3 days - Marsellie or St-Remy?
 

My wife and I are flying into Marseille in October for 3 nights, landing at 8pm. Some friends have said to base ourselves in Marseille while others have said St-Remy. We are happy to hire a car so getting around is not an issue. We like the idea of staying in the country side so is St-Remy the go or are there any other suggestions.

Thanks
FK

Looks like you've answered your own question. Marseille is a great city, but far, far removed from the countryside. Even with a car to get out and about during the days, you'd still be talking a major metropolitan kind of experience, as opposed to St. Remy which is a smallish country town.

-Kevin

They are two different things, and even as a city, Marseille has a city and culture that isn't a typical French experience. I'd wonder why some folks suggested you stay in Marseille, maybe they had a reason as they know you. But I would think your transportation situation and plans would be the determiner. If you intend to take trains at all, St Remy would be impossible as they don't have a train station. Marseille is a good place for train connections in that area, and of course, they have a major airport so it would be convenient for flying out. The airport isn't exactly Marseille, as I recall, but to the NW or something. Which is sort of a good thing, as it was a lot easier to drive out of the airport than I had feared.

If you intend to drive around a lot, you have the problems of driving in a major big city, which I would never choose as a base for any trip I was using with a car -- unless the accommodations were really on the outskirts and I had planned for that issue.

Whilst I loved Marseilles, I would be inclined to consider Aix en Provence a much nicer place to stay and very near to Marseilles. Three nights isnt very long so I wouldnt be too ambitious.

St. Remy is much smaller, in the country. Aix is enough of a city; I was constantly lost- pay extra for the GPS!! There are several univeristies in Aix, and town markets in each place.