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My experience is limited (5 days in and around Nice).
You do not need a car if you restrict yourself to coastal highlights (Nice, Monaco, Cannes etc) but some of the real highlights of that region are further inland and while there are buses, you would have greater flexibility with a car. Plus there are amazing roads to drive on, with gorgeous views.
Given Marseille’s horrendous reputation it is easy to sell it short or skip it, but from what I have seen and heard from people with open minds, it’s a great place to visit. Also don’t miss the Calanques just east of the city.
I agree with the others, don't have a car in Nice. You can get to Eze via public bus and the coastal towns are accessible by train. You might want to join a dedicated tour for St Paul de Vence if you decide to visit there.
I rented a car in Avignon and returned it to Antibes (hertz). It seems a lot of the famous roman sites are in the Rhone valley and are visited most efficiently with a car. I did have a day to tour Avignon before I got the car and that was good.
Has anyone here vacationed at the French Riviera and than traveled onward to Provence?
It looks like that's our next vacation this Spring.
If you have, here are a few questions:
1. Did you drive or take some other means of transportation? If you did drive, how are the roads?
2. What were your favorite attractions along the coast?
3. We intend to stay perhaps four or five nights in Nice. Is this a good base for seeing the coast?
4. We want to see Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct) near Avignon and Nimes is this worthwhile and would you recommend any other nearby Roman ruins?
5. We will be there in April. Is this a good or bad time to see the area?
6. Can you recommend some things to see in Provence besides Roman ruins?
1. Mostly trains on the coast, though I did drive to Grasse.
2. The beaches in Antibes/Juan-les-pins, the Picasso museum in Antibes, the Hotel Le Negresco in Nice, Nice's old city, cafes by the casinos in Monaco.
3. If you like the beach, Nice is not the best. Antibes/Juan-les-pins has the best beach on the Cote d'Azur. If your coastal visit is not for the beach, then Nice would be the second most bustling locale, after Marseilles. Nice is more central along the coast.
4. I can't.
5. Good time. I was May & June, and the middle of May was better than every subsequent week--the crowds get very heavy at the coast starting in June.
6. The perfume museum in Grasse. Provence is known for its lavender fields, and Grasse is known for its perfumes.
1. Mostly trains on the coast, though I did drive to Grasse.
2. The beaches in Antibes/Juan-les-pins, the Picasso museum in Antibes, the Hotel Le Negresco in Nice, Nice's old city, cafes by the casinos in Monaco.
3. If you like the beach, Nice is not the best. Antibes/Juan-les-pins has the best beach on the Cote d'Azur. If your coastal visit is not for the beach, then Nice would be the second most bustling locale, after Marseilles. Nice is more central along the coast.
4. I can't.
5. Good time. I was May & June, and the middle of May was better than every subsequent week--the crowds get very heavy at the coast starting in June.
6. The perfume museum in Grasse. Provence is known for its lavender fields, and Grasse is known for its perfumes.
I highly recommend staying here, especially if it is a special occasion. I took my wife here for her 50th birthday. It's one of my favorite hotels in the world.
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