Rare Vineyard View Posted July 10 #1 Share Posted July 10 We are sailing on SB next year and I am hoping for ideas for Port-Vendres, Ajaccio, and Toulon. First time visits at all three. On another thread, I noticed excursions to Carcassonne from PV, however that is 2 hrs travel time each direction. SB offers excursions to Collioure, Perpignan, and Salses. All three of these places look of interest in their separate ways. Ajaccio - I am not really finding much here. The former home of Napoleon Bonaparte, and I think quite a small town. There is an excursion to a nature park, or Ocana. Toulon - the excursions include Bandol, Cassis, le Castellet, Borge’s Les Mimosas, Hyeres, Sanary sur Mer, Marseille, and St Tropez. So many options, each with their unique offerings. We chose this itinerary because it takes us to many new ports for us. We have not spent time in Southern France. I realize that part of the draw are the beautiful beaches, however we are there late March/early April so a bit early for that, and not really what we are going there for. We are not big on ship excursions so I will ideally not partake, but rather DIY. . I know these are a lot of ports for one thread, but I was trying to consolidate. If anyone has experienced time in some of these beautiful places, and has some input, I would appreciate it. Our idea of a great day is visiting places filled with history, walking cobbled streets, having a lovely lunch, and soaking it in on our own. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 10 #2 Share Posted July 10 (edited) 4 hours ago, Vineyard View said: Port-Vendres, Ajaccio, and Toulon. First time visits at all three. I think I would suggest passing on Marseille this time around as you have an opportunity to visit smaller, lesser known towns and villages most of which have interests or scenery to offer.. Ajaccio is an attractive enough town in its own right whether or not you have an interest in "all things Napooeon" and there arefor sure plenty of these. Napoleon aside, Nice seafront walking, some beach, parks and squares, many places to choose from for lunch, and best of all, ships dock in town and you only need turn left to find the HOHO or the little tourist train to take you around if you prefer not to walk everywhere. There is also the option to head along the coast to the "Iles Sanguinaires" if you want to walk the promontory, but if not, both the HOHO and the little tourist train drive along the quite attractive coastal route to the large parking area, the last point for transport. Past threads you could browse for info and suggestions. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=ajaccio&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 Toulon is ideally situated for tours to rose wine country behind Bandol. This area is one of the top areas for rose wines although that early in the season you won't see huge bunches of grapes growing on the vines. Looking at the options you wrote, I think the first three, Bandol, (was wine tasting mentioned on this shorex?)Cassis (does this tour mention boat trips of the Calanques? )and le Castellet(a once attractive perched village usually reached by driving the route from Bandol with vineyards on both sides)will be grouped together as one excursion le Castellet is IMHO nowadays "overtouristed" and not much remains of the original village as most of it is now aimed at tourists with souvenir shops predominating, although several of these are quite upmarket stores, many with quality items.You can read le Castellet reviews and see images on Tripadvisor. Past threads for Toulon. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=toulon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 Apologies for adding that it is BORMES LES MIMOSAS not Borge's les Mimosas. Known for flowers and gardens, pedestrian only, although I do not know how "fleuri" it will be that early in the season. There will be lots of info and images to be found online to help you decide. And do dip into the wonderful Marvellous-Provence.com website which has wonderful town and city guides info. A number of towns and cities are indexed, but for others you can use their search box above the list. Edited July 10 by edinburgher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 10 #3 Share Posted July 10 (edited) @Vineyard View- March/April is a good time to go. Not very crowded. Port Vendres - Collioure is lovely. Although there is more to see at Perpignan, I would pick C. Don't know Salses. Carcassonne is too far. It would be a better excursion from Sete Toulon - Here you should put together your own excursion. Seabourn has one-destination options, but you can see and enjoy more if you get your own tour. Three good options: 1. Aix-lunch in Cassis-Le Castellet 2. Saint Tropez-Port Grimaud-Grimaud. Notice that Grimaud is a beautiful a medieval city. Port Grimaud is a beautiful modern development (1980s?) on the water with houses along the canals. If you have to skip