OOPS.....I didn%26#39;t mean to to post the other topic. That was a faux pas on my part BIG TIME.
My son is moving to London April 2009. My husband and I are planning on visiting him in early July and going to Paris as well. Unfortunately my spouse has to go back to work but I am a teacher in the USA thus I have the whole summer off. A female friend is going to meet me in Europe and I was thinking that she should meet me in Paris then she and I can go to the French Riviera. We are 55 years old and might have her 25 year old daughter tagging along.
How far is it from Paris to the French Riviera? How would we get there ? What is there to see ? We are def. beach people here in the USA that is why I was thinking of seeing France%26#39;s beaches. Can you recommend any good hotels?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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Paris to the Côte d%26#39;Azur (which is what the French call the Riviera) is about a 1-1/2 hour plane trip or 6 hours by train. As for what there is to see, a whole lot. I suggest that you get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to the Côte d%26#39;Azur and read up on the region, which begins around St-Tropez and ends just west of the Italian border.
For a fairly lengthy stay with 3 people you might consider an apartment in Nice and then taking train and/or bus trips to the rest of the coastal towns. Antibes and Cannes have good, sandy beaches (Nice%26#39;s has pebbles), and there%26#39;s a nice one on St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
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You could either go by TGV, and that takes around 6 - 7 hours if memory serves (the TGV doesn%26#39;t run through the very south of France, too mountainous, so once you get down there you kind of chug along).
I%26#39;ve flown to Nice from Paris for 40-50 euros, no kidding. Check out Air France%26#39;s site.
The beaches of the riviera are not like the beaches you might be used to. Nice%26#39;s beach is rocks...hurts the feet. No big waves, etc. Cannes has sand, as does St. Tropez.
If I were there in the summer and wanted to see beaches, I would go to Brittany and see some fabulous fisherman villages, huge waves, great seafood. Check out the area around Brest, the village of Locronan for example, if you are interested in that....
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Air France%26#39;s flights from Paris to Nice really are quite reasonable and fly out of Orly, which is less cumbersome that CDG. Traveling by train lets you see more of the countryside along the way, but flying, even with the security screening issues, has been my choice.
TA now has a very good flight search that compares rates on the various booking and airline sites. Click Flight, New! at the top of this page.
Trains run along the coastline, so visiting various seaside locations is easy. Just select a base, and hop on a train to see more. The French rail system is very efficient, but stations may not be where you most want to visit. I would hire a taxi to take you to the shoreline in most locations, unless you can see an obvious direction for walking.
You describe yourself as a %26quot;beach person,%26quot; and so am I. If I am by the ocean, anywhere, I%26#39;m happy, but beaches vary. What are the beaches you enjoy in the US? Along the Cote d%26#39;Azur you will be in a wonderful cultural environment that is why we travel. Perhaps, by narrowing down what you enjoy most about a beach, posters here can direct you toward the one you might choose as a base along the Riviera.
Besides the beaches, there are lovely %26quot;perched (mountain) villages%26quot; within easy travel of shoreline. Visit the St. Paul de Vence and Eze forums for more information. Both are accessible by public transportation, and if you want more info, let us (the posters!) know.
Let us know how we can help!
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Could you please tell me more about Brittany and the other places you mentioned? I don%26#39;t have to go to NICE or CANNES, it was just a thought.
When I first arrive, I will be in London then take the train to Paris. We haven%26#39;t worked out all the details, still in the planning stages. I was thinking that once my spouse leaves Paris, I could stay there and my friend could meet me there. That is why I was wondering how far is it from Paris to the south of France and how would we get there.
If you have any other suggestions of what to see and do in Paris and the surrounding area, I am open for it. My hubby and I will only be able to have 2 days in Paris. I am sure there is more to see and do just there.
These are all ideas I am kicking around in my head.
I am open to all suggestions.
Thanks.
Mary Ann
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Well Brittany is just very different from the Cote D%26#39;Azur. It%26#39;s less flashy first of all, less %26quot;city%26quot; and much more %26quot;country%26quot;. The beaches are just vast and not built up, with beautiful waves, water, etc. The old Breton villages are lovely...cobblestones, stone buildings, you feel like you are in a fairy tale. The seafood is to die for (oysters in particular, if you are a fan) and the people are easy going. It%26#39;s an easy drive from Paris, or you can take the train and then rent a car. Driving in Brittany is very easy...no fears.
One place many French go to for holidays is Biarritz, which is a beautiful coastal town down on the Atlantic coast in the southern part of France. Wonderful beaches there too.
So it all depends on your tastes. I love Provence but I%26#39;m not so much a fan of the Cote d%26#39;Azur. I find it built up and a bit busy for my tastes. But the countryside in Provence (again, best to rent a car) is gorgeous.
There is SO much coast in France, it%26#39;s hard to choose!
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First of all thank you to all of you for responding.
As I mentioned in the above reply, this is all still in the planning stages.
My friend and I are %26quot;Jersey Girls%26quot; and we like Jersey Beaches although they are not the prettiest in the world. She and I have never traveled together before but we both have traveled to many places with beaches and without. I am NOT saying that I must see a beach when I travel. I have been to Maine and Cape Cod, very different from Jersey and I have been to Bermuda and many other Caribbean Islands.
Dawna and I are very flexible and outdoorsy but we appreciate the arts, culture and foods. Living in central NJ so close to NYC, it is very diverse here, like living in the United Nations so we have no problems with different languages, customs, cultures, etc. We are “ mature hippies” who are very laid back but we appreciate nice things as well. We do want places to stay that are clean and friendly.
We don’t have to do the south of France, I was just kicking around for ideas.
We could stay in Paris all that time. I am sure there is enough to see and do there.
What do you suggest? I have to be back home in the USA by July 15th.
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BTW I answered your question on the Nice Forum. The beaches in Biarritz are IMO the beaches that are closest to Jersey beaches like Cape May. Still a 6hr train ride from Paris though...
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At this point you might get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to France and do some research to see what part of the country interests you and what kind of sightseing you want to do. The Guide includes suggested itineraries, which are very helpful for making the best use of your time.
As for Brittany, Dinard is a very nice beach town.
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