Millenia98

I know in Greece, it's common to get day passes to use hotel services. Is it common anywhere in this region?

Not in Antibes. The side towards Nice is all rocks with the train as a background. The beaches on the side towards the Cap (Plage du Ponteil and Plage de la Salis) are nice, but there are no beach accommodations like you want. There is the Plage de la Garoupe further towards the point of the Cap d'Antibes with a couple of restaurants, chairs, etc, but the beach is not very good (the views are).

 

For good, sandy beaches and lots of restaurants, chairs, etc, go to Juan-les-Pins, Just the other side of the Cap from Antibes.

BTW, I contacted the Eden Roc in Antibes, and they quoted me 90 Euros for one chair by the pool. Per person. LOL

Boat tour. Take the ferry that stops at each of them and get off. They are very easy to see on your own. Get a guide book for some details. But the scenery and wandering around the towns are the main thing.

 

A half-day tour is unlikely to let you spend much time at each place. I think myself and others had given you more info on the area some time ago.

Yes, thank you. This is why we ended up choosing Santa Margherita (well, in this case, Rapallo).

I get worried that it's so much responsibility to get it all covered and figured it out within 1 day, so I like the ease of guided touring. I'm always the leader of our group. I so enjoy guided tours, but the group's budget doesn't allow for a tour here I don't think. I'm off to barnes and noble to get a small book to take with me.

Looking for this type of set up for laying, relaxing, a little music, some drinks.

Where do you recommend? Something like Nikki Beach in St Tropez but not 1,000 euros for a spot. Ha!

I want to make the most of our wandering, and I contacted a company for this.

Do you think it's worth it? Or would you have a plan to just move around for the day on your own?

We are not cruising - we are spending 2 days in this area. Should we do a boat tour, take a tour w/guide for half day... thoughts?

A few years ago we had a driving tourvin a french 2cv car

I think it was called

4 roues sous 1 parapluie

The cars are small and quirky and can negotiate narrow back streets

 

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That one is cute. I would've booked it already but we're 4 adults and 1 baby. Just 1 person too many. Argh! :/

I think that's probably because most of the main attractions in Paris are in fairly close proximity to one another and as such, there isn't much demand for driving tours in Paris. It's known as a walkable city and after that, the mass transit is quite excellent, easy to use and it's quick to get from place to place.

 

Of course it might be that mobility is an issue and as such, then that is a case when driving might be helpful but in this instance I would recommend a HopOn/HopOff bus instead. It is less private but still a nice option or perhaps a coach tour. Visibility would be FAR better than it would be if you are sitting down lower in a car. And then there is the next issue.....

 

....traffic. Paris in the day time, on a week day, or even a weekend - though perhaps in August less so with summer holidays in progress, city traffic can be quite serious and slow going on certain streets, avenues, boulevards. It will take such a long time to get to see just a few places in the city, there would be very little time to stop for a meal.

 

Will you be in port at Le Havre? Is Paris a must on your list? Are there other options like maybe a Giverny/Rouen combination? Just wondering what might be a better port visit by car if this is the mode your prefer. Paris is just not ideal by car.

 

If you have further questions, please let us know :)

Thanks so much your thorough response!

We are flying in directly to Paris and only have 24 hours before moving on. I was thinking to do a quick short tour the day we arrive (that evening after resting). We've been to Paris, but my Mom hasn't. None of us has mobility issues, but I didn't want to completely tire my Mom out by speed walking for 4 hours through Paris with all of us and my daughter's stroller. She'll be 2 and my husband and I will take care of that. But I was thinking this might be relaxing rather than so bustling for her first city in Europe after the long flight.

We had a terrible experience in Istanbul with a walking tour and private guide. The trains were packed solid and my daughter's stroller was hard to maneuver. We've taken her all over Europe with stroller and even on many driving tours in other cities. It was great. Istanbul's walking tour burned me. Just wanted to be comfortable.

I'm thinking you're right and I don't want to be stuck in the car. But we also didn't want to speed and be super worn out. I might change to a walking tour.

Do you think we might benefit from a night cruise with a guide that might explain some highlights?

Many companies I've spoken to don't offer driving tours. And the one or two that do are charging us about 150 Euros per person for a 4 hour tour. :eek:

This will be late August.

Are you looking for something this August? If so, you're far too late. There are limited accommodations to begin with, and the very few bigger ones book up almost as soon as they become available.

 

I know it's not Cinque Terre, but Levanto has a lot to offer and it's just one stop north of Monterosso on the train.

Yes this August, but I've been looking for months and it has been the same thing :/

Is there anything to offer in Levanto? My plan was to stay in a cool town like Rapallo or SM and then do a side trip to Portofino. Then do cinque Terre the next day. Is this doable from Levanto without too much annoyance?

