We booked this tour as a cruise excursion and we didn't realize we were arriving at Toulon and not…read moreMarseille until that morning. But lucky moment #1, Laurent was flexible and accommodating and came to pick us up at the other port in an hour. He informed us it was a holiday in France and most places were closed. He would try his best to get us into a winery that was open until noon, but it was going to take a little luck to get us there in time. Lucky moment #2: they were open when we arrived. We tasted two old vine Rhône blends and a 92-point rose. All delicious. The kind owner stayed open an extra 25 minutes for us, lucky moment #3. Then because we wouldn't be able to make it to any other wineries, we had to pivot. We bought 3 bottles of wine and a salami that the owner sliced for us and put into a paper bag. Next stop, the bakery was open! Lucky #4! We purchased two baguettes. Then off to the charming town of Le Castellet, with its narrow cobblestone streets and centuries old buildings. Lucky moment #5: we got a great parking spot and set off to explore. What to do on a national holiday when shops and restaurants are closed? Head to the National Park and have a picnic! But not just anywhere, Laurent's secret spot at the top of the mountain. I can't say where it is because we were sworn to secrecy. Just as we arrived, another car pulled in. Would they beat us to a seat at the best view in France? Nope. Lucky moment #6, they went the other way and the secret spot was all ours. A fresh French bread and salami sandwich washed done with a great Mourvèdre while gazing down at that amazing blue of the Mediterranean. This is the essence of travel--connecting with a stranger who takes you through his country as though you are a friend and you become exactly that. You talk about life and politics and food and wine and culture. We wanted to have 7 lucky experiences because after all 7 is the luckiest number, but our #7 became our #1. Because the luckiest thing that happened to us was that we had our friend Laurent sharing his world with us for one unforgettable day.

From the owner: organiser des excursion insolite en Provence à la journéeread more

This adorable little blue train was such a cute little tourist attraction! When I read about it…read morewhile doing my Marseilles research I knew i had to ride it! I love a scenic tour of a new-to-me location. Then when I found out you can hop off at Notre-Dame de la Garde if you take route no 1? That was absolutely perfect, After buying your ticket at the Old Port (route 1 is 10 euros for adults rn), you board this train which comes every 20 minutes. More frequent in peak seasons, less frequent in off seasons. Once onboard, keep in mind you'll feel any elements if it's rainy or windy as it's open air. It's a nice trip though because it's not just a great scenic train but they do have commentary in several languages, including English y por supuesto Español. Views and facts, I'm a weirdo, but I love it. Everyone usually gets off to walk around at the Notre Dame stop and why wouldn't you?! They take you straight to the Basilica so you can walk up the stairs to the chapel & amazing views of Marseilles. Petit Train is a highly recommended must-do when in Marseilles!

This is a convenient way to get up to see the Bonne Mere in Marseille but not as good as the…read moretourist train in Nice. The recording is played over a speaker and they will play it in multiple languages depending on what people and you're a little car speak. They drive pretty quickly so there isn't really much opportunity for photos as you drive along. The only stop is at the church. they tell you the last train is in 20 minutes, but actually the trains continue coming. The visit felt rushed as we thought we'd miss the last train and have to walk down

From the owner: Venez découvrir Marseille en Version Originale !…read more Laissez-vous tenter par le charme de la Dolce Vita, en choisissant le plaisir d'une balade touristique dans le premier Tuk Tuk Marseillais et cela à 1, 2 ou 3 personnes... Son originalité, son petit gabarit et sa vue panoramique : c'est tout son charme ! Un chauffeur privé se fera un plaisir de vous faire découvrir ou redécouvrir les plus beaux trésors de notre belle ville de Marseille.

My group of 3 did the rose excursion with Brian. I can't think of a more memorable way to celebrate…read moreProvence's bounty of good wine and food than indulge in this one-of-a-kind wine "lesson" (which, for us, was more of a boozy, let's-drink-and-laugh-and-celebrate-life excursion). Brian picked us up from Aix and drove us along a scenic route stretching along Mount Ste. Victoire. We arrived at a local winery where we sampled red, white, and rose wines. We walked amongst the vines, had a great time and eventually made it to a secluded park where we set up a picnic table and drank 2 bottles of rose, ate fresh baguettes from the market and nibbled on fresh strawberries and grapes. All this epicurean goodness while drenched in the golden, Provencale sun and surrounded by the very landscape that inspired Cezanne's paintings. Does it get any better? Only if you have great company to do it with (and I did!). I would relive this afternoon again in a heartbeat. Some quick tips: -This wonderful afternoon excursion was approximately 80 euros a person, which included all the bites, (lots of) wine, and transportation. -I highly recommend it to anyone traveling through Provence who is more comfortable speaking English (although our host was also fluent in French). -Our host was very knowledgeable and personable. If you are serious about tasting wine and learning about it, the Wine in Provence folks have your back. -Wine in Provence offers other great wine tastings, cooking classes and winery tours.

