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2 weeks in the south of France - a variety of questions?

Posted by (North Carolina) on

We have never been to France, so some of these questions may be silly and obvious for all of you experts - but would love any and all advice.
Four of us - including 4 year old and my mother in her 70's will be traveling at the end of September

  1. What towns to base in - we generally don't want to spend a lot of time packing and unpacking, so want to limit to two bases. Nice obviously makes sense for one, but what is a good second base? The second one might make sense to be a little more on the relaxed side.

  2. We like to spend some time just sort of walking, eating, enjoying the architecture, and just immersing into the surrounds. Poke our head in a place for a few minutes and then move on. Having a place where we can duck back into the apartment to give the little one a rest is also nice. Any suggestions on locations to stay? Likely want to get a small apartment vs a hotel room.

  3. What sites and towns would meet the above criteria for day trips? (obviously not the "being able to duck back in the apartment" part)

  4. Rent a car vs public transport? Which do you all usually recommend? How hard/expensive is it to park your own car either in the city or when you go to a nearby town? Maybe public transport for a week in Nice, but rent a car if we go to a smaller town for week #2?

  5. Food - I know France is obviously known for its food, but for a typical 4 year old american - will we have any issues? how about for the 70 something grandma who doesn't necessarily have the most varied experience? Is there generally a "safe" option at most restaurants? With this crowd we won't necessarily be going to the super high end dining.

  6. What can one expect to spend for various meals? (think middle of the road, not McDonald-esc fast food, but high end either).

  7. I found this itinerary - which got me thinking - any place on this you would specifically want to go to or specifically avoid? We are not going to be a go-go-go, we will go at a more relaxed pace. Again, with a 4 year old, spending time in a world class museum just isn't going to happen - think more of the typical Rome vacation where you can duck in and out of historic beautiful churches with no admission fee (but leave a donation) at your own pace.

thanks all - any and all advice is appreciated -

cheers

Posted by
8967 posts

Scottyd, just addressing #5, I found the easiest choice for picky eaters is the widely available croque monsieur which is pretty much like what is commonly called a Monte Cristo here in the US - a grilled ham & cheese sandwich on french (sic) toast. Also easy to find and non threatening are crêpes (sweet) and galetes (savory.

Posted by
402 posts

I found this itinerary - which got me thinking - any place on this you would specifically want to go to or specifically avoid?

Did you mean to paste something in because there's no itinerary in your post.

Posted by
2323 posts

Nice being in the extreme South East of France, almost on the Italian border, if it's a question of going to the "South" and cutting your two weeks into two separate bases, all you have to do is take a card and take a look at the remaining 90% of the South of France, from Marseille to the Basque Country, which are West of Nice and are quite different regions.

The itinerary proposed by Frommers is located within a radius of approximately 25 miles around Cannes.

It's as if I wanted to visit the South of the USA and that I was offered to stay 15 days in Miami its suburbs. :))

Posted by
110 posts

@JoLui - agree completely- that is why I was asking #1 above - which part of the varied coast might fit what we are looking for best? Someone I know had recommended Nice, but I am not set on it by any means, so could combine Nice with another city, or choose two other cities all together.

Not looking for spend crazy money, so if people feel Nice is overpriced, I a all for other options.

Posted by
28073 posts

Nice is probably going to be no more expensive (quite possibly less, I'm guessing) than other coastal towns along the Riviera, and it is extremely convenient as a base since you have not only rail line along the coast but also some buses that fan out to hill towns.

A car will be handy if you want to spend your second week in Provence. I haven't rented a car in Europe, so I can't suggest any especially car-friendly towns in Provence, but I'm sure others will.

In terms of food for non-adventurous eaters, I'd suggest also watching for roasted chicken and fries; that's a fairly common option. It is often less expensive on weekdays to have your main meal at lunchtime; many restaurants have special 2- or 3-course meals at very reasonable prices. One other thing that might be useful to know is that sit-down restaurants seem to have mor limited hours than you'll often find in the US. Lots of places don't open for dinner until 7 PM. If that's late for you (perhaps because of the 4-year-old), all the more reason to have the main meal at lunch.

It's fun to explore supermarkets and places like bakeries and cheese shops to put together the occasional picnic.

Posted by
881 posts

We spent 3 nights in Nice in 2019 and I think it would be a great base for a week. I don't think you will have any trouble with food there, but when we traveled with three generations, we found it was good to have an apartment where we could make simple meals from time to time.

Consider spending your other week in Provence. There are lots of possible bases, so if that's what interests you let us know and there will be many recommendations. We had small house in St-Remy de Provence with a designated parking spot two blocks away, but many on the forum have stayed in other nearby locations.

Posted by
6713 posts

I'm putting together my own plans for this fall, so I don't have experience in that part of France but have been researching a lot. I suggest a week based in Nice and another in a Provence hub like Avignon or Arles or Aix-en-Provence. A car would be helpful in Provence but not so much on the Riviera. You might want to look at the Gites de France website for alternatives to hotels, as well as VRBO.

Don't worry too much about food, the suggestions above are good, there's also pizza and other choices that should work for you all. I see a lot of kids' menus on restaurant websites. But you and your wife might want a few dinners on your own with more "exotic" offerings.

You might want to spend a day in the Camargue, next to the Mediterranean and close to Arles, whose wild horses, flamingos, and scenery might appeal especially to the kid. And a boat ride from Marseilles or Cassis for the coastal scenery.

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