What to do in Toulon France?????

Hi Guys.

Stopping at Toulon for 1 day on our 12 Night Grand Med Cruise and just wondering what to do there at this port.

Cheers Bob.:p

Hi Guys.

 

Stopping at Toulon for 1 day on our 12 Night Grand Med Cruise and just wondering what to do there at this port.

 

 

 

Cheers Bob.:p

We have stopped at Toulon on two of our cruises - the latter was just 2 weeks ago. The first time we went on an excursion to Cassis (lovely) but this time decided to stay in Toulon and we are so glad we did

There is a fascinating Naval Museum that should not be missed - we were in there for 2 hours and could have happily stayed all day. Entry is only 6€ including an excellent audio guide but cruise passengers get a 1.50€ discount on production of your boarding card.

There is a cable car up above the town - you need to get a bus from the port as it is a fair walk. You can buy a combined bus and cable car ticket that is cheaper than 2 separate fares.

Every day (except Monday) there is a superb street market that is very large and very well priced for local produce. Very much a locals market rather than a touristy one.

A ´petit train´ runs from the port all around the town with 2 stops where you can get off and catch a later train back to your ship. The first stop was a very attractive park/lido area and the second on the seafront projmenade. Fare was 7€ that we thought was good value - if you don´t get off mis trip the full circle ride takes 45 minutes.

The promenade area has some excellent restaurants and prices were very good compared with other French resorts we have visited.

We loved Toulon - it is so compact and not full of tourists (usually only one cruise ship in at a time). Atmosphere was even better the day we were in this month as Toulon were playing Leinster (Ireland) at the Rugby ground so there were a lot of fans of both teams out and about / enjoying the wonderful weather.

Just before getting back on board the port terminal has a small indoor market where local Marseille Olive Oil Soap is a good buy.

Hope this has helped a bit. I am sure you will love your day in Toulon - we will certainly return.

We did a tour to Aix-en-Provence. Lovely 1/2 day tour. The old town area is all walkable and lots to see. Stopped for some French crepes and coffee too. Provence is beautiful.

The Toulon tourism website has a page with information specifically for cruise ship passengers: http://toulontourisme.com/en/office-de-tourisme/traveller-information/day-call-in-toulon/

Thanx everyone for your help. Much appreciated.

Cheers Bob.:)

We did the cable car. If I were you I would pass, there are better ways to spend 2-3 hours.

After the cable car we went to a store, got some stuff for a picnic. That was fun!

We did as a prior poster did...the Naval Museum and the wonderful street market. DD and family did the market with us, then took the public bus to the beach, which she and the family loved. There is a tourist office right by the market and they are happy to help you with instructions for getting the bus. Also, the ship does not dock right in Toulon but the cruise line had a boat transfer and tickets were sold right as you disembarked.

We enjoyed a leisurely day as the next three days were full days of touring. If you are on the Grand Med. Cruise, I assume you are on Princess and that is what we did last year...excellent!!;)

Can you recommend a tour company to take us from the port in Toulon to Aix and back? We will have about 7 hours before the ship leaves. Are the lavender fields and olive groves far?

We went to Cassis and then visited three calanques on a small boat! Loved it!

We went to Cassis and then visited three calanques on a small boat! Loved it!

Hi Lauren and John,

Did you do this on your own? How did you get to Cassis? Did you book the boat in advance?

Thanks

Can you recommend a tour company to take us from the port in Toulon to Aix and back? We will have about 7 hours before the ship leaves. Are the lavender fields and olive groves far?

From Toulon, our family visited Aix en Provence with http://www.privateshoretrips.com. The guide could have taken us to a lavender field but we were there too early. The bloom happens Jun, Jul and Aug. The guide was really nice, especially with my mother in law who cannot walk very well.

We will be using Provence Connections (just google them) in July. Can't give you a review yet but the itinerary is nice, it is reasonably priced, and they responded promptly to emails.

