My husband and I have been invited to a wedding in Nice. We live in Toronto and have never been to France before. We are planning to arrive in Nice on June 21. The wedding is on June 22. We want to drive from Nice to Paris starting on June 23, staying for 5 nights along the way, and aim to reach Paris on June 28. We plan to stay in Paris for 3 nights and then return to Toronto on July 2. We’re keen to incorporate some of Switzerland’s iconic sights into our route. We are open to suggestions regarding how to plan those 5 nights and which route we should take.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2322 posts
When you say iconic Swiss sights, I think of the Berner Oberland area (I like Wengen), which is about a 7 hour drive from Nice. I would stop for lunch in Stresa. (Even better if you could add a couple nights there!) You could easily spend 5 nights in the BO area. Then you would have about 7 hours of driving to get to Paris. Drop the rental car off outside the city (maybe Orly airport). You definitely don’t want a car in Paris.
Option B would be to spend 3 nights in the BO area, then drive 2.5 hours to Colmar for 2 nights. Then continue to Paris.
Posted by
Paris
6901 posts
Not Switzerland, but 5 nights would be the perfect amount of time to drive the Route des Grandes Alpes from Nice to Chamonix, and return the car on the French side of Geneva Airport for a quick flight to Paris. Impressive Alpine scenery all along!
Posted by
Paris
9584 posts
Be sure to check how much Paris hotels cost for your nights there. People are reporting high prices even before the Olympics start. You might end up deciding to spend more of your time on the Swiss sights and fewer nights in Paris. (Or maybe it will be fine! The point is to be sure to check whether you can find lodging you like at a price you agree with.)
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for your response. I am considering staying in the Berner Oberland for either 3 or 5 nights. I am trying to plan how to divide my time among Interlaken, Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen, Thun, Rossiniere, Wengen, and Grindelwald. If there isn't enough time to visit all these places, which ones are must-sees?