I just want to express my annoyance at the lack of accommodations. Yes, we are annoying bc we need a 3 bedroom. But I cannot find any good apartments or places with A/C. Ugh.

If it were up to me, I'd be fine with the windows open and would deal with it (August 31st), but my husband and my Mom would likely complain.

So many signs are telling me to skip Liguria and Cinque Terre (was visiting 2 days on the way to fly out of Milan). I'm so close to changing...

:(

Believe me, I want to scream everytime I see one of those "we're porting in Cannes and we want to go to Monte Carlo" threads, written by someone who has never been to the area. And, if there is anyplace in the world I'd love to move it's Antibes.:)

 

It's just a very busy cruise. We're lucky to be on one of those ships which has a large outside dining venue at the back. And, I can't stop thinking of lingering over a croissant and cafe au' lait on the back deck while in port (on a hopefully sunny warm day).

 

I am still trying to figure out where you thought I might be broad brushing the whole Riviera coast in this thread and the other as charmless though.:confused:

Such a dreamy description!!! So I've never been to the area. Monte Carlo is a no go? Antibes if your favorite. Hit me with anything else in the area that you love!

 

OP - if you decide on SM, I'll scout a bit and report back in less than 2 weeks. I won't be there late to see if it's hopping at night - but it looks to be a similar size as Sorrento.

Thank you! I hope so. I'm loving what I'm seeing in SM. Can you tell me what cruise line you'll be sailing and what your stops are? So exciting. And yes, please report when you get back!!

Wow, you all are so helpful and nice. Thank you immensely. For some reason, I don't think I've struggled to research a trip like I have this one. Maybe bc it's my first land trip vs cruise. On the cruise, you decide what to do and you have no choice on where to stay/logistics. You exit and you go on a tour or on your own - those 2 choices.

I THINK I really may have chosen Santa Margherita. I would have never thought to look into it. I'm researching apts now. I think that's where we might settle. See Cinque Terre via boat one day. Then see Portofino and the others the other day.

What do we do with our car? We're coming from Provence to Nice to Santa Margherita. Then what - just park the car for the 2 days?

Any dinner/nightlife ambiance in Santa Margherita?

I know you started looking north because of difficulties finding a place you liked in Cinque Terre. I don't know if Portovenere would work? Definitely has a beach. It's a bit more out of the way south though. Never been there but perhaps, Marazul, Hank or Eurocruiser can opine.

 

One major problem, is you might have to drive to La Spezia for the train to Cinque Terre if conditions are such that that the ferry can't run.

 

Anothrt thought... Santa Margerhita?

Thank you! Will definitely look into Santa Marg.

How about a boat tour through Cinque Terre. Do you think my baby would be allowed on there? I think that would be the best way of seeing vs hiking it on the train from land to land. Kind of a rougher place and I'm willing to do it (I'm too tenacious) but CT may be knocking me down. Lol

Even though you would be in Cinque Terre slightly after the biggest summer crush I would still be afraid that the intense crowding could be frightening for your daughter. This is probably a location best left for another trip.

You think? She was in Prague, Rome, Sicily, Positano and Istanbul last year, haha (though she was 14 months back then.)

What else besides Cinque Terre from Nice to Milan? I didn't intend on going hiking with her or anything (my Mom prob wouldnt love that either).

LOL! I'd stick with Marazul and Hank's advice on the Italy portion.

 

But, with French portion - I read that thread and I was with the group that had you split the French portion between East and West. Particularly if you are a cruiser...you'll get back to the area of Nice, Eze, Villefranche...again, and again and again. But, further west...it's more difficult to fit Provence into a port stop.

 

When originally planning our trip I had Cinque Terre circled as a to do, but decided to just do it cruise on a ship with a long port stay for a variety of reasons...reading about crowds and the difficulty of getting in our run workouts and lack of fitness center alternatives.

Very important reason! So lucky and exciting for you! Gah, I'm going to feel so sad about not cruising this year. It pains me. We've gone every year in Europe and have never done a land trip this way. No one to make me feel luxurious. Just me doing all the work, haha. I don't mind, I like the control but it's nice to be whisked away throughout Europe.

You're right. I've been given that advice about hitting Nice again on future cruises. I'll make a point to sleep in Provence then.

What's a beachier atmosphere for my baby? We are traveling with our toddler (she'll be 2). I don't mention this bc I'm a very adventurous parent and my girl does well traveling. Just give her some space to roam free with Mama, and she's all good.

Does anyone change their minds now? I don't like that to be the basis of my responses, so I don't mention it until later. Is Cinque Terre vs Lake Region/somewhere else more spread out for strolling, walking, having ice cream at cafes with her? It's 4 of us and my daughter.

There are probably tour companies that will do a day tour to Lake Maggiore and the islands. If you add a night or two to Como instead of many nights in Bologna, you could do a day tour into Milan. There is a lot more to see there than in Bologna and it is well worth a day if you are in the area.

