Scott

My Fiance and I are going to fly into Paris and then take the train straight to Nice. What is the easiest site to book a train through? Also if our plane arrives at 9:30 in the morning how much time should we allow to get our bags and make the train? Thanks

elvira

The easiest site is raileurope.com, but you pay for that ease. You can book through sncf.com for pickup at the train station. Personally, I'd look for a flight i/o a train - the train will require at least two changes, what an ordeal after a long plane ride.<BR><BR>Probably what will happen: Plane arrives 9:30, but you won't get off until 10:00. It'll take 15 mins to get your bags, then queue up for customs/immigration, which is another 15 mins. So it's now 10:30 at the earliest - and you still have to get to the train station, probably a half hour. So it's 11:00am at the earliest (and we are talking about optimum conditions here). Plan on a noon train at the earliest - if you arrive in time for an earlier train, you probably will be able to exchange your tickets for that train.<BR><BR>Fly, bubba, fly - don't consider the train unless airfares are quadruple digits.

Sue

I have gone on TGV from CDG to Lyon and assumed it went on to Nice; not so?

Scott

Thanks for the advice! Now another question? Is there a good place to look for flights between Paris and Nice and how much is a round trip ticket?<BR>Thanks

abc

i took the paris-nice train on spring 2001. it took about seven hours (1130am-6pm) and did not have to change trains at all. there is also a night train you might want to look into. if i remember correctly, these were the only two trains that did not require changing trains.

Sue

Sorry, I don't know about flights. There are two TGVs that leave the airport direct to Nice at 11:24 (arr 5:29), which should be fine for your 9:30 arrival time. Full fare is 99e one-way 2nd class. This may give you something to compare to airline fares.

Andre

Scott,<BR><BR>Try to get a cheap flight instead of taking the long train ride:<BR><BR>www.easyjet.com<BR><BR>It might actually cost less than the train...<BR><BR>For train tickets, go to <BR>www.sncf.com<BR>Select pickup in France and prepay with a credit card. You can pick up your ticket at the TGV station at CDG airport when you arrive.<BR><BR>I would allow about 2 hours (90 minutes minimum) connecting time to make the train or a connecting flight.<BR><BR>Bon voyage!<BR>Andre

beth

sometimes Air France has good rates. I've had good luck adding an Air France flight from Nice to Paris to a Delta/Air France flight to and from the United states.

Christina

I would fly, also, in fact I have. That's just way too long a time to spent in transit for my taste, tacking on a 7 hr train ride to a 7 hr flight or whatever. It isn't any cheaper, either, so why bother. The train does go on from Lyon, but it's a long way and there aren't high-speed tracks after Aix or Marseille, I believe. I almost always fly Air France to Paris as they are nonstop from where I live and usually the cheapest, so it's cheap and easy to add on one of their flights to Nice from Paris CDG, they have so many all day. Also, your bags get transferred through so you don't have to deal with them. You should be there about noon instead of just starting your trip at that time.

elvira

There are direct trains from CDG to Nice, but not ALL trains are direct; many change in Lyon or Marseille.<BR><BR>For airfare, call the airline on which you're booked to Paris and see what they might have; easyjet.com shows airfares CDG&gt;Nice in the $70-$122 bracket if booked on the web.<BR><BR>I love trains, but to try to co-ordinate an overseas flight to catch trains that possibly could involve one or two changes and several hours just seems no way to start a vacation.

scott

Thanks for all the replys! We are traveling last week of Sept to first week of Oct. At the easyjet web site we could not book flights out of Nice except if we came back in Sept,although the site says flights through Oct. I know they all could be booked but when I tried flights out of Paris for the same time period also came up with no flights in Oct.<BR><BR>Any ideas?

Andre

Scott,<BR><BR>I see what you mean - checked the timetable and the flights are only listed as operating till the end of Sept. <BR><BR>I would register for their e-mail updates and stay put. <BR><BR>They should have their Oct. timetable ready in the next few days/weeks. In the mean time, check what Air France is charging, if only as a basis for comparison.<BR><BR>Andre

Sue

Wow! Easyjet is showing one-way fares Paris-Nice end September from 12-37 euros! Sure beats SNCF! AF was about $232 RT.

AL

I would highly recommend flying as it is probably $100 more to fly at most for the whole round trip paris-nice. The train ride is around six hours which will use up almost two days,compare to 1 1/2 hour flight.<BR>Al

sally

Did you check europebyair.com. Their Flightpass covers this route and is $100.00 US. I haven't booked yet, but I've checked out a couple of flights and they are very helpful and the website easy to use. Good luck!

joy

Scott, will you have a car in Nice. If you will, I might suggest for you to take the train from Gare de Lyon to Marseille (TGV) which is 3 hours only, rent a car in Marseille and drive to Nice (1 1/2 hr via the autoroute). A one-way fare to Marseille via TGV is 32 euros/person.<BR><BR>Joy