Here are two signs I noticed at La Seyne Sur Mer, when reboarding the ship. They might have been of more help when getting off ;)

When we were in Toulon, we took Le Petit Train to a very lovely, full service beach, and spent the day there.

Our ship was in Toulon on a Sunday...sorry but JMHO the town seemed closed...so do plan something.

We were also in Toulon on a Sunday. We went to Aix. There were places in town that were closed but the tourist places were open and, of course, the architecture was open. I don't know if it was because it was a Sunday, but there were no crowds.

So the ship doesn't actually dock in Toulon? I have to get a boat across to Toulon? Is this provided buy the cruise line or do we pay for this ourselves? We are due to arrive there on RCI Independence of the Seas. If we don't dock in Toulon then it is misleading for RCI to list it as a port of call. Please help, confused!

So the ship doesn't actually dock in Toulon? I have to get a boat across to Toulon? Is this provided buy the cruise line or do we pay for this ourselves? We are due to arrive there on RCI Independence of the Seas. If we don't dock in Toulon then it is misleading for RCI to list it as a port of call. Please help, confused!

The ship I was on docked right in Toulon. They have a full cruise terminal with airport style gangways. A few steps outside the terminal building is Le Petit Train, so virtually no walking required.

I was on Liberty OTS (RCI) and we did dock across the bay from Toulon. Who docks where might be a function of how many ships are in port.

I was also on RCI Liberty and the ship offered a shuttlebus ($) which was a quick easy ride.

I highly recommend Provence Wine Tours: http://www.provencewinetours.com

We had a terrific experience with them on our stop in Toulon. They pick you up right at the port and drive you to local wineries in a group of 8-10 people. It is the perfect size for tastings. They also dropped us off in Cassis for lunch and drove us up to the cliffs above the town for a nice photo op.

I highly recommend Provence Wine Tours: http://www.provencewinetours.com

 

We had a terrific experience with them on our stop in Toulon. They pick you up right at the port and drive you to local wineries in a group of 8-10 people. It is the perfect size for tastings. They also dropped us off in Cassis for lunch and drove us up to the cliffs above the town for a nice photo op.

Another thumbs up for Provence Wine Tours.

Just returned from a 12 nighter and our tour with them was definitely one of the highlights. Great service, knowledgeable and friendly.

We did the Bandol/Cassis tour.

We were on the Celebrity Equinox in Sept 2014. The last port was Toulon. We took the shuttle that was to give us 4 hours. When we got to the shuttle we saw that the actual time was only 3.5hrs. Traffic from the pier to Toulon took .5hrs going. Coming back was faster. We were back 2hrs before the ship left. So a very short time for $40 of shuttle.

Here is what I would do if I had to do it over again. I would rent a bike right outside the port gate. Just look down at the pier from the ship and see if you see them. I would then ride away from the direction of Toulon and explore the very scenic bays where no one else is headed. The road was not busy in that direction.

We were on the Celebrity Equinox in Sept 2014. The last port was Toulon. We took the shuttle that was to give us 4 hours. When we got to the shuttle we saw that the actual time was only 3.5hrs. Traffic from the pier to Toulon took .5hrs going. Coming back was faster. We were back 2hrs before the ship left. So a very short time for $40 of shuttle.

 

Here is what I would do if I had to do it over again. I would rent a bike right outside the port gate. Just look down at the pier from the ship and see if you see them. I would then ride away from the direction of Toulon and explore the very scenic bays where no one else is headed. The road was not busy in that direction.

I think renting bikes sounds perfect. Thank you for this post!

We have just returned from a cruise on the Celebrity Equinox; our last port of call was Toulon, and we were delighted to find the rental bikes at the pier. The owner, Philip, was extremely helpful, providing a map and suggestions.

We cycled into Toulon, stopping at La Seyne sur Mer, then took the navibus back across the harbour with our bikes to continue our ride to a beach at Les Sablettes. The total cost for the day was 10 Euro each - a very economical way to tour the area.

The company is "Ma Bicyclette Bleue".

http://www.mabicyclettebleue.com/

Have fun!