Cambridge to Nice (France)

[Old Salt]

My wife is disabled and we have found it impossible to travel, as the promised assistance seldom arrives. Air travel is now just to intense and demanding. She is in a wheelchair and is pretty frail.

I was thinking of taking our (UK) Scenic people carrier on a car ferry to French port as far south as I can get, and then rent a (French) comfortable People Carrier (not too big), to drive to Nice; we would spend two nights on the road which will give my Wife a chance to rest in a bed.

Has anyone ever driven to Nice from England, lately? She has been very poorly for the last few years, and had to have an emergency 4-pints of blood transfusion last year; since then she seems to have almost stabilised, but still cannot walk very much. I am over seventy and arthritic, but able to move around fairly well.

Would appreciate any suggestions. We both really need to get away from the awful grind of the last few years.

(Really) Old Salt

[Buenchico]

A few random thoughts follow. (Please post again, with more specific requests, if you require further information):

The nearest ferry port (served from the UK) to Nice isn't even in France. It's Bilbao, in Spain. P&O sail from Portsmouth to Bilbao (but the route is being withdrawn in late September):
http://www.poferries....rtsmouth_-_bilbao.htm
However that still leaves you with a 625 mile drive. By far the best route planner, for European road travel is this one:
http://www.viamichelin.co.uk

By far the easiest way of getting from Cambridge to Nice, without flying, is by train. It would obviously require a bit of planning but you'd only need to get help across the road in London (from Kings Cross to St Pancras International, which is next door) and to arrange transport from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon in Paris.

For travel insurance, try here:
http://www.ch-travelcare.co.uk/

Chris

[ABerrant]

Today's thread is a continuation of last month's...

http://www.theanswerb...s/Question897755.html

[Old Salt]

Thanks Buenchico,

I guess I haven't really got any choice but Eurostar and TGV to Nice. As I cannot push the wheelchair and pull a suitcase, we shall only take one bag of hand luggage, which can be held on my Wife's lap. Not an ideal solution, but better than no holiday at all. I'm fairly sure the hotel we usually use has a fairly fast laundy service - will confirm that before we book.

Our NHS E111 cards should be arriving soon. However, with all our existing medical condtions single trip travel insurance is going to be eye-watering.

I am also considering spending a night in Paris, which will breakup the journey time.

You've been extremely helpful and it is much appreciated.

OS

[dgl1985]

I did stoke-on-trent to paris then form paris to cannes. It was easy. Although be aware the toll roads cost me around £70 to get there and If you stay in Paris get a hotel at the airports... they have good transport links to the capital centre and its easy to drive and park up. Driving into Paris is highly not recommended!! Switzerland is Lovely have you considered there?? Same journey Length.... look up Luzern in google. Switzerland has a road tax scheme around 32 quid to drive on their roads.

[Old Salt]

Thank your for taking the time to respond, dgl1985 and eddies1

After a lot of consideration from the feed back on answer bank and a lot of e-mails to various transportation systems I had to accept that I had forgotten one important fact. Mrs OS cannot sit for very long without a great deal of pain; and that is never going to change (in my opinion)

the Eurostar would be a good 10 hours. and driving, even with overnight stops would be considerably more like 2-3 days on the road.

Since we 'started considering this idea' I got caughtup in her dream, and forgot that she suffers quite a bit when we attend a family get-together 90 miles away, and we use a very good road.

The past few weeks I have watched her just trying to 'get around' in the house and going to the library and getting into a pub for a meal; I cannot bring myself to tell her that a trip to France in September or October sure can only be a pipe-dream.

I'm sorry to have put so many people to a lot of trouble for no possible gain. My only excuse is, l lost touch with reality.

Old Salt