what should i priorities in Marseille?

[CanuckonaBoat]

if you had to choose - where would you go and WHY?

 

• marseille
  
• Les Baux-de-Provence
  
• Canary
  
• Bandol,
  
• Le Castellet.
  
• Châteauneuf du Pape
  
• Arles
  
• Avignon
  
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
  
• Aix en provence
  
• Cassis
  
• Aubagne; Santon Workshop
  
• Les Baux
  
• Lourmarin.
  

what should i prioritize when we dock in Marseille?

 

thank you!

[mskaufman]

My recommendation would be somewhere in Provence. On one trip we went to Aix. On another trip we hired a driver who took us to Avignon, Arles, San Remy and Lex Baux. That second trip was awesome and we really saw a lot in a day.

[marazul]

if you had to choose - where would you go and WHY?

what should i prioritize when we dock in Marseille?

 

I think you should mark up those places in a map and get some logical groupings. For example, it would be insane to try for Bandol and Avignon in one day. What interests you? How much time do you have?

 

Pick a place that really interests you and then add a couple of nearby places to your day. Say you pick Avignon, you could do Avignon and Chateauneuf or Avignon and Les Baux. Bandol and Castellet is one option. Getting to Sanary could be a bit far. Aix and Cassis is a typical combination.

 

And beware of santons made in China!

[CanuckonaBoat]

Hi! Thank you! Ive looked at them each a little but i'm really not sure what to prioritize. I don't have a wish list or specific things to see...i just want pictoresque, quaint, nice to walk around, some shops and some good food. Ideally not touristy...but i think that might not be possible!

 

I like your idea about the map. I also only want to do 2 max.

 

I think you should mark up those places in a map and get some logical groupings. For example, it would be insane to try for Bandol and Avignon in one day. What interests you? How much time do you have?

 

Pick a place that really interests you and then add a couple of nearby places to your day. Say you pick Avignon, you could do Avignon and Chateauneuf or Avignon and Les Baux. Bandol and Castellet is one option. Getting to Sanary could be a bit far. Aix and Cassis is a typical combination.

 

And beware of santons made in China!

[CanuckonaBoat]

Thank you! Why did you like the 2nd trip so much? because you saw a lot ? or were there particular activities or something special about the town?

 

My recommendation would be somewhere in Provence. On one trip we went to Aix. On another trip we hired a driver who took us to Avignon, Arles, San Remy and Lex Baux. That second trip was awesome and we really saw a lot in a day.

[nybumpkin]

Thank you! Why did you like the 2nd trip so much? because you saw a lot ? or were there particular activities or something special about the town?

We did that second itinerary as well. It's a long day and you don't really go in-depth at any stop. However, we loved it. We learned more about these towns than we ever imagined. Our meal (not included in the tour) was at a boulangerie in St Remy. Nothing fancy - just sandwiches (really good bread). As our guide explained, there's no such thing as a short meal in France.

 

If you're interested in something more leisurely, you might consider limiting your tour to maybe two places. You might visit one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with lunch between. I saw this NY Times article recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/travel/van-gogh-france-belgium-netherlands.html?smid=fb-nyttravel&smtyp=cur. The author followed Van Gogh's travels and two of the places she mentions are St. Remy and Arles. Arles is where Van Gogh got into a fight with Paul Gaugin and injured his ear; it's also fascinating for its Roman ruins.. St Remy is where he was hospitalized and painted "Starry Nights." It's also the birthplace of Nostradamus and is a really quaint town.

[mskaufman]

Thank you! Why did you like the 2nd trip so much? because you saw a lot ? or were there particular activities or something special about the town?

 

We liked the second trip so much because we saw so much. We got to spend a couple of hours in each place. The driver was also a guide, especially in Arles where he showed us the Van Gogh sites. Links to pictures are below.

 

https://southerneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/661

 

https://southerneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

 

https://southerneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/524

[CanuckonaBoat]

Thank you! You've given me a starting point to try to sort out what i want to do. there is just so much!

[marazul]

Thank you! You've given me a starting point to try to sort out what i want to do. there is just so much!

 

There is too much unfocused information on the internet. I would really recommend a high quality guide book, such as the Insight, DK or National Geographic Traveler guide books. Books with lots of great pictures to give you a good feel for what you are going to see and what would catch your interests. Not Rick Steves which is more of a practical, nuts and bolts kind of book.

 

Pick one up (or use your library) and see what interests you. Those books will show you the main focal points in the area and the secondary points of interest nearby.

 

Another good choice would be the Michelin Green Guides. They rank the places just as they do restaurants from 3 down to no stars. (That's prioritizing!) Since they also are a driving guide (they sell tires), they group the sites by itinerary. And they are French, so they particularly know the area.;)

[kcbarker]

We did that second itinerary as well. It's a long day and you don't really go in-depth at any stop. However, we loved it. We learned more about these towns than we ever imagined. Our meal (not included in the tour) was at a boulangerie in St Remy. Nothing fancy - just sandwiches (really good bread). As our guide explained, there's no such thing as a short meal in France.

 

 

 

If you're interested in something more leisurely, you might consider limiting your tour to maybe two places. You might visit one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with lunch between. I saw this NY Times article recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/travel/van-gogh-france-belgium-netherlands.html?smid=fb-nyttravel&smtyp=cur. The author followed Van Gogh's travels and two of the places she mentions are St. Remy and Arles. Arles is where Van Gogh got into a fight with Paul Gaugin and injured his ear; it's also fascinating for its Roman ruins.. St Remy is where he was hospitalized and painted "Starry Nights." It's also the birthplace of Nostradamus and is a really quaint town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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