We are renting a villa in Villefranche in early August and are interested in any suggested day trips. We will arrive in Nice early Sunday morning and will depart the next Saturday morning. I am renting a car and am familiar with driving in Europe. While we intend to spend most of our time in and around Villefranche and the beach, I would like to take a day trip or two to the area around Arles and Aix-en-Provence early in the week (if possible to see the lavendar fields in bloom) and would appreciate any "best of" thoughts or itineraries. Later in the week we will be driving to Cinque Terra and will spend one night there. I know its ambitious but any thoughts/itineraries would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Trenton, Ontario, Canada
204 posts
There is lots to see in this area- Monacco - the Jacques Cousteau Aquarium is beautiful. Arles is a short train ride from Nice not sure of driving time. It has a nearly intact Colosseum and lovely old area to stroll. We loved Nice/ the harbour and of course the older part of the city. Great restaurant -Safari.
Check out the driving time from Nice to Cinque Terre. I would leave your car in Levanto or Sestri Levante as driving and finding a parking space further into the Cinque Terre is difficult. You can take the train to each of the villages or certainly look into the ferry which travels the coast of the Cinque Terre - stop in one of them for lunch/dinner. It does not say if you are traveling back that day to Villefranche. If so this will be a long day.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You might want to reconsider driving to the Cinque Terre. Here is a quote from a CT Web site:
"In the Cinque Terre towns there are small pay parking lots in Monterosso and Riomaggiore. During the summer, from May to August, the car park is usually full and the roads to Monterosso and Riomaggiore are closed because there is no parking available. The other villages are always closed to cars, except for the residents. There is a taxi service in Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola. Levanto has many parking areas. You can find two good parking lots in Levanto: one near the railway station and the other near the sea. However, in August, even Levanto is crowded and you will need good luck to find a parking spot."
Although I haven't driven this route, I've read that the views aren't great because much of the time you'll be driving through tunnels. Taking the train sounds like a better choice.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Don't miss the lovely villages above the Fr Rivera. Eze, St Paul Vence they are on the corniches abv. the Riveria.
Posted by
Reston, Virginia
403 posts
Arles might be a bit far unless you plan to spend the night. As I recall, the train..and we had to change trains in Marseilles, which added to the trip time...took about 3.5 hours. on the other hand, the train avoids the traffic congestion which should be fierce in August. The lavender fields are worth the trip for sure, but (a) again may be too far without an overnight stay and (b) may not be in bloom. We were there in late June of 2004 and the lavender fields were in full bloom then. I strongly second the recommendation for the hill towns of Eze, St. Paul de Vence, and Vence. It should be a fabulous trip, but crowded--very crowded.