islandmom

I have a few train questions.

My family of 4 needs to go from Paris to Cannes mid April. Do trains accept as much luggage as planes? In Cannes is it easy to catch a cab from the train to the hotels on the shore? And do the trains go along the whole Rivera like Monte Carlo, St. Trope etc?

PalQ

Trains accept as much luggage as you can carry on - no restrictions. You may have to hoist them into overhead racks or leave them in racks by the doors (bags must have name labels on them in a new edict from French Railways if stowed here - and if do keep an eye on them. Cabs out front of Cannes station; trains go along the Riviera to Nice, Monte Carlo but not to St Tropez - for that you train to San Rafael and catch a bus or there may be seasonal boats there as well from San Rafael or other locals. My tip for experiencing the Riviera's astounding beauty - its isolated rocky coast such as not seen in Cannes, Nice or other built up resorts, is to take the coastal train to Cap d'Ail, then from the station walk down to the sea, a short stroll, and then walk two miles along paved seaside paths to Monte Carlo/Monaco. This is a gorgeous walk along a stretch of virgin coast - just rocks, signature cypress trees and the deep azure-hued water lapping at the rocky shore - totally undeveloped and the real Riviera beauty etched in our minds' eyes. People swim here in isolated swimming holes. Just a fabulous walk and an easy one. Most of the Riviera has been desecrated by seaside development except a few stretches and this is one. Trains go about every 30 mins to Cap d'Ail right from Cannes - just a tad bit after Nice. Return from Monte Carlo by train from that town's brand new subterraneans train station hewn out of a cliff.

rex

Trains carry as much luggage as you can personally manage. You take it all on to the train yourself and stow it overhead (the space is much, much larger than on a plane) and carry it off yourself. There is some additional storage space (about the size of one telephone booth) at the end of each car on the train also.

It seems virtually certain that getting a cab fron the train stattion to hotels, though I have never been there personally.

The train definitely runs to Monaco (Monte Carlo, but as it heads west, it veers considerably away from the coast, missing St. Tropez bu well over an hour (bus ride) - - see rail map at http://www.beyond.fr/map/railprovmap.html

Best wishes,

Rex

rex

In case that last paragraph was made difficult to understand by the typos...

The train definitely runs to Monaco (Monte Carlo), but as it heads west, it veers considerably away from the coast, missing St. Tropez by well over an hour (bus ride)...

PalQ

From Cannes don't neglect nearby gems such as Antibes - just a few miles away by rail - a great old town with an acclaimed Picasso Museum, and Grasse, a short bus ride from Cannes inland up in the hills - a great old Provencal town that reeks of oldness, and of perfume as you can tour the several perfume factories in this French perfume capital. And St Paul-du-Vence is also a short bus ride to this wondrous hill town that seems to have stepped out of the Middle Ages - perched high above and offering sweeping views of the coast. (Highly touristed in July and Aug, however.) These three gems are very close to Cannes - half day on beach, half day day tripping? Cannes itself is a great beach and OK town but not an old looking place - modern seaside resort so day trip to places more redolent of the proverbial charm of the French Riviera you expect to find in these environs.

ira

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