Montpellier, Marseille & French Riviera

This is one of my favorite road trips, south of France. And the French Riviera. There are so many different spots you can visit, it was quite challenging to choose only a few for a 5-day trip. I took my mom on this road trip and we had a great time. I planned ahead most of the trip, calculated how many kilometers and hours approximately we needed from one destination to another, and booked all the hotels online. Our plan was to visit Montpellier, my grand aunt lives there, we have been there before a couple of times, the last time a little more than 20 years ago. We continued to Marseille, Saint Tropez, and Nice. We added some additional stops on the way, spontaneous, for change.

Where to start

It depends on where are you from if you are from nearest countries it’s best just to go by car all the way. If you are arriving by plane on some of the nearest airports, I recommend renting a car. It so nice you can stop at anyplace you want.
We started in Slovenia, drove through Italy and stopped somewhere before the border for one night. We both still worked that day, we went on a trip directly after work, so we definitely needed a rest.

I chose the hotel by opening a map section at Booking, near the destination we wanted to go, and looked for the best location, near the sea, with a parking place. I found a nice hotel with a pool, Hotel Splendid, in Diano Marina. It was very clean and comfortable, our room had a balcony with a sea view, private beach it just a minute away, and the pool looks really nice.

We stayed just for a night, to get some sleep, and the next day in the morning continued to Montpellier. Driving the highway in France can get quite boring, but also there are some beautiful sceneries. Unlike in Italy, where you pay toll at the end when you leave the highway, in France, there are constantly toll stations on the road, so prepare a lot of change or a credit card.
To avoid toll stations, and even get some nicer views, I suggest a scenic coastal road, all from Saint Tropez to Nice, and even further, all the way to Italy.

Montpellier

They call it the City of Universities. Nearly one-third of the population are students from three universities. It is the 8th largest city of France and is also the fastest growing city in the country over the past 25 years. I’d say I totally believe that, because the last time I was here it was almost 23 years ago. I don’t remember much (just the nearest beach and children playgrounds), but looking at the pictures, I can really see the changes.

I felt so welcomed the moment I got to this city. Really, I can’t explain it, it’s probably because of memories and experiences. But still, I think this city gives you a warm welcome feeling. There are so many historical landmarks, elegant promenades, museums and cafes to stop in between the sights.

We had only one day, so we choose some nearest points. I will definitely visit Montpellier again for more time.
Finding a budget hotel with a parking place in the city center is nearly impossible. So we booked one a bit out, Hotel Ibis Budget, but it was still a nice walking distance to the main attractions. It is a typical Ibis Budget style, but everything was very clean, for a good price we got just what we needed.

Place de la Comédie

An oval central square is one of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe. Often filled with street artist and locals, with a lot of cafes, definitely is a must to stop by or hang out.

First picture, summer 1995. The second picture, spring 2017.
Too bad, the fountain wasn’t working, it was not the same season, was a bit cold, and I didn’t have the same tan 😀

Porte du Peyrou

This triumphal arch is located at the eastern end of the Jardin de Peyrou, a park near the center of the city. A monument is the most famous landmark in Montpellier. The Porte du Peyrou was built in 1691, on the old city walls, dedicated to the glory of  Louis XIV. You can climb up 103 stairs for a nice view.

Promenade du Peyrou & The old water tower and aqueduct

Right after the Peyrou arch is a lovely promenade du Peyrou which lead to the water tower and Saint-Clément Aqueduct.
A perfect lovely place where you can relax or take a walk.
 

Jardin des Plantes

I could spend hours in this nice and quite historic botanical garden and arboretum.

Cathedral of Saint Peter

The magnificent porch in the south entrance, supported by two mammoth columns, is what make this gothic style cathedral very impressive.
Right next to the cathedral, former cloister of the monastery is The court of honor of the Faculty of Medicine. It has a nice courtyard, but it’s not always open to the public.

Antigone

Antigone is a neighborhood of Montpellier, east of the city center. It is best known for its architectural design. The district is located between the old center of Montpellier and the river Lez. On the opposite side of the river is the Hôtel de la Région.

Our next destination was Marseille, and we decided to stop somewhere in between. There are so many nice places to see, Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Aix en Provence any many more… We decided for Arles, with no plan.

Arles

When you arrive in the city, there is a big parking garage where you better leave your car and just walk around. Near there is a tourist office where you can get a free map and more information. The city has a long history. Probably a lot of people doesn’t know that the Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time there.

We had a pleasant walk through the city and a cup of coffee in front of the amphitheater. Besides the great Amphitheater, there are also some other nice sight and landmarks, Théâtre Antique, Cloister of St. Trophime, Primatiale Saint Trophime, Cryptoportico of the Forum, Chapel of charity, The ancient Obelisk and The Archbishop’s Palace at Place De la République…
    

Marseille

After a nice few hours in Arles, we headed to Marseille. We stayed there for two nights in Premiere Classe Marseille Centre, with a walking distance to the port. Very simple hotel, but it was clean, and has a parking garage.
Marseille is one of the major ports of the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s most famous for its, the heart of the city, Vieux Port (old port). Many other historic buildings are located around the Old Port, my favorite is Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, located up the hill overlooking the old port.

Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Catholic basilica and the city’s best-known symbol. There are many ways to get there, but walking up the hills is totally worth.
  

Cathedrale de la Major

Another great striped architecture, located in the old port. This Roman Catholic cathedral is a national monument of France. It might be, that architecture and scale of this cathedral are much more impressive than the Basilica Notre Dame. Imposing doorway, similar to some other doors I’ve seen on the way through France.

