Villefranche 7 days in November: Rental Car? How long?

Yes, public transportation in and around Nice is excellent. You can buy day passes for the city bus system. Trains are frequent and cheap in either direction along the coast. Bus service to nearby hill towns is less frequent but certainly adequate. Still, having a car wiil give you more flexibility for getting to and from those perched villages or for taking a scenic drive through the canyons in the foothills of the Alps.

As a point of reference, my wife and I and our adult daughter spent five nights in Nice in 2005. We picked up a rental car in the morning of our last full day in Nice so we could drive the Moyenne Corniche and the Grande Corniche between Nice and Monaco, parked the car on the street overnight, and drove to Provence the next day.

I suggest that you compare the one-, two-, and three-day rates with the weekly rate at www.autoeurope.com.

Thanks Tim. We did check the rates and can get a pretty good deal for either a 2 or 3 day rental. Think we might do that.

I was based in Villefranche last July for a week, on the RS recommendation for public transport and gorgeous-ness. (You will LOVE it!)Studying his hand drawn maps it was so hard to believe it is basically a suburb of Nice, but it is that close- literally a couple bus stops or one train stop. I don't know where your hotel is- from the Hotel Welcome (which is central and at sea level in the heart of the cafes, etc) it is a very steep 10-15 minute walk up (or down) to the bus or train station. They are in two different locations. The TI is next to the bus station and had beaucoup :) d'information that I couldn't find online before leaving home. Bus and train or combos were fast and easy for everything along the coast and somewhat inland. Traffic was horrific because of the high season time I was there- for you in November, you shouldn't have a problem and the rental car will make it easier to get to some places I couldn't. Entreveux, for example, was a full and tricky day for me using the Chemin de Fer out of Nice. Walking from Villefranche to the Rothschild gardens and mansion was spectacular and mostly level- I took the bus back. Weekends the public transport is spottier so be careful to check the schedules- Sunday is really hard, depending on your destination!!! I also walked from the first train stop east after Villefranche (forget the name) to Monaco- incredible! A paved path that hugs the coast as wealthy joggers puff by with their dogs. So, yes, I would suggest waiting until you get there- it sounds like most days you won't need it at all?

Wow Karen. Thanks for the info. We're staying at Hotel Villabaun which is very close to the T1 and bus stop. We love walking and barring really bad weather will gladly use foot power. Can't wait. Thanks again....