Toulon or La Seyne-Sur-Mer

[first_time_dav]

Does anyone know if the Indy actually docks in Toulon or in La Seyne-Sur-Mer? Very confused!

[RlrCstr]

last year we did not actually dock in Toulon.

We docked on the other side of the navy base and took shuttle boats

for a short ride across the bay. the boats were constantly running in both directions, so there was little waiting time to board one.

almost like being in a tender port.

[first_time_dav]

Thanks for your reply. Is it obvious that you are in La Seyne-Sur-Mer? I read on the message board that a person spent the day in La Seyne-Sur-Mer thinking they were in Toulon as they weren't told anything different by the ship staff.

[jennywren46]

Indy docks at la Seyne-Sur-Mer or it has done the three times we've been there. There's also a bus shuttle that takes you into Toulon , if you haven't been to that part of the world before I'd strongly advise you to take a tour as there really isn't a lot to do in Toulon it's pleasant enough but nothing compared to other places in the area IMHO .

[Verfai]

It has always been like this, they ships NEVER docks in Toulon...Why they do this, I have no clue.

Head to the right when you get out of thee port, you will hit the town center of LSSM after a 15min walk , you can take a bus or a water taxi to Toulon from that point.

[TravelerThom]

It has always been like this, they ships NEVER docks in Toulon...Why they do this, I have no clue...

Only smaller cruise ships can dock in Toulon itself. I'm not sure of the size cut-off, but pretty sure that Toulon can not handle 90,000GRT, and quite likely the maximum is considerably below that.

 

Thom

[first_time_dav]

I don't know why they don't list the correct port on the itinerary? I know there's lots of different places to travel to in the area but we wanted to keep it simple and relaxed as it is the first port of four back to back ports incl Rome and Florence/Pisa. I fear we'll be flagging as we have a 7 year old and there's a lot of walking involved with the other trips.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Verfai]

I don't know why they don't list the correct port on the itinerary? I know there's lots of different places to travel to in the area but we wanted to keep it simple and relaxed as it is the first port of four back to back ports incl Rome and Florence/Pisa. I fear we'll be flagging as we have a 7 year old and there's a lot of walking involved with the other trips.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

My advise, if you want to get off the ship, just go for a walk, on the 15 walk I told you about you will pass through a very impressive park at the sea side, its a great picture moment with ship in the background :D.

Also the town center of LSSM has a few bars where you can sit and have a drink, there is also a fisherman's harbour you can walk through.

[cruiseathon]

My advice is not to leave La Seyne Sur Mer port. The shuttle boats to Toulon run from the quay adjacent to Independence, so there's no need to leave the port to catch one. There is NO reason to walk into La Seyne and wait for the (irregular) ferry service (navette) or bus.

Edited July 28, 2014 by cruiseathon

[TravelerThom]

I don't know why they don't list the correct port on the itinerary? I know there's lots of different places to travel to in the area but we wanted to keep it simple and relaxed as it is the first port of four back to back ports incl Rome and Florence/Pisa. I fear we'll be flagging as we have a 7 year old and there's a lot of walking involved with the other trips.

I do hope you know that La Seyne Sur Mer is MUCH closer to Toulon, than Livorno is to Florence or Civitavecchia is to Rome. You can actually see Toulon from where you will dock in La Seyne Sur Mer; it is maybe a 10 minute walk to the relatively short ferry ride into Toulon. Absolutely no way that you will be viewing Rome, Florence or Pisa from your other docks. You are looking at well over an hour and generally multiple conveyances in the other ports to get into the listed city.

[first_time_dav]

I do hope you know that La Seyne Sur Mer is MUCH closer to Toulon, than Livorno is to Florence or Civitavecchia is to Rome. You can actually see Toulon from where you will dock in La Seyne Sur Mer; it is maybe a 10 minute walk to the relatively short ferry ride into Toulon. Absolutely no way that you will be viewing Rome, Florence or Pisa from your other docks. You are looking at well over an hour and generally multiple conveyances in the other ports to get into the listed city.

 

Yes I know, we have excursions booked for those ports as they are some distance. Thanks.

[beryl patricia]

Hi we have just returned form our med cruise. We docked at la seyne sur mer on a Sunday. We weren't going to get off but saw a road train from the balcony and went to investigate it was going into la seyne sur mer 5 euro per person return (or was is 4?!). The walk would have been a nice stretch of the legs but not a particularly pretty walk. The little town didn't look much but go a street behind and it is lovely, very French with a lovely fresh Sunday food market. Lots of cafés and cake shops yum!!

 

Indy were charging $18 for the ferry to toulon (there was no mention of a shuttle bus) and they were saying to get the ticket from the excursion desk on the ship to beat the queues on the dock. Later in the evening we were talking to someone who had done research on internet and it was possible to get a ticket for the boat for only €4 - a different boat just round the corner. When they went to the ticket office on the dock one person said it wasn't available but another said it was and they got the tickets.

 

There are queues and people said there wasn't much in toulon but it was a Sunday. I think there were some bikes on the dock which you could rent and there was a sign to the beach but I don't know how far that was.

 

Have a great cruise - hope this helps.

[shipgeeks]

We docked at LSSM a couple of years ago, with no excursions planned. In looking for the ferry to Toulon, we ended up walking to LSSM via the waterfront park, and enjoyed the morning so much that we went back again for the afternoon.

The park includes a history of the former shipbuilding site, and a tourist lookout tower that was originally a railway bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel. The town itself felt real, not touristy, with produce markets, flea markets, and interesting streets, shops, and churches.

From the ship you can see the ships of the French Navy, across the bay at Toulon, and on your way out at the end of the day, stand on an open deck to experience the Mistral.

[TravelerThom]

...From the ship you can see the ships of the French Navy, across the bay at Toulon, and on your way out at the end of the day, stand on an open deck to experience the Mistral.

If you take the ferry from the LSSM dock to Toulon you get an up close view of much of the French Navy. I have in a single visit seen the only French aircraft carrier (CDG) and all three of their Mistral class amphibious assault ships (helicopter carriers) and many other vessels including a US submarine making a courtesy call. [The French are building two Mistral ships for the Russian Navy; it will be interesting to see how that sales contract comes out given the current issues.] Fitting that the Mistral ships are often docked where they can feel the Mistral wind.

 

Thom