St Remy de Provence or another location?
Feb 16th, 2014, 08:31 AM
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St Remy de Provence or another location?
I chose St Remy de Provence based on it's "central" location between Uzes/Pont du Gard and the Luberon Villages. Now I would like to add a day trip to Cassis, and I'm wondering if there is an attractive convenient town a bit to the east that might work better. We don't mind an hour or so drive to various towns, but the 90 minutes to Cassis seems a little far for an excursion.
We are going at the end of September and have allotted 5 nights for this location, before we move toward Nice. Looking for an attractive small town or large village (not a city) with some dining and shopping choices, and access to the areas mentioned above.
I'm willing to stick with St Remy, but wanted opinions on a possible switch.
This trip is giving me lots of puzzles; I think it's because I'm so unfamiliar with the area, and there are so many choices of great places to visit.
I need to decide on this first part of the trip and move on to the next. Thanks.
We are going at the end of September and have allotted 5 nights for this location, before we move toward Nice. Looking for an attractive small town or large village (not a city) with some dining and shopping choices, and access to the areas mentioned above.
I'm willing to stick with St Remy, but wanted opinions on a possible switch.
This trip is giving me lots of puzzles; I think it's because I'm so unfamiliar with the area, and there are so many choices of great places to visit.
I need to decide on this first part of the trip and move on to the next. Thanks.
Feb 16th, 2014, 08:46 AM
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>>if there is an attractive convenient town a bit to the east that might work better.>>>
Not really. If you move to Bonnieux (that's as far east as I would go) it is still 90 mins, because there are more N & D roads and less autoroute. I'm not a fan of Cavaillon & surrounds, but that would save you 20 mins. Lourmarin is nice, and it would save you less than 15 mins - but now you are a looooonnnngggg way from Uzes & the Pont du Gard.
Stu Dudley
Not really. If you move to Bonnieux (that's as far east as I would go) it is still 90 mins, because there are more N & D roads and less autoroute. I'm not a fan of Cavaillon & surrounds, but that would save you 20 mins. Lourmarin is nice, and it would save you less than 15 mins - but now you are a looooonnnngggg way from Uzes & the Pont du Gard.
Stu Dudley
Feb 16th, 2014, 11:27 AM
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Tuscan -
Perhaps you don't relish the idea of an overnight in Cassis, but why not think about it. It's on the way from St. Remy to Nice, of course, and Cassis while lovely during the day, is another thing altogether in the evening when the day trippers have tripped on home (to Marseille and Aix for the most part).
- Kevin
Perhaps you don't relish the idea of an overnight in Cassis, but why not think about it. It's on the way from St. Remy to Nice, of course, and Cassis while lovely during the day, is another thing altogether in the evening when the day trippers have tripped on home (to Marseille and Aix for the most part).
- Kevin
Feb 16th, 2014, 11:55 AM
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Lourmarin is an easy village to stay in and get in and out of for your day trips. We have stayed in Uzes, too, and enjoyed the Lourmarin-area a bit better. I agree, though, Uzes' Saturday market is terrific.
Enjoy your trip. If you do stay in Lourmarin have a morning coffee and afternoon glass of wine at Cafe Gaby for us. Great fun people watching.
Jeff
Enjoy your trip. If you do stay in Lourmarin have a morning coffee and afternoon glass of wine at Cafe Gaby for us. Great fun people watching.
Jeff
Feb 16th, 2014, 12:17 PM
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Adding to something Kevin said (who lives in the Luberon), we really didn't enjoy Cassis that much after 2-3 day-trips. We only enjoyed it after spending the night there, & seeing what it's like in the early evening and early morning. We had time-enough to take a Calenques boat trip around 10AM.
Cassis will consume an entire day as a day-trip. Instead, why don't you spend 4 nights in St Remy, then around 4PM the last day there, head to Cassis & spend the night - as Kevin suggested. Next morning, do the Calenques and then off to Nice.
