Marseille or Aix?
Oct 15th, 2016, 12:14 PM
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Marseille or Aix?
Hello Everyone,
Our daughter will be getting married in Provence at the end of May. Yippe! We have never been to Europe and are excited about the wedding, of course, and travel afterwards.
We will be flying into Marsielle on a Wednesday afternoon and will be heading towards Paradou the next day for four days of wedding festivities. I had originally thought that we would stay in Marseille, but in looking at a map, it looks like the airport is outside of town and that Aix de Provence may be a better choice for our first night in France.
Any recommendations would be most welcome.
Also, after the wedding, we plan to travel Provence for nine days. We will be flying out of Nice. We'd like to rent a car and explore, soak in the ambiance, eat delicious food, etc. We think we would like to stay in two or three towns for a few nights in each place and use those spots as our home base for our adventures. Ideally, it would be great to walk to dinner and have some dining choices.
I'm recovering from a big back surgery, but expect to be doing wonderfully by then and am super motivated to be strong and healthy by May. We love food, wine, history, nature, art, museums, and having fun. We will also be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary on this trip, which will make it even more special.
I posted on the forum a couple of weeks ago and responses really helped us narrow down our travel plans to staying just within beautiful Provence instead of trying to do and see too much and exhausting ourselves by going to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, etc. we feel like we have a great plan, and now need to narrow down the details, possibly book hotels - especially on the weekend...
Thanks for giving all this some thought, I look forward to any suggestions you all may have.
�� Randa
Our daughter will be getting married in Provence at the end of May. Yippe! We have never been to Europe and are excited about the wedding, of course, and travel afterwards.
We will be flying into Marsielle on a Wednesday afternoon and will be heading towards Paradou the next day for four days of wedding festivities. I had originally thought that we would stay in Marseille, but in looking at a map, it looks like the airport is outside of town and that Aix de Provence may be a better choice for our first night in France.
Any recommendations would be most welcome.
Also, after the wedding, we plan to travel Provence for nine days. We will be flying out of Nice. We'd like to rent a car and explore, soak in the ambiance, eat delicious food, etc. We think we would like to stay in two or three towns for a few nights in each place and use those spots as our home base for our adventures. Ideally, it would be great to walk to dinner and have some dining choices.
I'm recovering from a big back surgery, but expect to be doing wonderfully by then and am super motivated to be strong and healthy by May. We love food, wine, history, nature, art, museums, and having fun. We will also be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary on this trip, which will make it even more special.
I posted on the forum a couple of weeks ago and responses really helped us narrow down our travel plans to staying just within beautiful Provence instead of trying to do and see too much and exhausting ourselves by going to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, etc. we feel like we have a great plan, and now need to narrow down the details, possibly book hotels - especially on the weekend...
Thanks for giving all this some thought, I look forward to any suggestions you all may have.
�� Randa
Oct 15th, 2016, 12:46 PM
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Where are you staying near Paradou? Paradou is only 25 mins farther away from the airport than Aix. Paradou is very small - perhaps stay in St Remy instead of Aix (only 1 hr 5 mins from the airport).
Assuming you will see lots of the St Remy/les Baux/Arles area while near Paradou, I would recommend staying in Uzes, Vaison, and in the Luberon near Gordes or Bonnieux for your remaining days. If you want to cut it down to only 2 places - Uzes & Luberon would be my choice.
Do you have my Provence/Cote d'Azur itinerary???
Stu Dudley
Assuming you will see lots of the St Remy/les Baux/Arles area while near Paradou, I would recommend staying in Uzes, Vaison, and in the Luberon near Gordes or Bonnieux for your remaining days. If you want to cut it down to only 2 places - Uzes & Luberon would be my choice.
Do you have my Provence/Cote d'Azur itinerary???
Stu Dudley
Oct 15th, 2016, 01:09 PM
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Because it's just an overnight, I agree that Aix may be more convenient for this purpose, as the airport is already to the NW of Marseille. I have driven to Aix from MRS and it's not a bad drive at all. And with a car, you are not going to want to go into Marseille anyway, I imagine, to stay, too much trouble. Maybe get a place to the west of Aix, not right in the city, but that's up to you. That would make it easy to drive to Paradou the next day.
