Regarding your question on the Film Festival, that mainly impacts Cannes and Antibes, with some spillover to Nice. But watch also for the Grand Prix de Monaco in May. We'll be at our place in Nice during May.

The other train line from Nice people often seek out is the Train des Merveilles -- there is a local and a touristic version. It continues onto some spectacular hill towns along the Italian border, like Tende. That line, along with the Chemin de Fer de Provence, has a dedicated website. Note that the latter has been subject to closure at times over the last year, due to some works.

If you go to Tourettes sur Loup, you'll likely need a car. If so, continue onto Gourdon, a spectacular hill top village overlooking the Gorges du Loup. It's not far beyond and yet I find many people overlook it.

Besides the other places listed, consider Eze (for the views), Villefrance-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrar (the walk around, Villa Ephrussi) and don't forget the Matisse Chapel in Vence, if you go there. If you have a specific artist you like, various towns have dedicated museums. You might also consider the Ferry to the Lerins Islands, specifically St. Honorat.

A route you could take could be to land in Nice and use public transport for your first phase of your journey. Then pick up your car and head to the Mercantour (Tourettes, Gourdon) and then cut over to the Gorges du Verdon through the hilly route. You can then drop down to the Valensole and then into the Luberon (drop south for daytrips as necessary). From there, head into the Southern Rhone and as high as you need to go. Then drop down and head west through Nimes (Pont du Gard) to Montpelier. Drop to the coast or cut over to Arles, Cassis and Marseilles. That's a lot to see, however, even in a month.

In Nice, we did a food tour which was excellent!

I spent a day by myself wandering around Antibes and enjoyed that as well.

In Eze I did a tour at the perfume factory there which was interesting.

@ gooster: Thank you for addressing my question about the Film Festival, and for making sure I also knew about the Grand Prix. I definitely hope to avoid both, and will time my visit to Antibes accordingly.

Like others, you are mentioning some places that I already knew I hope to visit (e.g., Tourettes sur Loup and Gourdon, Cap Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi) and some places that I hadn’t yet flagged (e.g., the ferry to the Lerins Islands) – and I enjoy both the confirmation of places I’ve already identified and the delight of learning of new options.

That’s an interesting possible route – one I’ll definitely keep in mind. I pack a lot into my trips, and even so, normally find that my wish list ends up far exceeding my capacity. That’s one reason I’ve learned to consult with Fodorites while my plans are still quite amorphous.


@ mms: Thanks for your recommendations – each sounds very pleasant.

And easy to dip over into Italy on the coastal regional train - like to San Remo or even just to the border station of Ventimiglia for a real Italian flare - some days a huge and famous market takes over Ventimiglia.

Nice's Old Town area by the sea and port is a great place to eat or snatch and is famous for pan bagnat - a big fat sandwhich:

https://www.google.com/search?q=nice...w=1280&bih=625

One source says:

Pan Bagnat is a typical sandwich from Nice, the name means wet bread. , which is the bible for the French cuisine, suggests that the Pan Bagnat originate from the salad nicoise served on stale bread.

You've probably know that but if not and for others sample Nice's famous sandwhich.

https://www.google.com/search?q=nice...w=1280&bih=625

You can get a pan bagnat almost anywhere in southern France, but why anyone would want one is beyond me - a whole lot of bad bread stuffed and stifled with tuna and lettuce and sometimes more. It's absolutely nothing to write home about - a good baguette with thon and crudités is ever so much more delectable, though less iconic to use one of Pal's favorite overused words. There's a reason they call it wet bread.

Why would anyone want one - look at the pictures!

I don't need to look at the pictures, Pal. We have them here in real life. Go for it if it appeals to you.

@ PalenQ: Thanks again! That said, I prefer not to mix countries (so will NOT be going into Italy or Switzerland) and I’m sufficiently fond of a good salade niçoise to avoid trying it as a sandwich.

@ StCirq: I’m sure I’ll eat extremely well on this trip – it’s France! Once I nail down an itinerary, I trust you’ll weigh in with any recommendations you care to offer.

Lots of folks read these threads and many like to sample traditional yes iconic foods in the area they were born in - and yes I've had many good healthy pan bagnats in Nice and elsewhere.. Enough about that.

I agree! I appreciate the suggestion, appreciate the differing perspective, and hope to continue hearing people's thoughts about my proposed trip.

kja, I'm far from an expert, but I've done (guided) culinary tours in the area and might be able to offer a few suggestions, like Jean-Luc Rabanel's Atelier in Arles. He's a genius, but like all of them goes a bit too far sometimes, mostly with the presentation - the taste is always there. Well worth it. Go for lunch - cheaper.

A pan bagnat is a soggy piece of bread filled with leftover salade niçoise. Have at it.

It's forgo, Pal, not forego - two different words. A journalist and English teacher should know the difference.

@ StCirq: I'll look into Jean-Luc Rabanel's Atelier in Arles, but it may be out of my price range -- particularly because I don't generally eat lunch IRL or especially when traveling, as it means forgoing too many opportunities to see / do things that are open in the middle of the day. (And gosh, I hope my autocorrect doesn't act out of turn -- again!) Instead, I tend to eat breakfast at my hotel or B&B and then, as late as is possible, I relax over a leisurely meal. Not for everyone, but it works well for me!

@ StCirq & PalenQ: IME, Fodorites differ about many things – as they should, because we are different people! But criricizing one another is, IMO, unnecessary, and only serves to turn people off to the thread. So please, feel free to express differing opinions, but please, please, PLEASE, don’t attack one another, at least not on one of my threads. And please don't argue about who started it -- for the purpose of this thread, it DOES NOT MATTER. Readers can judge for themselves. I am begging you to please let this thread be a constructive vehicle for me (and maybe others) to learn about the area, not a showcase for long-held disagreements between Fodorites.

Again, I thank each of you for your comments and suggestions. I'm sure you both know me well enough to realize that I'll make my own decisions in the end, and that I prefer to do so with as much information as possible.

IMO, the Gorges du Verdon is not as interesting as the red brick-colored Gorges Superieures du Cains*** and the Gorges de Daluis** in the Nice Hinterland (just 1+ hrs north of Nice). There are many, many other natural sites and "cute little villages" in this Nice Hinterland region also. Details are in my Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary I sent to you today (we've been in London the past 2 weeks with limited internet access).



There are fewer belvederes in the Gorge du Verdon than you would like - and the best*** ones are on the treacherous Route des Cretes (we were there last year - 4th visit). Nearby Moustiers in nice.


I also think the Gorges du Tarn and the other gorges near the Tarn are more scenic & interesting than the Gorges du Verdon - with the dozens of "3 star caves" located in the gorges. If you are interestid in info on this region - ask for my 35 page Languedoc itinerary.


Stu Dudley

When in Cap Ferat, walk to Beaulieu and visit Villa Kerylos.

Sanremo, there was no saint Remo. BTW there are some lovely gardens between Sanremo and the border.

We also enjoyed Eygalieres, a recommendation from a local doctor in the Avignon area who took care of while ill and then helped us redo our itinerary. He had a weekend home there.

Cimiez of course for a half day or so - buses from Nice or a long climb - Roman Theatre overlooking Nice all nicely laid out below.

My trips are getting dated but many things have not changed.

We took the TGV from Paris to Nice in this TR: Trip Report: A Provence Sandwich