buddy

My husband and I will be arriving in Nice from the U.S. at 11:30 on a Friday morning in May and departing for Italy from the train station at 8:00 the following morning. We would like to stay in an area that will allow us to relax our jet lagged bodies/minds, have some good food, and do some walking to check out some attractions on our first official "day" in Europe. I've narrowed it down to (1) Villefranche, (2) St. Jean, or (3) Vence. I'm also considering Nice, but I'm afraid it will be too crowded/busy for our first day there? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

claudechev

I would immediately rule out Vence -- it is a beautiful place and you have probably read a lot about it, but, for your timeframe, it is pretty far out in the hills. I am assuming you will not have a rental car for just one day. Villefrance is closer in, more accessible, and beautiful. I am not familiar with St. Jean.<BR><BR>My suggestion would be to just take a short cab ride into Nice, check into a hotel there on the Blvd des Anglais (or whatever the name is), take a quick nap, stroll along the Mediterranean, find a restaurant, have a nice dinner, stroll some more and check in for the night. Just take a short cab ride in the AM for the train station. If you stay outside of Nice, you will waste a lot of time in traffic jams, especially in the morning when you have a train to catch.<BR><BR>I will let others recommend hotels and restaurants. I suggest remaining in Nice because you will be tired, it is close in, there is plenty to do, some fine museums, and a lot of stuff to do in walking distance. The downside is that it is a fairly large city with attendant traffic jams, petty crimes, etc. but just be vigilant. <BR><BR>Others may have different opinions. Hope this helps -- have a great trip.<BR><BR>CC.

mclaurie

Not an easy question to answer because of the 8 am departure. I would drop Vence as an option. It's too far &amp; IMO not &quot;worth&quot; the distance. St Paul de Vence is another story. It is a bit closer than Vence to both the airport &amp; the train station in Nice (about 35-45 mins drive) &amp; is charming, unique &amp; very &quot;doable&quot; for a day. La Colombe D'Or is a wonderful Inn with a great (famous) restaurant &amp; a pool right outside the walled, medieval village of St. Paul. The Hotel St. Paul is another option &amp; is in the walled town.<BR>Staying in Nice is probably the most practical option. It will be busy on a Sat. but there's lots to see. St. Jean is also charming. I personally wouldn't pick Villefranche as the only place to see.

trekercat

I agree that given your time frame, Nice would be the best choice. It's not really that big, if you stay near the beach you will be within walking distance of both the old town and the train station. There is plenty of picturesque walking and shopping in Nice. I think getting out to the other towns will be more hassle than it would be worth for that short of time. Just find a nice hotel near the Promenade and relax.

Gino

Buddy,<BR>My vote is also with Nice. With an 8am train out the next morning I would not even consider any other town. You will be sort of wiped out when you arrive and a quick nap at your Nice hotel is all you will need to then enjoy Nice.

buddy

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. I was afraid that we would be spending too much time going to/from places to enjoy ourselves, especially with such an early train the next morning. I'm off to do some research on hotels in Nice!

Weadles

Buddy,<BR><BR>I totally agree with the other posters that Nice is the best bet. We've done this trip many times from JFK, and one of the best things about it is how relaxing it is! Typically, we are on the beach within two hours of landing. Nice will not be as crowded in May as it will be during the height of the summer, so I wouldn't worry so much about that.<BR>r hotel recommendations, we really like the Westminster Concorde, which is all of 20 minute ride from the airport, right on the Promenade des Anglais, and only a short walk from Vieux Nice, with all it's excellent seafood restaurants ( Le Safari) and boutiques. Make sure to ask for a sea view room, all of which come with a small balcony and chairs. Then grab a bottle of wine from the excellent wine shop around the corner from the hotel, so that when you get back to your room, you can hang out on the balcony and stare at the sea. Can't think of a better way to start a vacation. Have a wonderful time.

ediemay

buddy:<BR>Stay at the Hotel Welcome in Villefranche-sur-mer. Delightful room on the water, plus an easy drive to Cannes,Nice, or Monte Carlo. We just love the town and the area as well as the hotel.

claudechev

Buddy: One more thought I had about hotels in and around Nice...<BR><BR>You did not specify which weekend you will be traveling in May. Be advised that the weekend of May 26 is the Grand Prix of Monaco, and it will be very difficult to find accommodations in the Nice-Villefranche-Monaco area that weekend.<BR><BR>Also, someone posted that the Cannes Film Festival is also in May .... I do not know if this is correct, I thought it was earlier in the year ... but it may be a consideration for hotel availability.<BR><BR>Let us know what you find out.