Please sign in to post.

Marseilles-Antibes-Nice+Day Trips

Hello.

I'm planning my first visit to the French Riviera. :)

As usual, my interests are art museums, architecture, photo-worthy views, and learning about the local culture.
Your thoughts on this outline would be very helpful.

2 days: Marseille (fly in Marseilles). Maybe a boat tour to the Calanques.

3 days: Antibes with a day trip to Cannes & St Tropez (will the big boat races there make this unpleasantly crowded/busy??). Another day trip to Mougins, maybe Vallauris and Cagnes-sur-Mer. How is Biot?

4 days: Nice with day trips to Villefranche, Monaco, St Paul de Vence and Vence. (fly out Nice)

I'm considering adding a couple of days to visit Aix-en-Provence. Is it an easy/direct train ride from Marseille?
Also, I am willing to rent a car for day trips from Antibes and Nice, if needed.

It's so much easier planning a trip after you've visited the area, so any voices of experience would be most appreciated.
I'm open to your suggestions, including hotels as well as towns not to miss - or towns to miss!

Thanks,
Lee

Posted by
2348 posts

very special quilts,
Aix-en-Provence is a 33 minute bus ride from the airport at Marseille. I would take the bus there on arrival day, spend a couple of days, then take the train or bus to Marseille for your 2 days there. The train will take you to Gare St. Charles (kind of at the top of the Canebiere. I'm not sure where the bus station in Marseille is. Either way, the trip is cheap and takes less than an hour. Then you can continue with your original itinerary.
In Marseille you could visit the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde, the Musee d'Histoire de Marseille, Chateau d'If, the Vieux Port, the Panier district, the Vallon Des Auffes (2 restaurants there with great food, Chez Jeannot and Chez Fonfon), the calanques by boat if the weather is decent.
The rest of your itinerary looks good to me.
Bonne chance et bon voyage!