No. of Recommendations: 10
We returned yesterday from nearly 7 weeks in France: a month in Nice, 4 nights in Aix, and 10 nights in Paris. It was wonderful.
As I noted in a previous post, we entered Europe in Amsterdam (connecting to Nice) and did the EES photo/fingerprint thing there.
Our return from Paris (CDG) was a breeze, thanks to my "elite" status with Air France partner Delta Airlines and our practice of taking carry-on bags only, regardless of trip duration. It took us a total of 20 minutes from stepping out of a taxi at Terminal 2E to clear immigration and airport security, take the tram to Hall M, and enter the Air France lounge. For most travelers, the main hang-up appeared to be the typical line at security and not so much at ticket counters or immigration.
The taxi ride was a first for us. In more than 20 trips to Paris, we've used trains, metros, and buses exclusively. But this time we decided to spend the extra 30€ and skip the schlep to Gare du Nord. Our flight was in the morning, so we didn't have to contend with the inbound traffic.
The other splurge for us was purchasing (online) the Amis du Louvre and Orsay Carte Blanche passes a few days before we left the US. The passes provide unlimited, immediate entry to their respective museums without any required reservation for a full year. The Orsay pass also provides the same privilege at the Orangerie. Total cost was 150€ for two Louvre passes and 79€ for the Orsay Duo pass. We loaded these passes onto our phones, and that's all we needed. (The websites are not the easiest to navigate but, with patience and a few false starts, I succeeded.) We used screenshots of the Louvre passes, while the Orsay passes loaded into our iPhone wallets.
For us, this was money well spent. We love visiting museums, but get tired, physically and mentally, after about two hours in them. With the passes, we visited the Louvre on three separate days (one for each wing), the Orsay twice (once for the special Renoir exhibition and once for the rest of the museum), and the Orangerie on yet another day. Zero wasted time in lines. Come and go as we wished. It was absolutely liberating.
As for Nice, a highlight for me was walking to the Prom in the morning, having a lovely 30-minute swim, and resting on the beach in the sun before heading back to our rental apartment. We also enjoyed apéro hour pretty much every afternoon around 5pm, either on the terrace of our favorite local bar (Nomad) or in a neighboring town if we were day-tripping, which we did fairly regularly.
The SudAzur Explore Pass provides unlimited rides on trains, trams, and buses throughout the region for 3, 7, or 14 days and is a good value. Trams run as often as every 4 minutes, and the trains run frequently, as well. Buses are useful for trips to mountain villages, as well as around town.
We took the train from Nice to Aix and also from Aix to Paris. The fast (TGV) trains are comfortable and quiet. Purchase your tickets well in advance to get the best prices.
As for Aix, it exudes the charm of Provence and the energy of its multiple universities. It was beginning to get crowded with tourists when we were there, and it's always full of students; but all in all we had a thoroughly enjoyable time, visiting its fine museums and eating a bit to much of its exceptional food.
