My parents and I would like to take the train from Paris down to the South of France at the end of September. Once there, we are thinking of driving and making our way into Italy, finally ending in Siena. We have a little over one week. ? How difficult is finding lodging with parking? We are thinking of heading from the west..perhaps starting in Avignon to Aix en Provence to Nice...but what other smaller towns are a must see? Thank you!!
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
It is not difficult at all to find hotels with parking... and if you take a few diversions along the coast it is beautiful, you don't want to drive the highway the whole time. When you ask about 'other smaller towns' neither Avignon nor Aix is small... they are relatively big cities and very busy. Now, if you want some smaller more quaint places along the way there are plenty of them. How many stops do you intend to make and perhaps we can give you a few ideas. One of my favorite beach towns is St. Maxime and I have stayed there a few times with a car. If you intend to make a plan with reservations, just check for hotels with parking. If you intend to wing it, could take a little time, but certainly not impossible.
If you rent the car in France, there will be a drop off fee for leaving the car in Italy. You might want to leave the car in Nice, and take the train to Siena, or calculate the drop fee vs. the train for 3 people.
Posted by
Tucson
4157 posts
First equation: renting in France + returning in Italy = €€€€€.
For the lowdown on renting a car in Europe, go to Gemut.com and read What you should know about renting a car in Europe. For questions, contact Andy by phone or email.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7386 posts
We'll be driving to Nice in late July, by a round-about route, and will be visiting a place described in Rick Steves' Provence guidebook but not his main France book: the Gorges du Verdon (a/k/a Grand Canyon of Verdon). With many trips to France, we've never been to this canyon, but Rick says even people from Arizona will be impressed!
You can drive the twisty road on the north and/or south side of the canyon, and even rent a canoe or paddleboat to see it from the river at the bottom. A renowned beautiful village at the west end is Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (we're looking at spending 2 nights here), and the main town at the east end is Castellane. From the Gorges, you can drive down to Cannes and approach Nice along the ocean, or stay inland and get to Nice from the north. Bon voyage!
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the input! I am now considering picking up the car in Avignon and dropping it off in Nice, stopping in towns along the way. Any thoughts on taking the train from Nice to Cinque Terra? I assume we would probably have to transfer in Genoa.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7386 posts
It was a long time ago (before there was a TGV fast train), but we took the train from Avignon to the Cinque Terra, passing thru Nice along the way. It was scenic, passing along the Mediterranean.
I almost think we changed trains in Ventimiglia, but that was so long ago, and there may be different options now, depending on which train(s) you take. Car for France and train for Italy is certainly worth considering.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have driven a few times to the Gorges du Verdon and it was beautiful. The road is a little twisty but really not too bad. The views are stunning and the town of Moustiers is lovely. However, it is very touristy and I am not sure I would want to spend 2 nights there, unless I just wanted to relax.
I think the idea to drop the car in Nice is the best bet...