We are going to Paris during the beginning of June. We figured since we had over 8 days in Paris it may be good to spend two of those elsewhere. Nice was a thought. What would be the cheapest way to travel there. Also recommendations for places other than Nice for the 2 days are welcome - Cannes/Marseilles/Avignon/Provence/Loire Valley. Pls. help!!
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Nice.
Easyjet (European equivalent of Southwest) provides great priced direct flights between Paris and Nice. It%26#39;s both cheaper and quicker than the bullet trains. They%26#39;ve got a good website.
In the past, I used to like the night train from Paris to Nice. It saves the cost of hotel for a night. When you wake up, you%26#39;re at your destination...very efficient use of sleeping time!
Once you%26#39;re along the Cote d%26#39;Azur, everything else is in easy and very affordable striking range by train.
Nice is a good place to stay. There are reasonable accomodations and plenty of interesting night life. My favorite is finding great restaurant services for La Paella, a Spanish poorman%26#39;s seafood feast...Spanish rice, lobster, shellfish, etc. You%26#39;re along the Mediterranean now and such specialties are available. You%26#39;ll need help to eat it. It%26#39;s for two or more people only. If you want a more exotic location, you can check any number of tour books. I hear Cap d%26#39;Ail is kind of interesting...with a nice walking path to Monaco?
You can take a ferry to St Tropez or St Raphael. They%26#39;re kind of picturesque but you%26#39;d see everything within just a few hours each.
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I found the Dordogne to be most beautiful with
excellent restaurants and Lascaux II blew me
away.
Best Wishes
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Hi iloveeurope,
Say if you go to any of the areas you listed, except the Loire Valley it will take you a fair amount of time to get there and back....and in just two days....even if you were to fly.
The Loire is just loaded with wonderful old chateax, quaint villages and beautiful countryside. I think it is a good place to go for two days.
There has been information posted here, regarding the Normandy Coast which is only about two hours from Paris and is just beautiful. Lovely villages and towns along the coast and of course the D Day Beaches. Also Mount St Michel is a great 2 day trip and something very unique and interesting. Both these areas are best seen by car, could be done in two days, and can be traveled to on trains from Paris. If there are at least two of you, a car would be easier and less expensive.
The Provence area is fantastic, steeped in history and lovely, but with only two days you might have to limit your touring to a quick look at just a couple of towns.
While the Nice/Cannes area (Cote d%26#39;Azur) is something most people want to see it is generally speaking quite spread out and overbuilt. Tis beautiful in places but can be crowded and quite %26quot;Coney Islandish%26quot; (French style), in my opinion.
You can do the farther trips and have a good experience, just be aware that they are quite a trip from Paris.
I find all of France to be an outstanding. Steeped in history, wonderful, natural beauty, great food. No matter what you decide to do, I doubt if you can go wrong.
Bea
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I%26#39;ll second what Bea says here. If you choose the Loire valley, you can take the TGV to Tours, pick up a car and be at Chenonceau within two hours of leaving the center of Paris. If you decide on Nice you will still be at the airport waiting to board your plane to Nice.
And I also agreee about the Riviera. Yes there are some beautiful bits, and even still some lovely towns to stay. But the rewards of the Riviera are a bit less immediate than those of the chateaux country, in my opinion.
The Dordogne valley is another lovely area, but again the problem is that getting there and back will eat up a fair bit of your available time.
If you do eventually opt for the Loire, try and fit in a visit to Chartres on your way there or back. You could take the train to Tours, pick up a car there, and drop it off in Paris, with a visit to Chartres thrown in.
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Hi! There are loads of places in France! I guess it all depends on what you%26#39;d like to see....But because you only have 2 days,
I%26#39;d suggest the Loire Valley as it%26#39;s not very far from Paris - The TGV from Paris to Angers is only 1.5 hours.
However, if you do decide to spend more time in the countryside, I%26#39;d strongly recommend the Puy Du Fou in Vendee. Vendee is next to the Loire Valley (on the west). The put Du Fou is a medieval theme park - no, there are no rides, but they have fantastic shows, plus you have to stay on for the show at NIGHT.
Check out their website: www.puydufou.com
And a review on it: http://www.epinions.com/content_38228561540
I%26#39;ve been there 3 times and am going again this year. They%26#39;ve built a colosseum and now have chariot races - I haven%26#39;t seen this one yet, so am looking forward to this!
What makes this place so fantastic is that it%26#39;s run by VOLUNTEERS. This medieval theme park is only open from early Jun - August. Even Royalty go and watch this performance.
However, if you do check it out and decide that you want to go for it, then I%26#39;d advise you to Book NOW. I booked for my tickets in February for June 10th and they were sold out, so I have to take June 11th. That just gives you an idea of how popular it is!
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Another option would be Normandy. If you%26#39;re going there in early June, you might want to try to head for the D-Day beaches, and be there on D- Day, There%26#39;ll be loads of stuff going on - BUT be prepared to book now. I just booked my hotel over the weekend for Caen and our first choice was fuly booked (because we%26#39;ll be there on D-Day).
Mont St Michel (one of UNESCO%26#39;s World Heritage Sites) is nice to, as is Dinan(medieval town), St Malo (fortified seaside town), Giverny (Monet%26#39;s home and where he painted the Water Lilies).
Apart from that, you have Provins, a medieval town not far from Paris ( about an hour, I think, but I personally only found it so-so), Chartres - for it%26#39;s famous cathedral, Fontainbleau, etc...but those are more day trips.
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thanks for all the input. u guys are great. the loire valley is sounding really good. what are d day beaches and when is dday? where exactly is the place and how far from paris.
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where is dordogne? also i thought nice was 3 hrs from paris by tgv. am i wrong???
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Nice is about 6 hours from Paris by TGV. D-Day is the 6th June and it takes about around 3 hours from Paris to Cherbourg and tours are arranged by a number of companies.
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