Nice/Monaco and Provence Itinerary

I assume with a 3 year old you'll have a stroller? Monaco is worth a visit, word of warning though, from the train station it is literally uphill both ways. Uphill to the aquarium and then down to the bottom and uphill to the Casino.

I can't help you with the shopping but both will have some eye popping prices, I was looking at 100,000 Euro watches at Cartier in Monaco. My educated guess says prices will be better in Nice.

If you stop in Cannes on day 7 they have an old Spanish Fort on the Island just off the mainland. I can't recall the name off the top of my head. In the fort is a prison where it is said the real Man in the Iron Mask was held. The area is good for letting a 3 year old run, not sure if a stroller would be easy though.

Day 9, Carrieres Dr Lumieres is amazing. Avignon morning or afternoon. I'll always advise early morning for any site, however parking could be at a premium at The Lumieres show and I'd advise there in the AM. If you go to Palais does Papes in Avignon, it is not stroller friendly at all.

Having spent a few weeks in southern France last summer and covering some of what you are thinking of, I think this is an overly ambitious plan. It's very easy to underestimate the time it takes to get from place to place--traffic means isn't always as fast as you think it will be, the roads are often winding and narrow, finding parking and walking about, especially with a toddler in tow, is more challenging than you'd think. Pretty much nowhere is stroller-friendly. For your day trip to Monaco, for example, you'd need the trip from Nice (about an hour), walking (uphill) or getting a taxi from the train station, add another 30 minutes-1 hour to the aquarium, spend an hour there (why bother? that's not enough time to really enjoy it), walking from aquarium to palace, 30 minutes, uphill, spend an hour there watching the changing of the guard (actually pretty boring, btw), getting over to the casino, add another 30 minutes, the Casino (How much time do you think you'd want to spend there? An hour or two? And I'm not sure they'd welcome a toddler.), lunch (another 1.5 hours, at least) then getting to the shopping, even via taxi will take half an hour, shopping, then getting back to Nice for dinner. IMO, you're looking at a 10 hour day before dinner.

We drove from Nice to Roussillon. It took the better part of 4 hours. Getting from Nice to Aix? Nice to Aix, straight through allowing for getting to and from the car park, and finding parking at either end, easily 3 hours. Choosing to drive to Verdun Gorge from Nice will add another 2-3 hours of driving, plus the time to actually visit it. Or, stopping at Cannes with add another couple of hours driving. It's easy to spend a day in Arles; not really a 'stop off', and two restaurant meals that will take a couple of hours. Pick one option and for me, it's next to impossible. Aix to Gordes driving alone will take 1.5 hours. Parking in Gordes and walking to the Abbey, 30 minutes - 1 hour. We spent the whole day in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. You get the idea. Just some of your plan and you won't have the time to relax poolside!

Thanks for your reply.
In Monaco are there ramps or only stairs? We will bring a light travel stroller for when she naps after lunch.

As far as VAT refunds, several blogs mention prices will be the same in France as in Monaco and both offer 20% VAT refund.

I would consider the Ile Sainte-Marguerite where Man from the Iron Mask stayed, however, the drive time from Nice-Cannes-Verdun-Aix en Provence is already 5 hours. I am thinking we skip Cannes and see Verdun Gorge only, I am not sure how interesting that will be to a toddler though. How does Antibes compare for activities?

We will do the Lumieres show first and work our way up to Avignon. Thank you.

Thanks for the insight.

Day 5 in Monaco, we can skip the changing of the guards, I think the one in London has more pomp anyway! We want to at least see the palace from the outside maybe on the way from the train station to the aquarium.

We plan to spend at least 1-2 hours at the aquarium, and tend to cruise by exhibits quickly (already taken her to aquariums in Monterey Bay, Okinawa, Osaka, Denver, Guadalajara, & Long Beach). Maison des Pates is showing 12 minutes walk from the aquarium, then 17 minute walk to Casino on Rue Grimaldi/Ave d'Ostende. Casino will take 10-15 mins just to see inside. Probably won't shop in Monaco, just look at gardens and take bus back to Nice. That means more pool time!

