Hello....we are planning our first trip to France. We are going to be renting an apt. in Paris and spending a week there, however it is only available for a certain portion of our trip. Since we also want to do a couple of overnight trips to Normandy and Nice, we were thinking of flying directly into Nice from the US, spending a couple of days there and then would move on to Normandy and spend a couple of days there before heading to Paris via train. What is the best way to get to Normandy from Nice? Does this idea even make sense to the "seasoned" European travelers? Any thoughts, comments and ideas would be greatly appreciated...thanks!
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Factor in that, to get from Nice to Bayeux/Caen, you will have to come into Paris at one station, then make your way across town (via bus/taxi/rer/metro - - pick one) in order to contine from another station.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33838 posts
Are you aware that you are planning to go diagonally virtually the full length of France? Unless you went to Brittany you can't go a lot further; and as said above, you will have to make your way across Paris...
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10625 posts
Nice to Paris is a six hour train trip, not exactly an overnight trip. Next you have to cross Paris as Ed said and catch a train to Normandy. If you drive Nice to Normandy, it's two days unless you do 12+ hours in one day. It doesn't make sense to me. On the other hand, there is so much to see based in Nice that you could spend the whole time there until the Paris apartment is ready. You could still make an overnight trip to Normandy (yes, paying double lodging for one night). Or extend your trip a couple of days and go to Normandy after your Paris apartment time is finished.
Posted by
washington
837 posts
Actually, Cici, your plan is very good. You can make it in 8 3/4 hours with the above mentioned change from Gare Lyon to Gar St Lazare. You have one hour to make the transfer via Metro or other means. You would arrive in Bayeux fairly late, about 10:30. That would be one long day. If you would like to have longer to make the station transfer, you could leave Nice earlier. You could, for instance, leave Nice at 7:30, have two hours to transfer, and arrive in Bayeux at 5:30. You could leave at 9:30 and arrive at 7:30, again with 2 hours to transfer. Transfer time for the later itinerary would be close to afternoon rush, so the earlier trip might be easier; in Paris early afternoon.
Posted by
OP
St. Augustine, FL
91 posts
Thanks so much everyone.....we may just go from Nice to Paris, bite the bullet, check in to our apt. and have two rooms for one night while we do the 2-day normandy/mont st. michel tour after getting the apt in Paris...we got to thinking about it and really don't want to take all of our luggage with us to Normandy if we have to go through Paris anyway....but we will check out some tour companies and see if they would have a problem accommodating our luggage if we decided to tour prior to checking in...appreciate the responses! Cici
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You could take a cheap easyJet flight from Nice to either Orly or CDG and the train from Paris to Bayeux.