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Provence or Cote d' Azur

My wife and I are taking a month-long Rick Steves-inspired tour thru Europe in May. But in the middle of the trip, we are doing a quick cruise. One port is Toulon. Shore excursion options include Aix or Cassis or St. Tropez or Sanary sur Mer. Any suggestions from those who've been there? We have to pick one and can't decide!!

Posted by
3250 posts

I've only been to Cassis but I thought that it was beautiful plus there is an excellent Friday market in case you happen to arrive on that day. There are nice restaurants along the harbor and depending on how long you'll be there you could hike around the calanques. I'd chose Cassis!

Posted by
10214 posts

Cassis would be my first choice, Aix the second.

Posted by
1021 posts

We didn't stop at Sanary-sur-Mer so I can't comment on it. From the pictures on the internet the port looks great. It is next door to Toulon, so by far the closest and may be the cheapest excursion. I also think Cassis is terrific. It's the next closest - about half an hour's drive - and one of the most picturesque places I've visited in France. So I would place it #1 with St. Tropez #2 because it's, well, St. Tropez and it's fun to see the million dollar yachts backed into the famous quai. Aix is a big town that we found to be not terribly attractive compared to other places in Provence so I personally rank it no higher than 3rd among your choices.