Sunday in marseille/provence

We will be in Marseille on Sunday October 25 th but am finding the excursions

To les beaux de Provence not available , even viator is showing very little for that

Day. Are many things closed on Sunday's . Thanks

The French do not like to work on Sundays or Holidays (and they have many). But Les Baux is a great option on Sundays (even the French visit on that day) with most shops open. Since we do not take tours I cannot help with that issue.

Hank

Thanks for your answer. Since we do not want to rent a car to get to le baux

De Provence , there doesn't seem like many options

It's true that things are kind of quiet on Sundays. Both Marseille and Aix have tried to push Sunday opening for shops, but many stores found it insufficiently lucrative and have pulled out. A number of restaurants (though by no means all) close on Sundays too.

However, if shopping is your thing, the massive new Terrasses du Port mall is open on Sundays --it's fairly close to the Marseille cruise terminals. Don't miss the panoramic roof terrace where you can have a drink or meal, or simply stroll around.

The newly opened Les Docks shopping complex (in the same area) is also open Sundays. Unlike Les Terrasses, which is mainly international franchises, it focusses on local shops and restaurants. The decor is stunning. More about shopping in Marseille http://www.marvellous-provence.com/marseille/practical-information/shopping

If you like museums and galleries, you're spoiled for choice. The brilliant Museum of History is free every Sunday morning and all museums (except private ones) are free on the first Sunday of the month.

Yes many places are closed on Sunday.

Keith

Another problem is that a large majority of rental car agencies are also closed on Sundays. In many parts of Europe the only way to get a car on Sunday/Holiday is at a major commercial airport.

We are going to be in port in May on the brand new Vista. I'm just starting to plan this trip and am at a loss for what to do. I hate taking ship excursions they are always so crowded. Any suggestions?

We are going to be in port in May on the brand new Vista. I'm just starting to plan this trip and am at a loss for what to do. I hate taking ship excursions they are always so crowded. Any suggestions?

Yes, we can give you a few ideas but you will need to either arrange for a private tour (try to get a small group together on your CC Roll Call Board) or a rental car (hard to get on a Sunday). In the morning we strongly recommend going to the weekly market at L'Isle sur la Sorgue. This is one of the 2 or 3 best markets in all of France, but it does start to close shortly after noon. And, of course, you do need favorable weather. If it is a nice day we also enjoy going to a small nearby village called Fontaine de Vaucluse and perhaps also visiting the village of Gordes. Les Baux (located not far from St Remy) is also a busy place of activity on Sunday's. And speaking of St Remy de Provence (where we often live when vacationing in the area) there are some decent Roman ruins (Glanum) right outside that wonderful town (not much happening in St Remy on Sunday's).

Another interesting place to visit is called Pont du Gard, but this is about 1 1/2 hours from Marseille. These famous ruins work best when coupled with a visit to Avignon and/or Nimes.

Hope these ideas get you thinking and are helpful.

Hank:)

Another problem is that a large majority of rental car agencies are also closed on Sundays. In many parts of Europe the only way to get a car on Sunday/Holiday is at a major commercial airport.

Just an FYI, when we docked in Livorno on 1 November, both a Sunday and a National Holiday, much to my surprise they had two car rental agencies right there in the cruise terminal. Have to remember that for my next visit to Livorno.

Just an FYI, when we docked in Livorno on 1 November, both a Sunday and a National Holiday, much to my surprise they had two car rental agencies right there in the cruise terminal. Have to remember that for my next visit to Livorno.

Interesting. When you say "cruise terminal" are you talking about on the pier next to your ship, or at the so-called port shopping center building located right by the main port entrance? Because on problem with the Port of Livorno is that if you dock at one of the far docks (often used by the US Owned cruise ships) you cannot access the port terminal building (unless you find a taxi to take you across the port). That is why some have argued (here on CC) that cruise passengers are often "hostage" in the Port of Livorno and the only way out is by taking a taxi, tour, or the bus that sometimes runs to the center of Livorno (more then a mile from the train station).

For rental cars in Livorno (which is something we have done quite a few times) the most reliable vendor has been Sifracar (the local Hertz Franchisee). If you go on their own web site (sifracar.com) they have a special deal for cruise passengers where they will deliver a car right to the pier.

