A group of us (5) are biking Oct 6-14 in Provence (start/end in Avignon) Including Mount Ventoux (!). However we arrive in Marseille on the 30th and have 5 nights/days for exploring beforehand and 4 nights/days afterward before taking the train to Cinque Terre. We are considering Hyeres as a possible place to go to relax and poke around before starting our bike trip OR perhaps a day or two in Arles to include a day trip to the Camargue (mosquitos?) then on to Cassis OR ...? After the trip we would like to visit the Gordes de Verdun, Nice, Monaco for museums, etc. on our way to Italy? Could we base in Antibes? Any and all suggestions are much appreciated.
Posted by
Wisconsin, USA
136 posts
If you are interested in the calanques (Cassis), I think there are also Calanques tours from Marseille and you wouldn't have to travel further that first night or two.
We enjoyed our two leisurely days in Arles to see the Roman monuments (impressive to be in the middle of, not crowded, and the Cryptoportiques were cool on a hot day as well as being atmospheric) and museum (we liked seeing the models of the monuments in the museum, as well as the river barge and mosaics). The historic area is relatively small and easy to walk around. I wasn't very impressed by the Wednesday market (mostly cheap clothing and produce resellers). If you are interested in Roman stuff, Arles is a good place to experience it.