annw

We’ll be traveling in March 2014, using miles to fly SFO to CDG.
So far we have reservations as follows:

Paris March 12-14 depart 15 Hotel St. Augustin (military affiliate club)
March 15-16-17 the dilemma – Barcelona plus…Nice?
Impruneta (agriturismo outside Florence) March 18-21 dep 22
Venice March 22-23-24 Locanda Orseolo
Mar 25 VCE- CDG-SFO.
We’ve been to Paris, Tuscany, Venice previously (and these lodgings).
We are adding Barcelona this trip specifically to do a Gaudi tour and see mosaics and architecture. We assume we’ll spend two nights here.
We like trains and are keen to take TGV train to the south through France, even though we'd just have one night there en route to Barcelona or vice versa.
Questions: TGV to Nice (or Aix?), overnight in Nice, then fly to Barcelona, then fly to Florence? Or go Train-Barcelona-fly to Nice then Florence? Second option seems best direction but the flights to Florence look better from BCN.
We’d like to spend time in the south/ Provence, but on a future trip, since March doesn’t seem like the best time for it and we'd like more time. If we have one stop, does Nice seem best option? (Best for this trip =reasonable in and out, interesting, walkable, etc.)

Tabernash2

Since it's just for one night, why not just skip it and go directly to/from Barcelona?

TDudette

Also look at Montpellier. I believe there is a TGV to there from Paris now. We took train from Barcelona to Montpellier (where we based for a few days before heading to Nice.)

We stayed in New Hotel du Midi. An easy walk from station but cab is fine if you have lots to carry. It is right on the main square "The Egg". Do check as it has been a few years (2006!) so things may have changed.

annw

Thanks, TD -- we are wanting at least to stop off in the south in transit -- will look into Montpellier.

Tabernash2

annw, if you are looking for a hotel in Nice, we liked the Hotel le Grimaldi. It is a charming boutique hotel in a good location. I can give you more details, if you'd like.

http://www.le-grimaldi.com/

Christina

I think it would be totally nutty to take the TGV from Paris to Nice in order to spend a night before flying to Barcelona. They are in opposite directions, of course. It takes a lot longer (and costs more) to get to Nice than to, say, Avignon or Aix, what's the purpose of doing that? At least go in the general direction of Spain, or don't veer off to go all the way over to Italy almost.

Easyjet flies from Lyon to Barcelona, for example, if you want to see some other city, that would make the most sense to me. Also, it is closer to Paris so you one day would give you more time in this place you are spending one night.

annw

Will check Taber, thanks --

Christina, it isn't just to spend the night there; it's to enjoy the train ride to the south. But thanks for your suggestions.

StCirq

annw, you can enjoy any number of train rides in France without going in totally the opposite direction of where you want to end up. You won't even have any time to enjoy Nice - getting to the station, riding the train, getting off and settled in your lodgings will eat up just about the whole day. Makes little sense to me.

annw

StCirq do you have another recommendation? What about Montpellier?

annw

BTW original plan was train straight to Barcelona then stop between there and Florence. Given the time we have, we opted to fly after the train ride south, and flights from BCN seem more plentiful than from Nice, hence switching from Paris-BCN-NICE to Paris- Nice-BCN. Not wedded to Nice; that's why I'm soliciting advice. Thanks for all who've contributed. Lyon, Aix, Montpellier all good prospects.

StCirq

Montpellier is one of my favorite cities in France, and yes, it's "on the way" to Spain, so it would make good sense. Do look into the possibilities for getting from Montpellier to Barcelona, though, as the train connections can sometimes be tricky, and I have no idea about flights.

TDudette

Train from Barcelona to Montpellier was a straight shot when JR and I went. Although the train stopped once it crossed the border, we never got off.

The TGV from Paris was imminent--so I'm not 100% sure where/if that station has been built.

The TGV was a bus ride to/from Aix.

annw

Thanks StC and TD.

Got our flight from BCN to FLR (Iberia via Vueling, so fingers crossed); looks like we can find a train from Montpellier to Barcelona ok -- sorting out SCNF, RailEurope, etc. by putting in sample dates.

Underhill

We really love Nice. Try to get there.

annw

Looks like we have to save that for a trip focusing on Provence, hopefully in lavender season, but thanks for the suggestion. I'll be back for help then.

TDudette

We traveled from Spain to France on renfe ( www.renfe.es ) from the Barcelona-Estacio De França station, FYI.

annw

Thanks for the link, TD. Looks like we can review France to Spain trips as well.

Will see if we can get one of those direct trains vs. changing if we keep our plan of going Montpellier to Barcelona. Also need to find out which station though it seems Barcelona Sants is the main one and we should be able to get where we're going.

StCirq

Rail Europe doesn't show all trains and charges premium prices. If you're looking at trains from France, stay on www.voyages-sncf.com.

annw

Thanks, St. C. I follow the maninseat61's advice to select Afghanistan as country to avoid Rail Europe and stick with the French site. Sometimes I get shifted there anyway but I never buy there.

TDudette

Yes, Barcelona Sants <u>is</u> the main one, however, França is/was the station that goes to France--I'm almost sure it's because of the difference in the rail gauges between the two countries.

When we bought our tickets (at Sants), they made certain we knew we were going to a separate station. We took a cab there from our hotel.

Please do let us know what you end up doing.