But, keep in mind that the OP (and this thread) is about the Port of Marseille, which is quite a distance from Livorno and in a different country :).

Hank

We had an Easter Sunday port of call in Marseille earlier this year. We had no trouble booking a private tour to Arles, St. Remy and Le Baux. We event went to a wonderful winery below Le Baux and tasted some lovely rose de Provence.

Would you mind telling me how you found your tour guide? Or even, can you provide information about the guide and about the tour? Thanks, susan

We had an Easter Sunday port of call in Marseille earlier this year. We had no trouble booking a private tour to Arles, St. Remy and Le Baux. We event went to a wonderful winery below Le Baux and tasted some lovely rose de Provence.

So now you have my attention :). We have lived in St Remy (rented part of an old 5 min walk from the center of town) and have noticed tour groups walking through town. But what in the world did you tour guide show you on a Sunday (in St Remy)? Just about everything in town is normally closed (even quite a few restaurants). But do love Sunday's in Les Baux...and tasting wine is good any time.

Hank

I'd like to know the tour operator, we too are in Marseille on a Sunday in August.

We used Provence Xplorer. Emma was a wonderful guide for the four of us but I felt bad for her because it was freezing cold and windy and so we raced through the town trying to keep warm. I had been to Le Baux before it the other shad not and I was sorry they did not get to truly enjoy this magical place. But we were all happy campers tasting wine at Mas de la Dame. Even Though we were on Seabourn where wine is included in our cruise fare we bought some wine to take back and drink on the cruise.

We were there on a Sunday and took the ship's tour to Aix. We chose the ship tour because it was a Sunday. Many things were closed but there was enough in the tourist area to do. There were several open air markets in the morning and, of course, the architecture does not take the day off.

We used Provence Xplorer. Emma was a wonderful guide for the four of us but I felt bad for her because it was freezing cold and windy and so we raced through the town trying to keep warm. I had been to Le Baux before it the other shad not and I was sorry they did not get to truly enjoy this magical place. But we were all happy campers tasting wine at Mas de la Dame. Even Though we were on Seabourn where wine is included in our cruise fare we bought some wine to take back and drink on the cruise.

Thank you!

We were there on a Sunday and took the ship's tour to Aix. We chose the ship tour because it was a Sunday. Many things were closed but there was enough in the tourist area to do. There were several open air markets in the morning and, of course, the architecture does not take the day off.

But as we have tried to explain (in other posts), there are some great places to go on Sunday's. The problem is that many tours (both cruise line and private) do not go to those places because they use "set itineraries" that do not take into account the days of the week. When we stay in Provence (or anywhere else in Europe) we quickly learn where to go on various days of the week...given weekly markets, openings, closings, etc. Not sure why private tour guides do not change their itineraries other then they feel "locked in" by their published tours and the expectations of cruisers. On a Sunday morning from Marseille we would quickly take any tour group to the market at Isle Sur La Sorgue. But this happens only on Sunday mornings and does not work for a tour company that posts routine itineraries that they follow 7 days a week. And this is just one example. If in Cannes or Villefranche on a Sunday we would quickly take anyone to St Paul de Vence (which thrives on Sundays) and the Nice Flower Market (in the morning). But "canned" tours have their set itineraries...and so be it!

Hank

Hank, I am very much with you about canned tours. We have rarely taken ship tours. We much prefer to wander on our own or arrange for a private tour by ourselves or at most with another couple. We want to be in a position to spend more or less time at various sites depending on our interests and mood that particular day. And yes, like you we love markets. One Seabourn one tour we do (complimentary to a dozen or so passengers on most cruises) is called Shopping With a The Chef where our chef takes us to the local market where we sample a wide variety of items and make purchases that the chef will use to make certain dishes.

Thanks for your info!

knot,

if it is any help and you need an extra name. we were on the same Seabourn cruise as chairsin (sorry we did not meet). We also used a private tour in Marseille through Catherine d'Antonuo of provence-travel.com. It was excellent. We have lived and been the area many times, but our friends had not. We visited les Baux, St Remy and Avignon. Our guide made it interesting and fun both for the newbies and for us.

Marazul, sorry I missed meeting you.

Marazul, sorry I missed meeting you.

There will be a next time, I hope.