Hi, my husband and I have a week (6 days with travel) before we meet our family in Barcelona and I love France so was wondering if it would be worth it to visit the French Riviera and/or Provence in November? I'm thinking of flying into Nice and go from there. Any thoughts on must-see places for that short of time and is it worthwhile to go there in November?
Thanks!
It should be nice in November. I went in late Sept/first of October and it was still a little too hot. The massive winds are in the Spring, so you don't have to worry about those.
As a base my favorites are Antibes in the Riviera and Arles in Provence. I drove through Provence then dropped my car in the Riviera, then flew Air France back to Paris. You can fly to Nice, pick up a car when you leave the Riviera (use the beach train until you're driving away), and drop the car in Avignon. Then you can choose between a flight or train back to (presume) Paris from there.
Thank you for that feedback! I was worried I would be disappointed that we chose to go in November because of the weather. Thank you for sharing your favorites too! There are so many places to see and I need to narrow it down!
We go to Nice every December and absolutely love it! 60s and sunny during the day, and cool enough to throw on a medium jacket (and every once in a while light gloves) at night. Almost no tourists. Go!!
My birthday is in November and I love to say at my age one day just doesn't cut it, I need to spend a month in europe. So i always travel in November! That said was in Provence for the month of March 2024 as I always travel to Europe in the spring as well. Aix, Arles and Avignon were fab u lous! The focus of the trip was markets, so almost for 20 days went out to towns surrounding those cities on their market day! Not to miss: Pont du Gard, Roussillion, Nimes, L'Isle sur la Sorgue.
Since you're flying into Nice, that would be the best choice. You can visit as many of the Riviera towns as you have time for using the local, inexpensive trains: Menton, Antibes, Villefranche (my fave) to name a few. Nice has a wonderful Chagall museum, lots of history, good restaurants and more. I was there once in mid-March and it was warm and sunny. I was there once in early December and it was also sunny, not quite as warm, but never cold.
If you want Provence, fly into Marseilles instead. A friend spent 5-6 days in and around Arles and Aix without a car and said it was wonderful, though in May.
Total travel time by train from Nice to Barcelona is at least 8-1/2 hours, and it could be much longer, depending on your connections. If I had only six days available, I wouldn't want to spend an entire day on the train. I really dislike mid-trip flights, so I'd seriously consider an area closer to Barcelona, which could be Provence. Alternatively, I might start the trip in Montpellier or even Toulouse and work my way south. That would probably mean an extra connection on your transatlantic journey, however.
I haven't checked November weather in any of the places I mentioned.
November in Provence can be cold and gray. I'd stick to the sunny Riviera.
acraven is correct about the train. Getting across the south of France from Nice to Nimes or Montpellier, for example, is four hours. Montpellier to Barcelona is another 3.5. I would just fly Nice to Barcelona, and in fact, I have in the past. It's really a puddle-jumper flight over a corner of the Mediterranean Sea.
So my thought was to spend 3 days exploring the Riviera towns and then rent a car and drive into Provence for 2-3 days and then take the train from Avignon, Marseille or Montpellier to Barcelona. Thoughts?
Two years ago when my family joined me near Marseille for a week they flew from there to Barcelona. So you might look into flying into Marseille if you wanted more that side of Provence and then flying from Marseille to Barcelona. The Marseille airport is very easy get in and out of with a rental car.
I flew from Nice to Barcelona.
tmcrose60,
The suggestions to fly to Barcelona are good ones, whether from Nice or from Marseille.
Thank you everyone!
I guess my last question is since we're flying into Nice should we just stay in that area or split it with a couple cities in Provence?
Refer to Bets' comment about November weather in Provence.
Personally, I think the time you have is sort of short to split between the two areas. They're each good for the entire time you have, and focusing on the Riviera gives you more sightseeing time and less time spent on transportation and settling in. If you want a change of scene, you can day trip to Italy from Nice. I have not done that, so I have no specific recommendation there.
aaronHendriks,
Do you mean Bordeaux France?