I stayed at this place to the NW of Aix for several days and loved it. it would be very convenient for your purposes. It has a nice in-house restaurant where a lot of neighborhood folks go, so if you weren't up to sightseeing at all (which I could see), you could just relax there.
http://www.masdentremont.com/en/
I stayed at this place to the NW of Aix for several days and loved it. it would be very convenient for your purposes. It has a nice in-house restaurant where a lot of neighborhood folks go, so if you weren't up to sightseeing at all (which I could see), you could just relax there.
http://www.masdentremont.com/en/
Oct 15th, 2016, 02:09 PM
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I agree with Aix-en-Provence, a very nice small city ... and closer to the Luberon than Marseilles.
The best hotel in Aix is Villa Gallici. If it works with your budget, it has gorgeous rooms and a pretty garden setting a couple of blocks north of the city.
The best hotel in Aix is Villa Gallici. If it works with your budget, it has gorgeous rooms and a pretty garden setting a couple of blocks north of the city.
Oct 15th, 2016, 02:53 PM
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Definitely Aix.
It is so close and, just in case you don't make it back to Aix during the trip, you could spend a few hours the next morning wandering the little city center and have lunch before setting out for Paradou.
I would likely stay right in the center, take a shuttle and/or taxi to the hotel, and wait to get a car until the next day. It would be easy, no parking, save a day of car rental, but I have not rented a car there, so renting at the airport might be easier. Someone else can advise on that, and for some hotels, you would have parking, so it might be easier to already have it.
If there was one I liked and it was in budget. I would get a hotel on or very close to Cours Mirabeau, which some say is the most beautiful street in France. I certainly have not seen one prettier. After a long flight, we are tired, but also tired of sitting, so a nice walk and dinner is all we usually do.
The two hotels recommended do look absolutely fabulous! They would be a lovely beginning to your trip. They would be a splurge for me though, so I would prefer to save something like that for later in the trip when I would have more time to sit, swim and enjoy them. Would they be worth the cost to you if you have little time there?
On the other hand, walking down Cours Mirabeau would also be lovely, and it is free. There are several restaurants there also, where you could sit outside. That is my idea of Heaven.
No bad choices here.
It is so close and, just in case you don't make it back to Aix during the trip, you could spend a few hours the next morning wandering the little city center and have lunch before setting out for Paradou.
I would likely stay right in the center, take a shuttle and/or taxi to the hotel, and wait to get a car until the next day. It would be easy, no parking, save a day of car rental, but I have not rented a car there, so renting at the airport might be easier. Someone else can advise on that, and for some hotels, you would have parking, so it might be easier to already have it.
If there was one I liked and it was in budget. I would get a hotel on or very close to Cours Mirabeau, which some say is the most beautiful street in France. I certainly have not seen one prettier. After a long flight, we are tired, but also tired of sitting, so a nice walk and dinner is all we usually do.
The two hotels recommended do look absolutely fabulous! They would be a lovely beginning to your trip. They would be a splurge for me though, so I would prefer to save something like that for later in the trip when I would have more time to sit, swim and enjoy them. Would they be worth the cost to you if you have little time there?
On the other hand, walking down Cours Mirabeau would also be lovely, and it is free. There are several restaurants there also, where you could sit outside. That is my idea of Heaven.
No bad choices here.
Oct 16th, 2016, 08:32 AM
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That's an idea, to rent that car in Aix and not at MRS. There are car rental offices in the city, you'd have to take a taxi to one from a hotel right around the very center, though. I know there is a Europcar one somewhere on the main road that leads to the Fontaine de la Rontonde (bd de la Republique) from the W. It depends on the requirements, I'm sure you would have a better selection at MRS. There is a Hertz near the central train station, also.
It would also fix the problem of having to drive and navigate unknown roads after a long flight when you may be out of it. I just soldiered on when I did it, but it was not an ideal situation.
There are regular bus runs between MRS and Aix TGV station and the gare routiere en ville (the bus station which is not right next to the train station, but not too far).
http://www.marseille-airport.com/acc...ix-en-provence
It would also fix the problem of having to drive and navigate unknown roads after a long flight when you may be out of it. I just soldiered on when I did it, but it was not an ideal situation.
There are regular bus runs between MRS and Aix TGV station and the gare routiere en ville (the bus station which is not right next to the train station, but not too far).
http://www.marseille-airport.com/acc...ix-en-provence
