My 40th B-Day rates an incredible trip, and my wife and I are interested in seeing the French and Italian Riviera%26#39;s. I%26#39;m a bit hesitant to drive, and seeking suggestions on travel between Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo and Portofino. Romantic hotels and walking tour recommendations are also appreciated.
|||
I%26#39;m sorry you haven%26#39;t heard back from anyone more expert than myself, but I%26#39;ll give your question a try. My first time on the Riviera, we had a car, and I was a nervous wreck (no pun intended!). This last time, I did lots of research (mainly on this forum) and found that it%26#39;s very easy and inexpensive to travel between Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo, and many points in between and beyond via bus or train. Both routes take you along the coastline, so the views are spectacular. I don%26#39;t think we took a ride that cost over 2 Euros.
The website for the bus routes, schedules, etc. is:
http://www.lignedazur.com/. There%26#39;s an icon to view it in English.
The website for the train is:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com. Look all the way in the bottom left-hand corner of the home page for the British flag icon to view in English.
I know absolutely nothing about transportation once over the Italian border. Sorry!
|||
Hi Cardinaltraveller,
I am searching for these answers as well. If I find any info I will let you know. Very interested in getting from Nice or Monaco to Genoa or the Lake Region of Como. Would rather not buy a Eurail for such a short time in France. May go with the Italian train pass???? I%26#39;ll be traveling with my daughter who already has a Eurail so....trying to stay away from renting a car.
Moe
|||
Hi Moe, Cardinaltraveler -
keylimejet is quite correct that the best way to get around on the French Riviera would be to use the inexpensive train and bus options rather than a car. You will get more and better info about specifics from the experts on the Nice forum who are generous with their advice.
You cannot get to Portofino by train. The closest station is at Sta. Margherita Ligure about 6 km from Portofino and 4.5-5 hours from Nice by train. I am not sure what the options are from there but a taxi would not be horrendously expensive if there is no bus. (Warning: The road from SML to Portofino can become a parking lot in summertime in which case a taxi might indeed get to be expensive.) Probably some of the good folk in the relevant Italian forum could help.
Nice to Genoa is a straightforward 3 hour trip, Nice to Como about 6 hours and not much more difficult though there are no direct trains.
I don%26#39;t think you would be well advised to buy a railpass for any of these trips. Point-to-point tickets would be less expensive especially if you buy them direct from SNCF and/or Trenitalia as appropriate.
You can research timetables most easily for the international trips at www.bahn.de (click on English). Though a German site it actually has the best database and easiest interface for international trips in Europe.
Just FYI RaiiEurope will sell you train tickets for many of these routes and overcharge you seriously in the process. The tickets for your shorter trips round Nice you are better buying when you need them at the station. The others you may wan to pre-book, depending on your travel dates, availability of dicscounts, etc. but even buying them at the last minute in France or Italy you wil still pay less than if you used RailEurope.,
|||
last Oct, my wife and I took a car trip from Nice to Provence to Beaune and finally to Paris. Don%26#39;t be hesitant to drive. It%26#39;s relatively easy to get around, especially from Monte Carlo to Cannes. Parking was not too difficult, and it was nice to visit villages and stop wherever we wanted. Rental cars are expensive, but I think well worth it. We stayed at the Hotel Suisse (see tripadvisor reviews), overlooking the Ocean, and reasonable. Right in the middle of Monaco and Cannes. Check out %26quot;Rick Steve%26#39;s%26quot; travel guides for things to do and walking tours. Available everywhere.
|||
Driving and parking anywhere along the coast from Monaco to St. Tropez is one thing in October, something completely different in the summer months. In July and August most of the coast road turns into a parking lot and most of the towns and cities are grid-locked. Parking becomes a serious hassle in most places.
Otherwise I agree that driving in France is nothing to be concerned about and usually a pleasure. Roads are well engineered, and if you get off the Autoroutes the scenery is splendid and the towns and villages along the way often delightful.
No comments:
Post a Comment