Where to stay Bendel, Cassis area
 

I am leaving Monday for Nice, I need a hotel or city to stop over in around Bendel, I am looking to visit some wineries. I will be leaving Friday a.m. from Nice and need to return to Nice by 12 Noon on Sunday.


Does anyone have any ideas? Any wineries they like? Any driving routes from Nice and where to stop on the way. I was thinking about stopping by St. Tropez I would appreciate any suggestions and time lines.

Cat

Do you perhaps mean Bandol? It's where one of the best Provençal wines comes from.

To get to the Bandol region from Nice, you'll make the best time on the autoroute--especially at this time of the year, when the side roads will be filled with cars and caravans heading down toward the beaches.

The prime winery to visit near Cassis would be the Domaine Ott, which makes fine reds and rosés.

Strike St-Tropez off your list! The traffic going into and out of the town is always dreadful, and during the summer months it's miles and miles of stop-and-go.

From your other post I see you will have to get back to Nice the following day for a flight--that drive should take you at least 3 hours on the autoroute, and you'll need to arrive at the airport about an hour before. So you might want to think about visiting Bandol but heading back toward Nice and stopping somewhere closer for the night.

Underhill, thanks for the info. I will now leave Friday a.m. drive directly to Cassis, spend the night, ? and drive back to Nice Saturday night for the afternoon flight to Paris on Sunday. I will now not stop at St. Tropez, We would usually not travel during this time but my husband wanted to see a harp festival on the Italian border.

I could not read my Fodors book for Bandol spelling, because I am trying monovision, which obviously is not working.

I was reading the Trip Advisor recommendations for hotels in Cassis, Nice, etc I am now really confused on where to stay Friday night in Cassis, and Saturday in Nice. I was thinking of Hotel Metrop. with hard beds or Negresco that smells with bad furniture around a pimp district. Some people do not "get" old hotels, but I would like to walk safely around and check out the night life. Are they next to each other? I am splurging in Eze and Paris, so I thought if we are getting back to Nice late why pay $500+.

Would love to hear your thoughts....

Cat

Um...the Hôtel Negresco is the grande dame of Nice hotels--no idea why anyone would think it smells or is in a red-light district! The hotel is smack on the famous Promenade des Anglais and for years has been one of Nice's elite hotels.

Two other excellent Nice hotels are the La Pérouse and Le Meridien. But I think you'll have trouble making reservations this close to your arrival date.Cassis has only a limited number of "good" hotels; however, in Liouquet, near La Ciotat, is the Michelin guide-recommended Ciotel Le Cap.

The top Michelin recommendation for Cassis is the Royal Cottage--not a whole lot else.

Hi Underhill,

I did get one night at Palais de la Mediterrane. I hope that is the one you are talking about. Also, thank you for the information about the wineries.

I will check out the Royal Cottage, I can get one night at Jardin d'Emile, have you heard of it?

I don't think I mentioned the new Palais de la Méditeranée in Nice--but that should do nicely, if expensively.

Don't know the Jardin d'Emile--sorry.