My girlfriend and I are heading to France in June for just over 2 weeks. I have never been to Europe. My girlfriend's family is from Italy and she has been to Italy a # of times and speaks Italian fluentlly (if that helps). We will be staying in Paris at the Axial Beaubourg for about 6 days and want to make our way down to the Riveria. We have about 10 days after Paris. We are in our early 20's and our budget for the trip after the airfare is about is about 3000 USD Any suggestions where to go, where to stay, what to do in between as well as down on the coast? There is so much info, I just wish somebody would tell me exactlly what to do..lol Any help would be great. thanks

Re: "I just wish somebody would tell me exactlly what to do..lol" <BR> <BR>Does that mean you're looking for travel assistance....or a dominatrix? :~) <BR> <BR>My favorite place as a base on the Cote d'Azur is Nice. It's centrally located to other places, from larger (Menton, Monaco) to smaller (Antibes, Villefranche, St. Paul, Vence) to very small (the hilltowns in the mountains behind Nice, and hilltowns on the coast, like Eze Village.) Nice, unfortunately, does not have a nice beach -- it's rocky -- but nearby Villefranche does. Nice's old town -- Vieux Nice -- is wonderful, one of my favorite places on the entire Cote d'Azur. <BR> <BR>Along the coast, from Marseilles to Nice, places I've really liked are Cassis, Hyeres (a former elegant resort town with a great old city), and St. Tropez. Some people really like Cannes, but I've never had any interest in going there. <BR> <BR>Wherever you decide to go, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I've never been during the summer months though, so have no idea how crowded it might be in June. <BR> <BR>

Mike, Train to Avignon and get your car there. Spend about 3 days exploring Provence from a base location, perhaps in St. Remy or Les Baux. Then, hit the coast by stopping at Cassis and St. Tropez---you pick the time here---and then on to the Cote d' Azur for the rest of your time. I would stay in Villefranche and day trip one day to Grasse and St. Paul de Vence and another day east to Menton and Monaco. You fill in the gaps, but this is a good start for your itinerary. Have fun!

We just returned. I agree with Capo,we loved Nice and it is a great base to travel out from. We suggest taking the train to Cannes or Monaco, quick convenient and no hassles with traffic or parking. For hotels I strongly recommend Le Perouse, a wonderful place just steps from the open shopping center of Old Nice. It is an SRS hotel bookable through Best Western International!! Cuisine nearby heavy Italian emphasis, but we found great Vietnamese and Tunisian nearby. Enjoy!!

thanks for the help