Stu Dudley
Cassis will consume an entire day as a day-trip. Instead, why don't you spend 4 nights in St Remy, then around 4PM the last day there, head to Cassis & spend the night - as Kevin suggested. Next morning, do the Calenques and then off to Nice.
Stu Dudley
Feb 16th, 2014, 04:50 PM
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I think you have my itinerary - but here my section on Cassis & the area around it.
Cassis and the Massif de la Ste Baume and the Corniche des Cretes - allow ½ day w/o a stop in Cassis. Add 1 night to this itinerary if you want to visit Cassis & some of the surrounding areas.
This can be done as an excursion from Aix-en-Provence, unless you want to spend a night in Cassis. You’ll drive along some mountain ridges with unusual rock formations & outcroppings, and then along beautiful cliffs above the coast with some impressive views. Do this on a clear day and early in the morning to get the best views of Cassis & the coastline.
Leave Aix east on the A8 and then take the A52 south to Aubagne. At Aubagne, look east to see the Massif you will be driving through later. Past Aubagne, take the A50 to la Ciotat. Get off the A50 at exit #9. Navigating through la Ciotat to get to the eastern start of the Corniche des Cretes is a little tricky & impossible to describe here. The Michelin Red guide has a useable map for finding the start (it’s not in the green guide). Look for the signs for the D141 to Cap Canaille or Cassis.
This will get you to the Corniche des Cretes** & Cap Canaille***. Follow this route west, making sure that you take the small side road to Semaphore du Bec de l’Aigle where you will get a good view of la Ciotat and also west along the coast. Stop at Cap Canaille. Along this route you will see a parking area along the road & probably some people walking up a hill to a higher view point. Walk up this bluff - the view is even better. Continue on the D141 until you hit the D559.
Go northeast on the D559 & get on the A50 back to Aubagne. Near Aubagne, try to take a route to Gemenous (sorry – don’t know the interchanges necessary to do this – I actually did this itinerary in the opposite sequence, starting at the Massif de la Ste Baume and then the corniche). Take the D2 west to drive along the Massif de la Ste Baume**. If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, you will likely encounter a lot of bicyclists along this route. Continue on the D2 until it hits the D80 & take the D80 east to Nans-les-Pins. Continue till the D80 ends at the N560 and take the N560 west toward Aubagne & through Auriol to the N96 intersection, where you will take the N96 north to get on the A52 and back to Aix.
Many people claim that Cassis is what St Tropez used to be like before St Tropez was “discovered”. We’ve spent more than 4 weeks in St Tropez (several trips) and 4 days (4 different trips) in Cassis – so that’s perhaps a clue to which one we prefer. St Tropez is much larger and has more stuff to do & see. There are also more things to see within a 40 min drive from of St Tropez. We also prefer the beaches outside of St Tropez at Pampelonne, over the beach in Cassis. Although the Cassis beach is right in town – it’s not nearly as “luxurious” (and decadent) as the beaches in St Tropez (remember – we’re not jet-setters). My wife “shopped” Cassis in about 30 mins, and it took us no more than 1 1/2 hrs before we were ready to leave during our first 3 day-trips there. However, in ’07 we decided to do an overnight trip to Cassis from our Gite near Mt Ventoux – and we enjoyed it much more this time. We stayed at the hotel Le Golf – which we later found out was a Rick Steves recommendation. We had a room with a fabulous view out over the port and of the cliffs behind Cassis. We had an enjoyable dinner at Nino. Most of the restaurants along the port are directly on the street – except for Nino. It’s about a half-story up from the street so you don’t get the gawkers walking by all the time & staring at you – but we got to see them – which is always an interesting scene. We also took a boat trip along the Calanques, which was quite scenic. Lesson – just like I advised in the St Tropez section of this itinerary – stay overnight in Cassis. Don’t visit it as a day-trip from somewhere else like we did the first 3 times. It’s much more pleasant in the evening or early morning when the day-trippers have gone. I still, however, would get bored with 3 nights in Cassis – but not bored with 3 nights in St Tropez & surrounds.
