Planning June trip - Italy/France
 

For the nth time I am posting about trying to plan our June trip to Europe. We are thinking of starting in Nice, France and spending a few days there, staying with son's Marriott points near Monaco. Then we want to head to Capri eventually. I am planning on two weeks, with Nice and Capri being the for sure spots. We will rent a car to get around in France but perhaps will turn in the car and train in Italy. Is it possible to get the train in Monaco/Nice and take it to Rome? We may spend a few days there and then down to Amalfi/Capri. OR go to the Lakes and Venice. OR go to Tuscany, Rome. Or go to Venice and then to Croatia. D'oh! What to do!! My question is embedded here somewhere, train from Nice to Rome? Any advice?

Yes, there is train service between Nice and Rome. You might find the schedule easiest to research by splitting it into two parts:

France: Nice to Ventimiglia (about an hour)

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

Italy: Ventimiglia to Rome (9-10 hours)

http://www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html

I can't begin to advise on your other ideas, or how your route might vary depending on your other choices

That's a long train ride. Maybe we will break it up and spend a few days getting to Rome. Thanks!

I also may be in Nice in June & have started trying to figure out where to go afterwards - and am equally undecided!

I have considered going to Rome. As ellenem pointed out, the train ride is long (and it also involves at least one station change).

Another option would be flying. Blu-express flies from Nice to Rome. I don't know anything about blu-express except that it flies between Nice & Rome.

About half way between Venimiglia and Rome you reach the popular Cinque Terre . . . one idea for breaking the trip into smaller parts.

Two weeks is enough time to see some good stuff between Nice & Capri. In '06, we tried to get from Tuscany to Nice on the train, and it involved too much time & too many train changes, We ended up driving to La Spezia & getting on the train there - only 1 change, but still too long.

Cars in Italy are much more expensive to rent than cars in France. The basic rate is higher, and CDW is required in Italy, but not in France if you have the right credit card. I suspect that if there are 2 of you traveling, renting a car in France and paying the drop-off charge for returning it in Italy might not be that much different than training it all the way to Rome with stops along the way. Obviously, the car will give you more flexibility.

However, I hate the drive from Nice through Genoa - too may tunnels & too many opportunities to take a wrong turn & end up on the streets in Genoa.

If this was my trip, I would:

- spend 4-5 nights in Nice. Rent a car the last 2-3 days, and explore the small villages around Nice and then deeper into the Nice Hinterland.

- Drive to the Val d'Orcia (Pienza area) in Tuscany & spend 4 nights there. You'll loose a half day getting there. Stop in San Gimignano along the way for a visit.

- Visit Orvieto in the am, dump the car, & take the train to Rome & spend 4-5 nights there.

- Get to Capri by train/bus/boat & spend 2-3 nights there. We were there for 2 nights, and that was plenty.

- Get back to Naples & depart from there.

Stu Dudley

I would check out working this the other way:

Drive to Marseilles, get a ferry to Sardegna, spend a few days on the island, get a ferry to Napoli/Sorrento as access to Capri.