What is the best way to get to and from LAX to a route that would go from Nice, through Provence, to Bilbao (or start in Bilbao and go to Nice)? I've looked at lots of air options, but almost all include long layovers at connecting cities far from the south of France and Spain. What would you think of flying round trip in and out of Paris and taking a TGV from there to Nice and from Irun, Spain back to Paris? Could we do the Nice to Bilbao part by train or should we rent a car? Thanks for whatever advice you can give!
Posted by
Hudson Valley
2267 posts
I don't think there are logical, easy, smooth ways to connect Nice to Bilbao. A train would go through Barcelona, making for a long journey. Cross-border car rental can be very expensive—returning a french car in Bayonne and renting a Spanish one in Irun would be a cumbersome but less extortionate option. Flights will route through Madrid or Paris. This just might be the reality of the trip you'd like to take.
Re: trains to finish or start your international itinerary- I'd look carefully at whether they really save time/money/hassle vs connecting flights. With flights, a missed connection is the airline's problem to solve, whereas mixing modes or tickets puts that burden on the traveler.
Posted by
481 posts
Time to do a little more research. Last March we flew from LAX to Toulouse with 1:50 layover at CDG, we made it easy. We flew on Air France, there were almost hourly flights to TOU from CDG, I suspect that there are also frequent flights to both Nice and Marseille.(We returned from CDG $846 RT) Bilbao is definitely an outlier, unclear what route you have in mind, through France or Spain? Be aware of breathtaking drop off fees if you drop the car in a different country. I'm sure you will have a great trip.
Brad
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
6974 posts
I don't think there are logical, easy, smooth ways to connect Nice to
Bilbao. A train would go through Barcelona, making for a long journey.
While you can certainly go through Barcelona if you want to, I have a feeling the fastest route will be via Toulouse and Hendaye. It is a long journey, but many towns and cities along the way that are worth a stop.
Posted by
Portland Oregon
4 posts
You can fly direct from Nice to Bordeaux France for about $100 per person. It's less expensive and more options from Marsailles. From there it is an easy train or car rental to Bilbao. While I typically prefer riding the rails it is a very long train journey and there is no overnight train.