Distances
Distances are small in Provence and in 2 or 3 hours, you’ll be able to drive along the Côte d’Azur. From one large «municipality» to the other you usually do not have to travel more than an hour. So if you want using the car, you can visit 2-3 Provencal towns per day. (However, we recommend you to enjoy a trip on this beautiful land slowly!).
Cars
The picturesque villages of Provence, old abbeys, vineyards… To examine it all without a car is simply impossible, but the motorists should be prepared for the fact that they can have difficulties with parking. They’ll have to look for a place to park. Ample free parking is rare (they are in Biot, Lourmarin and in Fréjus).
In such cities as Marseille and Aix-an-Provence you have most likely take advantage of fee-paying underground garage. More options for - either «fit» into a narrow slit beneath a large slope, or «deal» with the parking meters. (1-2, 80 euro/ hour).
In Saint-Tropez, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cagnes-sur-Mer, you’ll be simply martyred in searching the places for your «iron horse» - the majority of parkings are designed exclusively for cars of local residents. (Of course, you can find a speculator, who will offer you a parking for about 10 Euros per hour ...).
Notre Provence Group advises you to use other forms of transport there!
As for the roads - they are good in Provence, but often rather tortuous. And what stunning views await you at every abrupt turn!
Of course, it is very convenient to travel by car, but as the roads are toll in France, it is not the cheapest option. For driving on toll road is better to stock up on «small change». In the winter in some mountain regions motorists might need chains.
Intercity Bus
Transport of Provence is also represented by buses and trains. A trip to the short distance would be more favorable if it is to use the bus.
Regular buses around Provencal cities (Nice, Marseille, Aix-an-Provence and Avignon) go quite often, fare is from 1 to 5 euros.
A trip to the intercity express (cars) will cost approximately 30 Euros. (The difficulty is that they usually depart from various «points»). For example, from Marseilles to Aix you need to go from the central bus station (which is «in the backyard» the railway station). To get from Marseille to Cassis, it will be necessary to find the underground stop «Castellane», besides it is not defined by anything other than a phone booth!
In Nice, the bus station as such is absent since 2011, and buses leave from different endpoints...
Trains
Trains in Provence run less frequently than buses. As well as the inner part of the region, which is far from the sea and large cities, has very few train stations.
In Aix-an-Provence and Avignon are available the separate terminals for high-speed trains (TGV), located a few kilometers from the city center. Such a station is going to be built in Nice.
More «slow» electric trains (TER) arrive to the central stations of the cities, pausing at every stop.
Tickets for every train can be purchased in advance: either from vending machines at the station or on the website www.csnf.com (By the way, if you choose the first option, certainly punch your ticket in a special machine at the beginning of the platform, otherwise the ticket is considered invalid).
Helicopters
Do you want to go to Monaco? You can fly there by helicopter from Nice. The regular flight is in the city, which departs every half an hour. The flight takes 6-7 minutes. A single ticket costs 130 Euro.
If you want to get to Saint-Tropez by helicopter, the flight takes about 20 minutes and costs 200-300 euros. You can fly to Cannes for 15 minutes that will cost the amount of about 180-300 Euro.
In fact, a helicopter will take you wherever you go, if only there is a helipad!
Distances are small in Provence and in 2 or 3 hours, you’ll be able to drive along the Côte d’Azur. From one large «municipality» to the other you usually do not have to travel more than an hour. So if you want using the car, you can visit 2-3 Provencal towns per day. (However, we recommend you to enjoy a trip on this beautiful land slowly!).
Cars
The picturesque villages of Provence, old abbeys, vineyards… To examine it all without a car is simply impossible, but the motorists should be prepared for the fact that they can have difficulties with parking. They’ll have to look for a place to park. Ample free parking is rare (they are in Biot, Lourmarin and in Fréjus).
In such cities as Marseille and Aix-an-Provence you have most likely take advantage of fee-paying underground garage. More options for - either «fit» into a narrow slit beneath a large slope, or «deal» with the parking meters. (1-2, 80 euro/ hour).
In Saint-Tropez, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cagnes-sur-Mer, you’ll be simply martyred in searching the places for your «iron horse» - the majority of parkings are designed exclusively for cars of local residents. (Of course, you can find a speculator, who will offer you a parking for about 10 Euros per hour ...).
Notre Provence Group advises you to use other forms of transport there!
As for the roads - they are good in Provence, but often rather tortuous. And what stunning views await you at every abrupt turn!
Of course, it is very convenient to travel by car, but as the roads are toll in France, it is not the cheapest option. For driving on toll road is better to stock up on «small change». In the winter in some mountain regions motorists might need chains.
Intercity Bus
Transport of Provence is also represented by buses and trains. A trip to the short distance would be more favorable if it is to use the bus.
Regular buses around Provencal cities (Nice, Marseille, Aix-an-Provence and Avignon) go quite often, fare is from 1 to 5 euros.
A trip to the intercity express (cars) will cost approximately 30 Euros. (The difficulty is that they usually depart from various «points»). For example, from Marseilles to Aix you need to go from the central bus station (which is «in the backyard» the railway station). To get from Marseille to Cassis, it will be necessary to find the underground stop «Castellane», besides it is not defined by anything other than a phone booth!
In Nice, the bus station as such is absent since 2011, and buses leave from different endpoints...
Trains
Trains in Provence run less frequently than buses. As well as the inner part of the region, which is far from the sea and large cities, has very few train stations.
In Aix-an-Provence and Avignon are available the separate terminals for high-speed trains (TGV), located a few kilometers from the city center. Such a station is going to be built in Nice.
More «slow» electric trains (TER) arrive to the central stations of the cities, pausing at every stop.
Tickets for every train can be purchased in advance: either from vending machines at the station or on the website www.csnf.com (By the way, if you choose the first option, certainly punch your ticket in a special machine at the beginning of the platform, otherwise the ticket is considered invalid).
Helicopters
Do you want to go to Monaco? You can fly there by helicopter from Nice. The regular flight is in the city, which departs every half an hour. The flight takes 6-7 minutes. A single ticket costs 130 Euro.
If you want to get to Saint-Tropez by helicopter, the flight takes about 20 minutes and costs 200-300 euros. You can fly to Cannes for 15 minutes that will cost the amount of about 180-300 Euro.
In fact, a helicopter will take you wherever you go, if only there is a helipad!