one, skip the Port. 3. Bormes les Mimosas-Hyeres. If you haven't been to the area, I would pick #1. Seabourn usually combines Bandol with a winery. If not, I would not go just to it. Ajaccio - You can walk around the town by yourselves. Or take one of the excursions to the countryside. The Calanques are very pretty, but you will probably sail by them on the way out. I don't know that I would take the bus ride to see them. You didn't ask about Cadiz. Unless you are planning to return on a land trip, go to Seville. Cadiz, Jerez, Santa Maria, and others are all lovely and have great historical connections (Columbus, etc.), but Seville is wonderful. Edited July 10 by marazul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vineyard View Posted July 11 Author #4 Share Posted July 11 4 hours ago, edinburgher said: I think I would suggest passing on Marseille this time around as you have an opportunity to visit smaller, lesser known towns and villages most of which have interests or scenery to offer.. Ajaccio is an attractive enough town in its own right whether or not you have an interest in "all things Napooeon" and there arefor sure plenty of these. Napoleon aside, Nice seafront walking, some beach, parks and squares, many places to choose from for lunch, and best of all, ships dock in town and you only need turn left to find the HOHO or the little tourist train to take you around if you prefer not to walk everywhere. There is also the option to head along the coast to the "Iles Sanguinaires" if you want to walk the promontory, but if not, both the HOHO and the little tourist train drive along the quite attractive coastal route to the large parking area, the last point for transport. Past threads you could browse for info and suggestions. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=ajaccio&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 Toulon is ideally situated for tours to rose wine country behind Bandol. This area is one of the top areas for rose wines although that early in the season you won't see huge bunches of grapes growing on the vines. Looking at the options you wrote, I think the first three, Bandol, (was wine tasting mentioned on this shorex?)Cassis (does this tour mention boat trips of the Calanques? )and le Castellet(a once attractive perched village usually reached by driving the route from Bandol with vineyards on both sides)will be grouped together as one excursion le Castellet is IMHO nowadays "overtouristed" and not much remains of the original village as most of it is now aimed at tourists with souvenir shops predominating, although several of these are quite upmarket stores, many with quality items.You can read le Castellet reviews and see images on Tripadvisor. Past threads for Toulon. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=toulon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 Apologies for adding that it is BORMES LES MIMOSAS not Borge's les Mimosas. Known for flowers and gardens, pedestrian only, although I do not know how "fleuri" it will be that early in the season. There will be lots of info and images to be found online to help you decide. And do dip into the wonderful Marvellous-Provence.com website which has wonderful town and city guides info. A number of towns and cities are indexed, but for others you can use their search box above the list. Thank you Edinburgher. I wasn’t really interested in Marseille to be honest, so thank you for confirming my thoughts. I really do want to figure out private or DIY with whatever our decisions are. I am really glad to hear that Ajaccio is worth exploring. It might turn into that early port day where we enjoy the ship for a bit while others are on excursions. We always like to fit one of those into our journey. Then again, who knows based on your input. Sounds like it is more than I thought so thank you. Toulon is sounding like a jump-off port to decide on a private excursion. I wasn’t sure if there was much to offer in Toulon itself, based on what I read so far. We live in a wine region, and usually only gravitate towards rose in hot weather. That said, good wine is always of interest to us wherever we go, so twist my arm! Bandol does not include wine tasting but a market. but again, that is an excursion. I always look at them to get an idea of where to explore. Castellet includes wine tasting but a touristy city doesn't really sound appealing. Cassis does not include a boat. Not sure why I didn’t catch the typo auto correct of Bormes…..again though, looking for a private or independent. I am wondering if you can recommend a good tour company for this region? I appreciate the attached Toulon thread and website you referenced. So thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 11 #5 Share Posted July 11 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Vineyard View said: Castellet includes wine tasting but a touristy city doesn't really sound appealing Don't worry about it in early April. It