We will be docking in Toulon on a Friday in May with 8 hours to spend. We are planning to hire a driver, but feel we must choose between Aix en Provence and Marseilles as the day itinerary OR the Calanques and Cassis for the day.in order to have some wandering time in each place. Or could we combine Castellat with one of the other places? We have one person who just wants to wander colorful and scenic streets, one who loves nature and scenery, and NO one who has any museum or lengthly historical tours in mind. If we did choose to go to Castellat, is there quick and easy public transport there so as to avoid the cost of a driver?

We've spent 21 weeks on the Cote d'Azur & 23 in Provence. I've never heard of Castellet. It is not mentioned in my Michelin Green Guide. It is in my Cadogan Guide - but only to reference the nearby Hypoguem. One of our favorite colorful villages close to Toulon is Bormes les Mimosas. But it won't occupy more than 2 hours unless you have lunch there.

Attached in my Cote d'Azur & Provence itinerary - which has some info about Bormes, Cassis, and Aix.

Stu Dudley

Hi travelerwife. Will you be re-boarding after your 8 hours? If so, you must consider how much of that 8 hours includes travel to and from your ship. For sure I'd stay with a driver....busses and trains can be late or just not fit your time requirements.

I have not visited Castellet or Toulon, but have stayed in Aix, and visited Cassis and Marseille from there. So why not just visit Toulon? Have you looked at its offerings already and ruled it out? Castellet is closest if timing is your main consideration. Cassis is the next closest but quite small. We took the boat ride for the Calanque and walked around Cassis after...probably ok time-wise. In Marseille we took a bus to the gorgeous Notre Dame de la Garde but others would have to say what else to do. Aix is a great favorite of mine but I can't recommend it as less than a day trip and it's further most away.

I hope to read what others suggest. As Stu Dudley writes above, a nice lunch could take more than another hour from your time.

Le Castellet is a scenic village near Toulon. It served as the setting for the Pagnol classic movie The Baker's Wife, but in recent years it is more famous as the location of the Paul Ricard automobile and motorcycle racetrack.

Aix-en-Provence is a long way from Toulon, so is Marseille, but why travel that far? Toulon is basically a navy port and is just as thrilling as any navy port might be. However, just to the west, the beach areas of from Bandol to Six fours les plages are excellent and very much worth a visit. In the other direction to the east, I think Hyčres les Palmiers is more interesting than is Marseille.

Does the ship offer any tours to these areas?

We visited Le Castellet during a two-week stay in Aix a few years ago. We thought it was quite pretty and pleasant to stroll around, but it certainly wouldn't be on our list of musts, esp. for such a short visit. Bormes, to the east, is beautiful, but perhaps you might think of combining a stop in Cassis and a calanque ride with a stop in Sanary-sur-Mer, which for some reason doesn't seem to get much love on this forum. It's a pretty town with a scenic port and lots of pretty streets for strolling. It's not far west of Toulon, in between Toulon and Cassis.

Sanary has an interesting history. During World War II it provided refuge to a number of German writers in exile. Aldous Huxley was among the residents who took in German refugees (he wrote Brave New World while living there). A number of illustrious refugees from Hitler, incluing Stefan Zweig and Bertolt Brecht, lived there for some time, as did Arthur Koestler.

Sanary, port

We are not cruise people - but if we were, I certainly would not want to get off the ship for 8 hours and spend time at a port city. I think I would be tired of ports and water by then. Inland to Aix or Bormes would be my choice.

Stu Dudley

As much as I love Aix (why else would I have stayed there multiple times, including a two-week stay in 2016?), it's at least an hour drive from Toulon, and there's often congestion getting into the city (not to mention once there). That's why I suggested places closer to Toulon. I might have suggested Ramatuelle, to the east like Bormes, but it's much too far for this kind of excursion.

The Super Bowl doesn't start until another 5 hours - so there is some idle time to discuss another way of looking at "where to spend 8 hrs".

Assume the OP doesn't want to spend much/any time in Toulon. IMO, Aix is the most interesting destination within 1 hr from Toulon - but it is 55 mins away.

Cassis is 35 mins away - which means 40 mins less driving that day - compared to Aix.

Bormes is 40 mins away - 30 mins less driving than going to Aix.

Marseille is 50 mins away - almost same distance as Aix, but more complicated parking than the other 3 alternatives (and less interesting than Aix, IMO)

A visit to Aix and having lunch there will consume the entire time available for touring that day (nothing better than lunch/people watching on the Cours Maribeau).

A visit to either Cassis or Bormes & lunch will take no more than 3-4 hrs, IMO. Lots of time to spare. Going elsewhere to visit another site will add more driving time - thus "eating up" that 30-40 mins saved by not going to Aix. Also, I would be hesitant about visiting the Calanques by boat from the Cassis port. The OP just got off a boat & perhaps doesn't want to get on one right away. Plus, the Calanques fixed time schedule would make me nervous, with having a deadline for getting back on the cruise ship. And perhaps the OP wants to get away from water.

We enjoyed Bormes more than Cassis - if you don't include the Calanques trip.

Stu Dudley

I love Aix. How much total time will you have by time you get off the boat/ship to time you must return? How long will the total time be to catch a taxi or meet with a driver, etc?
We once docked in Marseille and took the bus to Aix. With the walk to the station, it probably took 40 minutes, but don’t quote me on that. For me, it was worth it. For the person who wants a charming place of flowers and cafes, Aix is straight out of an impressionist painting. If you choose Aix, make it your whole day and only stop. Be sure to make time for the both the cafe area of cobbled streets and window boxes dripping with flowers and a walk down the Cours Mirabeau. Do not eat in the big cafeteria. There are plenty of little cafes.