France summer trip help

[Anonymous]

I’m about to book my flight and hostels for my solo trip to France this July. I have 10-11 days.

I’m looking at either flying in/out paris with play airlines (budget airline but seems to have good reviews thus far) and take a self-connecting easy jet flight to nice for a total of around $820 so my itinerary would be: 4 nights Antibes, 3 nights Avignon (or could be aix-en-Provence), and nights paris. Flights would be $820 if I pay for a carry-on for my return plus train back to Paris. I have been to paris many times but never solo in the summer.

Option 2: fly in/out Nice, France with tap airlines. Focus entirely around the south of France so not sure entirely what my itinerary would look like. Tap airlines has gotten bad reviews in recent years but is an established airline and they have food/entertainment and allow for a personal item and carry on included. The total cost for my flight would be $1,080.

I don’t want to pay an extra $300-500 for a $1500 ticket on Air France.

Wwyd with these options??

[Anonymous]

Have you also budgeted for needing to rent a car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you also budgeted for needing to rent a car?

I’m not planning on renting a car. If I do, it will only be for 1-2 days. I really prefer trains or a tour

[Anonymous]

Why not take the train within France? It's very French and easier and more eco-friendly than flying.

[Anonymous]

The wonderful thing about a solo trip is you do whatever you want. Which do you want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take the train within France? It's very French and easier and more eco-friendly than flying.

I could take the train from Paris to Nice or directly to Avignon but it’s just a very long train journey to nice which is why i thought about flying to nice and then taking the train to Paris from avignon

[Anonymous]

July is the most crowded time of year.

[Anonymous]

We flew to Paris via Iceland on Play last July and it was great! Did an 18 hour layover on the way home and went to the Blue Lagoon. No problems at all with Play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We flew to Paris via Iceland on Play last July and it was great! Did an 18 hour layover on the way home and went to the Blue Lagoon. No problems at all with Play.

Thanks! I am going to go with play airlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We flew to Paris via Iceland on Play last July and it was great! Did an 18 hour layover on the way home and went to the Blue Lagoon. No problems at all with Play.

Thanks! I am going to go with play airlines.

Horrible airline. Horrible!

[Anonymous]

Be sure to check the prices of train travel vs short flights if traveling between cities in France. We are going to France this summer and I’ve been shocked by how expensive train travel is within France. I think the days of cheap train travel are over. And now if you buy a train pass you have to pay separately to reserve a seat on many trains, which really adds to the overall cost. Best of luck to you OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be sure to check the prices of train travel vs short flights if traveling between cities in France. We are going to France this summer and I’ve been shocked by how expensive train travel is within France. I think the days of cheap train travel are over. And now if you buy a train pass you have to pay separately to reserve a seat on many trains, which really adds to the overall cost. Best of luck to you OP.

You’ve always had to pay for reserved seats separately from a pass. That is nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Take the train.

[Anonymous]

I didn't like Nice. It's the playground of multimillionaires with yachts. I didn't find much for us plebes to do. I also thought Aix-en-Provence was very, very sleepy. The countryside around it is lovely, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Aix. There are other lovely towns and villages in the region with fewer tourists.

I really enjoyed Avignon, particularly the countryside around Avignon. Spending a day kayaking down the Gardon under the Pont du Gard is a favorite memory of France.

Bastille Day in Paris is also something special, if that works with your timing. If not, just watch that date because the French are serious about their holidays and lots will be closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't like Nice. It's the playground of multimillionaires with yachts. I didn't find much for us plebes to do. I also thought Aix-en-Provence was very, very sleepy. The countryside around it is lovely, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Aix. There are other lovely towns and villages in the region with fewer tourists.

I really enjoyed Avignon, particularly the countryside around Avignon. Spending a day kayaking down the Gardon under the Pont du Gard is a favorite memory of France.

Bastille Day in Paris is also something special, if that works with your timing. If not, just watch that date because the French are serious about their holidays and lots will be closed.

Thanks! I’ve booked Antibes and will book Avignon.