I am going to Paris, France in about 2 weeks for school and was thinking about going to Nice, Italy/ Monte Carlo for the weekend off. Does anyone have any input on the these places? Tourist information, hostels/hotels, best ways to get there, etc. would be much appreciated!

-aelepp02

Well, which of the 3 are you planning on going to - Nice, Monte Carlo - or Italy-and which part of Italy? Even by air, none are really weekend trips from Paris if you want to see much of anything.

I'm curious about your use of commas, as it seems you think that Nice is in Italy, which it isn't. Also, if you're going to school in France you should have been researching a million and one things to do while you're there, not waiting until 2 weeks before you leave. BUT, since you ask, you take the TGV from Paris to Nice. It takes about 5 hours. Google for info on hostels - I doubt there are any or many in Monaco. Unfortunately, you've waited way too long to get the deeply discounted PREM fares on the SNCF from Paris to Nice - it will likely cost you a fair number of euros.

Google is your friend. Assuming you're of student age, there should be a wealth of information for you there.

Hi; You could fly non-stop to Venice, Rome or Florence for under $300 R/T. About two hours. Richard www.kayak.com

EasyJet flies between Paris and Nice. It's about an hour and a half flight. The center of Nice is only about 15 minutes away by taxi; a little more by bus from the airport. Monaco is an easy 20-30 minute train ride from Nice. However, Monaco is insanely expensive, and not that interesting compared to other towns/cities along the Riveria, so not sure why you'd want to eat up a short visit with a trip there.

Some websites to check out for hostels: StudentUniverse. com and Hostelworld.com. There are plenty of others, too, which will give you all the info about pricing and availability for your dates.

My daughter took a semester abroad in Paris last year, and did go to Nice for the weekend, but admitted that it was pretty hectic. And if you want a reasonable place to stay, especially in the summer months, it's best to book ASAP.

Good luck!