I've heard that here a lot about Bologna. And I'm always surprised. I studied it extensively as we were going there last year and then suddenly changed our dates and itinerary due to a cruise change. Bologna videos romanticized it (well at least young ppl on YouTube).

I will have to skip it this year again, but I someday want to head there with Tuscany again.

LOL! We are crossing paths in where we've been looking to go. We're doing a few nights in Bologna before heading to Lake Como. I liked the looks of Parma better, but Bologna was more of a straight shop with rail.

Hahaha funny! What does your whole trip look like? Who are you traveling with? Here's mine- eep.

Direct flight to Paris from NYC (stay 1 day and night in Paris)

Train from Paris to Nice, pick up rental car (stay 5 nights, do day trip to Provence)- or stop in Provence 1-2 nights

Nice, Eze, St Tropez, Villefranche

Drive to Cinque Terre (sleep 2 nights)

Flight from Milan at 4pm- drive by Parma on the way. Not sure how that'll fit.

What do you think?

Now I'm thinking about keeping Cinque Terre (sleeping in La Spezie the 2 nights) and driving to Parma on the way back to Milano airport. For additional taste of Italy since CT has less to see.

Time wise, the lakes are a much better option. Look at them in google maps.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/28838+Stresa+Province+of+Verbano-Cusio-Ossola,+Italy/@45.5977545,9.1379963,9.34z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4786758e05b94925:0x78f0166e234c7ef3!8m2!3d45.8882031!4d8.5258667

 

From Stresa, you can spend a day going to the Borromean islands. Lots of history and stunning views and palaces. Nice cafes and pools at the hotels in Stresa.

http://www.stresa.com/

 

For Lake Como, look at this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/travel/36-hours-lake-como-italy.html

 

I mentioned a couple of nice hotels before, but there are many options. At that time of the year, the towns are lively at night because of European tourism. The towns are beautiful and a lot less crowded than CT. No ocean cruise ship can dump 4000 people on a little town! For example, Monterosso has a population of 1500 and Vernazza of 1200 people.

 

This could be a chance to see something different.

time-wise as in 2 days of activity in Lake Region are better spent vs 2 days in CT?

Can I also tell you all one more thing I took away from Amalfi and Sicily (Catania, etc) - they're very sleepy when tourists are not around. Amalfi is beautiful (we did long day tours there both times). But I always thought to myself, wow, this is so quiet. I'm not sure I'd want to stay here when it's so quiet.

Is the Lake region and Cinque Terre also this way?

But Sorrento center? MAMA MIA, I love. It makes my heart patter w/all the bustling noise and beauty.

Here's a link that might give you a better idea of the areas you're looking at and the pros and cons:

 

http://justwanderlustblog.com/2013/12/deciding-which-italian-resort-town-to-visit-cinque-terre-lake-como-or-amalfi-coast/

 

Ignore the Amalfi comments and save that for another trip/

Yes, I just read that this morning! Thank you. Is it true/do you agree. The "sleepy/relaxed" town the way they described Como turned me off. I DO love hustle and bustle. BUT to be honest, I was discouraged by the lack of nicer accomodations in CT. It's very humble, and I usually dont mind - but I dont like what I saw for the price.

We've been to Amalfi twice. Ahhhhhhhh. Only to dream a third time one day :D

The reference of driving time to Milan was to put the OP on a time scale from Nice. Yes, I would go straight to the lakes which is a little extra time. By 'going there' I meant going to that area instead of going first to CT and then to the Milan airport. The OP only has a couple of days between Nice and flying out of Milan. It makes more sense to have extra time in Lombardy rather than driving to CT and then just driving to the Milan airport. The recommendation in my posts is for the Lake District.

 

No flaming from me on the subject of Milan.

nice. So a better "on the way" option is the Lake region rather than CT?

I am not a fan of lakes and lake scenery, though. I love towns and cities/cafes/strolling/some history/and pools/beaches. But I'm not opposed to something new/different at all just because it's not within my typical likes. I like bustling.

Verona is lovely but quite a bit out of the way for someone coming from the French Riviera on the way to Milan.

 

Cinque Terre is wonderful but everyone has different priorities. Other than someplace convenient for getting to Milan, what else is important to this decision? Are you looking for hiking, or just a village to hang out in, sea views, etc? We can keep throwing darts at the message board wall, so to speak, but we can be more helpful with a bit more insight into your likes, interests, etc.

Not looking for hiking. Just a beautiful place to hang out, people watch, hang out in cafes, stroll. How does that sound to you?

Yes, the Lake District around Milan. Lake Maggiore and the Borromean islands; Lake Como with Tremezzo and Bellagio. Look it up. It is a gorgeous area.

Thank you. Better than Cinque Terre?