Day 7 from Nice to Aix is flexible. I considered stopping in Cannes or Antibes since the route to Aix takes us just above it. I am leaning towards to just visiting Verdun Gorge and head straight to Aix. We have paid hotel parking in Aix.

The reviews on the Abbey aren't good saying it's very crowded, and there won't be any lavender when we visit anyway, maybe we will skip and spend time in Gordes and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue instead.

Thank you for your insight.

Also, are there a lot of police on the motorways from Nice to Aix? Here is a loaded question, generally, how much faster than the posted speed limit can one drive without getting a ticket?

Yes, IMO Monaco's changing of the guard doesn't match Buckingham Palace, that's for sure. Even the Palace itself is a disappointment; sort of a white rectangular box with some windows. Eh. I do remember one, maybe two, ramps in Monaco, one in front of the aquarium, and one up the hill (combined with steps) toward the palace.

We didn't shop, so can't comment on the VAT/location shopping questions.

Verdun is gorgeous, but it's a canyon. That's it. Personally, I don't think a toddler would be much interested. 10 minutes and I was done. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer to get there and leave. It's a slog--long drive, winding roads. We had lunch at a place in Moustiers, but I can't remember where. It was nothing to write home about. I noticed a few pull-outs that would be nice for picnics.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn't go to Antibes. However, just from what I've read, I think comparing it to Verdun is like apples and oranges. I'd bet it's a lot safer and more interesting for a small child. The timing on the Verdon-Aix drive is a reasonable, certainly doable on your schedule.

Your comment on the lavender is well-taken. We were there after lavender season, and it was pretty dull and colorless, although the lavender museum was interesting and we had a good lunch there.

We liked Isle-sur-la-Sorgue very much, although it is basically a market (a big one -- food, gifts, clothing), lots of antique shops. We were there on Sunday. RS is right--parking was a zoo. We ate in the market, which was fun. The waterwheels? 7 or 8 of them as I recall and beautiful, but once you've seen one you've seen them all. There was one small modern art museum, Villa Dartis, that was interesting. It was a nice, slow day for us; we day tripped from Avignon.

Cops from Nice to Aix? I remember seeing one or two en route. Not many, but it only takes one! We probably weren't any more than 10-15 km/h over the limit. Getting a ticket with a rental car was ridiculously complicated (and annoying) for us, but that was Italy...hardly the epicenter of administrative efficiency!

Have fun on your trip!

Let me see if I can fill in answers to some of the questions:
* For your Italian dinner, try pan-med Bar des Oiseux. Not truly Italan, but pasta-focused. The owner's restaurants are so popular with locals he can close in the summer for the staff to take their own holidays. In Nice, with the summer trade, this is unheard of Some people really like Acchiardo as well.
* There are elevators (ascenseur public) in Monaco although they do tend to be tucked away and an easy to use bus system. As noted, the sites are spread across hills.

* The boutiques in Monaco probably have a higher upper end and a good representation of the top designers. In Nice, the main street for Boutiques is Rue Paradis (with some extension up to Alphonse Karr), while Galeries Lafayette is on Place Massena (The Galeries in Cap3000 is larger and easier to navigate). And along the Promenade du Paillon/Ave du Verdun there are some major boutiques like LV and Cartier. Cannes has a very strong selection of designers as well -- sometimes a designer will be in one city or the other (Antibes is better for beaches and less so for shopping). You'll have missed the twice-annual Soldes (sales) so all the merchants are stocking up on the new lines. There is a Factory Outlet center near Salon de Provence, it's less high end say than the ones in Chiasso or Tuscany.
* Don't do the Gorges and Cannes en route -- pick one route. It is a lot of driving, often through beautiful countryside, but pretty far out of the way to get to Aix -- many people make stops along the way. .

* To get out of Nice, if you are renting from the center, there is an underground express tunnel that has entrances closer to the Promenade that go up to the A8 tollway, bypassing the surface traffic. Ideally the route to Aix is a little of two hours. Traffic at both ends can stretch that out.

Skip Marseilles, I know so many people that were disappointed with that city.

