My wife and I are vacationing two weeks in France and Spain. We would like to have a beach day and are trying to decide if we should take a flight from Paris to Nice or fly to Barcelona and go to the Costa Brava.
If we fly to Barcelona, it will give us a head start on the Spain portion of our trip. I really had my heart set on visiting the south of France.
Any opinions on which beach area would be more enjoyable?
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A beach day?
For one beach day it seems far more practical to fly to Barcelona. If you realy want to experience the south of France more time would be much better.
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You can take the TGV from Paris to Provence, you can be there in just a few hours. By the time you fly %26amp; transfer from the airports, you could already be in the South of France. The French Coastline around Nice and Eze is beautiful. The beaches are, for the most part, different from ours. What is enchanting are sights you cannot see here in our country. St. Paul de Vance, Aix- en -Provence. Arles and etc.
Not knowing your exact time frame, you could drive over the Pyrenees to the Costa Brava, over the Pyrenees into the Costa Brava area. The scenery is breathtaking and it is a true culture shock to go over the border. Very interesting.
Hope of you are flying into PAris, you are returning from Barcelona, so you do not have backtrack!
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We will actually be coming from the Chateau area/Tours. I believe the TGV from Tours to Paris is 1.5 hours and then it would be 3 hours from Paris to Marseille. Definitely doable and we would spend one night somewhere in the south of France.
The most economical thing to do would be to fly to Barcelona but I%26#39;m not sure how the Costa Brava area compares to the south of France.
We are flying in and out of Paris - we will take an early morning flight back from Madrid to Paris on Ryan Air before departing back to the U.S. The disjointed ticket is a lot more expensive.
How is the train ride from the south of France to Barcelona? Is it as enjoyable as driving?
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Would love to hear from someone who has been to the Costa Brava and south of France. Is Costa Brava comparable?
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Did a similar trip 2 years ago, but drove. Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley, then headed south. Long trip!! Since my husband had seen the Pyrenees, we drove through Andorra and enjoyed the beautiful mountains before entering Spain.
In the time it would take to transfer to a Paris Airport and fly, you could rail from Paris to Nice, if you decide to visit the South of France. It is VERY different from the Costa Brava. Very developed, famous resort towns along the way, Eze, Cannes and St. Tropaz. A populated area sophisticated.
We found the Costa Brava very different, especially north of Barcelona. Stayed about 10 minutes away from the coast, but drove it and visited as much as we could. This was my 2nd visit, and I found the southern part more accessible than the North. I found the Costa Brava more rugged, less developed, more low key. There is an airport in Gerona also. This coast, beach %26amp; sand would depend on where you were.
Hope this helps you.
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That is funny Queeni - we are doing the same thing.
Spending a couple of days in Paris and then going to Normandy and Mount St. Michel. Then we are going to the Loire Valley before heading south to Spain.
We are going to take the train instead of drive.
You helped confirm what I was thinking, that the areas are very different. Sounds like Costa Brava is nice, just not the French Riveria!
I think I am going to try and make the south of France - just have to see how we can work it into the schedule.
Where would you recommend staying for a night in the south of France?
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I will be happy to make hotel suggestions if I can. What price bracket? The regions are so diverse. Normandy welcomes the Americans and it will be an emotional day or two. Mount Michael could be a day trip from your hotel in Normandy. We moved for the 1 night and wish we had not. A beautiful sight, but overcome with tourists and cheap shops.
How are you getting around in Normandy to visit the beaches and cemetery? What did you have planned for the Loire Valley?
Merci
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Actually, a recommendation on which town/resort to visit would be great.
We are going to rent a car to get around Normandy and Mount St. Michel. I think we might stay in Caen.
As far as the Loire Valley, I think we are just going to visit Chambord. We might stay in Tours to be close to the rail.
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In Normandy, we preferred to stay in the countryside, not in a town. So we chose Chateau La Cheneviere. It was like staying in a French Chateau, Close to Bayeux, the beaches and a little over an hour drive to Mont St. Michel. Loved the experience!
In the Loire Valley, we stayed at Le Domaine De La Tortiniere. Loved it also! Not far from Tours.
We have visited the French Riviera several times, but have not stayed there. I love St. Paul De Vance and Provence, so we have commuted from there. Very easy. Les Vergers De St Paul and Le St.- Paul are the 2 hotels there.
On the coast, there is Chateau Eza in Eze. This special little hideaway sits way above the Mediterranean Sea.
There is a company in the US---- JDB Hotel and Resorts that we use alot. There properties are unique and consistent with quality.
Hope this helps! Queenie
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