base locations as does L'isle sur Sorge. I like the places that Underhill mentions---good input.
Read about Cassis if you want a coast destination. I like Tuscany better, but Provence is worth your time and makes more sense with free tickets to Paris.

Bobthenavigator,

I have been working in Tuscany for the last four years, and a lot of what I was doing was researching tourist destinations, and I've been to Tuscany so many times that I feel Tuscanied-out.

Plus, the FF tickets. Cassis is something I have been reading about today. Any other input on the town?

Thanks

I would spend more time in Provence - in the Luberon.

St Paul & Nice are very close together, and you can easily get from one to the other. We've stayed in a Gite (house) near St Paul for 4 weeks & we've stayed at Le Hameau twice for a total of 6 days. We were just in Nice 3 days last month, and we've probably stayed there 20 days over the last 30 years.

Do you like to drive around & see non-touristy perched villages, beautiful gorges, & mountains (Alps)?. If so, stay in St Paul & explore the Nice Hinterland north of Nice (Underhill described a small portion of it). If you prefer large cities & days on the beach, stay in Nice. A half-day trip to St Paul (that's all the time you need there) from Nice is easier than 2 day trips to Nice (you'll need that much time to see Nice - incl. some beach time) from St Paul.

If you want "water", perhaps consider a couple of days in St Tropez - it's quite different from any other town on the Riveria.

This is what I could do:

Arrive at the Avignon TGV on May 19 and stay in the Luberon for 3 nights. Visit the wonderful market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue on Sunday May 20. This is a day earlier than you had planned, but the market is special. If you have no interest in it, then arrive May 20.

May 19-21 in the Luberon
May 22-23 St Remy
On the way to the Riveria, explore the area behind St Tropez - Tourtour, Cotignac, Lorgues, Grimaud, etc
May 24-26 St Tropez
May 27-30 St Paul or Nice.

We've vacationed in this area for about 24 weeks over the last few years. I developed a 20+ page itinerary that describes my favorite drives, villages, markets, and it has a Provence fabric section. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

Oh, Stu, I will email you; thanks.

Boy do I want to see that market. I might try moving my tickets up a little; I like your plan and I am copying it into my France document. Many thanks.