Sue Williams

We are going to be in Paris in april 2000 and want to tack a few days on the end to do the south of france. We are not adventerous enough to rent a car but don't want to end up in a small town with nothing to do for four days. If we stay in Nice, is there enough public transportation to the other parts of Provence and the Riviera for day trips? Is Nice the place to stay? Recommendtions on hotels? We don't need the ritz but don't want to scrimp on the hotel either. Restaurants?

Christina

I stayed in Nice once for 4-5 days and there is plenty to do in that time frame (I couldn't do everything I wanted) and plenty of public transportation for day trips. First, within a very short direct train ride (less than an hour) are Antibes, Cannes and Monte Carlo. These towns are also small enough that you can tour them by foot from the train station. There is also a good public bus service where you can go to some other towns that are not on direct rail lines -- I went to Grasse (the perfume town) that way, it was easy. I know you can get to Vence also by bus, I think. That's more than enough to do, I spent two whole days just on Nice itself as there is quite a bit to see there (several excellent art museums, the old town, beautiful parks and scenery, etc.). It's been a few years since I was there so I don't recall the name of my hotel, which was fine, but I just picked it out of several guidebook recommendations from location and description. Hotels in Nice are very reasonably priced (at least compared to Paris, which I was used to). If you are mainly interested in exploring the Riviera, I'd say Nice is a good base. If you were more interested in Provence, I'd recommend Avignon.

Mary Losch

Sue, I can't tell you about Nice but I can tell you that my husband and I just returned from Provence last week. We stayed in Aix for 5 days and Marseille for 3. Aix was wonderful and we took car day trips to Moustier-Ste. Marie in the Luberon area and to Arles, Pont du Gard, and Avignon to the west of Aix. Provence in general is wonderful. We experienced fabulous hospitality, great food, and exquisite weather. One possibility for you would be taking the train from Paris to Avignon which would place you in a slightly different part of Provence but one that is close to some very impressive Roman architecture in Arles and Nimes as well as the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.

lisa

Can't say about Provence but spent several days in Nice exploring the Riviera a few years ago. Its primary advantage is its centrality as a base for exploring nearby towns. My very favorite was Antibes -- the Picasso museum there is fantastic! Nice itself was interesting but not so terribly wonderful -- I found it too crowded, hot and dirty for my taste (but this was in August), and the beaches are a real disappointment -- nothing but rocks and wall-to-wall people. Don't let this stop you from exploring the Cote d'Azur though -- just don't expect too much from Nice.

Dan

My wife and I spent three days in Nice, and a week just outside of St. Tropez, in May of last year. What a wonderful place! We didn't get enough, so we are returning next year for a longer stay. Loved Nice! Great place to be and the people were very friendly. We stayed at the Hotel Star (recommeded by Rick Steves) and it was ideal. Very well located. Clean, neat, but not grandiose. The price was extremely reasonable and our hosts were fantastic. Be sure to have some socca in the "old town." We traveled to Monaco, Mouchins, and all of the towns along the Riveria to St Tropez, by bus and train. We even went to Cannes during the film festival. That was the only truly crowded experience we had. Didn't rent a car during our 5 weeks in France and Italy and didn't miss much!