is beautiful and there will not be many people then if you pick that. If you are interested on my #2 excursion above, you could skip Port G and stop in Gassin after Grimaud.: 2. Saint Tropez-Port Grimaud-Grimaud. Notice that Grimaud is a beautiful a medieval city. Port Grimaud is a beautiful modern development (1980s?) on the water with houses along the canals. If you have to skip one, skip the Port. Edited July 11 by marazul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vineyard View Posted July 11 Author #6 Share Posted July 11 1 hour ago, marazul said: @Vineyard View- March/April is a good time to go. Not very crowded. Port Vendres - Collioure is lovely. Although there is more to see at Perpignan, I would pick C. Don't know Salses. Carcassonne is too far. It would be a better excursion from Sete Toulon - Here you should put together your own excursion. Seabourn has one-destination options, but you can see and enjoy more if you get your own tour. Three good options: 1. Aix-lunch in Cassis-Le Castellet 2. Saint Tropez-Port Grimaud-Grimaud. Notice that Grimaud is a beautiful a medieval city. Port Grimaud is a beautiful modern development (1980s?) on the water with houses along the canals. If you have to skip one, skip the Port. 3. Bormes les Mimosas-Hyeres. If you haven't been to the area, I would pick #1. Seabourn usually combines Bandol with a winery. If not, I would not go just to it. Ajaccio - You can walk around the town by yourselves. Or take one of the excursions to the countryside. The Calanques are very pretty, but you will probably sail by them on the way out. I don't know that I would take the bus ride to see them. You didn't ask about Cadiz. Unless you are planning to return on a land trip, go to Seville. Cadiz, Jerez, Santa Maria, and others are all lovely and have great historical connections (Columbus, etc.), but Seville is wonderful. Thank you Marazul. We are excited to travel this early. We generally go in May so we are going to celebrate a special anniversary early, because we really liked the itinerary. Thank you for the Collioure recommendation in Port Vendres. I may try to find a private tour for that. Is it a full day experience? Will also check into public transport. Thank you for the Toulon recommendations. Friends just returned from Aix on a land trip they really enjoyed it. We haven’t been to any of these areas so we do want to make the best of it. We enjoy the experience of spending more time in a place rather than cramming in multiple places on a port day, unless they are very close to one another. Sounds like both you and edinburgher enjoyed Ajaccio, so that is great to hear. Cadiz……soooo on the fence here. We’ve been to neither Seville nor Cadiz. I sincerely hope to spend some quality time in Seville in the future - but we all know there are no guarantees. Seems like a 2hr drive each way is a trek…..and a ways away for a private tour (even though I read Spain Day tours does a good job). Now I am completely undecided. You just had to say that! Haha! Thank you again Marazul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 11 #7 Share Posted July 11 1 minute ago, Vineyard View said: Thank you Marazul. We are excited to travel this early. We generally go in May so we are going to celebrate a special anniversary early, because we really liked the itinerary. Thank you for the Collioure recommendation in Port Vendres. I may try to find a private tour for that. Is it a full day experience? Will also check into public transport. Thank you for the Toulon recommendations. Friends just returned from Aix on a land trip they really enjoyed it. We haven’t been to any of these areas so we do want to make the best of it. We enjoy the experience of spending more time in a place rather than cramming in multiple places on a port day, unless they are very close to one another. Sounds like both you and edinburgher enjoyed Ajaccio, so that is great to hear. Cadiz……soooo on the fence here. We’ve been to neither Seville nor Cadiz. I sincerely hope to spend some quality time in Seville in the future - but we all know there are no guarantees. Seems like a 2hr drive each way is a trek…..and a ways away for a private tour (even though I read Spain Day tours does a good job). Now I am completely undecided. You just had to say that! Haha! Thank you again Marazul. On a private tour, you can go to Perpignan first (30 minutes) and stop at Collioures on the way back (10 minutes from PV) . That's the problem with many SB excursions. They only take you to one place while you could easily combine a couple without rushing. Same for my three combo suggestion for Toulon. They are for places that are close together and make sense for a driving itinerary. You will have more than enough time on each place. Number 1 gives you an iconic big city, Aix; a lovely port town with really good waterside restaurants for lunch, Cassis; and a beautiful perched village, Le Castellet. That is a sample of the very best