Consider visiting Pont du Gard, it is an intact ancient Roman aqueduct.
Also, St. Paul de Venice is a great small town right out of the middle ages and worth a visit.
Beware, the beaches in the Nice, Cannes area are not so great.

Arles is definitely worth a visit, lots of history there.
Avignon is another historical city not to miss.

Well, it looks like we will head straight to Aix on the ugly A8. Anything of particular interest on this drive?

Where can we find lavender goods like dry bud pouches, soaps, etc. that are priced affordably to give as souvenirs? Does Carrefour or other hypermarkets sell quality ones? The shops at the outlet seem standard, will probably skip it. Besides L'Occitane, what are some other Provencial brands that make quality products. I read olive oil soap is quite nice

For Day 8, if we skip the Abbey and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, what else can we see in the Luberon? Skip it altogether and visit Avignon and Pont du Gard instead? This will give us more time in Aix on Day 9 to visit the Pavillion Vendome garden, fountains, and maybe Hotel de Caumont for art. Or skip Avignon since we visiting the Aix morning market and a winery on Day 9. So much to see, so little time!

I've had the pleasant experience of getting a ticket and being fined 100 Euros on the spot while driving from Paris to Mont St Michele. It was a bargain compared to the states, and I will drive more carefully in France.

Thank you for the recommendation on Bar des Oiseux, it looks delicious and I will add to my list of reservations.
We are staying very near Rue Paradis so that is very exciting to know shopping will be close by. Does Galeries Lafayette have a good food selection?

Thats good to know about the tunnel, since we plan to eat at the Boot Grill for lunch just above the airport, we will drive down Prom Des. Anglais.

Why were they disappointed with Marseilles? We only plan to spend one full day there (Saturday), I think this is sufficient to see the port and MUCEM, and have Moroccan food. My itinerary should of said:

Day 9, Fri: Provence... drive to Marseilles for two nights

Day 10, Sat: Marseilles

Day 11, Sun: Fly home at noon

One day in Marseille provides for an interesting change of pace, it is quite distinct from the rest of Provence. But your itinerary is fairly tight and Marseille is not toddler friendly - bad traffic, long walking distances, narrow sidewalks that make stroller use difficult in many places (though admittedly not by the Mucem / port). I would spend these two nights in Aix bringing the total to four nights and use Aix as a base for more leisurely touring. If Marseille really stokes your curiosity, it is a very easy day trip from Aix.

@gumbydom
* you can find lavender pouches and savon de Marseille in any of the markets on your trip, including Cours Saleya and Aix. Competition at the large markets should keep the prices relatively down.

* Galeries Lafayette at Massena does not have a large food section, only more like gift foods. There are a number of shops, especially in old town and at the market, where you can find things. If you have a specific thing you are looking for, I can give a recommendation. My place is in the same neighborhood as Rue Paradis.

* the entrance to the tunnel closest to Rue Paradis is at Rue de Congres and the Promenade. A short division from the A8 might be St Paul de Vence, as mentioned, or backtracking to Eze (parking can be a challenge, and there are steps that are not stroller friendly).

* the views from the Chateau Lacoste are great, with the contrast of the modern art on the grounds but the castle itself is less impressive. The town is quite "stony" to stroll through but you can also drive to the top. In the Luberon, you might add Roussilon to your list. The colors there are pretty unique. The Pont du Gard is also a great destination.

* If I were to add days I might do it outside of Aix near a major town that is easier to get in and out of, say in the Luberon or near St. Remy. A stay in an estate like Domaine de Capelongue with a top restaurant might be nice (pricey and may be booked out) but there are also less pricey options with some great views and pools, but easy access.

A few of my observations of this area: If you’d like a sandy beach, Antibes is the place to visit. They also have a lovely covered market with nice souvenirs including lavende pouches, scarves, herb de Provence, etc. along with food items. And fresh hot socca (chickpea flour crepes!). It has a nice paved walk along the beach area, where you can easily push the stroller. Lots of families at the beach here. The Picasso museum had spectacular views of the Mediterranean and I’d say small enough to appreciate with a baby in tow. The harbor was also beautiful.

