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South of France - a big place... looking for advice!

South of France - a big place... looking for advice!

Old Jun 29th, 2015, 10:17 AM
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South of France - a big place... looking for advice!

Hi everyone. I am going to be traveling with my girlfriend to the south of France for a few short days - arriving September 24th and leaving the 28th and am looking for some assistance. As you all know, the south is a big place and I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the options! We have been debating on staying in Aix en Provence - taking day trips to Cassis, Avingon, etc - or traveling to Nice and exploring from there. We are not adverse to renting a car if it's the best option for getting around, but I also hear public transportation is excellent.

Our issue is finding the place a location that suits what we are looking for. Ideally we are looking for a beach setting that is relaxing (but not too small!), full of great food, accessible, and without the ritz, glamour and exorbitant prices (something we hear which is common in Nice). We will be heading to Paris afterwards, so we are looking to do our relaxation first . If any of you have recommendations on where we should head using this criteria, it would be most appreciated.

Thanks all!
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Old Jun 29th, 2015, 11:18 AM
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Cassis would be hard to get to perhaps by public transit - the rest are a snap by rail - I would stay in the Nice area - head for Antibes for less glitz and better sandier beaches - Nice' is all pebbles. Nice has several nice things besides the beach. I would base in Avignon because it has so so many easy day trips by train or bus - Arles, St-Remy-de-Provence, Les Baux, the Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct, and Avignon itself. Aix is nice but more isolated from easy well known places to day trip to.

For lots of great info on trains in this area - commuter trains trundle along the Riviera constantly between St Raphael and the Italian border at Ventimiglia. TGV trains run between Aix and Avignon and Nice but can be expensive if not booked really early to get the limited in number discounted fares that are also train-specific and can't be changed - one reason day tripping from Aix may be more expensive and less practical than from Avignon (day trip from there to Aix IMO) and stay on the Riviera for 3-4 days if possible - anyway for great rail info: www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

a car would be nice if you want to putz along back roads but to day trip from Avignon or Nice you do not need one.
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Old Jun 29th, 2015, 11:50 AM
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You really don't have much time.

How aout Menton? Fly into Nice and take bus. Public busses run along the coast.

Or fly into Marseilles and rent a car to Cassis. DH and I saw a train from M. to Cassis but we ended up on a tour so I don't know how far the station is from Cassis-proper.

DH and I stayed in Aix and loved it but thought that bus trips were easier from there than trains. Again, fly to Marseille, bus to Aix and just stay there--lots to see and do. We had more time and took a tour from our hotel in Aix-- Rendez-Vous Provence:

http://www.rendez-vous-provence.com/...rsions_en.html

With so few days, this might work. Whatever you do, have a super time and please write back about your trip.
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Old Jun 29th, 2015, 01:07 PM
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Aix wouldn't be too bad a location, if you rent a car. When I did that, I didn't stay in the center of Aix due to traffic (this isn't some small village) and most hotels there don't have parking, anyway. I think there are some on the outskirts in that direction, though, that could work.

Cassis is small with a beach so you could drive there, I guess (not sure about parking near the beach, though). It's only about 50 km, not that far for the day.

For Avignon, I"d recommend going by train, although you can drive if you plan ahead and usually get a spot under the main Palais des Papes square (parking lot there, you enter from the main road along the river to the west of Avignon).

Public transportation is excellent but maybe not convenient from Aix to Cassis. You could stay in Marseille, actually, and take the train for the day easily to Cassis or Avignon (or Arles). That's an idea. You wouldn't need a car that way. If you stay in Aix, you can take the train to Cassis but it requires transferring in Marseille, anyway. It's 1:15-2 2 hours total, I guess, depending on times.

It would be real easy if you stayed in Marseille.
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Old Jun 29th, 2015, 01:19 PM
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If you want beach, definitely stay more around Nice.

I've rented a car in the South most of the time but public transportation could be tough.

In Nice, the old town and the area near the beach are pretty far from the train station. So you'd have to take a bus or tram to get to the station, assuming you'd stay closer to the coast.

When I stayed in Avignon, I had a car but my understanding was that the train station was pretty far south of the town center. Or at least the TGV station was. Maybe the station or local trains was closer.

Traffic is horrendous and parking is expensive.

Maybe stay around Nice without a car (though it could be a pain to get to another coastal town to/from the airport) and take the trains up and down the coast.

You won't be able to cover as much ground as if you had a car but again, you'd avoid the expense and the headaches, the traffic.

Seems like it would be easier to go to places like Cannes, Monaco, even Eze by train from Nice than taking the train to Arles, Aix, les Baux or Nimes out of Avignon but I'm not sure, I've only done the former.
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Old Jun 29th, 2015, 10:39 PM
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Sounds as if "beach time" is a big priority for you, but if the idea is to relax on the beach and do some swimming, be aware that end of September the water won't be very warm and weather conditions, while generally delightful, aren't necessarily beach inducive.

If it just the sea side location that interests you, consider Antibes. Would hit all the buttons you've mentioned. Or Aix would work, too, knowing you could take a day trip to Cassis to get your sea fix.

- Kevin
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Old Jun 30th, 2015, 09:55 AM
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Avignon has a train station in the center of town, more or less, but the TGV station isn't that far away, only about 5 km. There is a shuttle bus. The TGV station is actually farther from Aix than from Avignon, that one is about 25 km from center of town.
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Old Jun 30th, 2015, 10:02 AM
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(Kevin !! Where have you been? Tried to contact you last trip to St. Sat. We'll be back month of Ocotber)
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Old Jun 30th, 2015, 10:37 AM
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End of September generally fine for swimming in the med; however, I was brought up swimming in the coast off Scotland!

Locals will definitely still be swimming then!
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Old Jun 30th, 2015, 11:42 AM
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And, the beach in Nice is not sand--they say pebbles, I thought small rocks.

Back to Aix. We stayed Hotel Aquabella:

http://www.aquabella.fr/default-en.html?

It has a restaurant, pool (heated by warm springs) and a spa on site. Since DH and I didn't drive, don't make me swear to this but I'm fairly certain there was a garage nearby.

As I mentioned upthread, we took van tours or bussed to Marseille for the more direct trains.
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Old Jul 1st, 2015, 11:55 AM
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End of September in Nice is still beach weather many days IME of being there then - warm waters can blow over from north Africa - it you want to swim you will be able too as many others seem to do.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 09:32 AM
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I thought they were rocks, not pebbles, also (the Nice beach). I've been in Nice at that time and it was really Nice. I'm not a beach person, anyway, but there were plenty of people lying on the rocks (I guess they have chairs). I suppose some went in, I've been swimming in NH in August and that was cold!

according to this, water temps in low 70s in September, very nice.
http://www.holiday-weather.com/nice/averages/september
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 09:38 AM
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Contrary to popular belief the water is warm in September on the Med.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 01:41 PM
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I've seen people skinny dipping in mid September in remote places along the coast - did not seem to be shivering!
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 01:48 PM
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the sea will be towards its warmest in September - it's had the summer to warm up.

it's the air temperature that might make swimming less comfortable but September in the South of France is usually warm enough for most people to enjoy a dip.
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