Ryanair Manchester-Marseilles

We have always driven down in previous years, once I had to return early and went Easyjet Nice-Liverpool, but we are trying what I think is a new Ryanair route, Manchester-Marseilles return this time, with hire car courtesy of Airmiles on arrival.

We have travelled with Ryanair many times, and use Manchester airport a lot, any useful info about Marseilles-Provence airport or the route that anyone has?

We will send hubby ahead on arrival to sort out hire car asap to the Avis desk...

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The airport is smallish, it%26#39;s called Marignane, and is sort of half way to Aix en Provence. about 2.5 hours%26#39; drive to Nice if you are going to the riviera but IMO you%26#39;d be better off doing Arles Aix Avignon l%26#39;Isle sur la Sorgue, Fontaine de Vaucluse Apt Gordes Roussillon St Remy Les Baux and the Pont du Gard. Much more interesting!

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Thank you! I think we know that road... however we arrive at 18.25 so won%26#39;t get to Grimaud until 9ish so will probably need to go quickest route to get settled and sorted and out for dinner..maybe on our return, though I think that is a bit early in the morning so probably another rush...

Looking forward to it, will be there in five weeks....

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Hi PennyW,

How did your holiday go ?

We are doing the same trip end of May, - flying to Marseilles with Ryanair from Manchester same flight and times etc, for one week at Port grimaud.

Which route did you take to Grimaud and who did you hire the car with ? Do you recommend them ?

ANY feedback much apprieciated.

Cheers Jimbob2.

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Hi PennyW again.

Sorry just realized you haven%26#39;t gone on your holiday yet - doh !

And you%26#39;ve got your car with Avis.

We%26#39;re going in 3weeks time so might be able to give you some info on our return.

Never flown with Ryanair, what are they like, heard a few bad reports in the past.

Still need info on best quickest route to Port grimaud.

Cheers Jimbob2.

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We have just come back from a week in Cogolin, just up the road from Port Grimaud. We didn%26#39;t fly, but drove down from our home in central France.

A really useful website for route planning in France is www.viamichelin.com

It recommends you take the D9 up to join the A8 at Aix en Provence, and then continue east along the A8.

However, contrary to what viamichelin says, I would come off the A8 at La Cannet des Maures, and take the D558 through La Garde Freinet, and then through Grimaud and on to Port Grimaud. Although this is a road with lots of bends, last week the traffic was very heavy along the coast road between Ste Maxmine and St Tropez, and you want to avoid that.

You should be able to do the drive in about 1 hour 45 minutes.

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Thanks for the response everyone, will look at the map for our route.. we had assumed we would whizz down the autoroute and do the usual run via Ste Maxime but if it will be crowded of an evening may try the other route. Need to get No 1 driver looking at maps...

Jimbob, yes, we are after you, we hired our car through AVis as we had Airmiles and used them, have used Europcar successfuly in past. It has helped for the driver to get off the plane first and go straight to car hire and the rest of family sort out luggage etc.. my brother ended up at Nice airport with no car once!

Ryanair is ok as long as you realise you are getting a cheap deal, you MUST turn up in plenty of time, they do not wait for you, and read all the conditions regarding luggage and carryon and totally comply with it. You can buy a bottle of water after you have cleared security, I do not recommend their wine or food they sell, ugh!

I look forward to hearing your report before we go...

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Hi SunloverFrance,

Thanks for that info. i did think of going the way you mentioned, but my new map (Berlitz motoring map) doesn%26#39;t show a proper junction at le cannet des maures, of the A8.

have you done this route before? if so, is this way a slow route?

PennyW, Hi, We%26#39; ve been to Port Grimaud 3 yrs ago, but with Siesta Coach Holidays for 14 nights and loved it. But we never had a car, just hired bikes and did numerous rides to St Maxine.

I%26#39;ve yet to hire a car and undecided who to go with and what insurance to take etc. You hear so many stories of tourists being ripped off by the car hire companys, etc.

Thanks for info on Ryanair. Will try and get there well in time as we%26#39;ve payed for priority boarding.

Cheers everyone ,

Jimbob.

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Jimbob

I drove down that route on Saturday 26th April and came back on Saturday 3rd May (3 days ago); and I can confirm that it is a proper junction at Le Cannet des Maures.

I am sure it would be an easier (i.e. better road) to continue along the A8 and come off at junction 36 (Le Muy) and then go via Ste Maxime to Port Grimaud.

However, last week there was a lot of traffic along the coast road from Ste Maxime, past Port Grimaud, to St Tropez. It took over one hour to drive from Port Grimaud to St Tropez, slightly longer to come back, and an hour to drive into Ste Maxime from Port Grimaud. In peak season we were told it is worse.

On one evening we went into Ste Maxime for dinner. It took us about 45 minutes, but coming back at 21.30 the road was clear and it took about 10 minutes to get to Port Grimaud; so it depends on what time of day you will be arriving, and what month.

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Hi Penny

Sorry I%26#39;ve been away and missed your post. Can you just tell me again when you are travelling, you know it makes a difference? If I remember correctly you are going to St Pons les Mures?

There are two options but when is the key.BTW the airport at Marseille is really nice and small. The car hire places are just outside the terminal and turn right, then they are across the road. So your plan of sending the driver (as we always do) is the way to go. Choosing Avis was another good move as Euro-Car is EasyJet%26#39;s partner.

So you can either go up towards Aix, along the A8 and come off at Le Luc/ Le-Cannet-des-Maures. Then down through la-Garde-Freinet and Grimaud. You really do not want to go through Ste Maxime anytime in July or August. Or else down through Marseille (not bad as you take two tunnels that cuts out the town), Toulon, Hyeres then the N98 up to the La Foux roundabout outside St Tropez.

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Sorry just re-read all the posts. You are going mid-June. Then no problem with traffic. If you are used to the Le Muy route then take that one as at the time you are travelling at that time of year you should have no problems. The route off at Le Luc (which I always take) has improved tremendously over the years but some may find it narrow and until you get over the Maures, lots of bends. Your main aim to to get there as painlessly as possible so take what you are used to.

If you have the time though on the way home try the coast route.