Itinerary Feedback-Paris and Cote de Azur
Jun 4th, 2007, 11:28 AM
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Itinerary Feedback-Paris and Cote de Azur
Here is my itinerary any feedback or insights on what attractions are the best to see in the time frame given would be appreciated! Please note this is for a wedding party and we cannot do much traveling to other cities when staying in Montpellier. However, info on sites/things to do in/around the city would be great. Alittle about us, we are a couple in early 20's who love food and wine and are also excited to explore the nightlife in France, as well as the sites. Merci!
[Th-Sun] June 27-July 1: Arrive 8AM CDG Paris (3 nights). Staying in Bercy Village.
[Sun-Th] July 1-July 12: TGV to Montpellier (11 nights) [Weekend trip to Aignon, day trip or 1 night]
[Th] July 12: TGV to Cannes (1 night)
[Sat-Sun] July 13-16: TGV to Nice (3 nights) [with day trip to Monaco, July 15]
[Mon] July 16: TGV to Paris CDG
[Tues] July 17: Leave France
[Th-Sun] June 27-July 1: Arrive 8AM CDG Paris (3 nights). Staying in Bercy Village.
[Sun-Th] July 1-July 12: TGV to Montpellier (11 nights) [Weekend trip to Aignon, day trip or 1 night]
[Th] July 12: TGV to Cannes (1 night)
[Sat-Sun] July 13-16: TGV to Nice (3 nights) [with day trip to Monaco, July 15]
[Mon] July 16: TGV to Paris CDG
[Tues] July 17: Leave France
Jun 4th, 2007, 01:16 PM
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Thanks - I don't know if it is a TGV from Montpellier to Cannes, then on to Nice, however I did already reserve tickets through raileurope. The travel time from nice to canne was 3-4 hours if i recall.
Anyone have good suggestions of what to see while in Nice, Cannes? Or should we just lounge and enjoy the food, beaches, and atmosphere?
Anyone have good suggestions of what to see while in Nice, Cannes? Or should we just lounge and enjoy the food, beaches, and atmosphere?
Jun 4th, 2007, 06:13 PM
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My wife and I travelled from Paris to Nice (and back) by TGV in March, and I can confirm that the TGV does indeed stop at Cannes and Nice - if you book the TGV all the way through(some itineraries will have a change of trains at Marseilles). However, the TGV does not travel at high speed beyond Marseilles (high speed from Paris to Marseilles only, but it's still as fast or faster than most trains in the USA).
Cannes to Nice is under one hour by train, and the TGV is not the only option for that run, so if you haven't already booked your Cannes to Nice segment, you may want to consider the cheaper regional or non-TGV trains.
When you arrive in Nice, stop at the visitors center next to the rail station and ask for some information, including maps and a map of the regional and city bus lines. (Walk out of the station and turn immediately left outside the door.)
My wife and I did not visit Cannes, but we did spend 3 nights in Nice. Things to do in Nice: Visit the Chagall Museum (even non-art lovers love it) - and it can be reached from downtown Nice on foot without much difficulty. Walk the promenade along the bay and climb or take the elevator to the top of the hill at the eastern end (le Chateau) for the view of the harbor, the bay and the whole city. Wander the narrow streets of the old city quarter, full of shops and feeling like a Moroccan bazaar. Book dinner at a moderately priced restaurant (not necessarily one of the very touristy ones in the old quarter; there are better places to be found on the side streets within a block or so of the main avenue Jean Medecin - check a guide book like Frommers) and enjoy any of the reasonably priced regional wines. Check out the pastries at any bake shop, and try the gelato at one of the stands in the old city quarter. As for the beach, well we weren't going in the water in March, but be advised its a rocky, not sandy, beach.
In the immediate Nice environs and reachable by regional bus is Eze, a medieval village perched on a promontory above the sea. Somewhat touristy, but well worth the time to wander through as an example of the medieval villages along this part of the Cote d'Azur. Another, but perhaps not as easily reached by public transit (we had a car for a couple of days before we checked into a hotel in Nice) and thus not as touristy, is the interesting old town of Roquebrune, just to the east and uphill from (and overlooking parts of) Monaco.
To travel from Monaco from Nice, we took the (unreserved, regional) train to Monaco (30 minutes) and the regional (Cote d'Azur - Alpes Maritimes or CAM) bus back (45 minutes to an hour)- there's a train or bus almost every 30 minutes or so from early morning until late at night. The bus ride was more scenic and convenient, and really didn't take us much more time in the end, considering how long it took to buy a train ticket at the station (no, the machines didn't take our Visa card, despite the Visa sign on the machine, so we hand to stand on the ticket line). The regional bus leaves Nice from the bus station on Blvd Jean-Juares next to the old city quarter - cost is just 1.30 euros per person, payable to the driver when boarding (and the driver makes change!). The bus will let you off at any of a couple of stops in Monaco, including one right near the Casino and another near the port.
