Two weeks: Paris, Alps, Cote d’Azur and Provence

Mountain mama,

5 nights in Paris is good. Logical order is Paris > Chamonix > Provence > Riviera. There are some long travel days in this itinerary, which will cut in to your time. Under this itinerary, you do not need a car until after the Alps.

I should want 4 nights in Chamonix, after coming so far. Figure you will run into bad weather one of the days.

Provence is just wonderful. If it were me, I'd spend the balance of the time there. But I am not casting shade on Antibes, so you must decide how much time that needs

Fly home from Nice, or the whole thing falls apart.

Now for unsolicited advice.

I think you will have a much better trip, overall, if you drop one of these destinations. Paris > Arles > Antibes would be logistically very sweet, you'd take the fast train to Arles, get car, and be all set. My default breakdown (in nights) for that itinerary would be 6 > 6 > 3, but obviously there's plenty of room for alternatives.

Logistically, do you think it would make sense to do Paris > Arles > Antibes > Chamonix and then return to the US out of Geneva?

Your unsolicited advice is well-taken. I’m not opposed to dropping one (non-Paris) location but not sure which! I have been to Paris before and therefore have nothing like a must-see-all-the-sights checklist— more of a desire to just enjoy life there and visit a couple particular places, so five nights is perfectly okay with me there. The other locations are all new to me.

If you do all four, I think ending in Chamonix saves you some time on the road. It's a long drive to there from Provence, though. The fastest route goes through Italy.

I've never done it but there is a bus to the Geneva airport from Chamonix, so you could drop your car off when you arrive in Ch.

I still think you are squeezing in a lot, but it is certainly feasible. Maybe steal a day from Paris since you have been and don't seem that excited about it.

There is tons to see in Provence.

As suggested, you might consider dropping one destination. What time of year are you going? That might change my recommendation.

Chamonix and the Alps can have quite variable weather. The town itself is pretty touristic and the entire area is best enjoyed by taking a car on those bad weather days back to the lake (Yvoire) or into Switzerland. The main lift is great as are the lifts opposite, but if you really want an alpine adventure you need to go someplace like the Jungfrau (on a separate trip). (I used to live in Lausanne). The drive down to Arles is super easy. You might also consider Avignon or heading into a smaller village in the Vaucluse/Luberon, depending on the time of year.

Once in the Cote d'Azur, a car is not necessary except to go further into the hills or more efficiently to many places. Once again, time of year and interests can influence a recommendation.

My two cents would be to drop one location either the Alps OR Rivera. I could spend 10 nights in Provence alone. We spent 5 nights there in May and it was not long enough. 3-4 nights in Antibes would be plenty. We spent 4 and saw pretty much everything we wanted with extra time. We did not include Paris in May but flew into CDG - due to train strike flew to Marseilles picked up our rental car - drove to Jonquieres for our Provence stay 5 nights - drove to Antibes and flew back to CDG from Nice for our flight home

We would be going in mid-June. It will be me, my husband, and our two children (both good and experienced travelers within the US — in big cities and in National Parks, as well as road trips) who will be ages 6/7 and 9/10. I have moderate experience traveling in Europe, having been to several countries there, and feel confident doing so.

In Paris, interests would be Musee d’Orsay, (perhaps also l’Orangerie), Notre Dame, Jardin du Luxembourg, and lots of walking around soaking in the city, relaxing in cafes, etc. Perhaps a ride on the Seine as well. I think a day for Versailles might be in order. I’ve been to Paris, and I love it, but none of my family has. They have no “must see” spots; I just want them to enjoy the city with me.

In Chamonix, an opportunity to experience the Alps is what I’m after. Moderate hiking (the kids are as good of hikers as one could expect kids to be, I think; we do a fair bit of it) and enjoying the views, the architecture, and local cuisine.

In Provence, I would like to spend some time in the Luberon, visit a vineyard, see the fields of lavender, ride bikes, enjoy village life, perhaps see some great ruins and/or a medieval church. None of the cities are particularly important, and I wouldn’t be unhappy to skip them altogether for a great time in the countryside.

In the Riviera, I’d like to spend some time in the sea, go to an art museum, and generally enjoy exploring the old towns and being by the sea. Not at all looking for a glamour experience here.

If there’s a great castle or chateau along the way, that might be a hit with the kids.

