Nice Carnival & the Menton Lemon Festival by Rail
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Nice Carnival & the Menton Lemon Festival by Rail Travel Passports Train Seats Please ensure your 10-year British Passport is not On all legs of the journey you have reserved seat out of date and is valid for a full six months beyond and carriage numbers which are shown clearly on the duration of your visit. EU, Andorra, your ticket. Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino or Switzerland valid national identification cards are also acceptable for travel to France. Baggage As with most trains, passengers are responsible for Visas carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage British and EU passport holders are not required to can be stored on overhead shelves or at the have a visa. entrance to the carriages. Trollies are available at St Pancras and Lille, but bags do need to be carried on For all other passport holders please check the visa to the platform. Porters are sometimes but not requirements with the appropriate embassy. always available at St Pancras. French consulate: PO Box 57, 6A Cromwell Place, Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery London SW7 2EW; Tel (020) 7838 2000/1. service called the baggageman, where your Information Service: Tel (0891) 887 733, Fax: (020) suitcase can be picked up from your home before 7838 2046. Opening hours: 0900-1130 (and 1600- departure and delivered straight to your hotel; 1630 for visa collection only) Mon-Fri (except therefore removing the worry about carrying your British and French national holidays). cases onto and off the trains. For further information: www.thebaggageman.com Tickets You will be issued with a return train ticket. Labels Please take care not to lose your tickets and please Please use the luggage labels provided. It is useful check that the details on your tickets are accurate. to have your home address located inside your Your ticket is non-transferable and non-refundable. suitcase should the label go astray. No refund can be given for non-used portions. Standard Premier on Eurostar tickets is indicated by Transfers two asterisks in the class type section in the top On arrival in Nice, transfer by coach to Hotel Brice right hand corner. A light meal will be served to Garden. passengers travelling Standard Premier on Eurostar. Standard class Eurostar tickets do not include any Special Requests food or drink on board, although there is a buffet If you haven’t already, please notify Travel Editions car serving drinks and snacks. of any special requests as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to make the necessary TGV tickets do not include any food or drink on arrangements. board, although a buffet car is available. Accommodation Hotel Brice Garden Located in the heart of Nice, the three-star Hotel Almost all restaurants offer two types of meals: a la Brice Garden is beautifully decorated in a carte (extensive choice for each course, generally contemporary style, close to the beach and the more expensive) and le menu (a set meal at a fixed pedestrianised streets lined with shops and price). restaurants. Hotel facilities include a lounge bar, serving hot and cold drinks, refreshments, cocktails The bill (l’addition) will not be presented until it is and more. Bedrooms all have private bathroom asked for, even if clients sit and talk for half an hour facilities, air-conditioning, TV, minibar, safe, free wi- after finishing their meal. Usually, a discretionary fi. Although the hotel does not have a restaurant service charge is added to your bill in restaurants there are plenty of local restaurants nearby. and bars, and no further tipping is required. For more information visit their website Generally speaking, mealtimes in France are strictly https://www.hotelbricegarden.com/en/#index observed. Lunch is as a rule served from noon to 1330, dinner usually from 2000-2130, but the larger the city, the later the dining hour. Food Colourful red and yellow peppers, glorious tomatoes, aubergines, fresh fish, Provencal herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram…), olives Drink and olive oil, and citrus fruits ripened in the Wine is by far the most popular alcoholic beverage Mediterranean sunshine form the basis of the in France, and the choice will vary according to French Riviera cuisine. Traditional dishes of the Côte region. Provence is best known for its rosé wine; d’Azur include Ratatouille (stew of courgettes, the pink wines of Massalia (today’s Marseille) are tomatoes, red and green peppers and aubergines famous since Roman times. Côtes de Provence AOC braised with garlic, olive oil and Herbes de is the main wine region, producing about 75% of all Provence), Bouillabaisse (fish soup), Soupe au Pistou wine in Provence, principally a fine rosé. The local (vegetable and bean soup with fresh basil), Côtes du Rhône wines are an excellent Pissaladière (golden onion, anchovy and olive accompaniment to the regional cuisine and the pizza), Daube Provençale (classic French beef stew), Niçois Bellet wines are also worth discovering. Salade Niçoise (made with fresh tuna, olives, green Pastis (such as Ricard), the local anise-flavoured beans, anchovies, new potatoes and boiled egg), liqueur, is diluted with water to make a refreshing Aïoli (garlic mayonnaise generally accompanies fish, and hugely popular aperitif. vegetables or crusty bread) and tapenade (luscious In elegant restaurants the wine list will be separate Provençal paste made with olives, olive oil, from the main menu, but in less opulent anchovies, capers and garlic). establishments will be printed on the back or along the side of the carte. The waiter will usually be glad Enjoy the traditional Côte d’Azur sweets, such as to advise an appropriate choice. If in doubt, try the the Tarte Tropezienne (rich tart filled with crème house wine; this will usually be less expensive and pâtissière), the Tourte de Blettes (sweet-savoury will always be the owner’s pride. Swiss chard, raisin and pine nut tart, eaten as a starter or a dessert) and Nougat. Coffee is served Meals included in the price of your holiday are: after the meal and will be black, in small cups, unless a café au lait (or crème) is requested. Breakfast – daily Destination This lovely tour is based around two delightful Menton & the Lemon Festival annual events: the vibrant Nice Carnival full of Right on the border, Menton exudes Italianate music, parades, processions and cheer, and the charm from its picturesque position ringed by unique Menton Lemon Festival with its impressive mountains. This lovely seaside resort boasts stylish citrus fruit’s floats and statues. As well as enjoying Belle-Époque architecture and some interesting the festive atmosphere and Mediterranean warmth, sights including the Baroque Basilica St-Michel,the explore part of the French Riviera, renowned for Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée Jean Cocteau. both its beautiful coastal scenery and artistic The Menton Lemon Festival (Fête du Citron), in its heritage. 82nd year, is the resort’s biggest annual event. Quite a unique festival, locals use citrus fruit to create Places of interest included in the tour: huge exhibitions and statues along a set theme – the results are truly impressive. You’ll find 10- Nice metre-tall citrus-covered installations in the Biovès Capital of the Riviera, Nice is a buzzing city full of Gardens and a colourful parade with entertainers, culture, excellent restaurants and good shopping. brass bands and magnificent citrus fruit floats. Over France’s fifth largest city, for some 150 years Nice 140 tonnes of fruit are used to create these has been a popular destination of the rich and wonderful designs! famous, including Queen Victoria. It is a wonderful A seated ticket for the Lemon Festival Parade is city to explore, with its distinct districts – the included. medieval quarter, the Italianate quarter that belies Nice’s past as part of Italy, and plenty of rich For more information about Menton, please visit: mansions that show past pedigree as one of the http://www.tourisme-menton.fr/ most fashionable resorts in Europe. There are For more information about the Lemon Festival, please excellent museums to discover, including the visit: Chagall, Matisse, Modern Art and Beaux-Arts, a http://www.fete-du-citron.com characterful flower marker area to enjoy, the lovely port and famed Promenade des Anglais to stroll Grasse and the Gorges du Loup along, the 17th century Palais Lascaris and the Surrounded by fields of lavender, mimosa, jasmine Russian Church to visit, and much more. and roses, it is small wonder that Grasse became the centre of the perfume industry in the 16th Nice Carnival: century. Scented leather gloves, very fashionable during the Renaissance, were made here. The lovely For two weeks every February and March, Nice’s old town has a museum dedicated to the art of streets are filled with colourful parades, open air parfumiers, the impressive Cathédrale de Notre- music performances, processions and carnival Dame that is home to three paintings by Rubens, as cheer. Over 1000 musicians and dancers take part well as lovely old streets to wander. in these festivities. This year’s theme is “King of Famous for the fortified villages that perch along Fashion”. Attracting over a million visitors every the steep sides formed by the River Loup, the year, Nice Carnival is one of the world’s oldest, with Gorges du Loup offers wonderful views and records of it going back to 1294. dramatic cascades. A seated ticket is included for the Carnival Parade of Lights. You will be able to purchase extra tickets for For more information about Grasse, please visit: other parades whilst in Nice if you wish to. http://www.grasse.fr/Home For more information about Nice, please visit: http://en.nicetourisme.com Vence & St-Paul-de-Vence For more information about Nice Carnival, please visit: Today's group of destinations offer a wonderful http://www.nicecarnaval.com combination of artistic and architectural sights.