kerouac

There is a regional train line running along the northern Italian and French Mediterranean coast. This makes visiting a number of cities very easy, but it is hard to give any advice without knowing more specific interests.

The best place in the south of France to visit this year is Marseille, "European Capital of Culture."

Here is the report that I made: http://tinyurl.com/mrscapital

Marseille is only 3 hours from Paris by TGV and you can get tickets very cheaply by booking online ahead of time (fares start at 19 euros).

justineparis

First off ,, maybe accept some of the "parenting advice" as its good,,, how many kids have YOU sent off ? None? Ok . so then listen to those that have .. maybe there is a REASON they are suggesting things. Reality is if anything goes off schedule or gets messed up it REALLY helps if the kids are the ones who did all the research and can figure their way out of the pickle.

I agree though that is a great idea to suggest some things to them... for instance they need to check out certain websites.. Lonely Planet has a good one and its more budget orientated then many forums.
I would also suggest they make sure they google for random reviews of where ever they book.. before they book.

Lastly I will add that a girl at my work went to Europe at 18 and she said her and her friends and her loved staying in Nice as a base, the hostel was nice, there were lots of young folks around, and good options for cheap eats etc.. I went to Nice about a 1.5. yrs ago and loved staying in Nice to explore other places.. bus to Monaco cost ONE euro each way!!

Goldens

My son and friends also loved Nice. They said the hostels there were excellent. They also did some easy hiking (and won 100 euro in the casino).
If you google Nice hiking you will find some easy walks with spectacular views.