I will be in Nice for two weeks for a language school (after 1 week in Paris), and would like to take a train somewhere for the weekend (we finish early on Fridays). Where should I go, if I would like to go somewhere up to roughly 4-5 hours by train?
Ideally I would like to go toward the mountains and have a small town, laid back weekend, but it looks like Annecy and Briancon are more like 6-8 hours?? That seems like an awfully long way to go for a weekend. HOWEVER, if you think it is worth the travel time for a 2 night stay, I might be interested.
I am also open to ideas other than the mountains... looking for a friendly, laid back vibe with opportunities for hiking... maybe a contrast to French Riviera, since I will be in Nice for 2 weeks.