Cassis or Saint Remy

I think we have narrowed our choices when we visit Marseille. Has anyone been to either Cassis or St Remy and if you have can you offer us any advice. We will dock in Marseille on Friday about 11 AM if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance

Ed

We are very familiar with St Remy having rented an apartment in that wonderful town for an extended stay. If you had told me that you were in port on a Wednesday, I would have quickly advised you to go to St Remy and get there in the morning for the weekly market. However, on a Friday you will find a wonderful lazy town with some shops, cafes and restaurants. Since we love St Remy is is difficult to tell you to someplace else, but when you factor in the distance from Marseille you would probably be better off staying closer to Marseille. If you wanted to rent a car I would recommend driving to Aix en Provence (a lot closer then St Remy) and than driving south to Cassis before returning to Marseille. If you do drive to St Remy, it will take you about 1:15 each way.

Hank

We are very familiar with St Remy having rented an apartment in that wonderful town for an extended stay. If you had told me that you were in port on a Wednesday, I would have quickly advised you to go to St Remy and get there in the morning for the weekly market. However, on a Friday you will find a wonderful lazy town with some shops, cafes and restaurants. Since we love St Remy is is difficult to tell you to someplace else, but when you factor in the distance from Marseille you would probably be better off staying closer to Marseille. If you wanted to rent a car I would recommend driving to Aix en Provence (a lot closer then St Remy) and than driving south to Cassis before returning to Marseille. If you do drive to St Remy, it will take you about 1:15 each way.

 

Hank

Thanks Hank

We originally wanted to go to Cassis for the artists market and the Friday market but we are arriving too late. Then I was reading that Cassis is pretty much deserted in Nov (we'll be there on 11/6). Now I not sure what I want to do. I'd just like to get a feeling for the South of France but 8 hrs in November probably won't do it.

Do you have any more suggestions for this area?

Ships tours from Marseilles go to Avignon, it is historic and very nice but I think a little too far. Aix (I am sounding like a broken record here) or Arles are where I would go.

There are so many places to go in Provence if you have a car. Otherwise, you are somewhat limited. It might make sense to simply take the train up to Aix, spend a few hours in that wonderful city, and than come back and spend a few hours exploring Marseille. Arles is also an interesting city, assuming you want to explore cities. As to Avignon, it is a bit further from Marseille but it does have charm. My wife reminded me that although we were in St Remy for two weeks (this past May) the only time we bothered going to nearby Avignon was to pick-up some friends at the train station. For us, Avignon is just a bit too big although it sure does attract a lot of tourists.

Hank

Well I would have suggested Fontaine du Vaucluse but November isn't the right time. the Luberon would be nice but again weather and long drive.

The drive to Cassis that goes out of Marseilles and around the hill at the Southeast corner of the harbor is quite nice and you can always drop by Aubagne and sign up for the Foreign Legion.

Thanks Folks:

My questions are:

Will Cassis be a ghost town on Nov 6th ?

Will there be an artists market during that time ?

I know that it will be late in the year but which town would you visit. I'm a newbie to the region.

Ed

Sorry not to answer your specific questions, just wondering if it is actually worthwhile leaving Marseille for the 8 hours you have? It isnt a great deal of time. And it is early November, so not the best month of the year for some of the towns which would normally be on a "must do" list.

Marseille is the second city of france after Paris. It has changed a good deal over recent years and is now a popular short break destination in its own right. It has a wealth of history with some good museums, the best shopping in the area, some great views if the weather is nice, and some boat trips from the Vieux Port. The port itself is interesting to stroll around.

For the amount of time you have, it might be worth considering exploring the city instead of heading elsewhere. Depending on the weather you will also have a mix of indoor and outdoor options.

Lots of info online, including virtualtourist and others, but the official website is a good starting point for ideas. The more you look into it the more you find.

http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/in-marseille/

Sorry not to answer your specific questions, just wondering if it is actually worthwhile leaving Marseille for the 8 hours you have? It isnt a great deal of time. And it is early November, so not the best month of the year for some of the towns which would normally be on a "must do" list.

 

Marseille is the second city of france after Paris. It has changed a good deal over recent years and is now a popular short break destination in its own right. It has a wealth of history with some good museums, the best shopping in the area, some great views if the weather is nice, and some boat trips from the Vieux Port. The port itself is interesting to stroll around.

 

For the amount of time you have, it might be worth considering exploring the city instead of heading elsewhere. Depending on the weather you will also have a mix of indoor and outdoor options.

