Paris to Nice and inbetween?
 

We are arriving in Paris on Dec 17, then go on to Nice by Dec 23 or early 24th , til the 26th or 27th. Must return to Paris by Dec 28. How would you do this loop? Open to any suggestions including plane, train and/or automobile. Interensted in seeing the countryside, venturing to perhaps other territory such as Switzerland. Want to avoid large crowds taking into consideration Christmas vacation trips- don't know what is the custom in France.

Sounds as though you will be in Nice for Christmas--lucky you! If you want to see the countryside, take the TGV to Aix-en-Provence and drive from there. Christmas isn't big vacation time for the French; so don't worry about the crowds--they come during the summer.

The best way to return to Paris is to fly out of Nice--only 1-1/2 hours to Orly.

You can build in a day of awesome Swiss alps by taking the TGV to Geneva, changing train for Brig (if you have time, stop en route in Montreux for lunch by the lake and visit the nearby Chillon castle), from Brig take the little train up to Zermatt and wake up the next morning marvelling at the Matterhorn.
Then back down to Brig - Geneva - TGV to Nice.

Swiss connections at www.sbb.ch (click on En at the top).

Also www.tgv.com and www.voyages-sncf.fr

Suggest you fly back to Paris to save time. Ask your hotel ahead of time re. restaurant closures over Xmas days.

WK

Hi F,

You have 9 days to visit - 6 in Paris.

You want to visit Nice and Switzerland in 3 days?

May I suggest one or the other?

((I))

2 years ago, we drove from Paris to Limoges and visited several stops including Chartres, chateaux in the Loire Valley, stayed in a Holiday Inn type hotel along the way. Visited our friends in Limoges, and checked out Dordogne and the Perigord areas including fabulous medieval village of Sarlat. Then we drove to Nice, along the way stopping and staying in the medieval citadel of Carcasonne. The roads are terrific, the scenery gorgeous, and if you're into that sort of traveling, it's quite convenient. If you rent from one of the major car rental places, you can rent in one city and drop off in another. Once in Nice, everything is quite close. People forget the Riviera is really short by American standards, and everything is pretty close by, including Switzerland. Returning to Paris, you could take a puddlejumper or a train, or if you're hearty drivers, drive back. FYI, Paris to Limoges @5 hours, Limoges to Nice @6 hours. These are rough estimates and according to my 2 year old memory.

We will have plenty of time in Paris before we leave. What about Germany? Is it doable from Paris and then return to Nice via train? Seems the Alps are in the way. Are there any skiiers on this site? We have already traveled in the Dordogne and eastern France, haven't explored Provence, but wonder if this is really the wrong season. Where is it great to be in the winter?

>>Where is it great to be in the winter?

Paris

Stu Dudley

Hi Flaze,

I'm a skier (well maybe a lapsed skier!), and I travel to Switzerland a lot. So I'd have to reply that anywhere in Switzerland is *great* in winter!

For your trip, I suggest you take the TGV from Paris to Geneva or Lausanne, then continue by train to Gstaad. You'll cover some beautiful scenery.

Here is a link to the album of my Christmas trip to Gstaad in 2004:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swanda.../ph//my_photos

When you're ready to go on to Nice, take the train back to Geneva and catch the Easyjet.

Train schedules at www.rail.ch.

s

FYI and only FYI

November 21 a national train strike begins....just make back up plans in the event that it extends to the time of your travel in France

We thought Provence was great in the winter--but clearly it will depend on what weather you are blessed with.