Is Cassis worth a stop, help please
 

Next September we plan on spending 5 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Provence (Bonnieux) and 5 nights on the Riviera.

My original idea was to drive from Provence to Hotel Darse in Villefrance, but now, after reading on Cassis in Rick Steve's book, I'm wondering if we should make an overnight stop there. Is Cassis worth a stop? Rick Steves says not to miss La Route des Cretes, he says its a remarkable drive. In all of your opinions will my husband and I be too rushed, would it be better to go straight to our original destination and do day trips.

I'd say go for it. Cassis is quite charming and a great place to walk around, have a bit of lunch on the old fishing port, etc.

From Bonnieux to Cassis, you can figure about a 1 1/2 hr drive.

Then take the Route des Cretes over to La Ciotat (about 1/2 hr drive) and then catch the autoroute from Toulon to Villefranche (perhaps another 1 1/2).

So it would be a full day, but a very pleasant one.

-Kevin

Cassis is a pretty little town, with loads of seafood restaurants along the waterfront. We were there in Oct, mostly cuz I wanted to do a boat tour of les Calenques, but unfortunately, it was too windy, and water too rough. The pictures of them look gorgeous, so I'll just have to get back there someday!

I love Cassis. It is a very nice place. Great place to get out and walk, especially out to the point. If you can do it, don't eat right on the beach. Parking can be difficult especially if there is a market.

It sure sounds like a place to spend the night. Can anyone recommend a hotel around that area, something that would cost about 100 euros, give or take.

Also, will 3 days in Provence be enough for us to visit the surrounding villages.

I loved Cassis and dining by the lovely small port is when I tasted my first fresh oursins=sea urchins.

I liked Cassis but I wasn't crazy about it. Did the Calanques and enjoyed it... I just wasn't all that impressed with it....

We loved Cassis and I had the most amazing scallops cooked in red wine that was reduced down to such a thickness that it was black and absolutely delicious. We stayed in probably the worst hotel ever though so I can't recommend it.

In fact, we are going back to Marseille at the Christmas holiday break this year and plan on walking the Calanques again.

In September....3 weeks is not enough!

It will be very beautiful. The markets will be in full-swing. Charentais melons, pissaladier with olives, onions, and anchovies...Pastis!

I wish I was there right now.

>>Also, will 3 days in Provence be enough for us to visit the surrounding villages<<

Only 2 1/2 days - 3 nights in Provence???

I would not spend any time in Cassis - I'de want to use that time exploring more of Provence. You'll be on the Riveria for 5 nights and there are some similarities between Cassis, Villefranche, Nice, Cannes, St Tropez (which I like more than Cassis). I might use one of the 5 nights allocated to the Riveria to stay overnight in Cassis, however.

Really, 7 1/2 days - 8 nights to explore Provence & the Riveria isn't much time - you will only scratch the surface. Personally, I would not visit Cassis just to visit the town - I would only go there if I had enough time to also visit the Calanques (http://www.calanques-cassis.com/ allocate 1 1/2 hrs) and the Route des Cretes (allocate several hours).

We stayed at the Rick Steves recommended hotel in Cassis & I would stay there again.

Stu Dudley

I'm sure the markets are great but after one market, especially for my husband, that will be enough.
Should I give up 1 day on the Riviera and make 4 days in Provence. We would be in Provence around September 19. If I make the Riviera 4 days is there enough time to go to Cassis and still see Vence, Eze, Monaco, Grasse etc.

Stu, after reading your comments I guess I didn't make myself real clear, the reason for the Cassis stay isn't to see the town but to see the calanques and special sights in the surrounding areas. I would think we could do this with a 1 night stay in town and then be on our way to Villefranche.

For the 1 market, I would try real hard to make it to the l'Isle sur la Sorgue Sunday market. Get there no later than 8:00, head to the church & watch the vendors set-up, have a croissant & coffee at one of the cafes near the church, watch the vendors set-up from there, and then "do" the market at 8:45. It gets too crowded for me past 10:30, so perhaps visit the permanent antique vendors & then the either have lunch there or head out elsewhere. http://antiquite-islesursorgue.com/

Unless you plan to spend a day sunning on the beach in Nice or Villefranche, I would spend 4 nights in Provence & then hit the Route de Cretes on the way from Provence to Villefranche & spend 4 nights in Villefranche. The boat trip on the Calenques will consume a lot of time if you get there mid-day, search for a place to park, walk to town, buy tickets (hope the departure you want is not already sold out), visit the town a tad, and then head out to Villefranche. If you want to do the Calenques & Route - I would spend the night in Cassis unless you leave Provence VERY early, do Cassis/Canenques/Route & get to Villefranche in the early evening. We've done the Route des Cretes twice, and once it was realy too foggy/hazy to get good venues & vistas.