 

Lots of info online, including virtualtourist and others, but the official website is a good starting point for ideas. The more you look into it the more you find.

http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/in-marseille/

Thank you for all the help

That may be the best idea to just stay in Marseille

Our stop in Cassis was one of the highlights of the whole trip..very unspoiled, lovely little town. We took a boat ride out to see the Calanques (cliffs) which can be done if the weather is right..the view near Cassis is breathtaking. I also spent 2 weeks in St. Remy...if you want small, unspoiled French wterfront village, then its Cassis. If you want more of a town, with pretty scenery and winding streets then its St. Remy..St. Remy is what I would consider a very typical Procencale town. Cassis is a village. Good luck in your choice! Sherry

Wanted to move this thread up:

I'll be visiting Marseille on a Saturday in mid-July on Oceania Riviera. I'm booked on an 8 hour excursion to St. Remy and Arles but I'm considering switching to a 5 hour excursion to Marseille and Cassis. I have not been to any of these places. My last stop in Marseille last year we went to Aix and I really enjoyed it.

Friends we met at happy hour who did St. Remy and Arles last year said they weren't impressed. Not sure why exactly.

There also is a 5 hour excursion just to St. Remy.

To be honest, I'm not thrilled with long bus rides and I have a few of those in other ports earlier in the cruise. Any thoughts and suggestions?

:)

Wanted to move this thread up:

 

I'll be visiting Marseille on a Saturday in mid-July on Oceania Riviera. I'm booked on an 8 hour excursion to St. Remy and Arles but I'm considering switching to a 5 hour excursion to Marseille and Cassis. I have not been to any of these places. My last stop in Marseille last year we went to Aix and I really enjoyed it.

 

Friends we met at happy hour who did St. Remy and Arles last year said they weren't impressed. Not sure why exactly.

 

There also is a 5 hour excursion just to St. Remy.

 

To be honest, I'm not thrilled with long bus rides and I have a few of those in other ports earlier in the cruise. Any thoughts and suggestions?

 

:)

You will be even less impressed by Marseille. It would be the very last of my picks to visit. I would suggest an excursion to les Baux and Avignon as the prime attractions in the area.

St Remy has the very interesting asylum of St Paul de Mausole where VanGogh was interned and painted some of his most famous works. The town itself is charming, but your limited time is better spent elsewhere.

Have to agree with Marazul regarding Les Baux and Avignon (2 great places for a day tour). We have long been puzzled (and we posted this earlier) about the great attraction of St Remy....for tours. Yes, it is a cute town....like many other towns in Provence. But we have never seen it as a tour destination, except on market day. Funny thing is that when we lived in St Remy (we rented part of a villa located within walking distance of the center of town) we generally jumped in our car and took various day trips around the region at the same time the tour buses were rolling into town. We still think of St Remy as a perfect place to live (or use as a base for regional travel) but do not see the great attraction as a tour destination...especially if one has to drive over an hour to get to the town. Les Baux is a fun tourist town in a really neat hilltop setting. Avignon is a large city which has quite a history (home of Popes) and is also a place we have rented apartments and spent some time. During the summer, Avignon has an amazing international music festival (it lasts several weeks) and is a great place to be...whether for a day, or week. Another interesting place to visit is Pont du Gard....which is a bit of a stretch for day tours from Marseille...but it is doable when coupled with a visit to Avignon.

Hank

Thanks Hank....I value your opinion having spent so much time in the area.

The excursion to Avignon is 5 hours....isn't it quite a distance? I'm guessing there wouldn't be much free time.

Any thoughts on Cassis?

Thanks Hank....I value your opinion having spent so much time in the area.

 

The excursion to Avignon is 5 hours....isn't it quite a distance? I'm guessing there wouldn't be much free time.

 

Any thoughts on Cassis?

It takes about 1:20 for a bus to get from the port to Avignon. Personally, we would not go all that way for a 5 hour excursion...as it makes more sense to take a full day excursion and spend some time in the region. It is possible to couple Avignon with Les Baux, Pond du Gard, or even St Remy. But since we are very "excursion adverse" and seldom to ever take an excursion in Western Europe we cannot speak to the wisdom of those that do long bus rides for only a couple of hours in a single place. I can only imagine that a tour that short will do the usual visit to the Palace of the Popes, give you a glance at the little bridge, and perhaps allow you a few minutes to walk around town.

Cassis makes a lot of sense because it is relatively close to Marseille. We have only been there one time and I recall it was a quaint area more akin to a fishing village. It is the kind of place DW and I might do on a lazy port day....but we would simply go on our own and spend at least 2 hours enjoying lunch at a decent cafe/restaurant.

But there is a huge difference between cute villages like Cassis, and historical cities such as Avignon. In the final analysis it just depends on how you like to spend your day.

Thanks Hank....I value your opinion having spent so much time in the area.

 

The excursion to Avignon is 5 hours....isn't it quite a distance? I'm guessing there wouldn't be much free time.

 

Any thoughts on Cassis?

We docked in Toulon a few weeks back and drove up to Aix in the morning, pottered around exploring the old town and market. We later drove to up to Cap Canaille for the gorgeous views, then down to Cassis where we had a late lunch (moules frites) washed down with the local wine at a little restaurant by the sleepy harbour. Didn't do the Calanques boat ride as the seas were rough but had a wonderfully relaxed afternoon, we really enjoyed chilling out in Cassis:)