Family holiday - Marseille/Toulon/Hyeres area

[sanity girl]

Friendly forumite advice requested please!

I am planning a summer holiday for myself and my two children (5 and 9) for the end of August - taking the Eurostar down to Marseille. So far I've just booked the train tickets - I've been looking at airbnb and campsites for accommodation, but would really appreciate some pointers from people who know the area and have been on holiday there before. Ideally I'd like to avoid hiring a car and go somewhere we can reach by train - either one place or a couple of different destinations as we are going for 10 days. I'm after somewhere near a nice sandy beach, maybe with a pool as well, as cheap as possible as I'm on a strict budget. I've been looking at Presqu'Ile de Giens and some places near Marseille like Bandol and La Ciotat but I've no idea what they're really like. Can anyone help?

[DaveR]

La Ciotat is a nothingy kind of town, post-industrial. Cassis is pretty, not sure if it has much of a beach, if any. That section of coast is known for the calanques, like smaller fjords, rather than beaches.

[sanity girl]

Thanks. Do you know a bit further along the coast around Hyeres?

[landsberger]

sanity girl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Friendly forumite advice requested please!

>

> I am planning a summer holiday for myself and my

> two children (5 and 9) for the end of August -

> taking the Eurostar down to Marseille. So far I've

> just booked the train tickets - I've been looking

> at airbnb and campsites for accommodation, but

> would really appreciate some pointers from people

> who know the area and have been on holiday there

> before. Ideally I'd like to avoid hiring a car and

> go somewhere we can reach by train - either one

> place or a couple of different destinations as we

> are going for 10 days. I'm after somewhere near a

> nice sandy beach, maybe with a pool as well, as

> cheap as possible as I'm on a strict budget. I've

> been looking at Presqu'Ile de Giens and some

> places near Marseille like Bandol and La Ciotat

> but I've no idea what they're really like. Can

> anyone help?

We stayed at the very pleasant Hotel de la Gare, directly opposite the train station (strangely enough!) in Toulon, which was very handy for the train(s) to Marseilles, Frejus and the bus to Hyeres. The beach at the latter is lovely, so if you could get somewhere around there it would be great.

[sanity girl]

landsberger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> sanity girl Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Friendly forumite advice requested please!

> >

> > I am planning a summer holiday for myself and

> my

> > two children (5 and 9) for the end of August -

> > taking the Eurostar down to Marseille. So far

> I've

> > just booked the train tickets - I've been

> looking

> > at airbnb and campsites for accommodation, but

> > would really appreciate some pointers from

> people

> > who know the area and have been on holiday

> there

> > before. Ideally I'd like to avoid hiring a car

> and

> > go somewhere we can reach by train - either one

> > place or a couple of different destinations as

> we

> > are going for 10 days. I'm after somewhere near

> a

> > nice sandy beach, maybe with a pool as well, as

> > cheap as possible as I'm on a strict budget.

> I've

> > been looking at Presqu'Ile de Giens and some

> > places near Marseille like Bandol and La Ciotat

> > but I've no idea what they're really like. Can

> > anyone help?

>

> We stayed at the very pleasant Hotel de la Gare,

> directly opposite the train station (strangely

> enough!) in Toulon, which was very handy for the

> train(s) to Marseilles, Frejus and the bus to

> Hyeres. The beach at the latter is lovely, so if

> you could get somewhere around there it would be

> great.

Thank you, that's helpful.

[Belle]

We visited Cassis when my first was 8 months old - my brother was living in Marseilles at the time and we wanted somewhere handy for visiting him but a holiday for us too. There is a tiny little beach as I recall and it's a pretty wee town (some great restaurants) but for the ages your kids are they might get bored after a few days, depends what they are into. I still have good friends in Marseilles and can ask them where they go for beaches etc if you like?

[sanity girl]

Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We visited Cassis when my first was 8 months old -

> my brother was living in Marseilles at the time

> and we wanted somewhere handy for visiting him but

> a holiday for us too. There is a tiny little beach

> as I recall and it's a pretty wee town (some great

> restaurants) but for the ages your kids are they

> might get bored after a few days, depends what

> they are into. I still have good friends in

> Marseilles and can ask them where they go for

> beaches etc if you like?

Yes please, that would be great if you could ask. I have been looking at the area around Le Pradet, just east of Toulon, which looks nice, but it would be great to have some local insight.

[suzplum]

We also visited Cassis a couple of years ago and thought it was amazing, really pretty and you can get a train from Marseille directly. If I remember there were 3 beaches, 2 were small but one was a decent size.

We stayed in this place, booked via AirBnB, didn't hire a car as everything was walking distance.

http://www.villacassis.com/en/home/

[brezzo]

you could change trains in toulouse (?) and go down the coast to Collioure, Port Vendres or one of the other townd along the coast - lovely beaches, lots of art history and local buses cost one euro all journeys - even as far down as Spain

[Belle]

That's interesting re other beaches at Cassis, we were only there 5 days and v much ruled by our 8 month old's naps etc so suspect we didn't explore fully.

SG - I have messaged my pals in Marseille, one has two small boys so I think will have good ideas.

[scareyt]

Hi I spent a year living in Sanary Sur Mer when I was younger, which is very near Cassis. It's a lovely little town with a pretty centre, but no beaches to speak of. I think (from admittedly very old memories!) that if you want sand and beach cafes you have to go either towards Nice or down towards Spain. But there are lots of little rocky coves which could be fun, and also lots of big campsites a little way inland where you could probably find cheap simple chalet-type accommodation and lots of kids activities. I would avoid Toulon itself.

[Belle]

There is apparently a club med in Hyeres if that is your bag (poss good with the kids for part of the hop)

edited to add no there is not! sorry - language issues!! There is a club med in the region I think. But apparently Hyeres itself is very nice.