In May, my mother and I will be going on an escorted to France for 10 days. We will be spending 2 days in Nice. The first day in Nice is a free day, so we can spend time exploring the city. On the second day, the morning will be spent touring Cap Ferrat and in the afternoon an optional excursion is being offered to St. Paul de Vence. We're torn between spending the afternoon in Nice and going on the excursion. Do you think it's worth the trip? I've read that St. Paul de Vence is considered somewhat of a tourist trap and should be avoided. This is mine and my mother's first trip to France so we're just looking for the best use of our free time while on the tour. I've been lurking in the forum the past couple of weeks and everyone here seems so knowledgeable about France, I figured I would be able to get some good advice. Thanks!

Hmm-that is kind of a tough call. It definitely is pretty touristy but that said, the drive up is beautiful and the village itself is very quaint and because it caters to tourists there lots of typical provencal things to buy in a "dense" area-so if you are wanting to shop, it would make it pretty easy to do so. And of course with the history of artists in the region, lots of nice galleries.

If it makes a difference, parts of the village can be steep-so if walking is a concern you might want to consider that.

If you have a choice, it would be nice to be able to choose once you get there whether you want to go-will they let yo do that? Also if the tour includes the Fondation Maeght and the Matisse Chapel, then I would definitely want to go-they are two of my favorite places to visit in the area.

I'm a big fan (as is my wife) of the Maeght..or as we call it, "The Graeght Maeght"..that alone is worth the visit to St. P...unlike most galleries and museums, a great deal is made of the surroundings which gives the Maeght an outdoor feeling of openess...The Matisse Chapel is in nearby Vence (the two towns are decidedly separate) and is a most tranquil and beautiful place with great views of Cote d'azur.

Both of these are good reason to include this option. Be sure that the Maeght is part of it. Perhaps Matisse Chapel is also.
IF you'll have free time for lunch, a "splurge" possibility is the venerable Colombe d'Or in town.
enjoy..

stu t.

Stu is right-the Colombe d'Or is terrific. Since it sounds like you are taking a tour, lunch might not be an option-but we have gone in after lunch hours to have a drink and just enjoy the view and rest our feet-they were really nice about letting us do that.

He is also right that Matisse Chapel is in Vence (not SP de Vence) and actually the Fondation is kind of "across the way" from SP de Vence but I figured since you said it was a tour they might include all three.

The tour company gives you the option of pre-booking the excursion or signing up the day of the excursion. Fondation Maeght is included in the tour, but I'm not sure about the chapel. Thanks for the info, it was very helpful.

I am not too fond of St Paul de Vence - a lot of people love it though.
I much prefer Vence its near neighbour.

Both are easy to reach by public transport- one euro per leg of journey on bus number 400 from the main bus station in Nice.
http://www.cg06.fr/transport/lignes-tam/400.pdf

I personally think Eze is prettier than St Paul but its harder going up the hill and not ideal for folk with mobility issues or even push chairs as the streets are so steep.

I just looked at the schedule and we'll be on our own for lunch that day, so we'll definitely check it out. The one nice thing about this tour company is that you don't have to do the activity that is scheduled for the group. You have the option of going off on your own.

The focus in St. Paul de Vence is art. There are many galleries there featuring work by well known artists. If you like art you will love this village as I do. Marc Chagall lived here the last 15 years of his life and is buried in the village cemetery. If you want to see his grave enter the cemetery gate, turn right and then take the first left. His grave is on the left. As for being touristy; it is not nearly so much as is Eze Village. But then what's wrong with touristy?

Larry J

Yes, St. Paul is touristy, but in the better way. Expect a picturesque old town with lots of restaurants, galleries and souvenir shops, but not cheap, rather elegant.

In any case, visit Fondation Maeght. The sculpture garden - large portions have been decorated by Joan Miró - is fantastic and inside they have world-class exhibitions. Even if you are not so much in modern art, the garden and the building are amazing.