Marseilles or Excursion, etc

[august06]

Hello,
We're going on the August 11 cruise (Barcelona-Athens). We're wondering if we should stay in Marseilles and see the city when in port there, or if we should choose one of the excursions (and if so, which one).

We're also wondering if there is transportation to the city centres for the different ports on this cruise, since we'd prefer not to do many organized tours.

Finally, for Rome, if we chose "Rome on your own", would we end up just spending the whole day in line to see the Vatican? Or do they get us there reasonably early?

Thanks for any help anyone can provide! It's our first time on a cruise.

[ClaudiaF]

There isn't much in Marseille..would definetly venture out and see Provence :D ..
Towns like Aix ( pronounced X) en Provence and the fabulous village of Les Beaux or Arles or Avignon ( impossible to do both of these in one day) are all there. To get to them in the short time ship is in port you could go with the ship on their tour or hire a driver. We used
http://www.taxidurand.com
on our last cruise for touring Provence.

Have never done the Rome on your own tour provided by the ship, I believe that they just give you a bus ride into Rome and tell you when they will pick you up.
So I guess that would answer your question about having to wait in lines.
We hire private drivers for Rome and if you do they will get you the tickets and take you to the front of the line for Vatican..

[jfb128]

We did a ship's tour of Marseilles many years ago on Renaissance. But last year we used Catherine to tour Avignon (Palace of the Popes)and Les Baux with two other couples. We really enjoyed Provence much more than Marseilles and the private tour much more than the bus tour. Here is the info on Catherine..

Catherine D'ANTUONO
PROVENCE TOUR DESIGNER

tour.designer@provence-travel.com
www.provence-travel.com

[frankpc]

We also used Catherine a couple of years ago when we were on Regatta. She has a background in art history and law and provides interesting insights as you might imagine. She had a bad cold when she was with us, but was certainly dedicated to proving an excellent tour.

We also had a driver when we were in Rome. Since you're not in Italy when you're at the Vatican your driver can be your tour guide there. We arrived early and were very lucky ... almost no line. The flexibility a driver offers really helps in a crowded place like Rome.


Frank

[brian_uk]

My No 1 choice from Marseilles is Cassis....about 20 miles along the coast. A wonderful seaside village with great shopping and restaurants along the waterfront.....so typically French.
A taxi from the Pier will get you there in 45 minutes and there are plenty waiting to bring you back.

remember the shops close around 2pm till 4pm.

Brian

[smj]

We toured Marseilles on our own and it was a mistake. There really is not much there and we felt somewhat unsafe. I would highly reccommed getting a private guide.

[lovestocruiseruth]

we're pretty independent, but can't afford hiring a car, so we usually do our own thing. However, for Marseille we passed on the city and took the fast train to Avignon. Was pretty fun and worthwhile. Marseille, from what little we saw, was so-so. Coming back to the ship, we got off at the wrong metro stop and it was a little bit scary. First and only time I felt a little scared in the Med. The cruise ship dock is a long way from the middle of the town, so you'll probably have to get a cab (plenty there by the ship) or hire a driver if you don't go on one of the O. tours.
Barcelona was so fabulous - enjoy!

[lovestocruiseruth]

Meant to add about Rome - we took the train from Civi to Rome - easy! I'm not sure what other ports are on your cruise, but if you wnat info on the following ports, I'll be glad to help, since we did most independently: Barcelona, Rome, Livorno/Florence, Nice, Marseille, Palma, Cadiz, Portofino, Malaga, ending up in Lisbon (didn't see except trip to airport). Sounds like yours is more to the east, if you go to Athens.

[ClaudiaF]

wrote in part:
My No 1 choice from Marseilles is Cassis....about 20 miles along the coast. A wonderful seaside village with great shopping and restaurants along the waterfront.....so typically French.
Brian

Oh YES! Cassis is pretty, great seafood..and don't 4get the wine!!:D

[china addict]

Marseille is not particularly safe (pickpockets) or scenic. Cassis is a good recommendation although as a starving student I used to take the public bus not taxi. You get a flavor of local life that way. Husband and I and 4 friends from SoCal are on the Aug 11 cruise out of Barcelona. We've chosen a wonderful itinerary. Hope to see you on board.

[OceaniaBuffs]

We took a taxi from the dock to the train station and obtained "senior fares" to Aix en Provence. Had a wonderful trip and it was a fun city. However, make certain you speak French or get a taxi driver who speaks English. We almost missed our ship when the taxi driver could not find the dokc or our ship. Fortuantely, my wife remembered the name of the dock (Cap Jean) and we found it with 10 minutes to spare! If you are in Barcelona for a day, take a walk up Las Ramblas and catch the Red or Blue tour bus. You can hop on and off all day for a flat rate. There are many buildings by Gaudi in addition to his church.

[KCruisin']

We were in Marseille twice. Do not do the city - it is crime ridden dirty and not much to see. The tour from the ship that billed the "most romatic place on earth" was the worst tour I have ever taken. The second time we found Louise at Taxi Durant on the internet and she gave us a private tour of the Provence countryside that was fantastic. Google her if you can, i no longer have her information.

Rome is a wonderful city to see on your own except for the Vatican. We spent three days in Rome and it took one entire day to see the Vatican and St. Peter's. Everything else is easy to get to with taxis or the local trains. In my opinion, if I only had one day I would see everything else and leave the Vatican for another time. It is one of our favorite cities, so enjoy.

[drwong]

We were advised of the same when we went to Marseille - "Africa's northernmost outpost," "the Tenderloin of France," "the home of the National Front," and so on. We saw very few of the "Algerians" we were warned about - of course, we stayed in all the touristy areas and toured the city in the morning while "they" were probably still lazing about in their beds.

There are a handful of scenic spots to see in Marseille - but we found the coastal tour far better - Cassis was more quaint and scenic and the drive along the top of the Calanques (the French fjords) was spectacular. But if you prefer to go inland, take the SCNF train to Aix or Avignon from Marseille's St Michael station. Service is hourly and it should cost around 6 Euros and change. Or you can take the faster TGV - it doesn't stop in Aix proper, but there's a shuttle bus that takes you from the TGV station into town.

[daviduk]

Does anyone know how much a taxi from Marseille to Cassis costs?

[brian_uk]

I think we paid about 40-50 euros each way....no tip required.

Ask the driver to take the Coast Road there and Motorway back to ship.

Make sure you arrive around 11 am as shops close at 1 pm.

Great restaurants along the sea front and a meal with wine is no more than 30 euros for 2.

Brian