DETAILED ITINERARY

Day: 1 London to Nice

Begin your rail holiday by departing on a morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris or Lille, before changing station for your high-speed train journey to Nice.

Enjoy the scenery outside your window as the TGV heads south through the regions of Burgundy and the Rhone-Alpes, following the course of the river Rhone into Provence and the Cote d’Azur.

Depending on the season, you can take the 07.19 hrs Eurostar direct to Marseille, reaching Nice just after 18.00 hrs. If you take the train via Paris, you leave London at about 09.20 hrs and reach Nice just after 20.00 hrs. Your hotel in Nice is a short taxi ride from the station. You spend seven nights in Nice.

Days 2 to 7: In Nice

You have six whole days at leisure in Nice on the French Riviera. There are plenty of cultural and active things to do both in Nice and nearby. Spend an afternoon walking along the Promenade des Anglais, which runs parallel to one of the most beautiful beaches in France, the Baie des Anges. Well-known for its artistic and cultural connections, Nice has over 20 museums and galleries, including the Musée Matisse, the Palais Lascaris, and several archaeological and historical museums.

For something more modern, take a tour of the city’s 13 examples of street art, painted by internationally-renowned artists, or simply tour the architecture and atmosphere of the town to the soundtrack of the street jazz music.

The Marche aux Fleurs Cours Saleya is the site of some of Nice’s best markets, selling flowers, fruit, and vegetables, as well as other local delicacies. Be sure to seek out and try some Socca, a pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flower, or Pissaladière, a kind of pizza topped with onions, olive, garlic, and anchovies. Wander round the Marché Artisanal Nocturne, lit atmospherically by the buildings around it, which runs from 18:30 to 00:30 every night apart from Monday, and displays the work of Nice’s local artists.

A self-guided tour of the city will bring you to Queen Victoria’s Ancien Hôtel Régina, the Basilique Notre-Dame, Le Cadran Solaire (a sundial which you operate using your own shadow), and the small squares of the Old Town.

Take lunch on one of the café terraces. Voted the Green City of the Mediterranean, Nice has many hidden gardens ready to be explored; large or small, they are all perfectly maintained.

For those looking for a more active experience of the Nice landscape, climb the Colline du Château, or head outside the city on one of the many trails that take you along the hillside, through oak woods and olive groves, to the hamlets and neighbourhoods of Bellet, the origin of Nice’s famous Bellet wine.

Other possible day excursions include trips to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, Monaco, the luxurious self-contained state famous for its connections with A-list stars and the Grand Prix, the seaside village of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and the exclusive peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat with the beautiful Villa Ephrussi nearby.

Saint Paul de Vence, one of the prettiest perched villages in the hinterland of the Cote d’Azur, is about an hour by bus from Nice. It is renowned as an artists’ village and the winding main street is full of galleries and artisan goods to purchase. If you want you can have lunch at the famous Colombe d’Or, a haunt for artists and writers who have left their mark with the vast collection of original works of art that adorns the walls. Pre-booking is essential.

Near here, about 15 minutes on foot from the village, you can call in on your own to the Fondation Maeght, a museum of modern art with one of the largest collections of paintings, sculptures and works on paper of modern and contemporary art in Europe.

Day 8: Nice to London

There is a departure from Nice at about 10.00 hrs via Paris which reaches London just after 19.30 hrs. Again, depending on the day of the week, there may be a service via Marseille and Lille.

At the time of arranging your holiday, your sales consultant will check the best possible connections for your journey for the chosen dates of your holiday.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis. This price includes standard class rail travel, with supplement for standard premier/first class of about £385 per person.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All hotels are subject to availability.

Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information, including full directions and suggestions on places to visit, to help you get the most from your trip.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance and an appropriate driving licence, if you are planning to hire a car on arrival. The AA and FCO should also be consulted.