If you choose Monaco, consider all of the hills/climbing and the water you have to navigate. We took the 1.50E bus there from Nice, and it dropped us at the top of the hill. We walked downhill to the casino, hotel, cafes, and then made our way to the little tourist train, which gave us an overview without the climbing. We were at the end of our journey, and logged more miles than I thought possible. Haha.

I found Avignon to be a good base with its train station so close to the center. But you have the car option! We took a day/ train trip to Arles, and then a full day shuttle van tour into the countryside. Lots of picnic opportunities in the countryside. I could see that the stroller may be difficult to navigate in the crowded market (Isle sur la sorgue), but you should be fine in Aix as there is more room on the street/square. ISLS Sunday market was very crowded but so fun to see all of the vendors!

Our van driver said that large trucks are not allowed to drive on Sundays, so that helped with the roads/traffic. The main roads around the big fountain in Aix were under construction in July 2018 but hopefully that is finished by now!

Happy travels!

Lumieres is DARK -- not sure how a 3-year-old would respond to an hour in a dark cave with bright color lights and background music. An extra hour at the pool might be a better fit.

Check the MUCEM website to see what exhibitions are currently running. I went there in 2017 and found it extremely disappointing as a big-city museum, but I would guess (and hope) the contents have changed. I was treated, mainly, to an exhibition on garbage that seemed to focus on teaching children about taking care of the environment--a worthy goal, but not the sort of exhibition I was expecting.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I really wanted to see Marseilles for myself after reading critical reviews about the city and hearing it firsthand from my parents who visited a few years ago, that and being close to MRS Airport for our noon flight on Sunday. We are staying in the new Prado shopping area and will spend most of our time near the port/shopping district. Is there a particular dish or treat we can pick up in Marseilles? Our 2 night hotel stay in Marseilles cannot be changed (non-refundable).

We will check the markets for lavender pouches, excited to see what kind of products are made with the buds. In Nice we are looking to try Socca, I read Chez Rene makes it well. Are there other boulangeries in Old Town you can recommend, we have a sweet tooth. Being so close to Italy, we are looking for a place that has great tagliatelle alla bolognese, we had the best one at Colline Emiliane in Rome, and my daughter loves pasta bean soup, but I can't seem to locate a place that has these dishes.

I hadn't found anything that may spark my child's interest on the drive until I looked up the covered market and beach in Antibes that was suggested. We will stay in Nice in the morning for pool time, then drive to Antibes for a dip in the Mediterranean beach at Plage de la Gravette, thanks for the rec, maybe see the Picasso museum too! I saw Q-Park parking lot is convenient to the market and museum? Google Maps routing says to take the Prom de Anglais to Antibes, around 45 mins, is this accurate?

I am wondering if Roussillon will be too hilly with too much walking for my family to enjoy, can we see the colorful hills if we drive by?

We will visit Monaco early so its not too hot and can go into the Aquarium as soon as it opens. To minimize walking, we may take the bateau bus water taxi across the harbor, and just eat around the casino.

When my daughter is anxious or scared she wants to be held, I am already prepared for this, we should be OK at Lumieres. I think she will have fun though, can she touch the stones?

The Mucem will have Island Time and Mediterranean exhibits, as well wall Tunisian exhibition. Thank for all the great tips, this forum has been so helpful compared to TA.

Right across the border in Vintimille is Pasta e Basta.

Great! Yes the timing sounds right for the drive. The train was around 20 mins, so with traffic and lights, 45 minutes drive seems right. We loved the Antibes beach (smaller town vibe too), although do check out the Nice beaches. The rocks/pebbles were interesting and so smooth, but I can imagine the toddler faring better on the Antibes sand. Better for digging holes and filling buckets. :) The waves are also gentle in both places. Tons of boats and yachts to admire.

At the Antibes market (and others in Provence) you’ll see they celebrate the cicada. You’ll see them embroidered on linens, or little ceramic ones. I bought a tiny cicada vase that hangs on the wall, and holds dried lavender. We were told they celebrate the cicada as a symbol for the upcoming “summer” so they tend to ignore the loud noises they make. It makes a fun and unique souvenir. Along with sea salt herbs de Provence, and sun dried tomatoes!

