Nice to Tuscany
 

My wife and I will be spending two weeks in the summer with another couple and want to spend time somewhere near Nice. We will be renting a car and intend to drive to Tuscany.Here are the questions: Any recommendations where to stay and if we could rent an apartment for the 4 of us? How long is the ride from Nice to Tuscany? Is it possible to fit in Cinque Terre in this 2 week itinerary? Any suggestions which village in Tuscany to stay in? Cinque Terre? Fodors has been a big help in the past so I am looking forward to some good advice. Thanks!<BR>

Just topping!

You are asking a lot of questions here, Alan. The ride os about 4-5 hours, maybe a little less (depends on where in Tuscany? Livorno? Arezzo?)<BR><BR>Search "tunnels" here on this forum. 150+ of them between Nice and Livorno.<BR><BR>Others will hopefully tackle other parts of your question. See a recent post on Volterra in this week's NYTimes.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Hi Alan! Do a search for my old "I'm Quilty & Ashamed" Italy trip report. It might give you some ideas. <BR><BR>I visited the Cote d'Azur in October, but I understand from friends that summer traffic there can be horrendous. You might do better on trains, then pick up a car in Rapallo, near Santa Marghertia Ligure.

to the top, for alan<BR>

Searched on tunnels and found this:<BR><BR>The drive from Pisa to San Remo is much more monotonous than you might suppose. You see very little of the coast, and essentially none of the Cinque Terre. There are about 150 tunnels in as many miles between Pisa and Nice. It's just tunnel, bridge, repeat... the topography ressembles a bunch of dishes in a dish drainer - - the road is quite new - - it's as if they took a laser and just drilled through one plate of rock after another.<BR><BR>Is this right?<BR>

Alan, I would spend 2 nites in SML or better yet, Portovenere, enroute and then stay somewhere near Siena for your time in Tuscany. Go to www.tuscany.net and go crazy. Look at Castelbiggozi near Strove and many other good choices at that site. Good luck and holler if you need help.