We're looking forward to spending 4 nights in Provence and 3 nights in the Nice area. We're driving in late June on a weekday in the early morning from Arles to arrive in Villefranche late afternoon and wondering which scenic roads would be best to take and which parts are best to avoid the worst traffic. Will we have time to take an early boatride in Cassis to see the calanques on the way or is that too ambitious? We don't have to stop in St. Tropez, Cannes or Antibes on the drive but if there is a beautiful sight, please suggest. We will explore Nice the next day after arrival. Any combination of routes (major highway vs, coastal scenic stretch) recommended? Thanks.

There are several boat tours that visit different # of the calanques. They are really worth seeing from the water.

It is a bit out of the way on your route to stop but I would do it

From Cassis to Nice -> A 50 to A52 to A8.

http://www.ot-cassis.com/en/the-calanques-by-boat.html

Parking is difficult in Cassis & Villefranche. You will likely hit commute traffic in Nice.

Here is a guess at a timetable - assuming you can make reservations online in advance for the 5 calanques boat trip at 11:30 (first departure). When we took this trip, I decided that the 5 calanques trip was "the best".

- Drive from Arles to Cassis 8:00 - 10:00
- buffer 10:00 - 10:30
- Find a place to park, walk to the port, & secure tickets 10:30 - 11:15
- Board boat, take trip, get off boat 11:15 - 12:45
- Grab sandwich for lunch 12:45 - 13:30
- Return to car 13:30 - 14:00
- buffer 14:00 - 14:30
- Drive to Villefranche 14:30 - 17:00
- find a place to park & check into hotel 17:00 - 17:30

Stu Dudley

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were headed to Nice.

Parking in Cassis is a PITA. Once you get close to the town, park anywhere you see a space and walk the rest of the way to water/town.

If you can find a place to park around the train station, there is a shuttle bus that goes from there to the center (I took the train so remember). Think cost was minimal and timing frequent. bus line info

http://www.ot-cassis.com/en/urban-bus-marcouline.html

Thank you all for your input. I read somewhere that it might be worth getting off of A8 maybe around Frejus where the drive is especially scenic as it hugs the coast before rejoining the A8. Do you think it might be worth including a little diversion (and if so between where and where?) in our driving day? We will be seeing more of the coast later in Cassis, Villefranche, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Monaco.

My 2 centimes is that I would rather get there faster and have more time than meandering along, especially given that you already want to stop in Cassis and should have ample opportunity to see the coast.

You could take the Corniche des Crêtes between Cassis and la Ciotat. It's lovely; but it is twisty and curvy and you'll want to stop at least once to look down upon the calanques.

At La Ciotat head to A 50 and then onto A 57 and then back onto A 8. Not sure what the time frame would be for this route or if this would be best way.

Only a very small percent of the coast between Marseille and Nice is scenic, IMO. The Corniche/Route des Cretes just east of Cassis (as Deb stated), and about 20 K of the Corniche de L'Esterel between Agay and Theoule sur Mer. Every time we've driven this latter section of coastline, there seems to be more & more development infringing upon what was formerly lovely views. If you choose to drive this Corniche de l'Esterel section, it will add an additional 1 hr to your driving time between Arles & Villefranche. There is also a lot of not-so-scenic development through Frejus, St Raphael and just before you return to the A8.

If you drive the Corniche des Cretes, it will add 30 mins to your trip, plus whatever time you stop the car to walk up to some lookouts for better views (we did several of these). La Ciotat is not that interesting, as I recall.

I think you have time for the Calanques boat ride, or the Corniche de l'Esterel - but not both. I would not go to Cassis just to visit Cassis. It's the Calanques that makes Cassis unique & interesting. If you are ahead of schedule after visiting Cassis, the Route des Cretes would be a good plan.

Stu Dudley