Guest Notes for Episode 565: Discover France by Train and Bus: A Solo Traveler’s Budget Guide

Category: Solo in France

Accommodation Ideas and details
London – Paris

 

Hotel de Horloge:

+33143574457

 

Check in by 23.30

 

25, Passage de Ménilmontant, 11th arr, 75011.

 

Eurostar

Dep St Pancras 15.31

Arr Gare du Nord 19.00

 

 

From Gare du Nord:

Board Métro 5 (orange) towards Place d’Italie

Exit at République (3 stops)

Transfer to Métro 3 (muddy green) towards Gallieni

Exit train Rue Saint-Maur (after Parmentier) 2 stops

280 yards walk (about 4 mins)

Paris

Hotel de l”Horloge

Possibilities:

Carnavalet Museum (2 hours)

23 Rue de Sévigné

75003

Permanent exhibition free

Special exhibition on 1793 – 4 (Revolution)

Les Halles – Annie’s voice tour (starts Pont Neuf) (90 mins)

Pere Lachaise Cemetery (90 mins)

Paris – Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

Dep 9.00am or earlier

Walk to Ménilmontant station (230 yards)

Board Métro 2 (blue) to Nation

Exit Nation

Transfer to Métro 1 (yellow) towards La Défense

Exit at Gare de Lyon

NICE VILLE

Walk to Gare Thiers stop (140 yds – 2 mins)

Board Lignes d’Azur 57 bus towards Riquier (16.17)

Exit bus at Alberti and Gioffredo (6 stops)

Walk 30 yards

OR 20 minute walk

Dep Gare de Lyon

Hall 1 & 2

10.10

TGV INOUI 6175

Coach 8

Seat 26

Ar Nice Ville 15.58

TFATWH

(insured)

59.05 euros

 

Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

 

Buy Sud Azur pass (see Lachlan Cooke’s recommendation) – bus, train and tram (but check out prices – is it worth it?)

 

Chose not to

But got ‘Lignes d’Azur’ card

Matisse Musee

164 Ave des Arènes de Cimiez (not open)

Nice – CLOSED

Musée d’Art Contemporain 

Avant-garde, neo-realism etc – CLOSED

Musée de Beaux Arts – Raoul Dufy (images of Nice) CLOSED

Walked to

Monastére Notre-Dame de Cimiez and gardens

(steep climb but beautiful views)

Musée National Marc Chagall

36 Ave Dr Ménard (closed Tues)

Then to

 Then to Russian Orthodox Cathedral and back along the seafront path to Vieux Nice.

 Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

 Bus to – Fondation Maeght  France’s first independent art gallery

(Bonnard/Matisse exhibition on last day) -Nagar collection of art books, Miro Labyrinth and sculpture garden – Hepworth, mural by Chagall etc, stunning views

Walk along the Chemin de St Clair – scenic route with spoints where copies of paintings of Chagall are shown in the spot where they were painted – to St Paul de Vence where Chagall is buried in the cemetery, overlooking the valleys.

Bus to Cagnes sur Mer and Renoir’s house and studio  .  Vegetable garden (with scarecrow!) – the sense of Renoir’s, story, deep love for his family and values – through to the stage where to hold a paintbrush caused him deep pain, so he wrapped his crippled hands in bandages – again the copies of paintings in situ where they were painted – the inspiration of the olive trees. Great contrast to Giverney – the simplicity of the kitchen.

Back to Nice – walk in the evening. Place Masséna – 7 pole sitters – lights – fountains. Safe for older person.

Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

20 minute train ride to Antibes

Sunday market – very good value

Picasso Museum – close by – included a Miro exhibition; lovely views over the sea with Giacometti sculptures

Old town – look for signs of Resistance history

Train to Juan Les Pins

‘jardin aux martyres de la résistance’

Would not go there again.

Back to Nice – stumbled into a free concert in the Cathedral – full orchestra, choral singing!

Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

Bus to Old town of Eze and the Jardin Exotique Val Rameh  – as early as possible in the day, check when cruise ships are due

–          Too many ‘influencers’ and coach parties blocking pathways. Gardens similar to arid gardens in Australia.

Walk down the hill via the Chemin de Nietzsche to Eze rail station – difficult in parts (needed a stick) because of the rain – but stunning views. Genuinely a spiritual experience! He wrote ‘Thus Spake Zarathusa’ on this path. Local café at the bottom, opposite the station – excellent home-made plat de jour.

Train to Villefranche sur Mer

14th centre chapel on Quai Corbet

Walls painted by Jean Cocteau

CLOSED – town is lovely to visit (old wash troughs)

– bus back to Nice.

 Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

Rain – so chose to do two voicemaps (recommended by Annie – Jeanne Oliver interviewed on her podcast

·        The Best of Nice’s Old Town, Highlights, Legends and Secret Spots

·        Navigating Nice’s Belle Epoque

Highlight: Palais Hongran – in process of restoration of frescoes. Story that Napoleon rode his horse all the way to the top story.

