Provence Riviera vs Aix-en Provence

[usermom]

Wgat would you choose and why? Trying to decide on Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Scenic Provence Riviera (Marseille, Cassis & Sanary-sur-Mer) in 8 hrs or Aix-en Provence in 5 hours.

Thanks in advance ffor your suggestions.

[moyaroo]

The drive from Marseille to Cassis is nice , but the town has not grown in a nice way for me over the past 20 years. I find it crowded and cramped even when no one is there. Aix has also seen growth and crowding, but has found a way to deal with it and retain charm and grace. Those who don't remember how it was in the mid 90's and before won't be disturbed at all.

 

Even though we found Cassis to be a "find" on our honeymoon, I would not recommend it today.

[Nanatravel]

We enjoyed Aix very much. The drive there is very picturesque, the town is quaint with beautiful tree lined streets and fountains. I've never heard of Provence Riviera.

[AngloinProvence]

Sanary is of little interest; Cassis is a pretty, (in my view) unremarkable seaside resort; Marseille is a lovely, vibrant big city with quite a lot to see.

 

But the most exciting thing along this stretch of coast is the spectacular calanques, or rocky Mediterranean fjords. More info here: http://www.marseille-provence.info/marseille-marseilles/what-to-see-tourist-attractions/237-the-calanques.html.

 

They are superb and not to be missed. But it's not clear if your tour will include them. I assume it's by land, not sea?

 

If not, then I'd go for Aix. If so, this is something very special that you won't see elsewhere.

[Comet2011]

In Marseille we had arranged for a driver to collect us at the ship and take us to Aix en Provence where we met Jennifer Dugdale, an American expatriate, who introduced us to the Taste of Provence (tasteofprovence.com), a delightful walking tour of the town. It was a culinary adventure as we were introduced to the fine food purveyors, sampled their specialties and heard stories of this aristocratic town.

Our driver, Donal Branigan (donal brannigan@hotmail.com), an Irish expatriate picked us up again after our tour and drove us through the countryside to visit two vineyard before returning us to the ship just in time to set sail.