Our cruise ship stops at Bandol, our first stop after Monte Carlo. It is a tender port. I am having a heck of time finding out anything about Bandol itself - what to do, what to see, etc. Has anyone been there who could share some info? There are some nice excursions to other towns like Cassis and Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, but I'd also like to explore Bandol, if possible.
Thanks for any help and advice!
Angelika
Michelin.com gives Bandol one star, same as they give to Cassis, but it doesn't really sound to me like a full day of thrills. I haven't been to either town. What I have enjoyed very much, three times now, is the Calenques area between Cassis and Marseille, viewable by boat from either of those, with possible swim stops in summer, and hikable from the Cassis port, too.
If you don't take their excursion, train from Bandol to Cassis takes 20 minutes, often two per hour, but slightly irregular (e.g., not the 10:00 hour). Cassis train station is not central in the town, so you take a local bus or taxi downhill from there to the port.
There is not a whole lot to do in Bandol. It is a seaside resort town -- lots of vacationers in the summer months and second homes for people who want to go to a beautiful town and relax on the beach, swim, walk around, have lunch and maybe check out some of the wines that the area is know for. It's not going to take long to explore Bandol.
My wife and I stopped in Bandol because of its namesake wine, but I didn't think much of the city. And the wineries are not particularly near the city center. On the other hand, Cassis is charming, and Aix and Marseilles are also worth visiting.
I haven't been to Bandol, but I very much enjoyed Cassis.
We stayed in Bandol for 3 nights. It's got the best beach along that coast IMHO because it's sandy and not pebbly or rocky like the other beaches. The town itself like others said is kind of drab. Cassis is definitely more charming and is a closer to the Calanques, which we enjoyed seeing. You can catch a ride to th Calanques from Bandol or Cassis but the ride will be shorter from Cassis. Plus, you can enjoy the Cassis port too. If you want to do Cassis on your own, the train station is a short walk uphill from the Bandol port. You can take the train to Cassis from there. But from the Cassis train station you have to catch a bus to the port and vice versa.
There was a really nice outdoor market Saturday morning in Bandol. There's one twice a week IIRC. There's also a casino and a wine shop with tastings at the end of the promenade.
Bon voyage!
