monicapileggi

Hi friends,

I'll be on a cruise in November with a bunch of friends, who want to tour Provence for the day when we arrive in Marseille. I'll stick around Marseille to enjoy the sights there and do some shopping.

My friend has not been able to find any local guide to take them to Aix, Lourmarin, Roussillon, etc. I'm wondering if she'll have a hard time finding someone since November is probably slow tourist season.

Would anyone have suggestions for a guide?

I'm sure there is easy transportation to Aix, but I'm thinking it may be hard to get to the towns they want to visit.

Thanks!

Monica

StuDudley

Are you looking for transportation, or transportation and a guide to show you around???

If it's the latter, pick up the Michelin Green Guide for Provence and guide yourself. Unless your boat lands super early in the AM, and you don't need to get back on till dinner, I think Aix, Lourmarin, and Roussillon might be a little difficult to accomplish in a day - expecially if you visit Aix on their market day. Aix could take the majority of a day itself, and Lourmarin & Roussillon a couple of hours each. Plus transportation.

There seems to be lots of trains leaving Marseille St Charles & arriving in Aix central station (there is a TGV station outside of town).

monicapileggi

Hi Stu,

Thanks for the information. I'll pass it on to my friends.

They want a guided tour with van service and a guide. Our ship arrives in Marseille at 11:00am and departs 8:00pm, so they have to be at the ship no later than 7:30pm. It's a Friday that we'll be in port (Nov 6th).

Monica

StuDudley

If you leave the ship around 11:30, you'll get to Aix just in time to see all the shops close for a 2 - 2 1/2 hour lunch.

Stu Dudley

Christina

I would think it might be easier to find a guide in slow season. I don't know any services from Marseille, but you could email the tourist office as they have a guide service and I imagine the licensed ones will be registered with them. It does allow you to hire one for yourself and set your own agenda:
http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/fr/promotion-guidage/

monicapileggi

Stu, you're probably right!

Christina, thanks for the link, I'll pass it on to them.

Monica

PS: Any suggestions for a place for lunch in Marseille? It doesn't have to be bouabaise.

monicapileggi

Hi friends,

My friend Carolyn found a tour guide to take her goup from Marseille to Provence. Carolyn wanted to visit Lourmarin, Ansouis, and Roussillon, but the guide suggested Aix, Lourmarin, and Ansouis, stating the drive to Roussillon would be too far and over the Luberon mountain range.

<b>11:30 Pick up at the harbor</b>
Transfer to Aix en Provence

<b>12:00 Guided tour of the city</b>
Shaded squares, fountains, private baroque mansions...
Lunch on your own (many snacks, crepes...)
Aix is the best place to shop

<b>02:30pm Drive to Lourmarin</b> one of the most beautiful village of France, located at the bottom of the Luberon massif. You will discover its charming medieval streets, its Renaissance chateau, its magestic pigeon house...

<b>04:00pm Drive to Ansouis by taking a scenic road</b>
Discover this untouched and authentic village crownd by a medieval / Renaissance chateau

<b>05:30 Return</b>
Back to the ship for 07:00pm

If they were to skip Aix, that would give them 2.5 hours to use for Roussillon. Or is that still not reasonable as far as the driving distance and enough time to visit Roussillon?

Will the shops be open in November in Lourmarin or Ansouis? Do the shops shut down at lunchtime in Aix? They want do a little bit of shopping. With the guide’s itinerary, they would have time to shop in Aix. I don’t remember seeing a lot of stores since I did my shopping on market day back in May. I was in Ansouis but I don’t remember seeing lots of shops since it’s a small town.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Monica

StuDudley

>>If they were to skip Aix,<<

Don't skip Aix - especially if you want to shop. In November, I think it will be MUCH more interesting than Roussillon.

>>that would give them 2.5 hours to use for Roussillon. Or is that still not reasonable as far as the driving distance and enough time to visit Roussillon?<<

I agree with your guide. Although it's a pretty drive from Lourmarin to Roussillon, only the people with good views out the windows will enjoy it - and in November the weather could be iffy. If it's raining, Roussillon could be really a short & not-so-nice visit - especially in the Ocre fields. Again - DO NOT SKIP AIX.

>>Will the shops be open in November in Lourmarin or Ansouis?<<
As I recall, Ansouis doesn't have a wealth of shops. I've never been to Lourmarin in Nov, but I suspect most shops will be open - perhaps on a reduced schedule.

>>Do the shops shut down at lunchtime in Aix?<<

Yep - sure do - especially my wife's favorite ones. They are also closed on Monday morning (and all day Sunday)

>>They want do a little bit of shopping. With the guide’s itinerary, they would have time to shop in Aix.<<

Aix is my wife's favorite shopping town in Provence.

Stu Dudley

monicapileggi

Stu,

As always, thanks for your comments. Could you please tell me where specifically your wife likes to shop in Aix? It would help Carolyn and her friends hit the shops before they close…hopefully.

Makes me also want to go with her on her tour! However, I haven't visited Marseille, so I will enjoy my time there.

Monica

Christina

I agree with the guide, also. There isn't that much to do in Roussillon that you'd want to spend 2.5 hours there, anyway. I definitely wouldn't go there instead of Aix. It is beautiful in summer, but I'd trust the guide's advice for winter, he sounds like he knows what he's doing. I don't like shopping, but there are lots of shops right near Cours Mirabeau in Aix, I don't think they will miss them. It's the main street about one block over from Cours Mirabeau going left (assuming you are facing the end of Cours Mirabeau with your back to the place de la Liberation, where it starts near the tourism office). It's the direction where most of the main center is, including the cathedral and Hotel de Ville. I think the street with a lot of shops is called rue Espariat, but in any case, you can't miss it, I think.

StuDudley

My wife remembers the locations of the stores - but not the names. There are several shops close to a corner around the Genevieve Lethu shop (nice home decorations - but it's a chain). We've purchased tableware from a shop on the corner of Rue Aude & Rue de la Glaciere. We also purchased a table cloth from a shop on rue Bedarrides. Just explore the pedestrian streets & you find lots of shops.

Stu Dudley

monicapileggi

Thanks Christina and Stu for the additional comments. Carolyn has decided to drop Roussillon and visit Aix. I gave her the information/location of the shops.

Now for me, I'll post a new message soon and ask about Marseille

<i>Merci!</i>


Monica