Vieux Port pavilion

This is some kind of a tourist trap, a lot of people taking selfies, even lying on the floor… But still, the construction is quite impressive.

Palais Longchamp

The Palais Longchamp was created to celebrate the construction of the Canal de Marseille, which was built to bring water from the Durance River to Marseille. So it’s not a palace like a name says, but a monument to the glory of water. Too bad it was under maintenance at the time we were there, so, unfortunately, there was no water. Today there are two museums in this building, the Natural History Museum of Marseille and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille. There is a really nice park next to it.

Marseille Eye

If you are in the old port, you will definitely pass by the Marseille Eye. If you are not scared of heights, you will enjoy the view from the top.

It’s definitely worth visiting The Panier – the oldest neighborhood in Marseille, The Abbaye Saint Victor – one of Marseille’s most beautiful churches, where is also a nice view to the port, Marseille’s historic street La Canebiere, Château d’If – … If you want to get away from the city for a while, head to Calanques. The Calanques are world-renowned formations to the South of Marseille, known as the ‘fjords of the French Riviera’. You can go there by boat from Marseille, or by bus or car to Luminy, park near the Faculty of Sciences of Luminy, and you have some nice hiking trails. I’m saving Calanques for next time when I’ll have some more time and a bit warmer weather.

Toulon, Saint Tropez & Cannes

After two days in Marseille, we headed to Nice, driving through Toulon, Saint Tropez & Cannes. Somehow I wasn’t really impressed by Toulon. Maybe it was the weather. It was so cloudy all the time, very dark, was a bit cold and raining… I was actually really disappointed the very first moment we came there. It was just a shortstop, so we just walked through the marina and the city, and in the end, it wasn’t so bad. The military port of Toulon is the major naval center on France’s Mediterranean coast. It is also a marina for private boats and the embarkation for Corsica and Sardinia. It was all very quiet everywhere, not a lot of people. Until you get to the daily market, where all the fun begin. The Cours Lafayette is Toulon’s main outdoor market. You can buy food, flowers, clothing, housewares… There are some street musicians… For a break, you can stop in some of the nearby cafes. Liberty Plaza is the enormous main square in the upper town. You can see some of Toulon in my video, from 1:25 – 1:32.

I was way more impressed by Saint Tropez. It is probably the most famous resort in Europe. It was a military and fishing village until the beginning of the 20th century and was the first town on this coast to be liberated during World War II. After Brigitte Bardot visited in the fifties, the town changed its image, and it’s now a hot spot for showing your yacht and expensive cars, eating Michelin starred cuisine, luxury shopping and showing your tan. Well, that’s really not my style, so we just walked through the nice small streets of Siant Tropez, which are really super cute. Orange, yellow and stone houses with colorful window shutters and many flowers and succulents on the street or on the windows. So pretty!! A must see is a Citadelle de Saint-Tropez – Musee d’histoire maritime. Located on a short walk uphill offers a nice view of the city and the sea.
There was quite a lot of people, but I imagine, it’s way more crowded in the summer. So, it was a pretty nice visit. Oh, and we bought ice cream. A small cup. It was 5€. Each!! And I didn’t even take a picture of it! Well, at least it was tasty 🙂
    

Just before Cannes, we stopped at a long beach on the Boulevard du Midi Louise Moreau, to cool down our feet after a long day walking.
Most known for the Film festival, Cannes is also one of many nice coastal cities in the French Riviera. By the time we have arrived at Cannes we were already sooo hungry, that we just couldn’t walk around, and went to the first and nearest food place. Some fast food. I believe it’s some of the cheaper places here 🙂 We didn’t stay long, just to see the very imposing Festival Palace, Palais des Festivals. Located at one end of the Promenade de la Croisette, which is also a nice place t see. There is a line of fashion bloggers and movie lovers waiting for their turn to take photos on the ‘red carpet’ stairs.

Nice

In every sense of the phrase Cote d’Azur, Nice it the most ‘Azur’ of everything. The sky is blue, the sea is blue, the views are amazing, a mix of old and modern architecture, the whole city itself is shining this ‘Azur’ energy. No wonder why they call it the capital of French Riviera.
We spend two days in Nice and stayed in a four-star hotel, Hipark by Adagio Nice, 2km away from Promenade des Anglais. Our studio was so beautiful, everything very clean and modern, I could totally live there. Staff was really helpful and friendly. There is a pool on the roof! But it was not the season yet, so it was closed.

So much to see and so little time! Of all the attractions, hot spots, museums, shops, and restaurants, strolling down the Promenade des Anglais is the first thing to do. While admiring the beach on one side, and tremendous hotels and buildings on the other, you can get some drinks, food, and shopping in between. For a panoramic view, you must definitely climb Castle Hill. The old Port is also worth visiting.

The bad thing was, we were there on the 1st of May. The national public holiday, Labor day or you may call it International Workers’ Day. I love holidays, and of course respect this particular one, that’s why I could even afford a few days off. But on the first of May, a lot of things are closed, many shops and even bars and restaurants, al the museums are closed, and many locals probably get out of town. Even the tramway wasn’t working. There are mostly tourists, so I think you can’t get the real city vibe, even though the Promenade is quite crowded all the time and there are actually a lot of people out. There was also a parade.
     

On the way home, we drove through Monaco. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stop, we still had 800 km to get home.
I really loved this trip and I will definitely visit again and include some other places.

And for the end, there is a short video of this trip 🙂