10 days French and Italian Riviera need help with Itinerary Sept 2012
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10 days French and Italian Riviera need help with Itinerary Sept 2012
Looking for help with Itinerary have 10 days available arriving in Nice on the 22 Sept derparting from Nice on 3 Oct Is this to long of time ??? looking for a nice hotel 4-5- star with great loc
Looking for help with Itinerary have 10 days available arriving in Nice on the 22 Sept derparting from Nice on 3 Oct Is this to long of time ??? looking for a nice hotel 4-5- star with great location and views in Nice. want to take many day trips and wonder if should stay in Italian Riviera for 2 night some where or just make it a very long day trips . Car when leaving Nice or Trains ,private tours or mix??? We don't mind long days just not every day. We like it all....great scenery relaxing,arts ,history, Water swim or boating ,great food ,fun local food,interesting food, shopping cheap to expensive ,places off the beaten path, we really like to take it all in . Thanks for all suggestions.
For that length of stay, you might look at all you want to do in Nice and estimate how many days you need to comfortably accomplish that, then consider renting a car to relocate to somewhere near the French/italian border, either at the sea or slightly up in the hills. You can drive back to Nice easily to catch your flight. If you think you want to see Monaco, you should probably add a day to Nice and do it as a day trip by train.
However, if you've marginal interest in spending time in Italy, doing the whole 10 days in Nice without a car would still give you a nice lunch in a pretty Italian town and lots of towns along the French train lines. You might consider renting a car just for the last days of your trip to explore the French countryside a bit inland (while sticking to the trains for an Italian lunch).
But if you are attracted to the idea of a few days in Italy, it would be worth your while, I think, to invest in a copy of David Downie's "Food and Wine of the Italian Riviera and Genoa", which is one of the few detailed sources of information about the Italian Riviera near the French border. Another good investment is the Cadogan Guide to the Italian Riviera and the Piemonte, although you may only be able to find a used copy online.
There are a number of truly off-the-beaten track but quite spectacular hilltowns just across the Italian border. In addition, there are number of important history sights in and around Ventimiglia, on both sides of the border. If you like Italian food and especially olive oil and seafood, it is very enjoyable to eat in that part of the Riviera.
In many years, there is a sharp distinction in weather when summer ends on September 22. The Mediterranean usually stays warm enough for swimming, but you can get a hint of autumn in the air, or blusters of rain. You need to be especially careful if you are headed up to the hills and mountains for adventurous explorations in a car that you check the morning weather forecast. Many rural roads on the Italian side of the Riviera are basic-to-primitive, in dubious condition, are very twisty and go quite high up, or descend quite low along streams, so you only want to be driving up the most rural hilltowns if skies are clear and dry, no low-hanging clouds or rain.
I think after you look at the books, and perhaps some pictures and other information online, you'll have a better idea if you would like expore the hills or a seaside town in Italy. If you don't rent a car, it gets more complicated to stay in the hills, but not impossible. Many b&bs in the area will help you with detailed instructions for arriving by train plus a local bus, or arrange to have somebody meet you at the train station.
I suspect there are interesting things to do without ever leaving France, so I hope other people see your post and give you advice about that.
