I'm hoping someone out there has experience with trading off flights vs train. I live in the LA area, and am looking at a Rick Steves trip that starts in Paris and ends in Nice, France. 2 options that seem possible are book a flight roundtrip flight to Paris, or book a flight to Paris and back from Nice, France. Looking up the flight cost is easy with the multi-city option on many travel websites, but I'm not sure how to get a good fare if instead I want to look at the hi-speed train from Nice to Paris. People have said the Rail Europe website doesn't have the best fares, but I don't know where to look to find better ones (or how to book the tickets). Any advice on how to proceed?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33547 posts
I make it 5:40 at xx:35 of many hours. Only about half of that time is high speed as the train winds along the Riviera between Nice and Avignon, but it is a very easy and pleasant ride on that train.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
WE took the TGV high speed train Paris to Monte Carlo last fall and loved it. We booked tickets the first day they became available and got first class tickets for little money (don't remember now how much). The train passed down the Loire Valley and we reserved upper deck seats so enjoyed the entire 6 hours on the train. It was so relaxing. To learn how to expertly book tickets, go to www.seat61.com. We printed out the outbound tickets at home but had to collect the return tickets at the station. We passed through Nice on the way. The return trip was equally delightful, admiring the countryside and the towns we passed through. You can always book your flights just to and from Paris and enjoy the train trip.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
If you book well in advance at www.tgv-europe.com, you can get discount fare tickets. To keep the site in English and to avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site, choose Great Britain as your country of residence. Book up to four months in advance to get iDTGV tickets as low as €19.00. Book up to three months in advance to get TGV tickets as low as €25.00.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
It's a 7-hour trip by rail. I'd fly.
Posted by
Redlands, Ca, USA
358 posts
My son spent a 4 days in Nice last week and chose to fly from Paris-Nice. Unfortunately sunday evening he was to go back to Paris however the flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Paris. He due to his status with AF found a plane on monday going to Corcica and then Paris. Most people were unable to get out till tuesday. The train ride is around 5 plus hours and this would be my choice of transportation.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
It's 7 hours to deGaulle. Then check in. The OP is trying to get home, not to Paris. (Aren't you?) If you have an extra day, take the train, if you like trains better than museums, cafes, and sightseeing. Otherwise book a return ticket from Nice to California, and spend that day sightseeing.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32327 posts
John, If you want to return to Paris at the end of your tour, I'd definitely recommend travel via TGV. There are direct TGV runs from Nice Ville to Gare du Lyon, with a travel time of 5H:44M. Flying will not be faster than that, and the trip by rail will be much more pleasant. Rather than purchase your Nice - Paris TGV ticket online, another option would be to buy it at an SNCF Boutique when you arrive in Paris (which would be ~2-weeks before using the ticket). It would be a good idea to arrive a day or two before your tour starts, in order to get "acclimatized" and get over jet lag, so you could buy it then. At the end of the tour, I'd probably allow one night in Paris prior to your flight back to the U.S. On those occasions when Paris is my last stop, I usually ask the Hotel to arrange a Shuttle at the appropriate time to get to the airport. I'm familiar with the tour you're planning to take - you'll have a great time! Happy travels!