We%26#39;re a couple coming to Nice for four days soon and we fancy a day or two out. The Train des Pignes to Entrevaux looks good, there are frequent trains to Ventimiglia in Italy, or we could try Villefranche, Menton, Antibes or possibly Monaco.
Would anyone recommend any of these? What are your must sees for Nice?
We%26#39;re on holiday so we%26#39;d only want to do one or two trips out.
All suggestions are welcomed, thanks.
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The trip to Entrevaux is amazing- highly recommended for the journey and the town itself.
It%26#39;s quite a tiring day out though.
Villefranche is just 15 mins on the bus - really easy to do for the afternoon or morning and a nice place for a swim.
Antibes is lovely , also has nice beaches - go by train
Monaco is an interesting place- people tend to love it or hate it. Its very built up with lots of modern buildings squashed along the tiny bit of coast - but its nice to see this view from the bateau bus
And its interesting to see the older stuff on the Rocher and older modern architecture by the casino
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You could visit Monaco %26amp; Menton on the same day, but unless you%26#39;re interested in the Friday market, skip Ventimiglia...
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The Entrevaux trip is so unlike most of the routine touristy things I would strongly recommend it.
I go to Ventimiglia around every six weeks for the same reason so many French do - one thing only - cheap shopping. For tourism its not the prettiest and wouldn%26#39;t be on my list of two. Nor would Menton unless you are Plant People. - Its mainly for the gardens.
If you are people-watch peeps, Monaco has it in spades. Take a drink outside at the Cafe de Paris and play count-the-Lamborghinis, don%26#39;t miss the Musee Oceanographique. Then return via Villefranche for late lunch at one of the sea facing restaurants or bars, then back to finish the day in Nice.
Antibes is also a very acceptable day out , especially if any of you have any interest in very very big yachts - a dreadful fascination for some...
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I visit Ventimiglia regularly, though not on Friday market day when it is appalling. it is one of the prettiest towns on the Riviera, with a delightful old city high above the newer part of town where the train arrives. The wonderful train journey along the coast from there to Nice also gives you a view of Menton, which has a pleasant old town and harbour with relaxing low-key charms.
Ventimiglia is not, however, a conventional tourist destination - it is much poorer and untouristy than many towns on the French side of the border. Like Menton, it does not appeal at all to those who are interested in yachts, cars, crowds and posh-people-watching. Some of us prefer to avoid such things, and so regard Antibes, for example, as a place to avoid at all costs (except perhaps for the Picasso museum).
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Indeed, Menton is renowned for its beautiful gardens, but here are a few other things that you could do :
- visit the old town and its baroque churches (Basilique St Michel, Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs)
- climb up the hill above the old town for beautiful views over the sea and the port, Italy and the mountains...
- take a stroll along the seafront to the Bastion (visit the Cocteau museum if you%26#39;re interested)
- have a look at the colourful covered market, walk along the pedestrian street
- buy local specialties from the market stalls or enjoy a meal beneath the plane trees on Place des Herbes...
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I really like Ventimiglia but it tends to polarise people even more than Monaco or cannes
We went to Sorrento recently and I would say Ventimiglia is much more interesting and attractive , though obviously sorrento benefits from its proximity to Pompeii,Herculaneum etc
Ventimiglia Alta is a real warren of mediaeval streets and the contrast with uber-touristy places like Gourdon , Eze and St paul de Vence is stark.
My parents would not even go near Ventimiglia Alta but I think its amazing.
There is a really nice Roman theatre and museums, the river is lovely and attracts a lot of birds and other wildlife- especially at migration times.
Nice food , the beach is quite nice , easy and quick to get to on the train - lots of positives IMo
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The thing which struck us most on our only trip to Ventimiglia was the immense amount of litter blowing around the sea front, some of which looked as if it had been there for many years.
My advice would be to make your second trip Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and either Eze or Monaco, which I can%26#39;t abide but there are people who love it!
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Wow, lots to think about there! Thanks very much, all.
Does Ventimiglio feel like another part of the Riviera or distinctly Italian? Would San Remo be worth it for such a short visit?
We%26#39;re coming start of July - will everywhere be crowded? I thought we%26#39;d avoid St Paul de Vence because it sounds so touristy. We%26#39;re trying to get a mix of people-watching, sight-seeing, a bit of culture and some good value food and wine.
Sounds like we need to come back for a longer stay!
Do we need to book the Train des Pignes in advance?
Is it better to do Villefranche on the bus or the train?
Thanks again - keep the ideas coming.
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Ventimiglia is quite different - partly because its visibly poorer and partly because its Italy
Start of July is usually ok - the real bizzy bizz is the second half of July and all of August
trian des pignes- just turn up and buy the ticket unless you also want to reserve a stream train ride - i%26#39;d advise being at the station 10 mins early
Villefranche - there are fewer trains than buses.
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We went to Nice last summer and fell in love with this beautiful place.
We also visited Cannes, Antibbes, Villefranche sur mer and Monte Carlo (Monaco).
Our favorites were Nice itself, Villefranche sur mer and Antibbes.
One day, I hope to be back to explore the other beautiful places that I have read about.
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