kraav

We're planning a trip in early October with another couple (we're in our 40's. Work allows only one week off, so this will be a quick trip. Nothing is written in stone yet, so I'm open to any suggestions. So far, I thought 3 nights in Barcelona, taking a train to the south of France then renting a car. At first I thought Provence would be our destination, but then maybe driving along the coast to Nice would be nice. Would a combination of the two be at all possible? We enjoy food, wine, sightseeing, and at least two of us like to be on the go! Thanks for any suggestions.

kraav

Now another possibility, what about four nights in Prague and three nights in Budapest? Vienna?

dilen

Perhaps Carcassonne and the Dordogne would be nice. Castles, river, wine and lovely villages ( like Domme, Angouleme and Saint Emilion. You could pick up a car in Sarlat or maybe Toulouse.

bill_boy

We did this a few years ago. We landed and spent 5 night in Barcelona and then got into a car and drove up 4 or 5 hours to Arles in Provence for 4 nights.

From Arles, it is easier to go north to say Vaucluse areas or east to Nice. We didn't even think of attempting to go to Nice as there simply is way too many good things to do, see, feel, smell, and taste in Provence.

Yorkyman

Nice... I would really really recommend you loose the car and take a train trip to Menton from Nice. The trip along the coast of the Riviera is fabulous and the run up through Monaco to the moutains in Menton is a dream journey. Cant drive it and see it though.

kraav

Thanks. Those are all good suggestions. How long is the train ride from Menton to Nice, and would you miss not having a car on the French Riviera?

THERESA10

Had the Pleasure of staying in barcelona for 2 nights at Tryp Apollo which I thought was fantastic (other than the street noise)the breakfast in the Morning was the best on the 9 day tour. Also did the French Rivera and it was a lifetime experience. Though I was on a tour bus with 35 Teenagers The scenery was Beautiful. I still can see the miles and miles of coast and the Blue Water. Monaco was Awesome, not at all cheesey like I thought it would. Went to Nice, Nimes, Avignon. I highly recommend the area.

One of the best meals I had was at a little Bakery/Cafe outside Nice. I made myself promise to get back there soon.

kraav

Are we shortchanging Barcelona for being there only three nights, or is it enough to get a flavor of it before moving on? There is just so much to see and so little time! Weatherwise, would mid October more conducive to Provence ot the Coast?

capxxx

Hey, I just got back from Barcelona! It is really nice, but you can get by on 3 nights, I think.

-- Stroll the Ramblas, enjoy the street mimes, musicians, shops, etc. Had a very nice meal in Attic. We also had a nice dinner at (Quatro Gatto? 4 Cats, anyway).

-- The open air market just a block west of mid-Ramblas is really great to stroll around in.

-- I really liked the Parc Guel, it is worth the schlep, IMHO. There is now a bus that drops you off right at the park entrance.

-- The Gaudi architecture can be seen from the outside, with a bus or walking tour. I din't visit any of the insides.

-- The Gothic section is great to wander around in. I found the City History museum especially interesting: underground, there are blocks and blocks of Roman ruins to visit, very well presented.

-- The beach was also a nice place to visit, although cold and windy when I went. It has some nice ocean-view restuarants.

--Barcelona is a bustling, noisy, shopping, party city. Alghough the locals eat late, like at 10pm, you can get a meal, a snack, or a drink at any time of day or night. Lots of dance clubs and such.

-- I stayed in a tiny cheap pension on a little back street, bathroom down the hall (which you are probably not interested in), so I can't recommend a real hotel. A good location would be the area east of Las Ramblas, though.

nessundorma

I also think 3 nights is enough for Barcelona.

I would recommend that you check out the length of train journeys along the southern coast, because it might make more sense to rent a car as soon as possible after you cross the border or fly from Barcelona airport to Nice airport (or Perpignan, Toulouse, Marseille -- whatever is cheap) and proceed from there.

If only two of you really like to be on the go, perhaps it makes sense to base yourselves just outside of Nice and rent a car. That gives some in the the group the option of lazing about at the sea, or taking a bus into Nice to poke around, while the go-getters can get into the car and whiz around the countryside.

However, if you don't want to go that far east, you can also put together a fab few days focusing on such places as Carcassone, Narbonne and Nimes or the Canal du Midi.

Last word: Mind your valuables in Barcelona. Leave them locked up in your hotel safe.

kraav

I've checked all the cheap airlines and can't seem to find a connection between Barcelona and Nice that isn't cost prohibitive, does anyone have any other ideas? How long would the drive take from Perpignan to Nice? Thanks for the great suggestions so far. Even though I scour the previous posts, somebody always has another good suggestion.