Where to go after Nice
 

I need help from those a little more well-travelled in Western Europe. My GF and are spending a week in Nice at the end of June. The rental on our flat ends on Wednesday morning, but we won't fly back to the US until Saturday. Any advice on where to travel or what to do from Wednesday to Saturday? Ideas that I have tossed around are to stay in Provence, go into Northern Italy (Milan, Turin, or Genoa), head to Spain, or go to Paris (we even considered taking the train to Brussels). Any suggestions from those with more knowledge of the area than us?

Other pertinent that might influence recommendations: 1) I will be post-Ironman and probably not up for rigorous activity. 2) We will use public transport (mostly train); 3) I will probably have a large bike box with me, making hopping on/off trains/buses multiple times per day difficult. 4) We're open to spending 3 days in one large city/town or 1 day in several small towns as long as we end up in a city with an airport on Saturday. Airfare from Europe back to the Sates seems to be about the same no matter where you start or finish.

Suggestions?

Really interesting description of yourselves!!!

In those circumstances I would pick Torino (Turin) unless being an Ironman precludes enjoying a lot of wine, cocktails, coffee, pasta and such. It's just a delightful (flat) city filled with all kinds of unusual and hip museums -- movie, cars, Egypt, art, chocolate, science -- and a lot of chocolate and vermouth and pasta and risotto.

However, I do think you will need to switch trains in Ventimiglia. And whether or not the local airport gets you anywhere you need to be, I don't know. You can take a bus or train from Torino to Milan airport.

Genoa is too hilly I think and Milan will be too hot. Nice airport is so easy to access that you might consider hopping a flight to some other place that interests you. Barcelona? It is easy to get to and from the airport in Barcelona.

If you like cooler weather and great food treats and beer, then Belgium is just so enjoyable. But I would do the extra time on the train and stay in Antwerp for better ambience. If the train ride is not intolerable or too many switches, then Belgium might be a kick.

I assume you check out of the Nice flat around 10am, and you need to be at the Nice airport on Saturday morning (June is soon - you probably already have your air reservations). So you really only have 2 3/4 days to do things - and need to be back in/near Nice Friday night. And no car.

I wouldn't leave the Cote d'Azur - go to St Tropez, if you can get a hotel room this late. It is quite different from Nice. If your legs are OK - you can get to some of the smaller villages by bike or rented scooter (Gassin, Ramatouelle, Grimaud, perhaps even Bormes la Mimossa. There are no trains to St Triopez - you might have to take a short boat ride from Cannes. There may be a boat from Nice.

If you want to go to a larger city, I would take the TGV train to Aix or Avignon.

If you could possible rent a car, I would go to Provence - maybe stay in Bedoin and attempt Mt Ventoux if you have any legs left. The lavender fields around Sault are close by & if you'll be there very late in June they may be in bloom. Lots of stuff to explore in Provence - by car.

I would not go to Paris - the soonest you'll get there by train is 5:15 - so you've pretty much lost Wednesday to do/see much. A flight might be problematic with toting your bike on a smallish plane - unless you can find someplace to leave it in Nice. Then you have to get back to Nice for the flight home.

Stu Dudley

Stu

If you read the original post you will see they don't need to fly out of Nice.

What about a train to Barcelona, or Montpellier? Or in the opposite direction, Menton for the beach.

they just need to be in a city with an airport.

Given the bike issue, I'd probably go somewhere by train where you an put the bike on-board. You can't do that on all French trains, but the schedules or website tell you which one. What you do with this bike in a hotel I have no idea. But if the bike comes apart and it's just a big box you can store in your room, I'd go one place with an airport to which you can get by train from Nice. Montpellier isn't a bad idea, you can get there direct from Nice on some IC trains that take bikes. Ther is one around 12:20 pm. It takes 4:30 hours.