What to see or do in Northern Italy / Southern France?

November 17, 2006 9:40 AM

What to see or do in Northern Italy / Southern France?

I will be in the area for 6 days. Starting out in Milan area and eventually flying out of Marseilles. A few days in Monaco are set in stone, everything else is open to suggestion. What should I see and do along the way? What cities/towns/villages should I stay in? I'll be travelling by train and I'm on a tight budget.

posted by whataboutben to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

go check out the Cenacolo Vinciano, la Pietà Rondanini and San Satiro in Milan. you can see some badass Piero della Francesca in Brera. Like classical music? There's la Scala
posted by matteo at 9:49 AM on November 17, 2006

If you don't visit the Duomo di Milano, you're missing something.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:55 AM on November 17, 2006

On the French Side: While I've always preferred the Catalan region to the cote d'azur, I do think Nice is nice, when you're on your way to Marseille. I enjoyed the Matisse Museum when I was last there (it's situated next to some Roman ruins as well, where they held the Nice Jazz Festival last time I went through), though it looks like it'll be closed until June... When are your travel dates?

You could always check out St. Tropez, to reenact your favorite scenes from And God Created Woman... (That's kind of a joke, I found St. Tropez kinda gross, and expensive. Maybe just reenact your favorite scenes from Brice de Nice in Nice, if you make it to Nice.)
posted by jrb223 at 11:04 AM on November 17, 2006

For a taste of rural Italian riviera, I recommend Cinque terre. 5 small towns on the coast, linked by lovely paths along rocky cliffs. A little crowded in high season, but for good reason. Probably not worth an overnight, but a great day trip from, say, Bologna.
posted by allan at 11:24 AM on November 17, 2006

I would spend more time in northern Italy than the azure coast (my least favorite part of France). It's kind of a long train ride from Milan to the French border anyway if I remember correctly; make it longer by tooling around on those cheap Italian trains to different spots (first stop, Lake Como?). You can zip through the French part as quickly as you please, it's a straight shot and a well serviced train line.
posted by Doctor Barnett at 11:34 AM on November 17, 2006

If you don't already have your train ticket (Italy->France), be aware that it could take almost an entire day to purchase one from the ticket booth (this has been my experience, at any rate, from the Milan train station).
posted by war wrath of wraith at 7:37 PM on November 17, 2006

Several told me (and were right as well as affirmed by the locals) that Milan is only worth an afternoon. The Duomo there is amazing though and worth going to the roof of. Further, in Milan, I'd recommend the Mall (the oldest in the world?), and some original sketchbooks of de Vinci's.

In Southern France, of course rambling around Nice. The beach there, as well as the bulk of the city, including the museum for... Matisse (it also has roman ruins).

Monaco is a trip and for not too bad a loss, you can say you've gambled in Monte Carlo and even The Casino. (10 euros and a passport to get in, nice dress needed, most bets start at 25 euros.)

Aix-en-Provence is worth wandering around, mainly in the centre-ville (it's hard to miss).

I missed the alps when I was there and that was a mistake. Go for it.

Peace and godspeed. (Oh, yeah, and Avignon. The history and palaces there are great, as well as plenty of great chateaus throughout every part of southern France)
posted by gbinal at 10:16 PM on November 24, 2006