We arrive in Nice on Monday Sept 26th, and will spend 2 days and nights, which will give us a little overview of Nice Ville. We are not planning side trips from here, so won't need a car.
On Wednesday, we head for our next 3 nights in Arles, and we're trying to decide if a car should be rented from Nice or take the train to Marseilles, spend a few hours , then go to Arles late afternoon by train. We are willing to skip Marseilles(even though DH is dying for bouillabase) but there don't seem to be any daytime trains from Nice-Arles without connections in Marseilles, Avignon or Toulon.
So--rent the car after lunch in Marseilles or take the train from Marseilles to Arles after having lunch in the old quarter?We know we'll want a car in Arles--we plan to visit Nimes, Pont du Gard, Aix en Provence, and leave from Avignon for Paris on the TGV on Saturday, Oct 1, probably the 14:05. Is it possible to store our luggage in the Marselle St. Charles station?
Thanks for your opinion and input, it's always good to hear experienced travelers share their thoughts.
To summarize my options
1.Train from Nice to Arles with a quick connection on to Arles, rent a car in Arles
2. Train from Nice to Marseilles, spend 3-4 hours, have lunch, then train to Arles.
3. Train from Nice to Marseilles, spend 3-4 hours, pick up rental car for Weds, Thurs, Fri, returning it in Avignon on Saturday.
4. Rent a car in Nice, driving on to Arles (or wandering if we feel like it).
Barb
Questions for My late Sept Nice-Provence-Paris trip
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I reposted this adding a tag for France
Barb
5. Rent a car in Nice, drive to Aix (1 1/2 hrs) visit, then on to Arles (1 hr).
With only 3 nights/2 1/2 days for Provence, I certainly would not include Marseille in the itinerary or waste any time taking a train. Pick up a car at the Nice train station.
Stu Dudley
If you subtract travel time and hotel check-out/check-in time from your schedule, you really only have 4 days for seeing things. IMO, you have too many "large" cities in your itinerary with Nice, Aix, Marseille, Arles, and Nimes. Just visiting those 4 cities could consume 4 days.
My wife & I have spent 34 weeks vacationing on the Cote d'Azur & Provence. What makes us return to this area is the pretty countryside & charming small villages. I don't see any small villages or countryside in your plan. Nimes is my least favorite large city in Provence, so unless your major objective of a visit to Provence is to see as many Roman Ruins as possible - I would skip Nimes - especially if you are staying in Arles (lots of similarities between Arles & Nimes). As I stated in my earlier post, I would certainly skip Marseilles. Too many transportation hours wasted getting there & on to the next destination, and also complications associated with storing your baggage. Plus I certainly would not recommend Marseille to a first-timer - if that's what you are. I think you might enjoy lunch on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix more than the port in Marseille.
If you visit Aix on the way to Arles, I would spend the day you had previously allocated for visiting Aix from Arles, exploring the pretty countryside in the Luberon and seeing several of the hilltop villages (Gordes, Bonnieux, Roussillon, Goult)