Nice, France

[woofer]

any information on local transportation from Nice - Eze, Aix, and other towns for daytrips ? We will be 4 days in Nice. Any good restaurants in NICE?

[Hlitner]

The best way to explore many smaller towns is to simply rent a car. Otherwise, you can take the bus to Eze Village from the Gare Routiere bus station (Nice's bus station). For Aix, you can use the train...but to really explore Provence you need a car. As to restaurants, if you want an expensive elegant place then try Chantecler in the Negresco Hotel. This is a special kind of elegant place (you do need to dress up) and you would probably need to make reservations well in advance. For a more reasonable priced place with very interesting food you should ask your hotel to point you in the direction of a small Nice old town restaurant where Chef Dominique LeStanc is the owner and chef (not sure of the name of this place). LeStanc is a well known chef (he actually was the chef at Chantecler and managed to get the place its 2nd Michelin star) who decided to give-up his career as a star chef to own his own small place.

 

Hank

[luvhanalei]

We found it very easy to take the bus. We went to Eze Village one day and Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat another.

 

We enjoyed La Cambuse restaurant in Old Town. Remember, tips are included at ALL restaurants.

 

I found Rick Steves' Provence and the French Riviera to be a helpful resource.

[Hlitner]

Regarding the last post, yes, it is easy and convenient to use the regional buses (Ligne d'Azur) to get to nearby places such as Eze. However, the OP mentioned places such as Aix en Provence which is about 120 miles from Nice and not easy to access by bus. Even using the train means you probably must go through Marseille and change. In fact, it takes about 4 hours to get from Nice to Aix on a train (and it is not cheap) vs about 1:50 by simply driving. Once you decide to go out into Provence (one of our favorite regions in Europe) a car (or a tour) is the only way to see wonderful places such as Les Baux, Pont du Gard, etc. Bus and train travel are pretty much useless for visiting the small villages and countryside of Provence.

 

Hank

[woofer]

Yes, we've traveled all through Provence and have stayed in Monte Carlo....., St. Tropez,Cannes, etc....So this stint in NICE will be pre-cruise. We will go to Eze and Cap Ferat....any 'little' places not on the map? All of your suggestions are appreciated !

[Hlitner]

Yes, we've traveled all through Provence and have stayed in Monte Carlo....., St. Tropez,Cannes, etc....So this stint in NICE will be pre-cruise. We will go to Eze and Cap Ferat....any 'little' places not on the map? All of your suggestions are appreciated !

 

Our favorite town in the Nice area is St Paul de Vence. This walled city is wonderful anytime, but its a particularly great place to go on Sundays since just about everything is open (its popular with many of the French on Sundays). You can get to this inland town by taking the bus from the Nice Gare Routiere bus station or you would need a car (there is an indoor parking garage right next to the city entrance)

 

Hank

[warriorprincess]

We will be in Nice pre-cruise from May 12-15th. Looking for any hotel recommendations.

[Hlitner]

We will be in Nice pre-cruise from May 12-15th. Looking for any hotel recommendations.

 

We can make some recomendations, but we would need to know your approximate budget. Also something about your hotel expectations...such as do you want a deluxe hotel with all the amenities, a B&B, a small inn like hotel, etc. Another consideration would be that if you rent a car you might want to find a hotel that includes parking.

 

Hank

[warriorprincess]

We can make some recomendations, but we would need to know your approximate budget. Also something about your hotel expectations...such as do you want a deluxe hotel with all the amenities, a B&B, a small inn like hotel, etc. Another consideration would be that if you rent a car you might want to find a hotel that includes parking.

 

Hank

 

Budget for hotel $200 and under. We are not renting a car. A moderate hotel or a B&B would be fine. Just trying to find out where people have stayed and if they would recommend it. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Hlitner]

Budget for hotel $200 and under. We are not renting a car. A moderate hotel or a B&B would be fine. Just trying to find out where people have stayed and if they would recommend it. Thanks for any help you can give.

 

That budget eliminates our favorite hotel which is the Meridian (perfect location and nice rooftop pool). We know some folks who have stayed at the Grimaldi and enjoyed the smaller hotel, but we have not personally visited that property. But, they probably have rates near your budget. We would suggest you look for a place relatively close to the Promanade (right on the coast) or perhaps near the old town area (our favorite neighborhood). You might want to take a look at a European booking site called Venere.com which has a feature that maps all the hotels. When you do find some hotels of interest you should do some online shopping around since its not uncommon to find major price differences between various booking sites.

 

Hank

[woofer]

Hank, who ever you are, you are quite helpful to those on this post ! Very nice.