If you had one choice of a tour of either Marseille, Aix en Provence, Avignon?

[TLCOhio]

If you had one choice of a tour of either Marseille, Aix en Provence or Avignon? Which would you choose and why? Would love to know. thanks!

 

Agree with some of the other earlier posters to skip Marseille. Avingnon would be my first choice. Aix is nice, but it is a larger city. Lots of history, nice river views, charming shops, etc. in Avignon.

 

It is "one of the great art cities of France". Its old part of town has the Papal Palace, seat of Popes 1309-1377, street musicians perform near palace; art museum in Place du Palais open Wednesday through Monday, population of 87,000, town is on Rhone River. Once the religious, political and financial capital, Avignon is today a cultural capital and plays host annually in July to the largest festival of live theatre in the world. It has some of the best example of Gothic architecture in Europe.

 

PONT DU GARD (Roman aqueduct/bridge) to the west of Avignon is a must-see with its well-preserved history and beautiful setting.

 

The more you can see of Provence, the better! Why do people love Provence? It is a region having a love affair with the land, earth and environment. The landscape is lush and verdant. Open-air markets have baskets of fresh herbs, fruits, flowers, fabrics, etc. The colorful spirit of the Mediterranean fills the air. Provence is nature at its purest. The sky is a piercing shade of blue. Fields are abundant and the air is clear. The climate ensures that spring, summer and fall yield magnificent and varied harvests. Throughout France, Provence is known for the best of everything natural. People in the area take great pride in these natural traditions for what they grow and how it is prepared in each village and every kitchen.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[CintiPam]

Hi, Terry, trying to decide if on our port day in Marseilles in May we should visit Avignon or Arles. We either will rent a car for the day or take a train, depending on whether we decide to visit the Pont du Gard as well.

 

The spouse, Mr. Military History, likes the historic opportunities in Arles over Avignon. We are slow sightseers so definitely would not attempt to visit both cities.

 

What do you think?

 

Pam

[TLCOhio]

Hi, Terry, trying to decide if on our port day in Marseilles in May we should visit Avignon or Arles. We either will rent a car for the day or take a train, depending on whether we decide to visit the Pont du Gard as well. The spouse, Mr. Military History, likes the historic opportunities in Arles over Avignon. We are slow sightseers so definitely would not attempt to visit both cities. What do you think? Pam

 

Tough, interest choice and challenge! Here are my notes on Arles. It is a high priority city with Roman ruins, including 20,000 seat arena where bull fights are held in the summer; founded 49 B.C. by Julius Caesar, population of 52,000, with Van Gogh's former home. Avignon has a little more variety, but it depends on what type of history you like most.

 

Also nearby is LES BAUX that is a very neat medieval village with great views that has no major population now, but tourist flock to soak up its history and great views. You should dine right near there at L'Oustau de Beaumaniere for ONE OF THE BEST MEALS YOU CAN HAVE IN FRANCE (lunch is more affordable).

 

If you're going to rent a car, here are a couple of key website/resources:

CAR RENTALS OPTIONS:

We have had excellent success with

http://www.autoeurope.com

Their phone toll-free is 1-888-223-5555 (North America only). But, I'm not sure they'll do one-day rentals.

Avis has lots and lots of location around France and Europe.

Don’t assume one price will be the THE PRICE, best price. Make an advanced booking at a good price, but keep check back as different specials will come up, especially in these fast-changing economic times.

 

WEB-MAPPING FOR FRANCE:

Use this website to get any detailed maps you need. Scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the directions with your details on where are coming from and going to. It will give both graphic maps and written point-by-point instructions.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/main.adp?country=FR

 

For my Cincinnati neighbor, I would do more reading, including with books like Eyewitness and Michelin Green that have more pictures and graphics. Other questions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[CintiPam]

Thank you, Terry, for providing such useful information.

 

I have copied your post into my trip prep document and definitely will follow up on your suggestions.

 

Your southern neighbor, where presently the wind is blowing like I have never before witnessed,

Pam

[TLCOhio]

Thank you, Terry, for providing such useful information. I have copied your post into my trip prep document and definitely will follow up on your suggestions. Your southern neighbor, where presently the wind is blowing like I have never before witnessed,

Pam

 

THANKS, Pam! YES, we're getting the same heavy winds, lots of power outages here. It can be windy in Provence, too. In looking over your original question, I would lean to having a rental car. That gives you lots more flexibility to see and do more. Pont du Gard is really wonderful and you need to sample some of that super great countryside in Provence. That's best done by car. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[CintiPam]

THANKS, Pam! YES, we're getting the same heavy winds, lots of power outages here. It can be windy in Provence, too. In looking over your original question, I would lean to having a rental car. That gives you lots more flexibility to see and do more. Pont du Gard is really wonderful and you need to sample some of that super great countryside in Provence. That's best done by car. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Spouse (aka Mr. Military History) is leaning the same way.

