I'd love some recommendations of where to stay the night in aix. We have to return our car rental on Saturday and our train is Sunday morning out of the tgv station.
Nothing fancy, just clean and simple to travel from to the train station.
I look forward to your suggestions 
Where to stay in aix-en-Provence?
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Le Manoir. It's right in town.
http://www.hotelmanoir.com/
How do you plan to get from/to the TGV station???
Stu Dudley
I'm not sure. Taxi , I guess. What do you think?
Looks good,cigalechanta. Do you know how far it is from tgv station?
>>What do you think?<<
The Aix TGV station is quite small compared to the others in the region (Marseille, Avignon). It is also quite a ways out of town. I would be a little worried that taxis won't be "hanging around" at the TGV station if you are planning to return your car there. If you plan to return your car at the Aix "in city" station and you have a fair amount of luggage, you'll probably want a hotel near the in city station. That's what we did a few years ago - and then we took a station-to-station shuttle to the TGV station in the morning. This shuttle was running in '01, but I don't know if it still is. Of course, a taxi to the TGV station in the AM would work if your hotel schedules one for you.
Stu Dudley
>>Do you know how far it is from tgv station?<<
About 15 to 20K. Like I stated - the TGV station way outside of town.
Stu Dudley
Yes, the tgv station is outside of town. But we are returning the car the day before. Plus, we want to have our morning simple, so I think staying near the tgv station makes sense. Im thinking that a taxi ride to the tgv station should be doable, n'est pas?
>>so I think staying near the tgv station makes sense. Im thinking that a taxi ride to the tgv station should be doable, n'est pas?<<
As I recall, the TGV station is near nothing - out in the boonies. If this was my trip (we've visited Aix many times - perhaps 10), I would stay IN Aix, keep the car (place where we stayed had a parking garage), and drive to the TGV station on Sunday when traffic will be quite light. Aix is fabulous on a Saturday.
Stu Dudley
+ 1 for Le Manoir. It was nice to be able to leave the car (I love Stu's idea, btw) in the hotel parking lot and walk to restaurants/cafes in the evenings.
Enjoy your trip.
It is in the middle of the nowhere, I think it is actually closer to Marseille airport than Aix centre ville. But it's not that far, a taxi is okay. I would not keep a car for no reason myself, and wouldn't want one in Aix, but depending where you stay, that could work out (if you have a place with parking or on the edge). I also would not stay near the TGV station at all, if you even could, I really don't think you want to do that, it is a huge train station with major roads circling it.
Aix is about 15 min. from the TGV station. There is a bus that runs between MRS and Aix centre ville, I think it stops at the gare routiere (bus station) which is not too far from that main fountain, but probably farther than you'd want to walk with luggage, for sure. The bus is line 40 of the Cartreize line. It runs very half hour or so. schedules on www.lepilote.com
A look at a map is often helpful:
http://g.co/maps/3s34p
The purple marker is the station... other dots are hotels.
As you can see, the station is nowhere near the town and hotels
would all require a taxi ride. Friends recently stayed at the Maison d'Aix and loved it. They reserved transport through the hotel... I think it was 70 euros.
We've taken the bus to which Christina refers from Aix to the Marseilles airport (MRS). It does run every half hour and it does stop at the TGV station, which is about half way, in both directions. That station is indeed out in the boonies.
The old bus station in Aix was closer to Place Charles de Gaulle and thus an easy walk from most hotels, but they have moved it to enlarge it, and it is just far enough to make a taxi useful if you have both a rollaboard and a "personal item" of any size.
The Aix tourism authority confirms that a shuttle bus runs at regular intervals from the TGV station to the coach terminal in town. It includes a striking aerial photo of the station.
http://to.aixenprovencetourism.com/bienvenue-2.htm
Excellent and helpful comments. Thank you all.
I think it is the overwhelming consensus to stay near city centre. I am checking on le manoir.
Other thoughts in the area?
We have stayed at the Hotel des Quatre Dauphins, two stars, charming, vertical,no elevator, conveniently located. We also have stayed at the Roi Rene, luxury business class, expensive, not quite so convenient. When we next go, we will probably stay at the Hotel Cardinale. Read the reviews of Le Manoir before booking there.