Toulon - Pont du Gard - Arles

[ITMan]

Hi,

 

We are visiting Toulon on the 6th November aboard the Grandeur of the Seas.

 

We are in port from 9AM to 5PM - 8 hours total

 

We would like to see the Pont Du Gard and if we have time visit Arles.

 

There are no ships tours that meet our need and we would prefer to DIY anyway. I am considering renting a car and driving myself (Lots of driving experience in France as we lived there for a few years!).

 

A couple of questions:

 

1. Is this feasible?

 

Google maps is Estimating just over 2 hours drive from Toulon to PDG. So assume we cant leave the ship until 9:30 earliest - 30 minutes to get to car hire and paperwork - gets us to 10 AM overall estimate 5 hours travel and car return (to account for traffic etc) leaves 2 hours to visit the Aqueduct and Arles if we have any time. Seems possible but tight time.

 

2. Can anyone recommend a Car rental company in Toulon - preferably one that would meet us at the port rather than getting into town?

 

Thanks for any thoughts and guidance?

[cruisemom42]

While I can't give you any practical guidance about hiring a car, I will just suggest that it's a lot of driving for a port day with a small window for error. I'd feel better attempting something like this with a 10 hour port stop vs. only 8 hours.

 

Also, is your 5 hours of driving time taking into account the drive from Pont du Gard to Arles? Having just been there, it seems like it did take a bit to get from one to the other (20-30 minutes?).

 

I'd want to allow enough time to explore the PDG (you can walk across the span, even climb up to see into the actual aqueduct channel at the top, etc) fully.

 

What did you want to see in Arles? Even one site could take more than a half hour.

 

(Just playing devil's advocate here. I do fully understand the impulse; sounds like just the sort of crazy excursion I would attempt in order to see these sites. The PDG is completely worth it. :))

[Hlitner]

Although we very often suggest folks simply rent a car and drive....we are going to join with CruiseMom and suggest that you reconsider your plans. We assume you understand that a 9-5 port call really means a 9:30 to 4:30 port call (the norm). We have been outspoken here on CC on criticizing the cruise lines for using Toulon as an alternative port to Marseille (much more convenient). We do not personally know the rental car situation in Toulon....but assuming you can get off the ship by 9:30 (the last time we docked in France (Bourdeux) it took the French more then 30 minutes to simply rig the gangplank (it was a Union problem) you would not have a car until at least 10 (and possibly later) since the typical rental car situation in France is at least 30 min dealing with paperwork (plus the amount of time it will take you to get to your car). Driving from Toulon to Pont du Gard can take you nearly 5 hours round trip (just driving time) and you will likely have no more then 6 hours with your car. It just does not make a lot of sense to us (and we have driven this region many times on both port days and on our lengthy driving trips in France).

 

Hank

[ITMan]

Hilitner, Crusemom,

 

Firstly thanks for you constructive view. Just what I was looking for. YOu have confirmed my suspicions that this was very much right on the edge of do-able.

 

I am fairly used to driving distances and in my work I often have 1 or 2 trips each week that require between 4 and 7 hours driving (often just for a 1 hour meeting!).

 

I will reconsider this, possibly just consider a round trip to PDG by the most efficient route.

 

Alternatively we might just put it back on the bucket list and stick to something a bit closer.

 

Once again thanks for your invaluable assistance.

 

Alex

[Hlitner]

Alex, Since you are so polite and seem like a very saavy traveler we took another very close look at some various options for your original plan. No matter how we work the routes it always looks like 5 hours actual driving time (for Pont du Gard and Arles). We always advise experienced travelers to figure all of your options and make your final decision on the spot as the actual situation dictates. If your only goal is to go to PDG then its possible if things go well with getting off the ship and quickly getting your car. But we think you need a good back-up plan (perhaps just Arles or Arles and Nimes). Keeping our trip flexibility has served us well over forty+ years of international travel rather then trying to force ourselves into an itinerary that just does not feel right at the time. We also looked at your situation for the following day (ye ole Plan B) but since its your last day and getting from Toulon to Barcelona is problamatic we think you are forced to be a bit conservative on the Toulon day.

 

Hank

[ITMan]

Hltner,

 

Thanks for your efforts. As you say a level of flexibility is required, and we need to consider changing plans on the fly. Normally I am fairly conservative and like to get back to the vicinity of the port with plenty of time to spare, I don't want to be the ones running (or rather panting) along the quay as they pull up the gangplank. The problem with these things is allowing enough space for the unexpected (traffic jams, puncture, etc) without being overly pessimistic. DW and I will have a sit down this weekend and have a think.

 

Thanks once again.