In Nice, the street market has a stand called Chez Therese. She (Therese) stands over the blazing hot griddle/oven contraption and makes the socca to order. The line is worth the wait. They are great hot off the grill! Also try the pissaladiere (bread topped with caramelized onions). Careful, some also include anchovies! I was happy to have the vegan version! The socca at the Antibes marche was not as good in my opinion, but i think he needed to leave it in the oven a bit longer. They were near closing time so maybe its typically better?

Monaco: Mom and I had a nice early dinner at the large Cafe de Paris outside of the casino in Monaco. It was near the little souvenir shop. Fancy tablecloths, indoor or outside, and extremely attentive service. The waiter saw me twirling my pasta onto my fork against my bowl, and he immediately brought over a giant pasta spoon. There’s also a roving waiter doling out bread/rolls. It felt quite fancy and only 12 or 15E for my (vegetarian) pasta dish. Seemed family friendly. The water taxi sounds fun to get to the other side fo the harbor! And don’t forget to take your passport into the TI office so they’ll stamp it for Monaco. There’s also a mailbox inside the casino if you choose to buy a stamp from the souvenir shop (Monaco stamp) and send a postcard home! Bon voyage!!! Can’t wait to hear your report!

PS: I forgot if you are driving to Monaco from Nice? Do beware of the curvy /hairpin corniches that you have to navigate. The road is TIGHT and the traffic can be intense. We were on the big city bus, and had to literally squeeze around the emergency vehicle in the opposite lane/parked at a building. It’s way more intense than hwy 1 (I see you are north of me in Santa Monica). We were getting a bit queasy even on the bus, but the views were simply breath-taking. Anyway, look into whether you want to take the low or middle corniche over to Monaco. And do consider the timing/traffic. Best wishes!

@gumbydom -- a few responses.

If you do head to the markets or some of the small villages, also look for extracts of lavender. The essentials oils are great for a variety of purposes and make great gifts. Yes, the best socca in the market is from Chez Theresa but the best overall is considered to be Chez Pippo in the Port. Best boulangerie in the Old Town is Boulangerie Jeannot. The best old town patisserie is Patisserie Lac. If you are in the Carre d'Or, Maitre Pierre (boulangerie) or for patisseries, Lac or Canet. I don't have a specific recommendation for pasta e fagioli or traditional bolognese, though I have seen it. I would encourage you to try ravioli nicois (filled with boeuf en daube, a beef wine stew/braise) or daube over gnocci or ravioli.

Regarding Antibes, the best beach is not Gravette, rather the ones further away, like Ponteil, Salis, Garoupe (mostly private clubs), etc. Gravette is close to the old town, and gets packed due to proximity. The drive can easily be 45 minutes or more, as traffic in peak season can be terrible. The train is quicker, but the best beach by train is at nearby Juan-les-Pin (closer walk to the train).

Roussillon is not too hilly. The biggest climb may be from the parking lot. You have to walk to the entrance to the famous red hills but the walk within can be taken in small stages -- or just as a view from the start. There are also some views from below. It really a nature walk, not a hike, with steps and handrails through the shorter loop. There is some climbing..

Hi everyone, here is my trip report. We returned from our trip early September to Munich, South of France, and Madrid. Thank you for all your input.

