RAIL-DRIVE
NICE BY TRAIN: TOUR PROVENCE AND FRENCH RIVIERA BY CAR
10 nights / 11 days From £ 1,845 per person
Cannes
NICE • PROVENCE COUNTRYSIDE • GORGES DU VERDON • MOUGINS
Combine the speedy and comfortable journey of the train to Nice and then enjoy the freedom of a tour of the Cote d’ Azur and Provence by car. Explore the hotspots of the Riviera, the artistic villages of its hinterland, and the rustic interior of Provence, with its fields of mimosa and lavender, hills of olives and pine, craggy limestone cliffs.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE Travel from London to Nice by train This touring holiday by train and car to Nice, Provence and the Cote d’ Azur whisks you from London St Pancras to Marseille direct by Eurostar. The direct service operates from the beginning of May until mid- September, 3 or 4 times a week. At other times, the holiday can be done with a change in Paris. The train leaves London at about 07.15 and arrives in Marseille at 14.45 hrs. You then connect to Nice on a train at about 15.30 arriving in Nice just after 18.00 hrs. You spend three nights in Nice.
DAYS TWO AND THREE In Nice On the coast of the Cote d’ Azur, also known as the French Riviera, enjoy two full days in the Mediterranean resort of Nice. There are plenty of cultural and active things to do both in Nice and nearby.
DAY FOUR Nice to Provence countryside by car This morning collect your hire-car from an office in the centre of Nice and then make your way out of town. The driving time without a stop is just over an hour, but there are plenty of places to stop along the way including St Paul de Vence and Grasse.
DAY FIVE In the Provence countryside You are situated amidst the rolling hills, of shades of green, criss-crossed by small valleys and streams. You might want to relax at your hotel, enjoying walks, golf, the spa or the swimming pool. If you do want to venture out, then the Lac de Saint-Cassien is a few minutes’ drive away. At Seillans you can see stone shepherd huts called Bories.
DAY SIX Drive to the Gorges du Verdon The most direct route to your next stop in Provence only takes just over an hour and a half but we suggest you take a route that follows the course of the Gorges du Verdon and approach the village of Moustiers- Sainte-Marie from the gorge itself. The road towards the gorge winds through valleys of varieties of pine and oak and then you reach the Gorges du Verdon, the deepest gorge in France and where waters from the Alps have carved into the limestone massif of the foothills of the Alps. Your hotel for three nights is in the charming and popular village of Moustiers-Sainte- Marie.
DAYS SEVEN AND EIGHT At the Gorges du Verdon There are plenty of opportunities today to explore the area, perhaps on foot as there are numerous walks, or drive to the Lac de Sainte Croix, as well as driving through the dramatic Gorges du Verdon. The village is renowned for its earthenware tiles and there are several workshops and sales outlets for the tiles.
DAY NINE Gorges du Verdon to Mougins Today we recommend driving to the coast at Saint Tropez, and then following the corniche along to Frejus and on to Cannes before arriving at your overnight stop in the hill village of Mougins behind the coast. You stay here for two nights.
DAY TEN In Mougins Mougins is a village about 15 minutes’ drive from Cannes and the coast. Take time to explore the village on foot and seek out its narrow streets adorned with colourful flowers and ancient stonework. Nearby, Cannes is renowned as a stylish beach resort, and famous for its long Boulevard de la Croisette that flanks the seashore. There is a charming port, a long stretch of sandy beach and numerous shops and restaurants.
DAY ELEVEN Nice to London You drive back to Nice this morning in time to take the TGV departing at 11.23 to Marseille where you change trains for the Eurostar which takes you directly back to London to arrive just after 22.00 hrs. If the Marseille to London Eurostar is not operating at the time of the year or the day of week you want, you would travel from Nice to Paris, and then Paris to London by Eurostar instead.
36 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk