Paris Lourdes and the Mediterranean
 

Cafe Richelieu or Cafe Marly?

Do you know which restaurant has better food and views of the Louvre Pyramid? I will be in France with my mom and planning some fun things to do. We are happy eating at bistros during the day but want nicer restaurants for dinner. We eat all food especially seafood and I'm always impressed when they can turn simple veggies to fab veggies! Any interesting exhibits, shows, theatre in the month of October? I haven't booked anything yet. Unless it's a fairly spacious apartment (in Paris?) with two bedrooms I think we are better off getting two hotel rooms. 10 days.

From there we head to Lourdes then to Nice. We will have a car in Nice so we can drive to all the nearby towns and Monaco. 1 week. I will also be in Amsterdam and Belgium before Paris. Any advice is very much appreciated. Thank you!

You really don't need a car in Nice if all you want to do is explore the towns along the Med. There is excellent public transportation and it will cost a LOT less than having a rental car. If you want to go inland, that's another story.

A nice, but not fancy, bistro for good seafood (and people watching) in Paris is La Terrasse on the Place Ecole Militaire in the 7ème, but it's a bit of a haul from the Louvre area.

Here is a report I made about Lourdes: http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...lourdes?page=1

One's at or near ground level (Cafe Marly), the other looks down on the pyramid. Your choice.

Check Paris Perfect (www.parisperfect.com) regarding apartments. They have some nice locations and comfortable apartments. We've used them for years and highly recommend their service.

How are you planning on getting to Lourdes? There are direct flights, and you can take the train (much longer trip).

There are several trains each day from Lourdes to Nice. Prices are reasonable, but the trip takes between 9-1/2 and 11 hours.

There is now periodic TGV service from Paris.

More train info - Thalys trains serve Paris from Belgium - the only choice from Brussels if you want to go direct and from Amsterdam direct to Paris - www.thalys.com has some really cheap fares if you book way way in advance - to get these limited in number deep discounted tickets.

Paris to Lourdes if by train www.voyages-sncf.com and www.capitainetrain.com - same trains same fares - have similar deep discounted tickets available and probably Lourdes to Nice that at 10 hours of travel time you may want to fly that one - say from Toulouse to Nice if not from Lourdes proper.

anyway for lots on trains check www.seat61.com- great info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. If not on a tight budget check first class discounted tickets too - in many ways a more relaxed ride, especially for those with luggage.

Thanks! Paris Perfect looks perfect. Some are reasonably priced we could get 2 studios for what seems to be lower than a hotel. Any legal discrepancies with that agency? Airbnb seems to be getting a lot of heat. I've used it several times with no issues.

Amnesia!! :) Dukey1

By the way we don't have to stay near the Louvre, a meal overlooking the pyramid should be sufficient unless I find an apartment with an actual view of the glass but looked and didn't find any.

Robert2533 are you saying there are direct flights from Lourdes to Nice? I thought only from Toulouse? The train will take too long. We were going to fly from Nice to Toulouse, rent a car for a couple of days then fly from Toulouse to Paris. I'm confused. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion. Jack is that you? Sent the link to my mom, love the teaser link kerouac thanks.

StCirq and PalenQ you guys are fantastic thank you for the continued advice really appreciate it.

Thanks! Paris Perfect looks perfect. Some are reasonably priced we could get 2 studios for what seems to be lower than a hotel. Any legal discrepancies with that agency? Airbnb seems to be getting a lot of heat. I've used it several times with no issues.

Amnesia!! :) Dukey1

By the way we don't have to stay near the Louvre, a meal overlooking the pyramid should be sufficient unless I find an apartment with an actual view of the glass but looked and didn't find any.

Robert2533 are you saying there are direct flights from Lourdes to Nice? I thought only from Toulouse? The train will take too long. We were going to fly from Nice to Toulouse, rent a car for a couple of days then fly from Toulouse to Paris. I'm confused. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion. Jack is that you? Sent the link to my mom, love the teaser link kerouac thanks.

StCirq and PalenQ you guys are fantastic thank you for the continued advice really appreciate it.

You really don't need a car in Nice if all you want to do is explore the towns along the Med. There is excellent public transportation and it will cost a LOT less than having a rental car. If you want to go inland, that's another story.>

Well no buses go regularly to the most popular of hill towns- St-Paul-du-Vence; Vence (wonderful short downhill walk from here to StPaul - coming inright by the popular Foundation Maeght Art Museum; Biot; Cagnes-sur-Mer, Eze, etc.

And if you really want to get into the hinterlands of Provence - a very different Provence from the Cote d'Azur take the famous Chemins de fer de Provence (a k a Ligne Digne) narrow gauged train up to the likes of Annot, a real sleepy typical old Provencal town - the train ride, nothing fancy like Swiss scenic trains - is scenic as it follows a river valley much of the walk - get off and walk between stations as many French do:

https://www.google.com/search?q=chem...HQ6jBZkQsAQIHg

The train starts from right behind the Nice-Ville train station.

Grasse, a neat old regional town famed for its perfume factories is easily reached now by train from Cannes.

You do not need a car to visit what most folks want to do and then some.

BTW October is a great time for the Cote d'Azur -crowds have thinned and weather should be not too hot nor too cool. perfect timing.

Fastest rail service Lourdes-Nice takes a little over 9 hours and you have to change in Toulouse; Lourdes-Toulouse is going to take a minimum of 1.5 hours.

Paris-Lourdes TGV service (no changes) takes about 6 hours.

I assume you will not have a car in Lourdes and no you don't need one (the town may very well be jammed with visitors) as you can easily walk from the main areas of the town to the grotto site. There used to be a bus shuttle from the rail station to the grotto if you wanted to go directly there.

The grotto area also contains a huge so-called "crypt church" where there are usually continuous masses; the "old" church sits above it with its many commemorative plaques giving thanks for various cures and miracles covering the walls.

The grotto itself used to be festooned with discarded crutches and other medical equipment left behind by pilgrims who had taken the waters and been cured somehow but those objects have pretty much been removed.

Lourdes is, among other things, a sobering place especially when you see the sick and lame who are hoping for a cure/relief being drawn along on those "wagons." But of only from a purely historical standpoint a visit is memorable IMO.