Marseille 10 hours on Sunday rent a car or hire a guide

Hello, everyone. After doing a ton of research on threads, I am still undecided. We have an 10 hour stop on Sunday Aug9th. We are well traveled but had never been to Provence. Driving is not a problem but I am a bit concerned with the time we will invest getting to rental agencies and back in this particular port. What is the best most efficient way to travel so we can get the most in? Budget is a concern as well. We are a family of 5 (3 kids are 20,11,13).

Based on what have read here we would love to see:

L'Isle Sur La Sorque , Arles, Les Baux, aix. I know we wont necessarily see all of these, but based on what I have read here, they seem to be the top picks for us. We in general like less crowed less touristy places, but still with charm and history and views.

So my struggle is : spend the time, save the money and get a car and be free spirits but probably see less and get lost a couple of times (we are fine with that:)). Or save the time and spend the money and hire a guide? (who?).

Your advice is truly appreciated.

Thank you, Irene

Your first challenge is finding a rental car agency that is even open on Sundays (most are closed). The last time we looked, Hertz was one of the few open (at their St Charles train station location) but did not open until 10am. And the way things work in France that can mean it will be at least 10:30 until you would actually have a car. This does work well for L'Isle Sur La Sorgue, since this is a market you would want to explore by 11 am (many vendors start to pack-up around noon).

 

Hank

When are you going? Let's assume you get a car like Hank says.

 

If you go in the off-season (after mid-September) you can pick three places. That means you will have to choose between Arles and Aix, and you will only have a short visit in any of them. Total driving time for either circuit (L'Isle-Les Baux-Aix-Marseille or L'Isle-Les Baux-Arles-Marseille) is close to three hours.

 

If you go in the high season, you will be lucky to go to two places - your choice. Le Baux will be very crowded on Sundays during the high season unless you get there by 9 am.

 

Choose quality over quantity. Pick the two that are the most appealing to you and have a backup plan to add a third if everything goes well. Plot different circuits in a driving app like viamichelin.com or google maps.

 

If you can only get a car by 10 or 10:30, two is the most you can reasonably do and enjoy. Don't forget, it also takes time to return the car and get back to the ship. On Sundays, the rental agencies may also close early and you may have to leave the car in a parking lot away from the rental place, find a taxi, etc.

 

Hiring a guide could save you time, especially if you get a guide and driver, because there is no wasted time finding a parking spot, or getting and returning a rental car. That would allow you to see three places with a little more time in each.

 

We really like Tour Designer in Provence when we use a tour company. Mostly, we drive. But we tend to stay in the area rather than doing a one-day visit.

Edited July 10, 2015 by marazul

A question similar enough the OP - apologies if I should have started a new thread.

 

The two of us (could extend to 4) have a rental car reserved in Marseille. Our ship docks at Marseille on a Tuesday (Sept 8). We hope to take a taxi from the ship around 8:00, pick up the car by 8:30, drive to Arles, Les Baux and possibly/hopefully/maybe St Remy, then returning the car in Marseille by 4:00, and taking a taxi back to the ship by 4:30, where it sails away at 5:00. We understand that good circumstance (enjoying ourselves too much in either Arles or Les Baux; stopping at roadside cafes, shops, etc) could alter our plans, and that we might not be able to visit St. Remy on this trip. What's eroding the sense of adventure, though, is the fear of bad circumstance (taxi strikes; traffic; getting lost one too many times; missing our ship).

 

With all that in mind, does anyone have recent experience in doing this exact DIY excursion? Any tips or recommendations? We're considering looking instead for a car and driver that we could hire, wouldn't have to be a guide, just someone who can take most of our bad circumstance fears out of the equation. Any local driver services that are recommended? We've checked with the above recommended Tour Designer in Provence, and they're full.

 

Thanks!

If your ship sails at 5pm, you'll need to be on board by 4.30pm. I would be aiming to be back in Marseille by 3.30pm.

If your ship sails at 5pm, you'll need to be on board by 4.30pm.

Good point, aquilegia - we've been on almost a dozen Caribbean cruises, but this is our first Med cruise and we somehow forgot this. Of course, that will further shorten our "fun exploring" time, but at least we'd be sure to make the sail-away from the correct side of the railing. :)

 

We'd still be willing to scrap the car rental idea for a car and driver, with pickup and drop-off at the ship - just can't seem to find one. Any other recommendations?