Nice Trains

Hello all,

Just booked my honeymoon to Paris and NIce, but need some advice as to the train schedules and length of travel time.

Will need a train from Paris to Nice on August 24th and will need a train from Nice to Lyon (have to fly out of Lyon long story) on August 27th or 28th.

We also want to take the train to Monaco for a day, this all being said would you guys recommend a France Rail pass with the 3 days of train travel in one month?

Also are there direct trains from Nice to Lyons or do they only go through Marseilles?

Any help with Train scheduling and length of train travel time would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

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Travel times:

Paris-Nice 5.5-6 hours

Nice-Monaco ~20 minutes

Nice-Lyon ~4.5 hours and yes there are several direct trains daily.

Whether to buy a railpass depends on the cost compared to point-to-point tickets. The lowest fares, known as PREMS, are deeply discounted but non-refundable and cannot be changed once booked. You need to book these as close as possible to exactly three months prior to your travel date as they disappear fast at busy travel times. At the upper end there will be some variation in price based on the day of the week and time of departure. There are discounts for two people travelling together on long-distance trains but generally with restrictions (RT travel, Saturday night stay — that kind of thing.). This will give you an idea of the range of prices in both first and second class:

Paris-Nice: Second class 35€ - ~110€; first class 45€ - ~160€

Nice-Lyon: Second class 35€ - ~70€; first class 45€ - ~100€

Nice-Monaco: ~10€ RT, second class only on most trains.

Check timetables and book tickets at voyages-sncf.com or you might do just as well at raileurope.co.uk

You might think about flying from Paris to Nice with EasyJet who operate flights from both Orly and CDG. Could save you a couple of hours and *might* save you a few €uros.

Have a wonderful honeymon — and an even better marriage!

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THanks for your advice and help, is there a big difference between the first class Train travel and the second class?

If I purchase a French Rail pass in advance it is going to be about $224 Canadian per person which is roughly about 140 Euros per person for three days of travel within one month. So it looks like it will be more advantageous depending on the prices of course.

Thanks again

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First class will provide you with *slightly* wider and more comfortable seats and a bit more space as the aisles are wider (2+1 seating vs. 2+2).

Don%26#39;t forget that you will need to add the cost of reservations (possibly plus supplements) to the cost of the rail pass, and perhaps shipping as well. Ideally first class PREMS for the two long trips is what I would go for. If you can snag them at 45€ you should come out well ahead.

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