Flying out of LAX was a breeze, checked into quiet SAS ticket counter and made our way through security with TSA PreCheck. Ate at PF Chang’s using the Priorty Pass $30 credit per person. Great homemade ginger ale. The seat map shown during preflight check-in was wrong showing and we were seated in front of lavatories. We asked flight attendant for toy for our toddler but they don’t provide these. We arrived in Arlanda Stockholm for a two hour layover which is barely enough time to eat and shop. Surprised how yummy and healthy the food was. Had passion fruit, apple, and ginger fresh pressed juice and chocolate croissant. Made our way to Lufthansa flight to Munich. The flight attendant offered our toddler a toy to keep her busy, I love LF. It was a coloring book with colored pencils and even a pencil sharpner, how thoughtful. We landed in Munich, took Uber to Andaz Hyatt which just opened this year and in the north part of the city. The hotel offers a wrapped BMW i3 that we used throughout our stay to get around Munich instead of Ubering. The subway was easy to use, however, ticketing is a little tricky since we had trouble validating our ticket since it wouldn’t fit in the validation machine (maybe we don’t have to validate these certain tickets). We purchased Rimowa luggage from a local store near our hotel that saved around 35% off retail price, and bought wooden toys for our toddler to fill that luggage. We couldn’t claim VAT refund until we departed Marseille, something to consider when making organizing cities for your trip, which meant our daughter couldn’t open and play with the toys until we arrived home. However, the customs agents at Marseille were nice and didn’t even look at the toys in the luggage and approved our paperwork for refund.
Munich is the quintessential German city relative to the other big two cities. The locals were friendly and city is very walkable. Locals we spoke with said it is very safe and there are a lot of green spaces. We returned after 4 years and had our favorite ice cream and pizza. Our daughter wasn’t a fan of German food (wienerschnitzel, potato salad, sausage, etc.) except she loved pretzels, that is until we have Hofbrauhas at the English Gardens and she ate up the ribs, burgers, and sausage from there. The hotel had a nice indoor rooftop pool with in water chairs and large outdoor deck for sunbathing, we swam everyday. There is also a splash pad in the driveway of the hotel that my daughter really enjoyed.

We flew out of Munich into Nice and stayed at the Hyatt Regency across from the beach. Uber was cheaper compared to Germany from the airport, around 20E. We arrived late so we had snacks and called it a night. The next morning we had breakfast overlooking the hotel pool and ocean at the hotel. We walked 10 minutes to the train station. There were long lines to buy tickets, waited about 15 minutes. We took a crowded train to Monaco and explored the farmers market quickly towards the palace on the way to the aquarium. We missed the changing of the guards by a few minutes but weren’t too bummed since the views up there were spectacular. We visited the aquarium which also doubles as a museum about the seafaring and research history of the country. The exhibits were nice and it is very dark inside. We had an ok meal in the upstairs restaurant, had pizza and chicken fingers with fries, there is also an uncovered playground but it was very hot and we didn’t stay too long. Next, we made our way down the many steps with a stroller to the harbor where we passed a cruise ship and large yachts. Most of cars driving through were luxury cars in the port. We caught the water bus across the harbor to the casino side, and found the elevator up the hill to the casino. We took pictures outside of the casino which has nice gardens then walked towards the tourist information office to get our passports stamped with a special Monaco stamp. We took the bus back to Nice which was long and windy. I would recommend taking the train or taxi back if you get motion sick. We went swimming in the indoor/outdoor pool but the water was a bit cold. We made reservations at a French restaurant but upon arrival they were closed for the season so we ate at a French Bistro next door. One waiter, one chef, and a few cooks, we had beef stew, duck, and zuchhini flowers. The next morning we went through the farmers market and bought some lavender bud packs, then took the bus to Villa Rothschild along the same windy road towards Monaco. I would recommend Uber to save time since you have to walk up the hill. The villa has many rooms showcasing Rothschild collection, and the garden in the back was spectacular. We paid for the garden tour which you really don’t need to since you can walk it near the fountains. We skipped this since we had a stroller and there were many stairs. The meal at villa restaurant was one of our favorite meals. The quality and presentation was superb. We had a chicken salad, and stewed artichoke soup, and they even had kids meals with ice cream. We took the bus back which was 20 minutes late, again use Uber. Back in Nice, we walked through the park and saw many playgrounds and a lot of people relaxing, then had Grom gelato and shopping, then back to the hotel for more swimming. That night, we ate at a really good Brazilian restaurant a few blocks from the hotel, while doing laundry nearby. I wish we had more time to explore Nice, but the next morning it was time to drive to Provence. I picked up a car at the nearby Hertz/Thrifty and was given a minivan for my compact car reservation which worked out great for our many luggage’s. It was still too early to eat at the a BBQ restaurant by Nice airport so we kept on driving through Antibes, then to Cannes. In Cannes, we had a burger for lunch, then it was off to the free beach! It was crowded since the weather was still very good. Waves were gentle and a lot of people in the water, and sunbathing topless I might add. Wife did some handbag shopping and we were off to Aix. Driving was easy to get to the city but once were close on the freeway, it was a little tricky to navigate.

