I am wanting to go to St. Paul de Cence on my upcoming trip to Provence. We have several options. We can base ourselves in Nice and take a day trip there, or we can stay a night in either Vence or St. Paul.

Here are my questions:

1. if we are only using public transportation, how do we get there from Nice? I understand there is a bus that goes to Vence and St. Paul. Where do we get it, and where does it stop?
2. We will be there in July and have reservations in Nice, but will have to scurry to get reservations Inn avenue or St. Paul if our plans change. Any recommendations? Vence or St. Paul?
3. Is one day enough to see both places?

If it means a lot to you to see the work of the 20th c. French artists who give St Paul de Vence its special glow, then book a room at La Colombe d'Or and spend the night, and have dinner & breakfast there as well. It is a treat.

If that really isn't important to you, Vence is a fine town with its own interesting spots of art plus it is not a boutque stage set like the tiny village of St Paul. It's a real functioning French town with a market, etc, year-round residents and probably a bigger vareity of hotel options.

If you are not interested in either of the towns as an art destination, be aware that St Paul in particular can get an overwhelming number of tourists during the day in tourist season. So if you are only heading there for French atmosphere, I think you almost need to spend the night to get any feeling for the towns other than as tourist magnets.

(Since I drove there I can't help you with answers about public transportation)

I took the bus to Vence and then did a lovely few-mile downhill stroll thru bucolic forests to St-Paul-de-Vence-coming in right outside town at the Maeght Foundation. Yes both towns will be mobbed in day in summer - St Paul more so -nice to be there at night when most are gone but relocating takes so much time - I'd day trip there from Nice.

With little googling, you will find the bus #400 schedule:
https://www.departement06.fr/documen...lignes_400.pdf

and where to find the starting point in Nice:
http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/docum...80x680-web.pdf

You see two rectangular inset boxes? Look at the one in the middle. At lower left corner you see a box 94/200/400/500. That is the starting point of bus #400. Runs every 30 minutes. Albert 1/Verdun stop.

You can see both of them in less than a day. St. Paul de Vance is grotesquely touristy place. This tiny town was teaming with all kinds of cruise shore excursions and big bus tour groups. Vence is less visited; however, Vence does not have that wow hill top factor.

Thank you for your suggestions.

I'm imagining that the #400 bus will be a "bus, bus", rather than a touring bus that allows riders to stash luggage under the bus. Will there be a problem bringing one piece of luggage each onto the bus?

I'm looking at the Hotel Le Hameau. Is the hotel accessible without a car? Is it much of a walk to St. Paul?

You are correct, the bus is a regular transit bus. We stayed in Nice and caught it right by the beach, no problem. Takes about 45-60 minutes to get there. I agree there are lots of tourists, but it is a beautiful town and worth going.

I'd stay in Nice and go there for the day - especially because you already have a place, and also because there's a lot of traffic at that time of the year (and I assume driving and perhaps even parking would be a pain). I did note that there were lots of people lined up at the bus stop to come back down in the afternoon, so don't wait til the last minute to get there.

We stayed at Le Hameau on a trip and liked it. It's easily within walking distance of the town. This was at the end of our trip, and we dropped the car off at the airport in Nice the following day (this was in April).

Any recommendations? Vence or St. Paul?
3. Is one day enough to see both places?

Yes and the Maeght Foundation too.

Le Hameau is a delightful, charming small inn. If you can get a reservation there, go for it. You can walk up to St-Paul from the hotel is you're in good shape, but a car would be useful.

If you spend a night in Le Hameau, would you be returning to Nice to spend any more time there? If so, you might be able to leave luggage with your Nice hotel and just take an overnight bag. Or here are other options if you would only be passing through Nice again but not spending the night:

http://www.bestofniceblog.com/practi...orage-in-nice/

St Paul may be dreamy at night when day tripping hordes may departed but so is Nice's Veille Ville with its Latin Quarter not primarily for tourists but locals too. Lots of seaside dining nearby.

The Latin Quarter is in Paris.

You are in the wrong city! Ugh!



The bus stop for #400 is outside the Meridian Hotel/MacDonald's. Avenue Verdun Gardens Albert 1er. You can see the MacDonald's from the Promenade des Anglais.

For good socca in Nice, I recommend Bella Socca in the Vieux Ville. Place Central.

The foodie restaurant in Nice is La Merenda near the Opera House.

Do NOT miss the Villa Ephussi Rothschild in Beaulieu-sur-Mer/Cap St Jean Ferrat!!!

See you at Wayne's Bar!

Thin aka JoAnn Gucci

The Latin Quarter is in Paris.

You are in the wrong city! Ugh!>

Yup meant to say version of the Latin Quarter with all its resturants - especially busy at night.

I don't think the Vieux Ville of Nice resembles the 5th in Paris at all.

In fact, the Vieux Ville seems more Italian than French to me. If the Vieux Ville were to remind me of any city quarter, It would be the Oltrarno of Florence.

Thin

I'm not babbling about a physical resemblance but a place where throngs of folks go to eat-but I get your issue with that and rightly so.