Everywhere we go, my goal is to have an authentic experience of the culture — food, music, art, events, the markets, daily life, meeting people, without tourist traps,
tons of museums, or endless lines. We skip the “family friendly” things marketed to kids or things that we could easily see in the US (zoos, aquariums, theme parks), as well as big bus tours. Walking around the city, especially if frequent snack stops are included, keeps everyone happy. (On day trips to New York we often spend most of the day in Central Park after hitting a museum for a bit, and enjoy a good meal in a small, unassuming restaurant.) I’m happy to drive where it’s more efficient to do so, but also enjoy taking the train in Europe and would like to give the kids that experience as well.

I hope that all gives a better sense of us and what kind of trip we are after. Thanks to all for taking time to give me feedback.

Having typed all of that, I think I’ve given myself a better sense of the best configuration, if I remain unconvinced to drop a location.

I’m thinking now of Paris > Chamonix > Provence > Riviera as 5 > 3 > 5 > 2, leaving for home out of Nice. Nice isn’t my top choice for a base in the Riviera, in favor of something quierter, but I’m fully open to be unconvinced of that. I’m thinking of the countryside near Avignon as a better home base than Arles, and very interested to hear of some great small towns to stay in from where cycling, markets, castles, vineyards, lavender, and the like can be enjoyed. No “city break” features necessary here!

Would also be happy to leave Paris to the end if it would work better logistically, and without significantly greater expense.

Based on your last response, I'd consider the TGV from Paris to Geneva, and ideally pick up a car from the French side (generally at the Airport) to avoid any one way out of country drop off fees. A car will really help maximize your experience at Chamonix. Weather can still be a bit dicey at times in early June, but gets much better later in the month. It will also enable side trips out of Chamonix, especially if weather is not good or you want to see more: Yvoire on the lake, La Saleve or a drive to the Chateau du Chillon (and up and over the pass).

You then drive south, possibly around Geneve and through Annecy, through a less traveled route. You could base in Isle sur la Sorgue or Vaison la Romaine, and then make day trips into the Luberon (Gordes, Rousillon) or places like Orange, Avignon, Nimes and the Pont du Gard for architecture and ruins. Mid June is still a bit early for full lavender, depending on the spring weather but the lowlands are your best bet.

End up on the Cote d'Azur and ditch the car at the airport (or you can keep it, for a trip to Eze or St. Paul). For better beaches, stay in Antibes or Juan les Pins, or into Nice for a taste of city life after the stint in the country.

I think the TGV Lyria to Geneva looks like a great option! I wasn’t thinking of getting a car there necessarily, but would happily do so if it’s the better option. Getting to the airport looks fairly easy from the train station.

Your recommendations for small towns in Provence look great as well. How would you compare Nice versus some of the smaller towns in the Riviera?

Just to note, I believe the TGV does not stop at the Airport. You do have to transfer to a local airport train to continue on to the airport. You may want to inquire to see if they still charge a large drop off fee for pickups in Switzerland, as it would be convenient to pick up a car at the station. You could also take a short hop flight, which tend to be inexpensive. I only had recommended a car for this part of the journey because the actual town of Chamonix can be a bit limiting, especially if the weather does not cooperate.

Regarding the towns on the Cote d'Azur, Antibes has some really nice beaches (not the ones near the center), a nice old town and market, the Picasso museum. It's a bit more laid back, and a bit spread out. Cannes is probably the more glitzy of the destinations, but is very compact in the center. Things also tend to a bit more expensive and high-end. Juan-les-Pins has large apartment blocks and clubs and restaurants, but the beach makes up for what it lacks in architectural interest. Nice is larger but the central area is quite compact and the transport network excellent. There are museums, the old town, the Promenade, large public squares and better transportation links. Villefranche-sur-Mer has a village feel, with definite Italianate influences (which you see in nearby Nice as well). The RS guide covers these as well, of course. It all depends on your interest as it sounds like this will be a decompression stop for you.

I did see that we would need another short train ride to the airport from the TGV, but thank you for pointing that out. It does sound like a car is the way to go on arrival in the region, so we will have to weigh the cost of the train with saving a couple hours en route.

Both Antibes and Nice sound very appealing; more food for thought!

Just an anecdote - We had trains booked for most of trip in May but due to the train strikes we ended up flying and renting cars.

I think I had 19 days for the trip. Started in Paris, trained to Lyon for 2 nights, rented a car and stopped in Annecy before two nights in Chamonix. Drove to Pont d'arc in the Ardeche (one night) then Arles for four nights. Afterward four nights in Juan les Pins (recommend Antibes) before flight Nice to Paris to end trip.