of Provence. You will not be cramming anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 11 #8 Share Posted July 11 12 hours ago, Vineyard View said: Toulon is sounding like a jump-off port to decide on a private excursion. I wasn’t sure if there was much to offer in Toulon itself, based on what I read so far Toulon itself is not a "destination" port but a "gateway port" as it is well located for touring in several different directions, and as you have discovered,given the variety there are choices to be made and it will come down to whichever suits your personal interests more., and for that you need to read and look at images. There are references to private touring and which routes to take on some of the past Toulon threads. le Castellet for me is thumbs down, but only because I remember it how it was many (too many!) years ago. Nowadays when visiting the area with local friends, we prefer la Cadiere d'Azur which still retains some authenticy, but that is subjective and many visitors continue to visit, presumably because they like it. To help you decide, you could check Tripavisor reviews of "le Castellet VILLAGE". for us, the best thing there now is to be found just on the outskirts, and should you want a rose wine testing this would be the place. You could have a 2 4 1 with both locations in close proximity and could decide whether for you le Castellet is a thumbs up or a thumbs down because reviews are very varied. For the rose wine tasting, Maison des Vins de Bandol Very scenic drive through the vineyards behind Bandol to the outskirts of le Castellet. This is a really beautiful location, being surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, in total contrast to the stark modernity of the Oenotheque des Vins de Bandol in Bandol itself. Both locations showcase and sell direct every rose from every domaine/producer in the immediate area with a small number of open bottles for free tasting before you buy.They also have free parking. If you can only visit one of the two, this should be it for the charming setting alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 11 #9 Share Posted July 11 (edited) 22 hours ago, Vineyard View said: Our idea of a great day is visiting places filled with history, walking cobbled streets, having a lovely lunch, and soaking it in on our own. Thanks in advance. Cadiz is actually both a "destination" port and a "gareway" port for Seville, Jerez and for touring white villages, which poses a conundrum for most if not all cruise passengers who need to look at the pros and cons of Cadiz V Seville (usually the first choices) on one port day when the journey to and from Seville can eat up to a total of 4 hours depending on traffic. Reading what you wrote, Cadiz would give you all of that, and as ships dock centrally, it is much easier as you can simply cross the road and enter the historic centre or turn right and follow the seaside walk along the perimeter which is lined with little parks and gardens and cafes along the way, and from it you could cut into the old town at any point. The tourist office can give maps to help you find your way around as the suggested walking routes are colour coded and you follow the painted line on the ground for the route you chose, although you can choose to follow more than one. Seville ison a different level, but merits a stay of a few days rather than a very few hours. We twice sailed upriver in smaller ships and docked in the heart of the city, both times overnighting as far as tides allowed. And as one itinerary ended in Seville, before flying home we stayed on for a few days in a hotel. VV Can only suggest you read read and read more of the past past threads for both Seville and Cadiz to get the views of others, also internet search sightseeing options and reviews of both. to help you decide. choose from these Seville https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=seville&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 Cadiz https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=cadiz&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 Edited July 11 by edinburgher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vineyard View Posted July 11 Author #10 Share Posted July 11 Edinburgher and Marazul…..you have both given me exactly what I had hoped for. Now I have great places to research, from two people who are forever helpful, that we can make choices from. This is perfect. I am excited to start doing just that! Thank you both again. Now that you described Cadiz with the color coded directional on the streets, it triggered a memory from 2015 on Viking’s maiden voyage of their first ocean ship. We sailed her for 29 days, and I believe that Cadiz was a port we visited (unless there is another port in Spain that does this), while some visited Seville. 