Need recs for unusual sites or cities near Monaco, Marseille, and Sete

Haven't been to Monaco, but with respect to Sete and Marseilles, with 8 hours in each, I see no reason to leave either city. There's plenty to see in the center of each city.

Monaco is extraordinarily hilly, I believe, and I did some climbing in Marseille and Sete as well. Sete, at least, is quite small. I think you'll need to do a good bit of planning to figure out what your mother can manage.

Taxi to the big garden in Monaco (Jardin Botanique? There's also a rose garden) might work if it's all on one level, but I'm mot sure that it is; I haven't been to Monaco. There are both trains and buses that run along the coast from Monaco. The views are very good, so that would be one possibility at extremely low cost. A lot of the cute towns you've heard of are built along the sides of hills and would not work out well. I'm having trouble thinking of a place that's both rather small and flat. Sete might be as good as it gets, as long as you stay right along the quais.

The boat ride from the Marseille port to the Calanques would be workable and is lovely. Just be sure you select one that doesn't stop for swimming.

Cassis (very near Marseille) has some flattish land right along the water, but I remember a healthy, if picturesque, walk from the bus stop. I don't know that taxis are always available at the bus stop. Cassis is very touristy; expect it to be overrun if you're traveling in high season.

The old town in Nice (reachable from Monaco) is right down near the water and, as I recall, relatively flat. You could take the train there from Monaco then a taxi from the train station. There's also a tram, but it probably would require some walking on both ends of the ride.

I suggest getting a guidebook dedicated to southern France from your library and reading carefully with an eye toward references to terrain. You can come back here and ask about specific places you think might be good. Be very careful about planning to visit gardens. There are many lovely ones along the French coast, but many are on hillsides with uneven footing and sometimes steps without railings. I was a bit uncomfortable at times and I'm only 65.

Wow! Thanks for the info. I will do as you suggested to checkout books and pay attention to terrain. And I'll post again with more specific questions

Monaco is indeed hilly in parts. In addition, due to is unusual shape with lots of water separating the various sections, it can be quite a long walk from one section to another - even though, famously, it's very small.

However, there is a local bus system (currently, €2 per bus ride if bought on the bus, €1.50 per ride if bought from a machine before riding, or €5.50 for all day regardless of where you buy it), with multiple routes that cover the whole principality. There would also be taxis; I don't know what they cost, but it can't be too much since you wouldn't be going far.

Most of the visitors to Monaco focus on the palace, the casino, and the aquarium. I also enjoyed the Jardin Exotique, the rose garden, and the Prince's car collection (they are emphatic that it's not a "museum"). It's been a while, but I remember the Jardin Exotique as hilly (that's why it has nice views). The other attractions I listed would be flat, once you get there, so you can take the bus to the ones that interest you, and then you and your mother will be fine. Note that you can't get very far into the casino without paying.

From Monaco with 8 hours, you could reasonably take a bus or train to other places on the Riviera east of Nice, such as the Villa Kerylos or Villa Ephrussi, Menton, and Nice itself. Eze Village is hilly, so that's not a good choice with your mother. Nice is large, so you'll want to take the tram or a taxi to places from the train station; note that the tram is itself two (flat) blocks from the train station.

As for Marseille, the highlight is, unfortunately, walking around various neighborhoods, and some of the walks are hilly. Perhaps you could spend the day in Aix-en-Provence, which is flat and close to Marseille. You can take a bus or train there, and there's frequent service; you would then take a taxi from the bus or train station to the center of town.

I haven't been to Sete.

Sete has a nice old town area with some good Canal-side seafood restaurants. It is the start of the Canal du Midi, connecting the Mediterranean with the Atlantic Ocean. I'm not sure, but there may be a short - one or two hour cruise - up the canal that would get you into some of the countryside. Your cruise ship concierge may have information about this.

This is one of my favorite areas of France and if you had more time, I could give you many recommendations for things to do. If there is the opportunity for an excursion to the Gorge d'Herault, consider it for the scenery and a very picturesque village and abbey.

