Should I favor the Nice area that I don't know or the Venice area which I know and love for an extra springtime day? I have 2.5 days in each which is terribly tight, and can bless one but not both with an extra day.<BR><BR>Likes are waterfront walks with natural and architectural beauty, tasty food, and an occasional museum. By blessing Venice with 3.5 days, I get a taste of CoteAzure and a guaranteed dose of what I need in Veneto.<BR><BR>But 3.5 in untried CoteAzure would allow a more sane day in Nice(Matisse) in addition to obligatory day excursions to Antibes(Picasso)/Juan les Pins, and also Villefranche/Cap Ferrat(Rothchild)/Beaulieu.<BR><BR>Is an extra sane day in Nice worth making old friend Venice feel rushed, or isn't Nice so nice? May not be able to return another time.

I would distinguish between Nice itself and the surrounding area, which is easily like two countries in one (maybe three, if you count Monte Carlo/Monaco as "the country of Rodeo Drive"). There is both the "cote" of the Cote d'Azur - - but then there is "les Alpes Maritimes". It's rather amazing how quickly you are "way up in the hills" just miles from the Mediterranean, and the towns and culture of those areas up in the hills are a whole different world from "the Riviera".<BR><BR>So you get two places in one locale in the "PACA" (Provence-Alpes Maritimes-Cote d'Azur).<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

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Hi there.<BR>If you would like some info on a cheap and good value for money place to stay in Venice then pls send me an email.<BR>Jack

Nice is not nice. As Rex mentioned the hills towns are lovely and as close as 20 minutes up the hill from Nice. I would stay in Venice, no contest.