Massena Museum – CLOSED

Nice

La Maïoun Guesthouse

 Had planned 3 hour walk round Cap Ferrat – too much rain!

Bus to Rothschild Villa and gardens – stunning testimony to what money can buy (and what most of us do not have access to) – recommended. Lovely pot of tea in the café. Michelin star?

Bus to Menton (stop outside the Villa) – reminders of Australia!

Small Jean Cocteau Museum (section on work with Edith Piaf)

Town is lovely – but MONSOON TYPE RAIN!!!

Nice – Toulouse

10 Rue des Pénitents Gris

Train to Toulouse  LA VILLE ROSE – – lovely views. Stayed near La Capitole – reconnected with places visited on the Bootcamp and met with friend from 50 years ago!
Toulouse

10 Rue des Pénitents Gris

More reconnecting with Toulouse –Elyse’s Voicemap – again, learning so much and attention drawn to features that I had simply walked past (eg 24 hour clock).

Fav spot is the Couvent des Jacobins – the windows, reliquary of St Thomas of Aquinas etc.

Toulouse

10 Rue des Pénitents Gris

Catch up with Elyse – Marché Artisans Chocolat – more museum visiting and walk along the Garrone
Toulouse

10 Rue des Pénitents Gris

70TH BIRTHDAY!

Natural History Museum and gardens – celebrated birthday with a cheese platter and wine.

Lots of markets

Toulouse – Bordeaux Train to Bordeaux – train delayed by 2 hours

Bordeaux La Ville du Vin – white limestone

Bit of a let down after Toulouse!

Museum of Aquitaine – life size replicas of the caves of Lascaux

Shop contents

Traditional costume etc

Slavery and colonisation

Bordeaux Voicemaps of Bordeaux

–          Classic Bordeaux

–          The Best of Bordeaux

Bordeaux FAMILY ARRIVE!!

Including my son from and his partner from Australia!!! SURPRISE!!!

Vegan meal recommendation – Monkey Mood (see Happy Cow app)

Bordeaux – new hotel Bordeaux with a 3 year old

–          Her scooter and helmet (with trap attached so that she can’t scoot off without an adult)

–          Public parks and  playgrounds (Jardin Publique has several playground areas)

–          Musée d’Illusions

–          Museum of Natural History – excellent hands on activities

–          JUMPING IN PUDDLES

Bordeaux Musée des Beaux Arts

Cap des Sciences – dinosaur exhibition (very hands on) – animatronics etc

Bordeaux Raining

Bassin de Lumière – The Little Prince – Thea loved it

Jardin Publique – playgrounds

Bordeaux – La Rochelle Bouillon Restaurant – Bordeaux (cheap, traditional, art nouveau décor) opposite the station

Train to La Rochelle

Lovely walk along the quais

–          Lovely animal park and playgrounds

Small sandy beach

La Rochelle Musee de Nouveau Monde (triangle slave trade with Caribbean, America and France).

Café de Paix  – George Simenon connecton

Pink Month – town and harbour lit up, pink umbrellas etc

La Rochelle Bus to the

Isle de Re – go there to eat and walk. Rich in history

La Rochelle – Angers Angers

Lovely town – many mediaeval elements

Angers Musee des Beaux Arts – very hands on – games, etc.

Cathedral of St Martin

Apocalypse Tapestries – at the Chateau d’Angers – one of the largest mediaeval tapestries in the world – 1375, Louis 1 Duc ‘dAnjou

Musee Jean Lurçat – 20th and 21st century Contemporary Tapestries housed in mediaeval civil hospital – Le Chant du Monde echoing the Apocalypse Tapestries including Hiroshima Man.

Walk by the River Loire

Angers – Chartres Chartres

LABYRINTH walkable on Fridays – last day!

Musée de Vitrailles

CHARTRES EN LUMIERE

Chartres Musée de Beaux Arts
Chartres – Paris Train to Gare Montparnasse

Métro 6 (green) towards Nation

Exit at Denfert-Rochereau

Transfer to RER B towards Robinson

Exit at Fontenay-aux-Roses  (follow signs for 3(yellow) Av Ernest Lombart

7 Rue Gentil Bernard 92260

Fontenay-aux-Roses

Lunch and dinner 11 euros compris in hostel – basic student food

Good Italian trattoria down the road

Paris Walk to Parc de seaux

Chateau de Seaux

Also a museum (exhibition on history of cycling)

Paris Walk to Luxembourg Gardens from Fontenay aux Roses (v long!)

Montmartre Cemetery – Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre

Marguerite Duras

Eurostar

Dep 18.02

Arr 19.39

Train home!!

 

 

 

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Category: Solo in France