Hi, My 16 year old son and I will be training into Nice on 4/16 from Cinque Terre.. we will have 4 nights there before we have to fly back to LHR and LAX on 4/20. Should we stay in Nice all 4 nights and do day trips? Should we go someplace else first (Monaco, St Tropez or some great little town?) and then just end up in Nice for our last night or two? Do I need a car?

Suggestions on these 4 days/nights would be greatly appreciated... we like to keep moving and exploring and i love small town and villages but have to balance that with my 16 year old as well. Thanks so much! Michele

With only 4 days, I would base myself in Nice and do day trips to places such as Eze, Monaco, Antibes, Ville Franche sur-mer, etc.

Happy travels,
jdc

Yes, I agree. Stay in Nice and use public transportation. Buses and trains will get you up and down the coast easily. Eze (not the one on the water) is a small town with a great high-up view of the coast.

And you and your son might enjoy the little Train des Pignes, which goes up into the mountains north of Nice: www.provencebeyond.com/travel/railpignes.html. Entrevaux is the usual turn-around point for a daytrip.

So I should make Nice my homebase rather than Monaco for example?

Nice offers much more to do/see than Monaco for four days, so yes, base there.

Nice is one of my very favorite cities, filled with old world charm and Belle Epoque architecture. From what I hear, Monaco is wall to wall high rise buildings. Stay in Nice.

Make sure you get to St. Paul de Vence, a picture perfect hilltown, just inland from Nice.