Good Day Trips by Train in Cote D'Azur
May 7th, 2008, 03:45 AM
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Good Day Trips by Train in Cote D'Azur
I am spending ten days in the Cote d'Azur in late June. I have been before, and like last time my hotel is in Antibes/Juan les Pins. I want to get out and explore some of the nearby towns, and at least one town over in provence. My preference would be to do this without renting a car. I love to walk, so that's not a problem. I am looking for some suggestions for towns that are interesting and easy to access via the train from Antibes station. Many thanks in advance.
May 7th, 2008, 06:18 AM
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You can get to most of the major cities/villages along the coast - except for St Tropez. A trip to Aix would be nice. You can also take the Cuneo train up into the Alps & visit several cute villages. Trains can also take you to Entrevaux, which is a very interesting village in a scenic area.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
May 7th, 2008, 12:06 PM
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Thanks Stu. I was mainly interested in destinations that were not so far away as to preclude a morning train ride followed by day of exploring, and then train ride back to Antibes station in time for dinner.
May 7th, 2008, 12:30 PM
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Everything I mentioned will fit your criteria. Here is detail about the Cuneo train. This is in my 27 page Cote d'Azur & Provence itinerary (e-mail me at [email protected] if you want the whole thing). The trip starts in Nice, but you can catch the train to Nice Ville from Antibes.
Take a train ride through the Nice Hinterland & visit 2 villages allow all day
Overview
Driving through this beautiful area by car is the best way to see everything – except for the driver. The Cuneo line from Nice to Cuneo, Italy passes through this area with stops in several villages. I spent many days researching train schedules trying to find an itinerary that would allow me to stop in as many villages as possible and still make this a one day event. I found that only 1 itinerary worked. Leave Nice about 8:30 in the AM & take the train to Breil where you will change trains (but no time to see Breil), and then head to Saorge for about a 3 ˝ hour layover. Then on to Tende for another 3 hour layover. Then return to Nice on the last train for the day. The train trip was better for my wife than me (she does all the driving & I do all the navigating). When traveling by car, we stopped quite a bit to admire vistas, spend time in villages, watch helicopters drop climbers/boaters into areas, etc. On a train, you can’t do this. Also, the scenery passed too quickly & was often on the “other” side of the train. We enjoyed the trip because we had already spent several days driving in this area & we (she) needed a driving break. We got back to Nice about 7:00 and had dinner there.
Details
Depart from the Nice main train station at 8:30am. There were about 4 other stations in Nice where it would have been easier to park the car & not have to fight the horrible traffic around the Nice station (the 4 lane road that goes behind the station was bumper-to-bumper at 8:00). When you get to Breil at 9:30, you will have to change trains. You have 20 minutes to do this, but there was no announcement to do so. Also, past this point many of the stations do not have attendants. The train schedule is usually posted somewhere in each station. If you choose to get off at a station, make sure you know when the next train arrives for the continuation of your journey. If you return from your trip & get off at Breil, the trains can split & go in two different directions – one to Nice & one to Ventimiglia, Italy. Some of the stations were pretty far from the villages. Some of the stops were more “hesitations” than stops. When we took this train, one 80 year-old man missed his station stop on the last train of the day and was stranded at the next stop.
Arrive in Saorge** at 10:30. This is a beautiful village. The station is quite a ways away from Saorge & there’s about a 20 minute walk up to the town. The walk up has some great views of this perched village. You will be there 3 ˝ hours, so there is more than enough time to explore. Have lunch at the Bellevue restaurant. It might seem like nobody’s in town (we were there in mid-June). but the restaurant was somewhat crowded at 1:00.
Get back to the station (unattended & it was even closed when we were there) for the 2:00 departure. Get off the train in Tende* at 2:30. This station is close to town. Explore Tende for 3 hours. Tende is a very popular starting point for hikers, so there will be lots of people there in full hiking regalia.
Take the train back to Nice at 5:30. This is the last train of the day. We got a little worried when there were dozens of people lining up to take the train back, and we knew that there would be people already on the train coming from Italy (the 80 year old man). Everyone got on the train OK. It arrives in Nice at 7:00.
Stu Dudley
Take a train ride through the Nice Hinterland & visit 2 villages allow all day
Overview
Driving through this beautiful area by car is the best way to see everything – except for the driver. The Cuneo line from Nice to Cuneo, Italy passes through this area with stops in several villages. I spent many days researching train schedules trying to find an itinerary that would allow me to stop in as many villages as possible and still make this a one day event. I found that only 1 itinerary worked. Leave Nice about 8:30 in the AM & take the train to Breil where you will change trains (but no time to see Breil), and then head to Saorge for about a 3 ˝ hour layover. Then on to Tende for another 3 hour layover. Then return to Nice on the last train for the day. The train trip was better for my wife than me (she does all the driving & I do all the navigating). When traveling by car, we stopped quite a bit to admire vistas, spend time in villages, watch helicopters drop climbers/boaters into areas, etc. On a train, you can’t do this. Also, the scenery passed too quickly & was often on the “other” side of the train. We enjoyed the trip because we had already spent several days driving in this area & we (she) needed a driving break. We got back to Nice about 7:00 and had dinner there.
