Kate

We are considering flying from from Paris to Nice, spending four nights in Nice, then returning to Paris to fly home. <BR> <BR>1) What are good hotel recommendations in Nice? Looking at the $100 to $150 price range, preferably the lower end of that range. <BR> <BR>2) What is best way to get from airport in Nice to downtown Nice? Taxi? <BR> <BR>3) What are the train schedules like between Nice/Cannes, Nice/Monaco, and Nice/Eze? Are they frequent, and how late do they run? Basically, I'm wondering if we can just show up at train station and hope to find a train within the hour or so. Is there a good web site where I can find this information? Lastly, is there a "pass" I should purchase or should I buy tickets individually? I did look on www.eurorail.com, but I think these are just the long haul schedules. <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Ben Haines

<BR> <BR>I'm sorry I'm no help on hotels nor taxis: I can't afford the Riviera. <BR> <BR>Trains run between Nice and Cannes from about five to midnight. <BR>Nice and Monaco five to eleven at night. Most of the day bthey are two or three trains an hour. West of Nice many have buffet cars, but east of Nice none have. I'm sorry I can't help on Eze. Yes: you csan usually just turn up, buy and cancel a ticket, and board. Eurail is not for short runs. If there's a Riviera pass it will be on the French Rail web site, which is in English as well as French: http://voyages.sncf.fr/hs_reservatio...tion&langue=GB <BR> <BR>Flying is fine, but you might have more fun on the Blue Train. You leave Paris at 2153 (7 minutes to 10) and reach Nice at 0759. The train has two kinds of two-berth sleeping compartments, tourist at 476 US dollars return for two, or first class (a bit bigger) at 608 dollars return for two. <BR> <BR>Please write again about trains if I can help further. Welcome to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR> <BR>

Mary

We just got back from Nice last week and had a wonderful time. Check out www.beyond.fr. Should find lots of info. We usually stay at the Hotel Gounod, a three star hotel, owned and operated by the four star Hotel Splendid, next door. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Email directly if you'd like additional info.

wendy

Don't take the train to Monaco - take the bus instead. The bus ride is breathtaking since it goes up and around the windy cliffs. The bus depot is downtown. <BR>Buy your tix as you go - I think roundtrip to Cannes is about $7, and I even stopped off in Antibes to check out the Picasso museum on the same ticket. Trains to Cannes run every half-hour or so. The bus ticket to Monaco was ridiculous - about $3 round-trip and those also run every half-hour.

Syl

Kate, In Jan 97 we took the LTV train from Paris to Nice and it was nice because you got to see the country <BR>side and coastal beauty of the Cote d'Azur. The train ride was very pleasant, but next time we would get 1st class, rather than 2nd. And if you are a non-smoker, specify a non-smoking car. <BR> <BR>We did take a taxi from train station to Hotel Westminster Concorde,27 promendade des Anglais, facing the beautiful azur waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In the evening we sat on our balcony and people watched as they strolled on the boardwalk. Our room was quite large with a spacious bath. The dining room was very old world with vaulted and muraled ceilings. There are a lot of restaurants all around including a Mcdonald's for when you get homesick like we did. I believe the winter rate was appx. $150/nte. We really enjoyed the city which was much more laid back and friendlier than Paris. Have a wonderful time.

BILL

There is a shuttle bus that runs along the Promendade. It costs about $3 (?) and will let you out anywhere along the way. <BR> <BR>I've been to Nice two different times and always use this to get to the Hotel. <BR> <BR>I recommend flying since you don't waste as much time traveling. I believe there is a night train only one way from Paris. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you have any other questions.

Christina

One good thing about Nice is that the airport is not far from city center so a taxi is pretty cheap (it's been a few years since I was there but it was less than US$20 and I was staying rather far north of the main drag). I wouldn't recommend you take the night train as many people do not consider them fun and cannot sleep well, and there is little point to it IMO if it's at night so you cannot see anything (which seriously affects the fun factor), espec since you can get flights that cheap or cheaper; it does waste a lot of vacation time.If you cannot get a decent airfare on the first leg (combining it with a return flight will make it cheap on going home), I could maybe see it if you have tons of time, but you don't. For the train, once you go to the train station the first time, you should be able to get a leaflet with the train schedules for other days for planning, or at least make notes from a board.

coco

On my last trip to Nice, last Spring, we stayed in an absolutely adorable hotel called The Windsor, just a few blocks back from the water behind the Negresco. Every room was decorated by a different artist, all I saw (4 different rooms) were large and charming. Our room had a balcony facing onto their jungly garden and pool. It was under $100/night then and the franc is even a little better right now. Nice little bar off the lounge and a restaurant which we never got around to trying!