Marseille in February?

[Cruzer Two]

We will be stopping in Marseille this coming February on an MSC cruise and have been looking at some of the interesting options for places to tour. I would like to see some of the medieval hill-towns located north of Marseille, but I understand that most of the shops are closed during the winter. The ancient Roman Aqueduct north of Nimes and the cities of Arles and Avignon all look interesting, but this would entail several hours driving time and we’re only in port from 8:00 am til6:00 pm. Our driver/guide has suggested touring the major sites in Marseille and then heading to Aix en Provence for lunch and additional sightseeing. The return trip to the ship would include a short stop in the resort town of Cassis. Has anyone done a similar tour. Any comments would be appreciated!

Ron

[Hlitner]

There are a few good reasons why few cruise ships are in these waters in the winter. Keep in mind that resort areas (such as Cassis) will be in their off-season with many places closed. Pont du Gard is open year round and an interesting place to visit if you are interested in history and Aquaducts. But at that time of the year we would probably stick to the larger cities (such as Aix en Provence, Avignon, etc) which are bustling places all year. Just pray that you are not in Marseille when the "Mistral" is blowing :).

 

Hank

[Cruzer Two]

There are a few good reasons why few cruise ships are in these waters in the winter. Keep in mind that resort areas (such as Cassis) will be in their off-season with many places closed. Pont du Gard is open year round and an interesting place to visit if you are interested in history and Aquaducts. But at that time of the year we would probably stick to the larger cities (such as Aix en Provence, Avignon, etc) which are bustling places all year. Just pray that you are not in Marseille when the "Mistral" is blowing :).

 

Hank

 

Thanks for the reply Hank! The reason for the cruise in February is that it dovetails nicely with a Collette land tour of Sicily. We were for looking destinations other than the usual wintertime destinations in Asia and South America. And, we couldn't stand the thoughts of another Caribbean cruise! :) Would you choose Avignon or Aix en Provence if we don't have enough time to do both? Thanks again for the reply!

 

Ron

[Morgans]

Forgive me for jumping in here - Aix en Provence wins hands down. It's known as the most beautiful town in France - don't miss it.

As Hank says keep your fingers crossed the Mistral won't be blowing - if it is, it will be very chilly/ cold . Or you could be lucky and the weather will be benign and fine.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for the reply Hank! The reason for the cruise in February is that it dovetails nicely with a Collette land tour of Sicily. We were for looking destinations other than the usual wintertime destinations in Asia and South America. And, we couldn't stand the thoughts of another Caribbean cruise! :) Would you choose Avignon or Aix en Provence if we don't have enough time to do both? Thanks again for the reply!

 

Ron

 

Hi Ron,

All things being equal (they are not) we would choose Avignon. However, Aix en Provence is a lot closer to Marseille and is also an interesting city. So, if you have never been to the area it probably makes more sense to go to Aix. If you are the independent type, you can get to either place (Aix or Avignon) on your own. For Avignon you would probably want to use the TGV Train. But for Aix you can either take a regional train or bus....from the St Charles Train Station. You would probably want to grab a taxi from the port to the train station....or you could use their shuttle service (which would likely drop you at the Vieux Port from where its still a nice hike to the train station,.

 

Both Aix and Avignon are pretty large cities that are not dependent on tourism....so being there in the winter is not an issue...except for the possibly lousy weather.

 

Hank

P.S. Sicily? I suppose Collette made you an offer you could not refuse :)