We will be in Provence a few days next month. Will arrive in Marseille by TGV around 1:00 p.m. and check into the Ibis at the St. Charles station. This will be a first visit there, inspired greatly by Kerouac's great report from a few years ago. Would love to have suggestions for restaurants that would feature local specialties. We're not foodies, but enjoy having good, regional dishes. Maybe bouillabaisse or other seafood specialties. Our usual budget for dinner with wine would be around €35-40 per person, but will gladly up that for something special.

We have all day the following day to get around in addition to visiting the Mucem museum. Thinking a HO/HO circuit with commentary could be a good use of time. Has anybody done that in Marseille? I usually don't use those, but perhaps here could be useful.

We leave by train the next morning for Avignon where we'll spend two nights. The first afternoon will be spent returning to a few places we enjoyed when we spent two weeks in the area some years ago. The next morning we plan to head for Nîmes, a city we didn't get to during that stay. (Ever since maitaitom's great trip report, I have wanted to see this city.) In the afternoon we plan to return to Avignon to wander around, and would love to have suggestions for an early dinner there.

The next morning we plan to drive to Aix via Ménerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux and Lourmarin. The D943 south of Bonnieux looks very twisty so hope it isn't too scary. These towns/villages will be new for us. Want to visit the Atélier Cézanne and the Terrain des Peintres in Aix. Looking for suggestions for a hotel and restaurant for dinner and overnight as we will take the train from the Aix TGV station the next day to return to Paris for a week there.

Thanks to all you Fodorites whose posts and trip reports I have been bookmarking for a long time. We haven't been able to get to Europe for a couple of years and this trip is having to be planned in just a couple of weeks now. I'm very grateful for your help.

Chez Fonfon shich we reached by local city bus. It is in one of the inlets just at the edge of the city. A word of advice: go easy on any bread or other filler as their is a lot of fish.

https://www.chez-fonfon.com/

This is the inlet:

Thanks, Michael. Chez Fonfon looks good.

Well for discounted TGV fares book early - up to I think 3 months in advance at www.oui.sncf - French Railways site - or www.trainline.eu - same fares and many say easier to use. Other good train sites - www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Pal, he doesn't have 3 months - he's leaving soon.

OK did not note that but they should book NOW or soon as discounted tickets may still be available. Thanks for correction.

@ Michael: Thanks for mentioning Chez Fonfon -- that's the place I had singled out for my upcoming bouillabaisse experience!

@ MaineGG: Sorry I can't help, as I'm just planning my time in the area now.