 

Thanks,

Pam

[winegirl]

Can't comment on Avignon. We docked in Marseille and took a side trip to Aix. One of our favorite Provencal cities. We didn't want to leave, it was lovely and interesting and exactly what we thought southern France should be.

[Jasperdo]

I'll piggyback my question onto ericnyc's question. We also have 10 hours in Marseilles, in May, but plan to rent a car. Trying to decide between most of the day in Arles or in Avignon. We are history/archaelogy/art people, and prefer quality over quantity to our port days. Hank (and others who have visited both), what do you think? And do your have a car rental agency rec? Or would you just take a train because I assume we will use the car only to travel to and from either city.

 

Thanks,

Pam

My wife and I stayed in Arles a few years ago and visited Avingnon while we were there. If I had to choose between the two for a one time visit, I would definately pick Arles. There is so much history packed into a small area. From the Roman Amphitheatre to the winding Medieval streets, Arles has it all. Avignon was interesting, and the Palace of the Popes was a very historic building. But, overall, Arles was a much better experience. Here's a link to some pictures I took in Arles:

[CintiPam]

My wife and I stayed in Arles a few years ago and visited Avingnon while we were there. If I had to choose between the two for a one time visit, I would definately pick Arles. There is so much history packed into a small area. From the Roman Amphitheatre to the winding Medieval streets, Arles has it all. Avignon was interesting, and the Palace of the Popes was a very historic building. But, overall, Arles was a much better experience. Here's a link to some pictures I took in Arles:

 

Thanks, Jasperdo; that's my spouse's view as well. Great photos! Thanks for the link.

 

Pam

[katie31]

We are in Provence(marseilles) from 8am to 6pm in July 2010 I would like to know what is the best thing to do while there. I like the sound of Avignon but am not sure how far it is from the port. I am open to suggestions of whether we can do it on our own or need to get a tour operator. If we need a tour operator has anybody got any suggestions

[TLCOhio]

We are in Provence(marseilles) from 8am to 6pm in July 2010 I would like to know what is the best thing to do while there. I like the sound of Avignon but am not sure how far it is from the port. I am open to suggestions of whether we can do it on our own or need to get a tour operator. If we need a tour operator has anybody got any suggestions

 

Hi, Katie! Tell us more about what you like to see and do, budget, travel style. On your own has some key advantages. It depends on what fits your interests. Marseilles is kind of "blue collar" and boring. The real treasures are in Avignon and the smaller towns and villages of nearby Provence. That's where you want to head and be.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[Destin Mom]

Agree with most posters in that I would definitely get a car. Driving through Provence is part of the experience- tree lined roads, fields of sunflowers and lavender, rolling hills and mountains. It is gorgeous. Arles vs Avignon is a tough one. I might opt for Arles for the quaintness of it; however, Avignon has alot to offer too. If forced to choose, I would hit Arles, Les Baux and St Remy (or Uzes). A few tips:

- Arles has some beautiful squares, gardens, history and of course the arena. There is a film you can watch about the arena and its history. Once at the arena, there is an audio guide. Also, there is a children's guide with a treasure hunt style activity- very good.

- Les Baux also has an audio guide and children's activity/ treasure hunt. This is beautiful hiking/ scenery and some touristy shopping at the bottom. Les Trois Etoiles (of Nice and Eze fame) is here where you can sample some Limoncello. Some great restaurants here.

- St Remy- save some time to stroll through a classic Provence town and enjoy some rose at an outdoor cafe.

- if you are a wine lover, Chateauneuf du Pape is wonderful.

- Pont du Gard is pretty neat but probably not really doable as part of a day long trip hitting multiple cities. If you do stop here, there is a museum and film about the history and you can walk along the conduit (top of the aqueduct where the water used to flow). Beautiful scenery and amazing history. We kayaked down the Gard river and under the Pont du Gard last year- it was amazing but not advisable with time constraints of a cruise ship.

- if you do Avignon, there is an audio guide for Palace of the Popes. This place is huge so if you are combining with multiple stops, you need to be quick here.

- definitey get a car with GPS and I would suggest ordering a Michelin map as well. We like to explore and found ourselves lost for very short periods of time more than once.