+1 for a cruise through the Calanques, chalk cliffs bordering crystal clear blue/green water. A very nice trip.

Wow! Thanks for the info. I will do as you suggested to checkout books and pay attention to terrain. And I'll post again with more specific questions

I think after you've done Monaco in a few hours, you can head further afield.

Villefrance-Sur-Mer is lovely and can be reached by train (or Bus 100, which gets very full with the cruise ship passengers). There is a walk into the main town and the Villa Ephrussi are nearby.

From the Nice train station, you can take the tram which will drop off next to the Old Town. It's relatively flat or on a gentle incline, except as you get close to Castle Hill ( Le Chateau). Le Petit Train or the escalator at the Quai des Etats Unis will take you to the top of the hill for spectacular views. Do this in the morning to hit the market at Cours Saleya.

Alternatively, you could also go to Menton or Antibes. Menton has a nice old town and the restaurant Mirazur is #5 on the Best Restaurants in the World list. Lunch is far less pricey, but still a special treat. Antibes is mostly flat and also has the fine Picasso Museum. There are even more offbeat choices, as the day trips above are all still pretty popular destinations.

Note on Sete, besides the Port and Town itself, nearby are some wonderful long sandy beaches, if you are into that and the time of year is right. There are day trips possible from there, as well. With Marseile you are best to stay in town, as you are planning.

I don't think Villefranche-sur-Mer by rail is a good idea with an 80-year-old traveling companion unless you can confirm ahead of time that there are always taxis waiting at the train station. Traveling there by bus might be better; I'm not sure of the location of the bus stop.

I liked both the Villa Kerylos and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, but you'd need a taxi from the RR station. The garden is a significant feature of the Villa Epnrussi, and it is not totally level. I think some parts would be OK, but I believe there are a few steps to take upon exiting the house.

The Menton RR station is also a significant walk from the oldest part of town, but there were numerous taxis hanging around the day I visited. Probably they get a good bit of business from folks coming in to see the two major local gardens, neither of which is really walkable from the main station. (The gardens are far too hilly for the typical 80-year-old.)

I'm not sure about the timing of the cruise. If rain is possible, I suggest having plans and back-up plans so you can avoid dealing with wet cobblestones. They can be evil even in totally flat areas.

While not unusual I love the Villa d'Ephrussi and Rothschild gardens. You can bus or taxi there. Once there it is easy walking. I love the lunch in the gardens, pricy salad but so lovely. I then do Rick's walk from there into the tiny town.

I love Villefranche sur Mer. It is on a hill but if you take the train it is not far to the seaside cafes. The Citadel is impressive walking into it over a drawbridge type of thing through the big gates you sneeze secured overhead. A lovely small gallery inside, once inside turn left down a wee path to a small garden with great sea views. Back out in the Citadel walk past the galleries to more sea views. Usually quiet and peaceful. When leaving the Citadel continue on the seaside path around it to the small wharf. There is a Cafe or 2 there too. Rick does write about the town well. When in the old Town, the cafes are a bit cheaper than the waterfront on s. I can recommend Cosmo which has sea views and affordable.

Have a great trip.

Note on Villefranche-sur-mer -- there is a 0.5 km walk from the train station, along with some steps. The walk from the bus stop is a higher and steeper up the hill, but a bit shorter. As an alternative to taxis, Uber is active and generally of a high quality near Nice and VSM, if you have a phone, and usually 30 to 50% less expensive.

I think you will probably come ashore in Villefranche. In my experience, when a cruise ship comes in, taxis are waiting at the port.

As an idea, might not be for you, you could taxi to the train station, take the train to Monaco (Gare de Monaco), taxi to the Oceanographic Museum and spend most of your day there. The floors will be flat and I expect they have elevators. Afterwards taxi back to the train, train back to Villfranche, taxi to the port area and stroll the flat area around the port until it's time to get back on your ship.

You could do a similar plan to an art gallery that interests you in Nice.