Does anyone know approximately how long the drive will take between the two cities above, if one takes the scenic coastal highway vs. the inland superhighway?

You can take the autoroute down to Marseille(about one and a half hours) and from there take the much slower coastal drive, that to get to Antibes that's beyond Cannes, will maybe be four hours. Sorry I can't be approximate.

An alternative would be to take the autoroute to Aix, then down to the Cassis area, and from there the coastal road. That would cut the driving time by perhaps an hour, but it's still going to take a good chunk out of the day--the coastal road is beautifully scenic but only one way in each direction.

When we drove from Avignon to Grasse on the autoroute the trip took us a good 4 hours.

On the autoroute, figure Avignon to Nice about 2 1/2 hours, so a bit less for Antibes. I'd caution taking the coastal "highway" the whole way as you will end up spending much more time and driving through lots of congested towns - for example, the whole area around Toulon. You'd be better off, for example jumping off the autoroute to check out Cassis and then getting back on. Then maybe doing the same at Frejus to drive the Corniche.

-Kevin

You didn't say when you would be traveling, but the traffic can be frustrating almost any time of year--but especially in the warmer months. I wouldn't personally want to take that trip all the way along the coast; it would have me pulling out my remaining hair before getting to my destination. It's really better to jump off the high corniche at a few villages, then back on again as suggested by Kevin. Good luck.

What does it mean when a road is "only one way in each direction"?

It sounds like the kind of road I wouldn't want to drive on, drunk or sober........

We have a house in Cassis so we travel this area frequently.

By autoroute it will take 3 hours max.

DO NOT go to Marseille. You'll get hopelessly lost trying to find the tunnel.

Go to Aix and then decide if you want to go fast (A-8) or s-l-o-w-l-y down A52 direction Toulon. Toulon is hard to navigate but once you pass it is ok but slow. There are some nice sights (Bormes les Mimosas, St Tropez)

However, I agree with someone above who recommended a stop at Cassis, lunch and boat trip to the Calanques. Then go back to A-8 and scoot to Antibes.

Seen in Cassis in 1970:

"Qu'a vist Paris e noun Cassis, n'a ren vist."

Forgot to mention, I'll be driving on Dec 1 of this year, so I don't expect much vacation traffic. Also...can anyone translate that little French saying, above?

I think that the saying is in old Provençal--tedgale?

I'll take a stab...

Whoever has seen Paris and not Cassis, has not seen anything.

-Kevin

p.s.: how'd i do?

It's either provençal or a load of typos And yes, it means "who has seen Paris but not Cassis has seen nothing."

yes it is dialect and means just what others have guessed -- Paris is to be pronounced, I believe, to rhyme with Cassis, i.e. sounding the final "s"

It is Provençal and is a quote of Frederick Mistral.

That vist Paris has, noun has vist Cassis, has ren vist"
( That which saw Paris and did not see Blackcurrant does not have anything considering)
Frederic Mistral, founder of Félibrige.

Calendal, the fisherman díanchois of Mistral, the Anacharsis young person, líAbbÈ JJ BarthÈlemy, Bonaparte with Cassis, the stone of Blackcurrant, the 3 sorciËres, When the Cape Canaille deserves its name, Camargo Foundation and Jerome Hill, the saying "which vist Paris E noun Cassis has has ren vist", the Cosquer Cave, When Pagnol turned Naïs to the Blackcurrant Castle, the court of pÍche (Prudíhomie), the Blazon, LíÈtoile of the lords of the Beams, Blackcurrant the wine, the floods, the Bouillabaisse, and other anecdotes...


Mistrals writing here was called Calandel.

And speaking of Félibrige, just took a tour yesterday of the Musée du Roure in Avignon. Not to be missed by les amateurs...

-Kevin

kevin, tell us more, not read a word of this place.

The Musee du Roure is a true hidden gem in avignon. It's in a 15th century gothic masterpiece built by the Baroncelli family. The building itself is wonderful with one of the most beautiful courtyards I have ever seen. And to think it was nearly torn down/converted to apartments before being saved by Jeanne de Flandreysy in the early 20th, who much influenced by Mistral, turned the place into a center of Provencal Culture and Studies (hence the Félibrige connection). Anyway, the museum now houses her collection of art, furniture, costumes etc. It is really superb. On a par with the Musée Arlattan in Arles, IMO. And the best thing about it is that you can only visit the museum Tuesday afternoon or by rendez-vous, which they very much encourage. Did this with a bunch of friends and had what worked out to a private viewing led by the curator. Can't recommend it enough.

-Kevin