I'm starting in Madrid, 7 nights. Then Barcelona 5 nights. I'm heading east to Italy. I'd like somewhere to stop in France between Barcelona and Italy. I think Nice in July/August would be spendy and crowded. We're staying on hostels. Any recommendations?
I was looking at Lyon or Mersaille. I like museums, food, walking, ect.. My other half would prefer more night life. :) I'm open to any ideas.
My first thought is Cassis but I don't know hot crowded it would be in July/August. We were in Southern France a few weeks ago and visited Cassis--it was really beautiful, on the coast, with fun restaurants, and a great (Wednesday and Friday) market (no museums however but you can see lots of museums in Barcelona and Madrid.) Cassis is about 25 minutes by train from Marseille. Rick mentions a budget hotel in Cassis called Hotel Laurence.
I also like Lyon--especially for the food!
Nice suggestion! I really like wine, and this might be a nice option to see vineyards cheaply. Posts online mention several vineyards around Cassis.
Hi Liz,
I'll add that, as you're making your choice, you should carefully plan to make sure that your transportation connections work to your best advantage. For example, for our recent trip, we flew Ryanair from Madrid to Marseille to spend time in Provence. It's a long train trip from Barcelona to Southern France--you might want to consider a budget airline for your travels or if budget and time are a factor, flying directly from Barcelona to Italy.
Great B&B Stone House, Caux, France (near Montpellier). in a very rural area near the sea coast. One of the best I have been in.
I would not recommend Marsaile if you are driving.
Montpellier would also be a good stop.
How about a neighboring town to Nice like Antibes or in Provence ,Aix de Provence? Marseille and Lyon can be a bit gritty, imo. I have never been to Menton but many recom it has a good location bef Italy.
Another vote for Cassis. Don't miss the wine bar Le Chai Cassidain. For walking, you could explore the calanques while you are there.
