French Riviera vs Italian Riveria

[rich51783]

Hey there. I'll be backpacking around Western Europe for about 3 weeks. I'll have a week left after I'm done with Interlaken and I'm trying to figure out where to go. It will be early June, so I'd like get down to some beaches.

How does the French Riveria compare to the Italian Riveria? Has anyone been to Cissis, France? I'm looking for places that aren't the "main attractions" and trying to avoid big cities. If I go France, I'm going to try to get to Spain. If I go Italy, I probably will have to miss Spain. I'll be traveling with a Eurail pass. Is hitting Chinqua Terra worth missing out on Barcelona? Sporting events and music scenes are important.

Thanks!

[madamtrashheap]

rich51783, welcome to the Boards.

Apr 21, 2008 2:24:28 GMT -5 rich51783 said:

Is hitting Chinqua Terra worth missing out on Barcelona? Sporting events and music scenes are important.

Cinque Terre (CT) has a lot to offer in terms of scenery, relaxed walks (or hikes if you want to hit the trails further up the hills) and great food, but not so much in terms of sporting events and music performances. It does, however, fit the bill in terms of quieter places - of course this is nulified in the height of Summer. Early June will be busier with tourists in CT, but then that applies to all of Europe. There are also beaches to lie on, the better ones being in Monterosso al Mare, and boat trips between villages to take.

The French Riviera is an entirely different animal - it can be glam or it can be laid back, depending on where you are. Cassis (I'm guessing this is where you mean and not "Cissis"?) is a beautiful little harbour town that is further down the coast from the "traditional" Côte d'Azur places of Nice, Cannes, Antibes, etc. It's a little like CT in that it's a pretty town with harbourside houses, but has a very distinct French feel and offers more in terms of beaches, etc.

As David mentioned, you could do Italy and then fly to Spain, thus skipping the French Riviera, but again it depends on which places are your priority "must-sees". Barcelona is an amazing city so if you can keep it in then I'd do so. And there are also cheap flights from Marseille to Barca, so don't be too stuck on the train travel - you'll save time and see more.