We are flying in to Nice from the States (in April) and attending the Monte Carlo tennis tournament for 1 day. We then want to go to Florence (visit surrounding Tuscan area) Cinque Terre and then back to Nice to fly home. We have 7 days to spend in Italy. All I have done so far is get the air from the States. The train trip from Nice to Florence is long so I would like suggestions on planning. Also a good hotel recommendation in Nice and should we stay an extra day there to see that area. We arrive on a Sunday and go to the tennis tournament on Monday. This will be my first trip to Europe, can you tell!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
If you haven't already booked your plane tickets, definitely consider flying open jaw (multi-city): home-Nice and Pisa-home or home-Nice and Milan-home.
There are lots of wonderful things to see and do in Nice and the surrounding area. If you have the time, definitely stay an additional day.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Holy cow, keep the car. It's the only way to get to see more than one hill town in a day. And you probably won't be in Florence proper that long -- it goes pretty fast. Plus think about the time to turn a car in, pick up another one, etc. For Florence, get a place outside of the ZTL (or even outside the city) and ride the commuter train in. We've stayed in a renovated convent up in the hills to the south, drove down to the station (ten min) and rode the train in (twenty min) for next to nothing. Place we stayed was great, had a good supper if you wanted it, and was less than half the price of the city hotels. Look around, these places exist all over the place. Plus, what about the expense of a double country switch drop off (or even one). Plus, I would bet that two three-day car rentals cost a lot more than a single one-week one.
Posted by
OP
Madeira Beach, USA
5 posts
I used free miles for the ticket and couldn't do multiple stops. I didn't realize Nice was so far from Florence.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Nice to Florence isn't bad. It's about a four and a half hour drive (a tad less from Monaco). Leave right after breakfast and you'll make it in time for lunch. A one-week rental in April looks like around $300 right now. This is probably less than train fare for your whole itinerary, including maybe $125 for a thousand miles worth of gas. Car gives you more flexibility for poking around Tuscany and CT as well. Plus a car lets you stay on the outskirts where hotels are cheaper (the price of metro/local train/bus to center then becomes inconsequential).
Posted by
OP
Madeira Beach, USA
5 posts
Maybe we should rent a car. The train is 8 hours. Is it pretty easy to navigate around the Tuscany area. I thought train travel would be fun so really didn't consider a car. The little towns around Florence i.e. Sienna, San Gimagino(sp?)are they better to get to with a car or train? Is parking a problem in Florence?
Posted by
Freedonia
16283 posts
You do not want a car in Florence....not only is parking bad but worse is the dreaded ZTL....do a search to find out about it. (Driving zones where if you are caught by one of the cameras, you will pay a very hefty fine.)