- parking can be a bit tricky in some places. Many lots require that you get a ticket and validate it in the machine- look for the box towards the front of the lot and watch others. It is very easy once you do it, but it never fails that we find many of our fellow Americans who are confused and frustrated with the process.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Destin Mom]

One more thing I should really mention...if you are planning a long day of self guided touring, I am assuming you are a pretty active traveler. If you are not as active, I would highly recommend a guided tour. No matter which cities you pick, this is a long day. Also, the excursion to Les Baux in particular is not something I would recommend for anyone with limited mobility as the trails up top are uneven and rocky, there are stairs and hills, etc. It is not strenuous but not something I would recommend for someone who has trouble getting around.

[katie31]

thanks for your replies. Does anybody know of any good tour companies that are in that area. We are on an Oceania cruise and they have a shore excursion to Aix En Provence but it seems quite expensive. I have logged into the roll call but there does not seem to be much interest there. thanks

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hi, Terry, trying to decide if on our port day in Marseilles in May we should visit Avignon or Arles. We either will rent a car for the day or take a train, depending on whether we decide to visit the Pont du Gard as well.

 

The spouse, Mr. Military History, likes the historic opportunities in Arles over Avignon. We are slow sightseers so definitely would not attempt to visit both cities.

 

What do you think?

 

Pam

 

All I can say is Arles is a lovely place. It would be my choice if I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have one day to explore, and didn't feel like driving and exploring small villages.

[Hlitner]

thanks for your replies. Does anybody know of any good tour companies that are in that area. We are on an Oceania cruise and they have a shore excursion to Aix En Provence but it seems quite expensive. I have logged into the roll call but there does not seem to be much interest there. thanks

 

You are going to find that booking a private tour (for 2 or 4) is quite expensive ($600 + is not unusual for a car/driver). If your goal is to just go to Aix, there are excellent train connections between Marseille St Charles Station (the main train station) and Aix. Another option (our personal choice for many European ports) is to simply rent a car that will usually cost about $120 for the day (split this 4 ways and its a bargain) which lets you explore several villages in Provence on your own schedule. The train takes about 45 each way and a ticket costs about $10.

 

Hank

[CintiPam]

All I can say is Arles is a lovely place. It would be my choice if I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have one day to explore, and didn't feel like driving and exploring small villages.

 

Thanks, Wendy. We are so slow that Arles is all we will be able to visit in one day from Marseilles, so I suppose we will take the train.

 

Does anyone know a good website for the train schedules from Marseilles?

 

Also, how far is the train station from the port? Or buses and taxis readily available at the port to the train station?

 

Thanks,

Pam

[Hlitner]

Thanks, Wendy. We are so slow that Arles is all we will be able to visit in one day from Marseilles, so I suppose we will take the train.

 

Does anyone know a good website for the train schedules from Marseilles?

 

Also, how far is the train station from the port? Or buses and taxis readily available at the port to the train station?

 

Thanks,

Pam

 

The easiest site to get the train schedules is raileurope.com. In Marseille, the main St Charles train station is several miles from the cruise port. You could take a taxi or simply use the cruise line shuttle service which would drop you in town near the old port where you can walk to the the station in about 15 min.

 

Hank

[moyaroo]

raileurope site is easy but not the best source for information. I have found them to not include all trains and schedules. SNCF site is good but sometimes hard to navigate. The best overall site for rail in Europe is the German site at

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml you may have some trouble with the stations, but if you remember that the main one in Marseille is St Charles you will do well.

[Destin Mom]

Please forgive my senior moment...my first bullet under Post #37 says there is film/ children's guide at the arena in Arles. I have my arenas confused. The arena in Nimes has this- but not the one in Arles.

 

I still highly recommend Arles. Need to keep my arenas straight though. My apologies.

[DONNAKG]

Pam, You ask a very good question about trains vs. cars. Personally, we prefer rental cars because we have done a lot of driving in Europe and love to have the flexibility that one can only have with their own car. That being said, if you are simply going from point A to point B and they are connected by a train than a train is often the best bet. It takes about 1:05 to take a regional (TER) train from Marseille to Avignon and the Avignon regional train station is right across the street from the walled part of the city (where you want to be). You could also take the more expensive TGV train (you need reservations) which does the same journey in 34 minutes, but leaves you at the somewhat isolated TGV station in Avignon. From that station you than need to take a local bus to get to the walled city which really defeats the purpose of taking the faster (and more expensive train). Driving in Avignon can be somewhat tricky (a GPS really helps) and it can be a hassle finding a parking spot just outside the walls (there are quite a few parking lots but they are often full during busy weekdays). Marseille to Arles is about 50 min by train and its also possible to take a train from Arles to Avignon in about 20 min.