Be advised, the taxis in Nice are very expensive, and the fare structure mysterious (or maybe just "soak the tourist"
, but unless the weather is really bad or you're lugging a lot of baggage, the City is definitely walkable.
Buy Rick Steve's "Provence & the French Riviera"; we found it the most helpful guide for this part of our stay in France. Bon chance et Bon Voyage!
Cannes to Nice is under one hour by train, and the TGV is not the only option for that run, so if you haven't already booked your Cannes to Nice segment, you may want to consider the cheaper regional or non-TGV trains.
When you arrive in Nice, stop at the visitors center next to the rail station and ask for some information, including maps and a map of the regional and city bus lines. (Walk out of the station and turn immediately left outside the door.)
My wife and I did not visit Cannes, but we did spend 3 nights in Nice. Things to do in Nice: Visit the Chagall Museum (even non-art lovers love it) - and it can be reached from downtown Nice on foot without much difficulty. Walk the promenade along the bay and climb or take the elevator to the top of the hill at the eastern end (le Chateau) for the view of the harbor, the bay and the whole city. Wander the narrow streets of the old city quarter, full of shops and feeling like a Moroccan bazaar. Book dinner at a moderately priced restaurant (not necessarily one of the very touristy ones in the old quarter; there are better places to be found on the side streets within a block or so of the main avenue Jean Medecin - check a guide book like Frommers) and enjoy any of the reasonably priced regional wines. Check out the pastries at any bake shop, and try the gelato at one of the stands in the old city quarter. As for the beach, well we weren't going in the water in March, but be advised its a rocky, not sandy, beach.
In the immediate Nice environs and reachable by regional bus is Eze, a medieval village perched on a promontory above the sea. Somewhat touristy, but well worth the time to wander through as an example of the medieval villages along this part of the Cote d'Azur. Another, but perhaps not as easily reached by public transit (we had a car for a couple of days before we checked into a hotel in Nice) and thus not as touristy, is the interesting old town of Roquebrune, just to the east and uphill from (and overlooking parts of) Monaco.
To travel from Monaco from Nice, we took the (unreserved, regional) train to Monaco (30 minutes) and the regional (Cote d'Azur - Alpes Maritimes or CAM) bus back (45 minutes to an hour)- there's a train or bus almost every 30 minutes or so from early morning until late at night. The bus ride was more scenic and convenient, and really didn't take us much more time in the end, considering how long it took to buy a train ticket at the station (no, the machines didn't take our Visa card, despite the Visa sign on the machine, so we hand to stand on the ticket line). The regional bus leaves Nice from the bus station on Blvd Jean-Juares next to the old city quarter - cost is just 1.30 euros per person, payable to the driver when boarding (and the driver makes change!). The bus will let you off at any of a couple of stops in Monaco, including one right near the Casino and another near the port.
Be advised, the taxis in Nice are very expensive, and the fare structure mysterious (or maybe just "soak the tourist"
, but unless the weather is really bad or you're lugging a lot of baggage, the City is definitely walkable.Buy Rick Steve's "Provence & the French Riviera"; we found it the most helpful guide for this part of our stay in France. Bon chance et Bon Voyage!
Jun 4th, 2007, 08:11 PM
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The Cannes to Nice train shouldn't take more than half an hour.
Note: TGV is French for high-speed train, and those trains only run on specific tracks. At present the real TGV trains don't go to the Côte d'Azur, which means the portion of the trip from Marseille, Avignon, or Aix is on regular rails...and that's why those segments take longer. Paris to Avignon, for instance, requires a little over 2-1/2 hours, while going the relatively short distance to Nice takes over 3 hours.
I agree about not staying one night in Cannes--spend your time in Nice and just visit Cannes.
Note: TGV is French for high-speed train, and those trains only run on specific tracks. At present the real TGV trains don't go to the Côte d'Azur, which means the portion of the trip from Marseille, Avignon, or Aix is on regular rails...and that's why those segments take longer. Paris to Avignon, for instance, requires a little over 2-1/2 hours, while going the relatively short distance to Nice takes over 3 hours.
I agree about not staying one night in Cannes--spend your time in Nice and just visit Cannes.
