logo
ic_menu

Toulon city

Place Victor Hugo, Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Description

Toulon is the largest city on the French Cote d'Azur between Marseille and Nice, it is known for its large port and naval base where the French Mediterranean Fleet and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier are based. The earliest Roman settlement dates from the 2nd century BC and, during the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Counts of Provence until the area became part of the Kingdom of France in 1486.The military port was built at that time to support the Italian campaign of Charles VIII. The port remained central to the city's history and in Nov. 1942 the French Fleet was scuttled by naval officers there to avoid it falling into the hands of occupying German forces. Much of the port was destroyed by Allied bombings in Nov. 1943. The main sights in town include the Place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Arsenal, the Tour Royale and the views from Mont Faron.

Access & Transport

The city is on the Marseille to Nice train line and the train station is a 5mins walk from the centre. The journey to Marseille takes 45mins and to Nice 1h50mins. By road, Marseille is 65km / 1h away on the A50 and Nice 150km / 1h45 on the A57/A8

Instructions & Recommendations

If you have an extra day to spend around the area, we suggest heading either to Bormes-les-Mimosas / Le Lavandou or make a trip to one of the islands offshore of Hyeres: Porquerolles, Port Cros or the Île du Levant. In Toulon itself, do not miss the National Marine Museum.

Meta review

Most reviewers seem to only be passing through the city and the best rated activities include touring the harbour / naval base (not every day one gets to see large military ships), the cable car ride up to the top of Mont Faron and the views from there, and the colourful market along Cours Lafayette with its regional produces. There are also good comments about the various restaurants in town but not so good about the Mt Faron zoo and how packed the cable car can be.

Environmental & Social

Environmentally neutral. Tourism helps diversify the city's economic activity and preserve some of its historical and architectural heritage.

Conclusion

Toulon is centrally located around the Cote d'Azur and is surrounded by coastline and islands of exceptional beauty. However, the city itself lacks any major cultural or architectural draw; its calling card is the military naval base.

Key positive

Impressive naval base

Easy to get to and not overly touristy

Key negative

Lack of historical monuments

Suitability

No restrictions

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:1h

est. visit time:4h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningNo

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. For a complete overview of all cookies used, please see MORE INFORMATION.