I'm not a big fan of Monte Carlo & especially not Grasse. We've been to Grasse three times (once last year) and still don't find anything charming or interesting about it. My wife found the perfume tour kinda boring (she usually likes this kind of stuff). I think there are other places that are a lot more worthwhile (like the Nice Hinterland - see the Michelin Green Guide). If you don't want to leave this life without saying you hit the casino at Monte Carlo - go there in the evening. Spend days visiting other places (there are tons of places to visit).

Do you have my 20+ page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary. If not, e-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

> I guess I didn't make myself real clear, the reason for the Cassis stay isn't to see the town but to see the calanques and ...

suze1, thanks for clarifying. From your 1st post, I couldn't tell if your were interested in calanques as you mentioned only of driving and Route des Crêtes.

By car, calanques cannot be reached and from the Route des Crêtes, you can see only a bit of Calanques far behind Cassis.

Now I'm still not sure if you want to do calanques by boat (I did only once from Cassis) or on foot (many times and different calanques from Cassis and from Marseille).

This is a view from the top of the Crêtes (le Cap Canaille).
http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...lle2007190.jpg
Surprisigly you can get there by car (parking is almost right there which is a bit disappointing for me who is rather a hiker than a driver) but the view is magnigficent. There are also hiking trails. This side of Cassis is basically not calanques.

This is one view when you are in the calanques areas.
http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...lle2007150.jpg
The red rocky cliff in the back is the Cap Canaille (reached by the Crêtes Route). Cassis is between the Cap and and where I am. I was here by the calanque of En-Vau (considered to be one of the best calanques). To reach here, you have to walk from Cassis for about 2 hrs with a good walking/hiking shoes.

If you are interested, here are other views of calanques from this October and last years:

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...%20Oct%202007/

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...d%20calanques/

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...%20Dec%202005/

Beaupeep, which was the worst hotel you stayed in Cassis? I stayed so far, at Cassitel, Laurence, and Liautaud. All located by the port, 2* inexpensive hotels that were fine enough. I'm returning to Marseille this weekend and will do another calanque walk staying in Marseille. Do you live in Lausanne or I remember wrong? I've been taking TGV GVA- Marseille a few times a year since a few years now. Perhpas you are doing the same?

OK, Stu, so I'm assuming there's plenty to keep us occupied in Provence for 4 nights so I'll take your advice.

Nice Hinderland sounds like a great place to visit.

Please tell me if you think this itinerary is good, arrive Paris 9/14 for 5 nights, take TVG to Avignon 9/19, rent a car and stay at Le Clos du Buis in Bonnieux for 4 nights, leave early 9/23 and spend 1 night in Cassis to visit the Calanques, leave Cassis early 9/24 and stay at Hotel Darse in Villefranche to visit Nice Hinderland and other surrounding places. Fly out of Nice back to the US 9/27. Hopefully that's enough time on the Riviera.

That itinerary seems fine. Hit the l'Isle sur la Sorgue market on the 22nd. Shops in Avignon, Arles, Apt & most villages will be closed on Sunday, & Monday morning - opening again at 2-3pm. Shops in St Remy will be mostly open on Sunday, but my wife's favorite ones are closed on Monday. Shops in Gordes, Les Baux, & Roussillon will be open Sundays & Mondays. Take the Lavender Route that's in my itinerary - although the lavender will not be blooming in Sept. It's quite scenic.

Stu Dudley

We're not shoppers but then again what do you do when everything is closed.

Even if you don't shop, often the merchants will pull down aluminum shutters or steel bars over their pretty storefronts - and the shutters are covered with graffiti. This makes a city seem real un-attractive. Best example of this is Old Nice. Go there before the stores open or on Monday morning & you'll see what I'm talking about.

We prefer wandering through a town when the storefronts are lit up - instead of dark & boarded up.

Stu Dudley

I guess I'm also wondering what there is to do in the Provence area for 4 days. We won't get bored if we're not shoppers or market people will we?

If you get bored with Provence in 4 days - then you get bored pretty easily. Get the Michelin Green Guide & start reading.

You could spend the entire 4 days just visiting all the Roman ruins. You could also spend all 4 days renting a bike & riding to the various villages in the Luberon valley - there are excellent bike-only trails there. You could spend all 4 days just driving on scenic roads - we've spent a lot more than 4 days doing that. You could spend all 4 days visiting various wineries in the Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote du Rhone & other Provence winegrowing areas. You could sit at outdoor cafes for 4 days in Arles, Aix, Avignon, Nimes, St Remy, Uzes just people-watching.

Stu Dudley