Provence Trip Need help with overall plan!

I plan to arrive in Marseilles or Aix-en from Paris by TGV or plane(which is better?) on Fri afternoon. Which city is a better base? I would like to see both I think or whatever elseis recommended.

I then plan to go to Nice Sat night/Sun morning as I depart from Nice airport Mon afternoon. Would like to see Monte Carlo.

Basically, I would like overall suggestions for transportation(rent a car or not necessary,trains, planes), what locations to stay(city centers, etc) and if this overall plan is viable. THX in advance.

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%26gt;I plan to arrive in Marseilles or Aix-en

%26gt;from Paris by TGV or plane(which is better?)

%26gt;on Fri afternoon. Which city is a better

%26gt;base?

My answer: Nice.

If you took the train to Nice, on the same ticket, you could get off at both Marseilles and Aix-en, hop back on and continue on your merry way.

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Hi,

I would recommend Aix. I think it is the best city in Provence. A stop for the night in Aix would be worthwhile. Nice is glitz like most of the cote d%26#39;Azur but if thats what you want then by all means skip Provence and head straight for Nice and the coast.All the places you have mentioned you can do by train and a car is not really necessary.

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I would definitely get off in Aix. I lived there one summer and it is a beautiful, elegant town with a lot of atmosphere. I have returned many times and always have felt safe as a solo female traveler.

Marseilles is NO COMPARISON to Aix - yuck, yuck, yuck.

On Friday evening, I would suggest you walk up the Cours Mirabeau (grand old blvd. in Aix which is lined with cafes, restaturants, etc..) and have drinks and/or dinner. If you stay at Aix on a Friday night, you will be there for Aix%26#39;s Saturday market where produce, clothes, antiques and general bric-a-brac is sold all out in the streets in the picturesque old part of town - your hotel can give you directions. I really enjoy browsing thru the mkts and think it is a typical French experience.

You did not mention your budget but if you like quaint old places, the Hotel Quatre Dauphine in Aix looks cute (although I have not stayed there). It is near the old part of town and you can walk everywhere centrally from there. On the border of the old part of town is the Hotel Augustins if you want to spend a little more $. Again, easily walkable to places you would want to go to.

I think you should just take the train to Nice from Aix on Sat. You seem to have only a short period of time and taking a train will be much easier than renting a car (and it does not seem like you have time to explore the areas by car anyways). What you will probably need to do is take the train from Aix down to Marseilles which has a much larger train station. From there you can switch to a train to Nice. From what I recall, it is a really pretty train ride along the coast. Raileurope.com can give you an indication of fares, times, etc... They can be a little high since they add their own charges to the price so I would wait and just buy my train ticket to Nice at the train station.

Re Monte Carlo - it is very easy to get a train from Nice. No point at all in driving there.

Hope this helpful!