 

One advantage of driving to Avignon is that you can also visit Les Baux and perhaps St Remy (there are some interesting ruins just outside of St Remy). There are other places in the region such as Pont du Gard (closer to Arles) which can also be visited with a car. So, if you do want to visit places other than Arles and/or Avignon you definitely need a car. As to rental car companies, all the majors have offices at or near the Marseille St Charles train station so we would just look on-line for the best deal and reserve before the trip (usually no obligation). We tend to stick to the majors like Hertz, Avis and Europcar but sometimes you can find smaller local companies that cost less money. We strongly recommend renting a GPS unit (we finally bought our own) which can be real helpful when in a city such as Avignon.

 

Hank

 

Hank you are a TA!!! I like the idea of taking our own GPS , but does it also work anyway in the world??? or do you have to have a special card for international travel?? English speaking Garmin would also be nice LOL!

thanks

donnakg:confused:

[Hlitner]

Hank you are a TA!!! I like the idea of taking our own GPS , but does it also work anyway in the world??? or do you have to have a special card for international travel?? English speaking Garmin would also be nice LOL!

thanks

donnakg:confused:

 

You need to have the European maps loaded onto your GPS. Our model (Nuvi 670) comes with both North American and European maps and has enough internal memory to support all those maps. Many of the units sold with just the North American maps do not have enough memory to handle both map sets. Many of the Garmins have a slot for an extra memory chip which then lets you load the European maps. If you go to the Garmin web site they have support information and you can find out whether your unit can handle the maps which you would then have to buy.

 

Hank

[DONNAKG]

Hi, Katie! Tell us more about what you like to see and do, budget, travel style. On your own has some key advantages. It depends on what fits your interests. Marseilles is kind of "blue collar" and boring. The real treasures are in Avignon and the smaller towns and villages of nearby Provence. That's where you want to head and be.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Hi Terry-btw we are just across the state line IN from Cincy.. anyway here is our agenda--- navigator of the seas JUly2oth arrive 7am into Toulon depart at 6:30pm LOL thats it.. ok what should we do? My hubby has no fear drivng so a rental it will be , rite? I dont want to see only ruins, but livley crowds , markets, cafes to have a drink, street performer, some shopping and we love to look at the boats & water.. so some city stuff & some country or seasides.

could u suggest a plan if you have time :)

thanks so much--

donnakg

[MaggieMayToo]

I strongly recommend Provence... It was my favorite day on our Western Mediterranean cruise last year. We (me and kids, 9 & 11 yrs) had a private tour guide for the day for 380 Euros. She picked us up at the ship and told us all about the various areas as we drove to our destinations. Her knowledge really made the difference between just driving and appreciating France. We were fortunate to be in St Remy on the day of the street market... where I purchased my only real prize... a very large free-form salad bowl turned from olive wood. We also trekked through les Baux village (castle), which was a huge treat for my kids.

[BobTroll]

There should be plenty of taxis at the port. Taxis are metered and the cost to most destinations, shared between 4 passengers, compares favourably with the cost of ship's excursions.

 

On our first visit to Marseille, we took a taxi to the Basilique Notre Dame de La Garde - a massive church at the top of a steep hill, that offers magnificent views over the Vieux Port (old port) and the City.

 

Then, we walked down the hill to the Vieux Port and explored the city on foot. There is plenty to see. Finally, we took a taxi back to the ship. (Make a note of the number of the Port Gate).

 

We visited Marseille again in 2007 on Royal Princess. This time, we decided to travel to Aix-en-Provence, which is well-worth a visit. Once again, there were plenty of taxis at the harbour, with an English-speaking official in charge of operations.

 

She advised us that with four passengers, a taxi would cost less than taking the ships shuttle (or a taxi) into Marseille, to catch the express bus service or train to Aix. Furthermore, the port is close the the motorway which passes Aix, so we didn't need to travel into the City of Marseille.

 

Our journey by taxi from the ship took less than one hour, which gave us plenty of time to explore Aix. From memory, I believe we paid no more than 110 euros for the return journey, which was much cheaper than paying for four ship's excursions. Our taxi driver was excellent and he arranged to pick us up by the Tourist Office in Aix, for the return journey to the ship.

 

Aix is well worth a visit and the local Tourist Office provided maps and leaflets, and a lot of other useful information. Consequently, I recommend the Tourist Office as the first port of call.