4 hours travel time is a sticking point, but I need to look deeper into this one. If we do that I don’t want to be on an excursion, however, that is a long distance from the port for a private. It is a conundrum, just as you said edinburgher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 12 #11 Share Posted July 12 (edited) 13 hours ago, Vineyard View said: I believe that Cadiz was a port we visited (unless there is another port in Spain that does this) Having never come across this so far, I have no idea if any other Spanish city offers painted line walks, but looking back at any photos or notes you still have of that trip might help to confirm if you did indeed visit Cadiz and if so, whether a second visit would be OK or if you would prefer somewhere different. Our first visit we mostly stayed in the historic centre including museums, the second time was mostly outdoor following the walk alongside the sea, but in reverse as we took a public bus along to Parque Genovés and walked back to the dock from there. This is the largest park in Cadiz and very different from the little parks and gardens along the seaside route. Should you have an interest, info and images can be found online. We visited a number of times, staying in Cadiz twice, visiting Jerez twice,once by train once by bus, and on one of the visits, as we could not attend an evening performance of the famous horses, we instead paid to watch a rehearsal and a tour of their deluxe stables, and one time taking the little boat ferry(very close to cruise ship dock) the short trip across to El Puerto de Santa Maria which we explored including a visit and tasting at the Osborne sherry bodega. We did all of these independently, but as we have not yet toured any of the "white villages " I cannot comment on that option. Decisions decisions, whichever best suit your interests..😀 Edited July 12 by edinburgher 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted July 12 #12 Share Posted July 12 @Vineyard View - A contrary opinion 🙃- It only takes 1.5 hours, not two, on the E5 to go from the port at Cadiz to the Cathedral in Seville. A private excursion or the Seabourn excursion would get you the tickets to the Cathedral and Alcazar so you don't have to wait. They are only steps from each other. Don't miss going into the Alfonso XIII hotel (very near the Alcazar and a must see destination) for a glass of sherry at their courtyard. You are in port from 8:00 to 18:00. Think about it. We have enjoyed Cadiz on a land vacation and stayed at their ultra-modern Parador for several days. It is a great base for leisurely exploring. You can easily see all the sights in half a day, so you really should go to Jerez first and then walk around Cadiz in order to fill your day. But Seville is the star. And we have stayed there a few times. For a first visit, and who knows when your plans will take you back, go there. You will want to go back to the city and all of Andalusia. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vineyard View Posted July 12 Author #13 Share Posted July 12 You both present the opportunities to have a beautiful day. I must admit, as time is flying by faster now, that seeing Seville has been a draw for years. I keep saying we will do a land trip to Andalusia and enjoy it then……but land trips are not as easy as they once were. So I will spend some time thinking of both options. Looking at some pictures, we did visit Cadiz in 2015, and strolled through the painted walkways and museums. Not sure why that didn’t click into memory sooner, but It was a lovely day. So maybe it will be Seville in 2025. thank you both once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buchhalm Posted July 13 #14 Share Posted July 13 Ajaccio. I have the same "problem ". Stopping there next year, July. Pretty much everything that I can find on the usual tour websites is water-based activities. Meh. Not interested to go from a big ship on a boat for a "coastal " cruise. There seems to be a nice looking National Park nearby, but I didn't find an excursion. As for Toulon, I hope you won't be there on a Sunday. EVERYTHING is closed. Bugger all to do. We were lucky and were met by an old school friend of my wife's, who's husband plays rugby for Toulon. They took us to the countryside, which was nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted July 13 #15 Share Posted July 13 2 hours ago, buchhalm said: Ajaccio. I have the same "problem ". Stopping there next year, July. Pretty much everything that I can find on the usual tour websites is water-based activities. Meh. Not interested to go from a big ship on a boat for a "coastal " cruise. There seems to be a nice looking National Park nearby, but I didn't find an excursion. There are a few "non boat trip" suggestions in post #2 and no tour is actually needed as it is easily walkable with the HOHO and the little tourist train covering the hillier parts of town, but should you want to walk the "Iles Saguinnaires", you can simply take the local bus (#5)along the coast to its terminus at Parata(the same large parking area which is the last point for all