BootsnAll Travel Community

I am planning a trip around France and adjoining countries and was looking for some input since this will be my first time. We fly into Paris and have three weeks. We were thinking about going up to Brussels and Amsterdam and then over to Germany some where, then need to make our way down to Nice and eventually need to make our way back up to Paris to leave. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Hostel locations or towns not to miss, day trips from any of the major towns, any info!

Thanks,
Brook

Hi Brook,
I just posted a "must see" Paris down to Barcelona trip on the forum, but since you are only planning on Nice, I will adapt it

I've spent this entire year living in France, so I've gotten around quite a bit, here's what I'd recommend.

1) If you're making your way up to Germany, don't miss Strasbourg. It is a pretty big size town, but very cool. It has its own "Alsacian" culture, and it is really really cute. I was here in June once and it was still kind of chilly and rainy, so be prepared for that. There is a HUGE gothic cathedral that is really cool, and you can take some really nice walks along the canals in the old city. I also hear it is pretty cool for going out, since it is one of the biggest student cities in France.

2) Heading down from Paris to Nice- don't miss these cities:
* Avignon- kind of in the middle of nowhere between Lyon and the Mediterranean, but on the main trainline going south. It is the old capitol of France, and there were a bunch of kings who lived here during the middle ages and stuff. It is gorgeous when it is lit up at night. Really a cool place to visit if you want to get in touch with "old" France from back in the day.

* Nimes- my favorite place to visit- there is a cool Roman colisseum right downtown. It is a cute town, the sun is almost always shining, and it is again, on the main train line.

* Marseille- a natural stopping point to Nice, although it isn't necessary. It is a cool coastal town, but more "big city" than something specific to see (like Nimes or Avignon).

* Nice- I freaking love Nice. You can spend a few days here just soaking it up. The beach is cool, but it is made of rocks, so make sure you have sandals, because it hurts to walk on. One of my favorite memories is parasailing in Nice, t was an AMAZING way to see the Cote d'Azur, I would highly recommend it. Also, the popular thing to do at night is to go out into the plazas where people gather to eat ice cream and drink and just "kick it."

* Monaco- definitely take a day trip to Monaco if you're in Nice, it is cool. You can walk around it in a few hours, so you don't have to stay there, just take a day trip to soak it all up. There is also the world famous casino though, so if you are interested in having a fun night out, you can get dressed up and check out the high rollers in the Monte Carlo casino. Also a good place to pick up a sugar daddy if you want to spend the next day chilling on one of those huge yachts you see hanging out in the ocean Just kidding...

Hope that's helpful!! Have a great time, that is a gorgeous trip!
Jen

Thanks for the ideas Jen, they seem like great recommendations! You have a soccer jersey on do you have any recommendations for catching a game. Our timing is bad but we could catch the last game of the season of Ligue 1 or Bundesliga. We are thinking possibly seeing Bayern Leverkusen and staying in Koln or Dusseldorf. Any suggestions anyone?


Thanks!!!
Brook

I'd recommend Nimes and Avignon too, Colmar is also a nice town near the German border...

Monaco is great to see too.

I really enjoyed my time in Carcassonne, staying overnight within the fortress was really cool and it's just a great place to chill.