Best tip on getting to Nice from Rome, Paris or Amsterdam

Paris is 5 hours by TGV from Nice. Fly from the other two.

Compare airline prices at www.skyscanner.com which is good on budget one-way fares. If you truly believe in slow travel and have a week, it could be Paris or Rome alone.

Are you planning to go straight to Nice? Is your return flight 'standby' as well?

We're already guessing that you only have a week, but that may just be your departure window.

Of course, the cheapest fares are usually had by booking early.

Last minute train discounts usually don't happen because the seating capacity can be adjusted by loading fewer cars on the route.

But still, put me down as a vote for train over plane is most instances, no matter the cost.

Short flights are never a quick as they seem. This is very true if you're already in the heart of a city, where transportation to and from airports plus lengthy wait times for boarding, must be considered. Especially in Europe, where the train station is so often right in the tourist center, I say train will be just as fast. Not to mention much more to one's taste when it comes to on-board refreshment and entertainment.

But if you're already in the airport, have gone through screening, and there's a connecting flight within a few hours. There's one instance when even I would make an exception and fly.

In the past when I've gone to Nice, I've most often flown EasyJet. If you get the tickets early enough. There's a bus in from the airport to the city that's very cheap and just fine.