Stu Dudley
Cassis and the Massif de la Ste Baume and the Corniche des Cretes - allow ½ day w/o a stop in Cassis. Add 1 night to this itinerary if you want to visit Cassis & some of the surrounding areas.
This can be done as an excursion from Aix-en-Provence, unless you want to spend a night in Cassis. You’ll drive along some mountain ridges with unusual rock formations & outcroppings, and then along beautiful cliffs above the coast with some impressive views. Do this on a clear day and early in the morning to get the best views of Cassis & the coastline.
Leave Aix east on the A8 and then take the A52 south to Aubagne. At Aubagne, look east to see the Massif you will be driving through later. Past Aubagne, take the A50 to la Ciotat. Get off the A50 at exit #9. Navigating through la Ciotat to get to the eastern start of the Corniche des Cretes is a little tricky & impossible to describe here. The Michelin Red guide has a useable map for finding the start (it’s not in the green guide). Look for the signs for the D141 to Cap Canaille or Cassis.
This will get you to the Corniche des Cretes** & Cap Canaille***. Follow this route west, making sure that you take the small side road to Semaphore du Bec de l’Aigle where you will get a good view of la Ciotat and also west along the coast. Stop at Cap Canaille. Along this route you will see a parking area along the road & probably some people walking up a hill to a higher view point. Walk up this bluff - the view is even better. Continue on the D141 until you hit the D559.
Go northeast on the D559 & get on the A50 back to Aubagne. Near Aubagne, try to take a route to Gemenous (sorry – don’t know the interchanges necessary to do this – I actually did this itinerary in the opposite sequence, starting at the Massif de la Ste Baume and then the corniche). Take the D2 west to drive along the Massif de la Ste Baume**. If it’s a Saturday or Sunday, you will likely encounter a lot of bicyclists along this route. Continue on the D2 until it hits the D80 & take the D80 east to Nans-les-Pins. Continue till the D80 ends at the N560 and take the N560 west toward Aubagne & through Auriol to the N96 intersection, where you will take the N96 north to get on the A52 and back to Aix.
Many people claim that Cassis is what St Tropez used to be like before St Tropez was “discovered”. We’ve spent more than 4 weeks in St Tropez (several trips) and 4 days (4 different trips) in Cassis – so that’s perhaps a clue to which one we prefer. St Tropez is much larger and has more stuff to do & see. There are also more things to see within a 40 min drive from of St Tropez. We also prefer the beaches outside of St Tropez at Pampelonne, over the beach in Cassis. Although the Cassis beach is right in town – it’s not nearly as “luxurious” (and decadent) as the beaches in St Tropez (remember – we’re not jet-setters). My wife “shopped” Cassis in about 30 mins, and it took us no more than 1 1/2 hrs before we were ready to leave during our first 3 day-trips there. However, in ’07 we decided to do an overnight trip to Cassis from our Gite near Mt Ventoux – and we enjoyed it much more this time. We stayed at the hotel Le Golf – which we later found out was a Rick Steves recommendation. We had a room with a fabulous view out over the port and of the cliffs behind Cassis. We had an enjoyable dinner at Nino. Most of the restaurants along the port are directly on the street – except for Nino. It’s about a half-story up from the street so you don’t get the gawkers walking by all the time & staring at you – but we got to see them – which is always an interesting scene. We also took a boat trip along the Calanques, which was quite scenic. Lesson – just like I advised in the St Tropez section of this itinerary – stay overnight in Cassis. Don’t visit it as a day-trip from somewhere else like we did the first 3 times. It’s much more pleasant in the evening or early morning when the day-trippers have gone. I still, however, would get bored with 3 nights in Cassis – but not bored with 3 nights in St Tropez & surrounds.
Stu Dudley
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