Logistics Help - Marseille to Provence 8 hours

[hubofhockey]

We have a port day in Marseille and I have been easily convinced here by the regulars that this is a great opportunity to see Provence (and not Marseille). I had thought about the car rental. But between getting from the ship to the rental agency (and back), parking, stopping for gas, and cost of renting with automatic transmission, we decided to use a driver guide service. The driver, Tonia of Provence Tours, is a licensed guide and that is an added bonus. The cost for an 8 hour day, ship to ship, is 420 euros (around $570) for the four of us and this will be the most costly day of our vacation. But I don't see getting back to Provence for the foreseeable future and I look at is as money well spent.

 

Getting the most out of our eight hours is what I am trying to figure out and I would appreciate help from people who have experience in this region. Tonia will provide any kind of tour we want. Her usual in the area that we want to see is Arles, Les Baux, and Saint Remy. We have our 13 & 11 year olds with us and would like to see the Pont du Gard and possibly eliminate Saint Remy. It certainly looks like this would add some travel time as the Pont du Gard is past our previous furthest travel point (Arles). I am wondering if my revised plan is realistic or if it would result in trying to see too much in too little time. I would rather have a decent 1-hour lunch than eat fast food and try to fit everything in.

 

Thanks,

 

Len

[TLCOhio]

We have a port day in Marseille and I have been easily convinced here by the regulars that this is a great opportunity to see Provence (and not Marseille). I had thought about the car rental. But between getting from the ship to the rental agency (and back), parking, stopping for gas, and cost of renting with automatic transmission, we decided to use a driver guide service. The driver, Tonia of Provence Tours, is a licensed guide and that is an added bonus. The cost for an 8 hour day, ship to ship, is 420 euros (around $570) for the four of us and this will be the most costly day of our vacation. But I don't see getting back to Provence for the foreseeable future and I look at is as money well spent.

 

Getting the most out of our eight hours is what I am trying to figure out and I would appreciate help from people who have experience in this region. Tonia will provide any kind of tour we want. Her usual in the area that we want to see is Arles, Les Baux, and Saint Remy. We have our 13 & 11 year olds with us and would like to see the Pont du Gard and possibly eliminate Saint Remy. It certainly looks like this would add some travel time as the Pont du Gard is past our previous furthest travel point (Arles). I am wondering if my revised plan is realistic or if it would result in trying to see too much in too little time. I would rather have a decent 1-hour lunch than eat fast food and try to fit everything in. Thanks, Len

 

Sounds like you've got a good potential plan. All of the options in Provence are wonderful. Pont du Gard is great and having the two young children adds to your "mix". The good news with a private driver is that you can better adjust "on the fly". If something is boring, you can move out quicker. You could also save some time by grabbing your lunch at one of the many bakeries/boulangerie/patisserie shops. Most are very cute and wonderful. Great breads! Get a sandwich, pastry, drink, dessert. Maybe some cheese. Other nice fresh things. Maybe spend only $4-5-6 a person. Eat in a park area or bench in one of the towns or the country side. Like a little picnic! Saves money and time during a busy day. It might save some time sitting, waiting, ordering, etc. in a more formal dining place.

 

Below are some visual samples for what you'll see and experience in Provence.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 32,100 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

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In the heart of Provence, this is the famed Roman-built Pont du Gard. It's an amazing engineering accomplishment:

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a sampling of the fun at a market day in Provence:

 

 

 

Here we are walking in Nimes towards its Roman arena. There are nearby historic temple and aqueduct structures that are among the best-preserved in all of the former empire. Cars are banished from the compact old city dotted with other ruins, enhancing the feel of yesteryear. The Maison Carre is an almost impossibly pristine Roman temple in Nimes.:

 

 

 

In Saint Remy, this is one of most important Roman ruins/relics in Provence.:

 

 

 

Famed painter Vincent Van Gogh had many ties to Provence and here is a monument to him in Arles. Many of his best works of art were done in this scenic area.:

 

[Hlitner]

We have spent considerable time in St Remy (have rented apartments in that town) so we can offer some suggestions. We agree that Pont du Gard is a great attraction (for adults as well as the kids). Your guide has included St Remy because its a delightful small town which happens to be very close to Les Baux (a place not to miss). Since you have your own car/driver you will be able to customize your itineary as you go and can make some decisions based on how your day progresses. Given a choice between St Remy and Pont du Gard we would opt for the latter, but you might be able to do it all since St Remy can be a quick stop. There are also some Roman ruins located just outside St Remy which might be a place your guide plans for another quick stop. One other suggestion we have is that depending on the day of the week there are "markets" scattered around Provence (they move from town to town on different days except Mondays when there are virtually no markets). You might want to ask your guide to give you a quick visit to a market (most of these close by 1pm) which is really a lot of fun.

 

Hank

[hubofhockey]

Thanks Hank and Terry.

 

The guide said that if we chose Pont du Gard, that we would do that first and work from there. I hope that means going to Arles next. They do have a market there which is open on Saturday. I guess we'll see how we're doing on the clock before seeing if St Remy is an option. She has an olive farm as an item on a regular tour. We can probably skip that in order to make time for St Remy. We would have liked to see Nimes (great photo). But that is still even further out than the Pont du Gard and we would probably have to give up Les Baux.

 

Also, thanks again for earlier tips on this port about seeing Provence instead of spending a day in Marseille.

[Hlitner]

That sounds like a good route. Go directly to Pont du Gard then continue on to Arles and see the market, Arena, Cathedral and enjoy some of the town. Then on to Les Baux. As to St Remy, this is the place to miss if you must miss something. We love staying in St Remy because its the perfect laid-back town in the region with lots of potential for day trips but the other places on your itinerary should be at the top of the queue.

 

Hank

[AngloinProvence]

Just to add my two cents' worth -- definitely don't miss the Pont Du Gard! And forget about getting a "good lunch" in an hour at a restaurant. The French take eating very seriously and a decent restaurant lunch usually lasts a good 90 mins - two hours. In your place, I'd take the advice of one of the previous posters and buy some yummy picnic food at one of the local markets: cheeses, olives, saucisson (and wine, since you have a chauffeur)! You'll have more fun and get to see more of the sights.

[hubofhockey]

Just to add my two cents' worth -- definitely don't miss the Pont Du Gard! And forget about getting a "good lunch" in an hour at a restaurant. The French take eating very seriously and a decent restaurant lunch usually lasts a good 90 mins - two hours. In your place, I'd take the advice of one of the previous posters and buy some yummy picnic food at one of the local markets: cheeses, olives, saucisson (and wine, since you have a chauffeur)! You'll have more fun and get to see more of the sights.

 

Thank you even if I have no idea what saucisson is. ;) I never realized that the French even took lunch so seriously. We have a stop in Monaco and we can have lunch in Nice near the Cours Saleya. We'll do the picnic or grab a quick bite on this one. We'll do the Pont du Gard first, then Arles, and then Les Baux before heading back to the ship in Marseille.

[AngloinProvence]

Sounds like a good plan. Saucisson is a cured meat sausage, a bit like salami, only nicer! They come made of all sorts of meat, even bull and donkey (both delicious, incidentally). You can buy them whole and slice them as you need (if you have a knife, of course!) They keep forever too, and wil be Ok in the summer heat. Bon appetit!

[Hlitner]

The advice is spot on. The French take all eating seriously (except those that run to McDonalds) and eating in France is a real treat for those that like to sample local and regional cuisine. We have actually taken trips to France where we booked our restaurant reservations before we had a hotel (one most keep their priorities in order). That being said, saucisson would not be high on our list for lunch in France. If near the coast we would be searching for good Moules et Frites or possibly fish soup (a real treat if in Nice).

 

Hank