Details
Depart from the Nice main train station at 8:30am. There were about 4 other stations in Nice where it would have been easier to park the car & not have to fight the horrible traffic around the Nice station (the 4 lane road that goes behind the station was bumper-to-bumper at 8:00). When you get to Breil at 9:30, you will have to change trains. You have 20 minutes to do this, but there was no announcement to do so. Also, past this point many of the stations do not have attendants. The train schedule is usually posted somewhere in each station. If you choose to get off at a station, make sure you know when the next train arrives for the continuation of your journey. If you return from your trip & get off at Breil, the trains can split & go in two different directions – one to Nice & one to Ventimiglia, Italy. Some of the stations were pretty far from the villages. Some of the stops were more “hesitations” than stops. When we took this train, one 80 year-old man missed his station stop on the last train of the day and was stranded at the next stop.
Arrive in Saorge** at 10:30. This is a beautiful village. The station is quite a ways away from Saorge & there’s about a 20 minute walk up to the town. The walk up has some great views of this perched village. You will be there 3 ˝ hours, so there is more than enough time to explore. Have lunch at the Bellevue restaurant. It might seem like nobody’s in town (we were there in mid-June). but the restaurant was somewhat crowded at 1:00.
Get back to the station (unattended & it was even closed when we were there) for the 2:00 departure. Get off the train in Tende* at 2:30. This station is close to town. Explore Tende for 3 hours. Tende is a very popular starting point for hikers, so there will be lots of people there in full hiking regalia.
Take the train back to Nice at 5:30. This is the last train of the day. We got a little worried when there were dozens of people lining up to take the train back, and we knew that there would be people already on the train coming from Italy (the 80 year old man). Everyone got on the train OK. It arrives in Nice at 7:00.
Stu Dudley
May 7th, 2008, 01:21 PM
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Yep - this train stops in lots of places. The reason I didn't mention them is because we visited the "lower" ones by car - including Sospel. On this site:
http://www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Enter
From Nice Ville
to Cuneo
date DD/MM/YY format then the time
You may have to enter your age
After it displays the schedules, click on the Schedule you want to further examine & it will tell you where the train change is. Then click on "intermediate stops" to find out all the other villages where the train stops - Peille, Peillon, Sospel, are also great destinations - but you won't be able to do many on the same day.
Another great scenic line is Nice Ville to Entrevaux. We stayed across the valley from Entrevaux for a week last year. Pemarkable village (photo eater) with a Vauban fort on top. This is a very scenic area.
Stu Dudley
http://www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Enter
From Nice Ville
to Cuneo
date DD/MM/YY format then the time
You may have to enter your age
After it displays the schedules, click on the Schedule you want to further examine & it will tell you where the train change is. Then click on "intermediate stops" to find out all the other villages where the train stops - Peille, Peillon, Sospel, are also great destinations - but you won't be able to do many on the same day.
Another great scenic line is Nice Ville to Entrevaux. We stayed across the valley from Entrevaux for a week last year. Pemarkable village (photo eater) with a Vauban fort on top. This is a very scenic area.
Stu Dudley
May 9th, 2008, 08:36 AM
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A variation of Stu's wonderful itinerary into the Alpes Maritime by train would be, on returning from Cuneo, at Breil-sur-Roya take a train that plunges down a different valley to Ventimiglia, Italy and then catch the Cote d'Azur metro trains back to Nice or wherever.
Schedules however may make this hard to do
Schedules however may make this hard to do
May 9th, 2008, 09:49 AM
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From Antibes, take the train to Cannes and then to Grasse. Stop off at the nice little town of Mouans-Sartoux, which has a château and a good art museum, along with cafés and such. Then visit the Provençal museum in Grasse itself, along with the perfume museum; both are just off the rose garden above the underground parking lot.
Sep 16th, 2008, 09:49 AM
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You should always ask before buying if getting on and off is OK - often it is except on TGV and Coral TEOZ trains i believe - trains which have a variable fare structure
but like the train to Cuneo - a gorgeous ride thru the Maritime Alps i think it's all based on kilometers traveled and you can get on and off at will - after initially cancelling your own ticket before departure.
But the coastal rail line could have different policies and has different trains - you can take TGVs along the coast - TGVs coming from Paris and points north and continuing to the French border and a regular ticket could not be used on these. But probably if you use the stopping regional trains this would be possible but ask as these policies seem to be changing.
another sweet regional train is the Ligne Digne that slices north and west and goes thru a rugged part of old-time Provence - a great ride - get off at a sleepy Provencal town like Annot and you'll see some of old France. (This train is not a part of the French Railways but the Chemins de Fer de Provence, run by the department i believe. It leaves from a station just behind the main Nice-Ville station. It's a tiny few car train.
but like the train to Cuneo - a gorgeous ride thru the Maritime Alps i think it's all based on kilometers traveled and you can get on and off at will - after initially cancelling your own ticket before departure.
But the coastal rail line could have different policies and has different trains - you can take TGVs along the coast - TGVs coming from Paris and points north and continuing to the French border and a regular ticket could not be used on these. But probably if you use the stopping regional trains this would be possible but ask as these policies seem to be changing.
another sweet regional train is the Ligne Digne that slices north and west and goes thru a rugged part of old-time Provence - a great ride - get off at a sleepy Provencal town like Annot and you'll see some of old France. (This train is not a part of the French Railways but the Chemins de Fer de Provence, run by the department i believe. It leaves from a station just behind the main Nice-Ville station. It's a tiny few car train.
