My wife and I are traveling to France and Italy in early April, 2012, staying 14 days. We are over 60, reasonably mobile, and have traveled in Europe before, but only once in the past 30 years. I speak some French, but not on the phone. My problem is figuring out the right rail-rental car combination for this itinerary: 1.We will arrive in Paris and stay 3 nights, then plan to 2. take the TGV to Avignon, rent a car and stay 3 nights in different Provencal cities, last one being Aix-en-Provence 3. Then we plan to travel from Aix to Florence, stay there 3 or 4 nights, then take a train to 4. Rome, from which we will depart for home after 3 or 4 nights. Our problem is getting info on trains for the Aix to Florence leg. When I try to type this into various sites, they either spin indefinitely or tell me it cannot be done,( or bounce back my e-mail). Of course, they say Aix to Nice is no problem, ditto Nice to Florence. I know we could buy separate tickets in Aix and then Nice, but am concerned about missing a connection and ending up in an empty station all night while our reserved room in Florence sits empty . So, we are thinking about just keeping the rental and driving it to the Nice SCNF station instead, or maybe just driving the car all the way to Florence. More gas, but just one more rental day should not be bad. I know about the rail passes that give you 3 days travel, but am not clear if how and if this would be right for us.
Also, about the interface between TGV and regular trains with these. 1. Can we make a rail pass work from Paris to Avignon, then Aix-en-Provence to Florence, and finally, Florence to Rome? or is some other way better, including driving the Aix to Nice stretch (or maybe even Aix to Florence)?. 2. How does the TGV fit in with these plans? Hope this is clear enough. Many thanks, Phil
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32824 posts
I just popped your route into the DB website which is an excellent resource and up came 3 choices, 10:40 to 14 hours, the best arrangement starting at 5:50 am.
Posted by
OP
Saranac Lake, New York, USA
3 posts
I followed your link and found that information. The 5:50 departure looks very good, and takes this a big load off my mind. Many thanks
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Forgive me for answering a question you did not ask. But 3 different places to stay over 3 nights in the same region is too much. It's like changing to a new hotel every night in the same town. Settle for 1 or at most 2. You and yours will be glad you did. Same train info applies.
Posted by
OP
Saranac Lake, New York, USA
3 posts
Adam- Regarding your suggestion about 3 hotels in 3 nights, in general I would agree with you, and you may be right this time. However FWIW, my rationale: 1st night, we will be staying in Orange, northeast of Avignon, near the village of Vaison, which we also want to visit. We will then drive in a counterclockwise direction to , passing the Pont du Gard, which my wife wants to visit, Nimes, which I don't remember visiting but want to 2nd night, Arles. which has a lot of stuff to see, then driving continuing on to Lex Baux, more stuff, then to 3rd night Aix-en-Provence, where I went to college for a year, visited with our grown daughter 4 years ago, and where my spouse wants to once again have a glass of wine in Les Deux Garcons the cours Mirabeau, watch the sun go down and the lights come on over the fountains as she did a couple of times in 1974, and from where we will be hopefully catching the train to Florence early the next morning. Also, I am an early riser, much earlier than most hotels like to make coffee, and I love to go out and find a cup at barely opened cafes in acities that are new to me, or not visited in a long time. I did this in Arles nearly 40 years ago (ouch!), and I hope to do it again next month. This might have been just as easily accomplished staying in, say, Avignon, I guess, but that is the rationale. Thanks for your interest,
pkn
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Phil, sounds lovely. Have a great trip.