My wife and I are traveling Europe with another couple and stopped in Aix for a few days. We just…read morefinished "The Best of Aix" tour with Hilary and had a great time. She took us shopping in the market, olive oil tasting, to the cheese shop, the wine shop and back for a cooking class to pair a three course lunch we cooked with three wines. We made a quiche, fruit dessert and a little app and it was all delicious! I can't say enough about this tour. Hilary was incredibly bubbly and knowledgable. She was on a cheek kissing basis with everyone, even the cheese guy who scowled at the rest of the locals. I recommend this tour to anyone and everyone traveling in Aix!

During our tour we were able to see Le village des Bories,Gordes (stone village built in 19th…read morecentury), the beautiful and quaint villages of Gordes and Roussillon (many nice shops and artist studios), Senanque Abbey, beautiful lavender fields, the ochre trail, and an old roman bridge. We thoroughly enjoyed each of these sites and would highly recommend Claire from Travelling Provence for a fantastic tour in France.

From the owner: Book a Private Tour in Provence! I will be your Guide and Chauffeur Privé!…read more When you think about Provence, many images come to your mind: the endless lavender fields, the high perched villages, the song of the cicadas,... I offer you to discover Provence as you can read it in books, see it in movies and paintings, but mainly to experience it like no one else. As your guide and driver, I will show you the real provencal way of life through the most famous places, but also the most hidden ones, of this wonderful area! Tailor made Full and Half Day Tours, walking tours and airport transfers: do not hesitate to contact me for further information! See you soon in Provence! Visit our website: www.travellingprovence.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram From Avignon, Nîmes, Marseille, Aix en Provence, Luberon, Alpilles, Camargue, Gordes, Roussilon, Fontaine de Vaucluse, Isle sur la Sorgue, Orange, Saint Rémy de Provence, Les Baux de Provence

I have used this tour company before when I am in Provence…read more This was a full day tour, but with a wonderful guide, Silvia which made the tour memorable. She is in college studying art history. It always helps when a guide is flexible and add little stops to make the trip fun. I asked if she could stop at my favorite olive oil producer in Les Baux, Castelas and she agreed. From Les Baux to St Rémy de Provence to see the hospital where Van Gogh was hospitalized and where he painted many landscapes. From,St Rémy to Arles, where Van Gogh also painted many famous pictures: Cafe Nuit, Harbor at night, and the yellow room.There was a special exhibition of Van Gogh's paintings. Truly a must see tour with this company and this special guide.

During one of our cruise stops in France, I did not know where to start in terms of seeing this…read morecity in just one day. But luckily I found an awesome way to see Marseille. Contact: Book them early and you can visit their website. During the summer months, the Greeters fill up so please plan ahead. Cost: Donation only. Please be kind and tip your guide generously, these people put in lots of homework and heart into this job. Tour: Unique and each greeter will take you on their own tour. Our guide took us to the best chocolate store in Marseille, as a side note. And our tour was capped off by seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral. Our tour was a 4 hour walking tour, but the time sure flies. Bring good shoes, and make sure your party is fit for this kind of walk. Overall: I liked our tour guide alot and when compared to paid tours (Viator, boo!), I will pick the Greeters all over again.

From the owner: L'Association Marseille-Provence Greeters organise votre balade avec un Greeter…read more Le Greeter, c'est un marseillais bénévole qui se balade avec vous, dévoile ses coins secrets et fourmille de petites histoires sur l'énigmatique Marseille Provence. Les maîtres-mots sont invitation, convivialité, découverte, rencontre, échange.

This is the (or an) official Tourism office in Marseille. Located adjacent to the Vieux Port, it's…read morea central location that has an extensive set of guides and tour books inside. Some of the local city tour companies have their starting points outside the office usually somewhere along the street. A helpful and necessary place to visit if you're looking for a map or someone who speaks English that can guide you wherever you need to go in the city. The official city tour of Marseille run by NAP Tourism stops right outside the office. It's about a 90 minute tour or so with an audio track. You go from the old port up steep side streets to the Basilique Notre Dame where you have 40 minutes to go around, and take pictures. Then it goes around the rest of the city highlighting important districts, other prominent churches, and the like. It's NOT a hop-on, hop-off tour besides the one stop at the Notre Dame cathedral so it's nice to sit on a warm bus on a colder day. You get a nice overview of the city and I encourage you save a day to take a cliche tour. It's especially good if you're only in the city for a short time and want to make the most of it.

One thing I am learning about France is that most larger towns and all cities have tourism offices…read moreand the workers usually speak decent English. In Marseille's office, one of their workers was actually from the US and he helped me out a lot when trying to navigate around the city. He was able to explain the Metro system, train schedule, and gave me maps of both the city and of walking tours around Marseille. This should be your first stop if visiting Marseille.