Marseille - Pont du Gard

[mckcruiser]

Hello everyone,

 

Trying to figure out our Marseille port day. Will be in Marseille 7AM- 7PM.

Has anyone ever traveled to see the Pont du Gard? What's the best way to go about this? I would assume car rental. Are any rental agencies within walking distance of the ship (Voyager of the Sea's)? Would there be time to see some other places? If there is which would you recommend Avignon, Arles, Les Baux, St. Remy, or Gordes? If this dosen't sound like such a good idea what is your opinion of the Calanques in Cassis?

 

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Brian

[tom_uk]

Dn't know about the other places, but Cassis is beautiful and sweet. We went there with an excursion from MSC Sinfonia last year. We had about 2 and a half hours or so in Cassis, out of a 4 hour + excursion: 1 hour + getting there, via the scenic coast route, 45 minutes or so getting back via the motorway.

 

There were various boat trips from Cassis around the calanques, of various lengths, depending on how many the trip visited. We didn't do one ourselves because of time constraints.

 

We found that Cassis was a (comparatively) quiet, peaceful visit after one or two very busy excursions earlier in the cruise. I have fond memories of it.

[dbh62ark]

Have you checked out Aix en Provence? I've been to most of the places that you listed and while they are all nice, Aix is my favorite in that area. You can easily go to Aix en Provence via train or bus from Marseille if you want to go independently. The Vieux Port (old port) area in Marseille has a lot of charm too, but if you rent a car or hire a driver, you would probably be better off seeing 2 or 3 of the places that you listed. I would rather not drive in Europe due to parking issues in many places, the abundance of public transportation, and the fact that we would both like to enjoy the scenery and relax, but if your budget is tight, it may be a good option for you. Otherwise, I would recommend a private driver if you don't want to go out on your own. If you search here and in the British Isles/Western Europe section, you'll find some recommendations for private drivers.

 

Have a great trip,

Donna

[longislandfamily]

Hello everyone,

 

Trying to figure out our Marseille port day. Will be in Marseille 7AM- 7PM.

Has anyone ever traveled to see the Pont du Gard? What's the best way to go about this? I would assume car rental. Are any rental agencies within walking distance of the ship (Voyager of the Sea's)? Would there be time to see some other places? If there is which would you recommend Avignon, Arles, Les Baux, St. Remy, or Gordes? If this dosen't sound like such a good idea what is your opinion of the Calanques in Cassis?

 

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Brian

 

Brian, Depending on when you are there and what your interests are - you mighgt want go to Aix-en-Provence - all summer - June to Sept. Special centennary exhibit celebrating Cezanne at the Granet Museum and various nearby sites. They have a web site Cezanne 2006.

 

There are a number of driver/tour companies mentioned on other posts. We found one that seems moderate for our day in port in August, and he is getting the Cezanne tickets for us.

[mckcruiser]

Thank you all for the quick replies. Donna & LongIslandFamily, thanks for the info on Aix. I had read a little about it and was considering it as well. I've never been in the Provence area so I thought renting a car might be a way to see more of the region. I once drove from Nice to Florence and back without any problem, but then again I wouldn't want to drive in Rome or Naples. Not sure if Marseille traffic is like that. Perhaps we'll just have a low stress day and stay in Marseille, or take the train to Aix or Cassis. I'm sure it's all wonderful. We will be in Marseille on Friday, June 9, 2006 if this make a difference in anyone's recommendation. Thanks again for the help.

 

Brian