I was looking for day trips on Trip Advisor this winter where we saw a baroque alps/salt road train trip that stopped in small towns and you could go river rafting/hiking or biking as a short excursion. That trip is gone and now just the train ride with stops. We don't really want to do a tour because we want to spend as much time as we want in some cool small towns. Is it possible to get on a train through the alps from Nice as a day trip? Maybe a town to get off in that would have a hike (1-2 hour that would end at lake or river) or river rafting trip? and then get lunch and make it back to our air bnb for bed. It is my husband and I (age 50) plus a 17 and 20 year old girl. or up for any other day trips that are out of the normal? thank you!
Posted by
Paris
7301 posts
From Nice, there are two train options towards the Alps:
- the "Chemin de fer de Provence" towards Digne, but I think the line is cut beyond Annot.
- the line towards Cuneo, which you could take up to La Brigue.
Both lines are very slow, so you'd have to check train times to see what works for a day trip.
Posted by
Washington DC
28081 posts
Once you're in Nice, it will probably be worth your while to stop in at the tourist office on the plaza in front of the Nice Ville train station. Not that they are necessarily experts on hiking, but they were able to give me information on a lot of side trips from Nice. I bet they enjoy fielding stations that are different from the ones they hear dozens of times a day, like "How do I get to Monaco?"
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
713 posts
There are a number of rafting companies that operate in the hills or as excursions from Nice. The location does vary, however, by month as certain rivers are run in certain months (or on certain days).
The Train des Merveilles does give a lot of options. Most of the excursions into the Mercantour National Park will take a bit longer than your target.