Itinerary HELP please - 9 days and 8 nights in South of France -
 

My husband and I (35, 33) booked flights (last minute I know) to the south of France mid July. We are flying into Marseille and out of Nice and have 9 days and 8 nights - any suggested itineraries? All of the research I have been doing suggest different things!

<<All of the research I have been doing suggest different things!>> And so will everyone on a travel forum.

Without any clues as to why you chose the Côte d'Azur or what interests you, I'm not sure how anyone can suggest anything useful.

The biggest single piece of advice I would give in mid-July would be to avoid the coast itself (since it starts to peak towards the height of the tourist season and will be expensive). If you have a car and really want beach then I would actually head away from Nice towards Montpellier and Sete and Beziers where you have (IMO) much nicer sand beaches. But in general, I would head up to explore the area that is behind Marseille and towards Languedoc like Aix, Nimes, Avignon, Uzes, etc. It will still be busy but maybe not as crazy as the coast.

If you will not have a car, then you probably want to stick nearer to the coast, and I would either split the time between Marseilles and Nice and just take day trips from there. Marseilles is not everyone's cup of tea since it is pretty large, so alternatively you could choose a nearby place to base for part of the time that wouldn't be too hard to get to by public transport like Cassis, which was a traditional seaside fisherman's village but now more of a tourist hotspot, Collobrières,a beautiful old village tucked into the hills away from the coast, Bormes-les-Mimosas,lovely hillside town, and Hyères a nice larger town

Having just visited the region, I can assure you that you have a wide range of delightful options, but as StCirq notes, we can't be of much help without knowing anything of your interests. I would strongly encourage you to get the excellent Michelin Green Guide to the region -- it should provide you with a wealth of information.

I’m sorry haven’t planned a trip in a while so forgot the Information others may need to help me.
Although we would definitely want to see some major sights - our goal is just see the beauty of the region, maybe do some small hikes, drink wine, and have a few beach days at the end before we return to 3 kids!
We have already been to Paris a few times so skipped it for this trip as we wanted to be able to go to The beaches. Was definitely of thinking of spending a few days in Cassis but can’t decide where else. Any suggestions?
thank you!

Will you have a car or depend on public transportation? You could split your time between western provence (or the Luberon) and then closer towards Nice. If you really are into wine, the best areas within easy reach are the reds in the southern rhone (think Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas near Orange, within reach of Avignon) and the Rose of Provence (especially near Bandol but also fine throughout the regions). Mid July is the peak -- the second half really is a great time for the lavender fields of the valensole plateau (and some great roses out there).

Assuming your flights are fixed, you can turn your car in early (if you have one) and explore Nice and the seaside towns by train (or bus in a few cases). Tourism is a bit down on the Cote d'Azur but it is better to depend on the train to avoid the worst of the traffic. But you can also see a few hill towns before heading back into the coast. If it is peak season, every major destinations will have tourists, and ironically the largest ones have the best capability to absorb. So unless you are going to places off the guide books, you'll see the summer traffic in the south.

How long do you actually have on the ground? You say >>have 9 days and 8 nights<< but most times 8 nights will net only 7 usable days. If you are flying in long haul you can'y plan on doing much on your arrival day, and the day you fly out -- that is about all you can do - pack. check out, travel to the airport and fly home.

Greetings,

Marseille is an old port city and not the prettiest. I would spend a day or so there, but I would go to Nice,Antibes, Cannes, Avignon, and of course go to Montecarlo, some of the other cities like Nimes are good and we like Toulon. There is also a perfume factory on the coast. Frogonard perfume factory in Grasse is amazing, and really a delight to see. Enjoy your trip!

I beg to differ! I thought it lovely, and if it does have a somewhat "seedy" section (La Panier), that section also offers some fascinating corners and intriguing graffiti.

>>Marseille is an old port city and not the prettiest. I would spend a day or so there, but I would go to Nice,Antibes, Cannes, Avignon, and of course go to Montecarlo<<

Different strokes . . . I much prefer Marseille to Monte Carlo

Don't count on much of anything on departure day - what with packing, checking out, getting to the airport, security etc - maybe a short walk in the morning at most.

And what you can manage arrival evening mostly depends on if you are flying in long haul over night or just domestic within Europe. Just figure on having 7 days . . .

<<and of course go to Montecarlo>>

And I would say of course skip Monte Carlo.