Trip report:
From the Pacific Northwest we went in search of sunshine in April. 18 day trip with rain only once. Beautiful blue sky and low 60’s almost every day. Perfect travel weather. All ground travel by train.
Fly Seattle (CDG) to Toulouse.
Toulouse: five nights. It was a strike day for the tram so we had an easy Uber ride. Our first Uber right in Europe as we a public transportation travelers. Stayed at basic but delightful Hotel Croix Baragnon. Excellent area, clean, comfy bed, English speaking staff that were helpful and kind. Toured Toulouse (3 hrs)) with a private guide Elyse from the podcast “Join us in France” which was excellent. Beautiful city full of history especially for those who have an interest in the Camino. Took a day trip by train to Albi. Exceeded my expectations in beauty of city and history. Go once just to see the church.
Carcassonne: One night so I could see the ramparts lit up. Night was the highlight for me. Stayed at Hotel Pont du Vieux which had a small roof top terrace which was beautiful for viewing the castle and drinking wine.
Montpellier: Three nights. Stayed near Plaza Comedie and train station at Hotel D’Aragon. Good location, clean, comfy bed, pleasant helpful staff. Toured on our own. Beautiful city that had some of the best food of our trip. Loved it with one exception we went out to Château de Flaugergues for the gardens and they are a bit tired and neglected. Took a day trip to Nimes was was also amazing. We bought the three monument pass but really only needed access to the arena. The Carre is just a large empty room (but does have a good presentation of the structure inside) and I tried but was to afraid to climb the stairs of the magne temple (I hate heights). My husband reported a great view. The park is gorgeous. I could move to Nimes.
Beaulieu-Sur-Mer: six nights. Stayed at Hotel Friesa with a balcony room overlooking the harbor and sea. Just perfect for us. Picked this town as I wanted a balcony with water view with close train access in our budget. A great home base with the Super U (grocery store with a variety of wines, delicious hummus and fruits and veggies) between us and the station. Day trips to Monte Carlo, Menton, Nice (day it rained), Villefranche-sur-Mer, Cape Ferret (Rothschild mansion and gardens amazing) and Antibies. Walked on three sections of the Sentier Littoral (coastal walk) which was the highlight of the trip for me.
Nice - one night with our splurge at The Westend. Beautiful hotel (they upgraded us to an ocean front room). Flew home next day Nice-CDG-Seattle.
The trip was just what we needed. Great food, kind people, history, fun and relaxing. We are in our 60’s and try to go Europe 2-3 times a year by stretching our dollar. I write a very amateur blog for my elderly parents, adult children and a few friends. PM me if interested in the link to see pictures and a bit more explanation.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1518 posts
Do they have "easy access" to get on and off trains? I have to be careful on steep steps.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
Do they have "easy access" to get on and off trains? I have to be careful on steep steps.
Depends on trains and on stations. TGV trains are usually level with platforms, as long as your seat is on the bottom level, but on regional train lines it varies a lot...
Posted by
OP
Tacoma, WA, USA
603 posts
All of the trains (regional) we were on for this trip required some stepping up/down off the train in addition to steps up and down to get to the correct track (some stations do have elevators but not all). Some of the steps were uneven in height distance too. I’m blind in my left eye and have low vision in my right, so I’m very aware of the challenge of steps but all had a handrail to guide you.