transport) and walk from there before returning on the #5 bus. You could read reviews on Tripadvisor to help you decide. Re the National Park. On our first visit, a Sunday, we opted for a countryside shorex to the Prunelli Gorge area. Tours are very subjective, and although we quite enjoyed the Prunelli Gorge tour, I would not personally describe it as "unmissable", as it was mostly a driving tour with only a couple of photo stops, but everyone has different interests . On our second visit we stayed in town as we had not explored it the first time and enjoyed that day more than the tour day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted August 10 #16 Share Posted August 10 (edited) On 7/11/2024 at 7:33 PM, Vineyard View said: 4 hours travel time is a sticking point, but I need to look deeper into this one. If we do that I don’t want to be on an excursion, however, that is a long distance from the port for a private VV As you prefer to not take shorex, especially over longer distances, you could consider a visit to Jerez instead as it is much closer than Seville and you could DIY this really quite easily from Cadiz as both trains and public buses run that route regularly and both are to be found close to where the ships dock, trains to the left, buses to the right. If you read the usual online info for Jerez, you may find a few things to interest you, even more so if you have a taste for sherry as the words Jerez and sherry are uually to be found in the same sentence. There are sherry bodegas there should you want a tour, but it isn't obligatory. Another option would be to visit El Puerto de Santa Maria, very very close to Cadiz, maybe a maximum of 10 miles or less, but smaller and different. Trains and public buses serve the route, but we went both ways using the little ferry boat which shuttles between Cadiz and EPSM on a regular timetable. It leaves from very close to where your ship will dock and deposits you quayside at EPSM. It too has sherry bodegas, and sherry vinegar, Osborne being perhaps the better known, but also Gonzalez Biaz (Tio Pepe) There isn't a great deal of interest otherwise but good enough for a stroll around and a sherry bodega-or two and being as close as it is, a very easy DIY trip. The usual tourist info websites will tell you more. Third option is to stay in Cadiz. The waterfront walk which skirts around the old town is a very pleasant activity on a nice weather day as there are sea views and little parks and gardens all along the route, and little cafes for drinks or ice creams. (instead of crossing from the port to the old town, turn right and follow the walkway) On our last visit we took a public bus (you could take a taxi) much further along to Parque Genovese, a larger park which we explored (info online) before walking all the way back to the port. Should you choose to do so, you could cut into the historic centre at any number of points. Edited August 10 by edinburgher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Vineyard View Posted August 10 Author #17 Share Posted August 10 Thank you Edinburgher for these further thoughts on Cadiz. If we go to Seville, we will take an excursion. The all inclusive with Alcazar and Cathedral has been sold out for some time - with a wait list. The “glimpse” tour includes an ‘panoramic drive to get you oriented’, a walk through Barrio Santa Cruz and its gardens, and three hours of free time. If I purchase tickets in advance for the Cathedral and Alcazar, it might be rushed, but I think we could do that? Additional thoughts would be to break off and take our own walk, meeting up with the bus later to give us more free time. It is an 8 hr day, and I am not sure we would have time for a bite to eat if we attempt this? I have always wanted to go to Seville, but I also want to enjoy it. Cadiz, - it has been a long time since we were there. It would not be the first time we re-explored a lovely city. We don’t always mind doing that. Adding in one of your suggestions are good options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare marazul Posted August 10 #18 Share Posted August 10 (edited) 1 hour ago, Vineyard View said: If we go to Seville, we will take an excursion. The all inclusive with Alcazar and Cathedral has been sold out for some time - with a wait list. The “glimpse” tour includes an ‘panoramic drive to get you oriented’, a walk through Barrio Santa Cruz and its gardens, and three hours of free time. If I purchase tickets in advance for the Cathedral and Alcazar, it might be rushed, but I think we could do that? Both tours will have the same amount of time in Seville minus the "panoramic tour." Depending on where you stop, you may have to walk a short distance through Santa Cruz to get to the Alcazar or it could drop you off at the same place as the other tour cliser to it. Go for it. Edited August 10 by marazul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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