Trying to decide where to stay for our last 3 days in France. Do we stay in St. Paul de Vence or on the beach in Nice. We will have a car and want to see some of the other towns of the Cote d'Azur. Can a car come in and out of the town? Can it be parked easily? Thanks.
Posted by
Bellevue, WA, USA
811 posts
you should be ok with parking in this area. you don't really need a car if just visit a couple of popular villages on the hills - you can take bus from nice on day trips. you can see any town on the coast with train. so if you decide to stay on the hill, or in smaller towns outside of nice then a car is helpful, but otherwise it's not very necessary. if you need to drive to other parts of the country you can rent on your way out.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
When I was in Nice six years ago I picked up a car on my last day there and found free parking on the street near my hotel. Maybe I was just lucky and maybe things have changed since then. If you want to stay someplace a bit smaller that still is on the coast, check out Antibes or Villefranche-sur-Mer.
Posted by
Lake Oswego, Oregon
1329 posts
I would decide what you want to see from Nice and if it can be done by public transportation, which is pretty good from Nice, ditch your car before you get to Nice. I had a bad experience driving in Nice (got very lost trying to get out of the city) and would avoid driving in Nice as much as possible and parking is iffy. I also had an OK experience coming back into town at the end of our trip for our last night (didn't get lost), and found parking in a garage a couple of blocks from the hotel. I agree that Villefranche sur Mer is a good choice, again, you may not need your car.
Posted by
Pantego, NC, USA
1014 posts
Nice. Cheap hotels and a bus from Nice to any town around is 1Euro each way. Cheaper than driving. Buses usually run around every 20 minutes or so. Cheap hotel: ?Etap Hotel Nice Californie Lenvalmore 60 Avenue de la Californie 06200 Nice, France Get directions ? 08 92 70 03 76
accorhotels.com?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
John and I must follow each other from ETAP to ETAP. The good thing about that one in Nice is that it's one block back from the promanade - - but the buildings in the intervening block are low. Thus, if you get a room on the south side you get a view of the Med at a bargain rate. Not that there's a picture window or a balcony or anything, but it's still a view.
Posted by
Pantego, NC, USA
1014 posts
Yes Ed, I think we both like cheap hotel rooms. I believe you have also stayed at the Etap in Paris at Rue Dr. Babinski. It is becoming an Ibis something soon. Prices will probably go up. I used to do Hotelformule1, which also have changed names I believe, but wife is tired of bath and toilet down the hall, so we pay the extra for ensuite in Etap.
Posted by
Wiesbaden, Germany
791 posts
Lonely Planet recommends using Nice as a base to explore the Riviera as it's relatively cheaper than most of the other towns. I followed their advice and was glad I did as Nice is a wonderful city with plenty to see and do in and of itself. I also took the train to Monaco from which was simple. If you have a car, I'd highly recommend an afternoon driving up the road that follows the coast, the views are spectacular.