FRance: Toulon (French Riviera)
Toulon is located 1h20 away by car from Marseille and 1h30 from Nice. Toulon is a port city with a notable naval base and is home to ferries and fishing boats. It is surrounded by mountains and beautiful blue waters from the Mediterranean. The architecture of the buildings goes from medieval towns, to bourgeois houses (18th and 19th) to 20th century architecture through picturesque villages to the first french military port. From toulon it is easy to visit the well known cities and villages of Cassis, Saint-Tropez, Monaco, Cannes, Marseille or even Nice. You also have easy access to certain National parcs such as the Calanques (Cassis) and Port Cros (Le Lavendou) National parcs.
How to get to and around Toulon
If you are already in the South of France or somewhere not too far away, the TER train will take you from one place to another very easily. There is also a bus company (Flixbus) that serves most cities along the French Riviera or the blablacar app which is a car sharing platform.
If you are coming from abroad, the easiest would be to fly to Marseille or Nice and then take a bus, car or train. If you are coming from Corsica (or would like to go there from Toulon) there is the Corsica ferry that makes daily routes.
N.B: Toulon has an airport of its own (Toulon Hyères) but the flights are massively expensive and it welcomes only a few number of flights a week.
👉🏼 Once you are in the City you can do everything on foot. You could also consider renting a bicycle if you want to go to the outskirts or simply take a city bus. Another option if you want to go hiking or visit the neighboring villages is to rent a car.
Where to stay in Toulon
The city center is a nice place to have your accommodation in as that is where everything is happening. If you want a calmer place you can check out something in the following neighborhoods (non-exhaustive list):
👉🏼 Le Mourillon - La Mitre
👉🏼 La Serinette
👉🏼 Le Mont - Faron
👉🏼 Cap Brun
Toulon’s typical food (non exhaustive)
La Cade: A sort of pancake made from chickpeas 🥮
Pain Bagnat: Typical round bread with olive oil, olives, tuna (sometimes anchovies), eggs, tomatoes and salad 🥪
Le Chanteclair: An iced cake with meringue, whipped cream and moka praline. The cake is decorated with a rooster on it 🍰
Grilled fish or fish soup (Bouillabaisse) 🐟
Daube provençale: Slow cooked stew (beef) in wine and vegetable sauce 🥘
Ratatouille: a stew of simmered vegetables with herbs and olive oil 🫑
Tapenade: olive tapenade from provence 🫒
👉🏼 Don’t miss out on the french bakeries: address: Gateaux et chocolats (rue Lamalgue)
Restaurants I heard where good: Le Bazeilles, les tables de la fontaine, le resto des artistes, O bistro des artistes, Pizza Gaetano.
Bars and coffee places I heard were nice: Côté jardin, Church beer, bar de la Halle, street bar, Dégus’thé, la pause culotte, sweety donuts,
What to do in Toulon
Visit the city center & the port: Toulon has a beautiful city center with historical monuments including the port. You should check out Place de la liberté, Streets arts, the port, the Halles municipales (food court), the Opera of Toulon,
The national maritime museum
The Mount Faron cable car
Les Sablettes: Les Sablettes is a district of La Seyne-sur-Mer 23 minutes away by car from Toulon. You can also take a “bus boat” from Toulon which takes 20 minutes. Along the promenade that lines the beach, you'll find some lively cafes, restaurants, and shops. For those interested in history and culture you’ll find the Fort Balaguier, a 17th-century fortress that overlooks the bay.
Mourillon beach
Tamaris exhibition: All sorts of exhibitions are hosted in the Villa Tamaris. More on the exhibitions here
N.B.: You can also take the boat-bus from Toulon and exit at the stop called Tamaris
Court Lafayette market
Hike in la Madrague Peninsula: Approximately 50 minutes away from Toulon and close to Hyères, you will find the Peninsula of la Madrague. The hike is of about 3 hours.
If you have any questions contact me on Instagram 👇🏻