In Aix we stayed at the new Renaissance hotel about a 5 minute walk to downtown. We felt very safe since there were a lot of students and what felt like a larger female population. We ate at a French restaurant that had an open air patio, the food was decent but service very slow since it was only two waiters, we supplemented our meal with a kebab. The next morning we explored the city, ate at a popular patisserie, had fresh madeleines, went toy shopping, and went back to the hotel for rest. That afternoon we went to Chateau Lacoste. We arrived around 3PM which was not quite enough time to see everything, it takes about 2-3 hours to see everything and the grounds are immaculate and huge. There was a special event that was happening that night a popular Southern French pop group was rehearsing in the outdoor theatre so we were able to watch a bit of that. Then we did the art walk around the huge property from world renowned artists. I highly recommend this place when the weather is nice. That night we order in and had Algerian roasted chicken that was very tasty. The next morning we went to Carrieres de Lumieres. The display was awesome inside a cave. There were two exhibits they put on back to back lasting about 20 minutes each. We saw Van Gogh and a Japanese art exhibit. It is very dark and there is dramatic music, with seating all around the cave. Then we ate lunch at their outdoor restaurant which was OK, a lot of dust blowing around. Then it was off to Arles, which was surprising larger than we expected. We parked and explored the old town, saw the hospital where Van Gogh stayed, and the coliseum and theatre before it was time to head to Marseilles for two nights.

On the way to Marseilles, we stopped by big Carrefour by the airport to pick up soaps and other treats. We stayed at a new Marriott hotel by the stadium near Prado. I should have stayed near the harbor since it was more central but since we had a car it was fine. The next morning we drove to the old port passing a lot of shopping and construction for the new tram. We explored the cathedral, fort and MUCEM. The cathedral was huge and very nice. We had lunch at French restaurant and ate outdoors in this square that had art and graffiti all over. The food was OK, we should’ve ate at the Caribbean restaurant next door which also has a patio. Then we went to the fort which was free and has lots of elevators. A bridge connects it to MUCEM and we walked down the ramp wrapping around the building to the bookstore. Then it was off to have fresh squeezed OJ at a Carrefour Express nearby. Toddler was asleep so drove around Marseilles, saw Palace de Longchamp which had amazing gardens and waterfall in the middle of an urban zone, went up to the church on the hill with amazing views of the city, then drove to the coast which we were totally not expecting nice neighborhoods and beaches compared to the downtown. On the way back to the hotel we drove down Prado and saw lots of nice houses and new buildings. We stopped by a bakery for cookies and ate Moroccan food that night in downtown Marseilles.

The next day it was time to fly home. Our Iberia flight was delayed and by the time we arrived in Madrid for our connection, we missed our flight home. We had to purchase new tickets on Norwegian for the next day. We stayed at the nearby Marriott that was huge. The rooms were OK, but the breakfast buffet was nice. They even had jamon iberico and chocolate with churros. We took the free hotel shuttle to the city the next day and went shopping and explored the park. Then ate lunch at a café and had more chocolate with churro and jamon iberico, then took Uber back to hotel where we checked out to catch our flight home.

Overall, it was a very nice trip. Munich was the star of the show, and we are seriously considering relocating there. We will definitely return to Nice to explore more since it is such a big city. Aix was a good home base for us to explore places nearby. If we were to explore more of Provence, maybe staying near Avignon would be better located. Marseille being the second largest city definitely has a distinctive urban core, but the coast is like the rest of Cote de Azur. Shopping in Europe is a bargain with VAT refund for luxury goods. The money saved was spent to rebook our flight home, and we unexpectedly got to explore Madrid. Our 2 ½ year daughter did great on this trip and our fingers are crossed she will grow up to be a pilot, lol. Thanks for reading and for all your help in making this a memorable trip. If you want more details, just ask.