Are You Ready To Sail The French Wine Country?

The countdown is on! It’s time to start planning all those little details that will make our OUTbound cruise through France’s Wine Country even more exciting! Below are a few things to help you make the most of your vacation with us. As always, if you have any questions that we haven’t covered, or have a special request, hit us up… either by phone at 916.683.1000 or email us at info@iamOUTbound.com.

Let’s get started!

Flights

Flight Ideas

The closest airport to Martigues (where we board our ship) is Marseille (MRS). Lyon (LYS) is also a relatively close option.

Air France services both cities with several daily non-stop flights to and from Paris (CDG). Many OUTbounders are booking a ‘Multi-City’ ticket with Air France when looking for flights. The ‘Multi-City’ option can be found on most airline’s websites where you would choose between a one-way or round trip flight or under the ‘Advanced Search’ link. With the ‘Multi-City’ option, you’ll be able to enter your departure airport, arrival in Marseille (MRS) and then a departure from Lyon (LYS) back to your original airport. The multi-city option will often be cheaper than purchasing two one-way tickets separately.

Boarding Our Ship

Getting to the Ship

Our ship will moored near Louis Sammut Avenue, behind the Town Hall. The trip from from Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) normally takes about 30 to 35 minutes by car, depending on traffic.

Martigues Dock Address: Avenue Louis Sammut, 13500 Martigues, France

By Taxi: Rates for taxis can often range from €25 to €35 depending on the time of day, and are readily available as you exit the Marseille airport on the arrivals (ground) level.

By Rideshare: Uber is available all over France. Uber fares from the Marseille airport to our ship docked near Louis Sammut Avenue, behind the Town Hall, will often run anywhere from €30 to €35, depending on the time of day and traffic.

Boarding

Boarding officially begins at 4:00pm local time on June 6th, but you are free to arrive at our ship at any time after 12:00pm noon. In the event your stateroom is not ready prior to 4:00pm, feel free to drop your bags at the reception desk, grab a drink from the bar and relax in the panoramic lounge or head up top to the sun deck to recover from your long travel day.

Tipping

Tipping Our Hosts

Tipping is the ONLY thing not included with your OUTbound vacation. We never want to dictate anyone’s generosity or decide how much you think YOUR experience with a crew member, waitstaff or tour guide was worth. How much to tip depends on the type of service you receive and your personal experience.

During our trip together, you’ll come into contact with many different servers and hosts. At the end of each day’s guided tour, you’ll have the chance to tip our guide and driver whatever you feel your experience was worth.

Onboard our ship, you’ll receive an envelope in your stateroom on the last night of our cruise before disembarking the next morning in Lyon. It’s here where you will have the opportunity to leave a tip that will be split among the crew… waitstaff, bartenders, room stewards and the entertainment staff.

A general rule of thumb for tipping the ship’s staff is €10 per day, per person.

However, if your experience warrants something more, then by all means feel free to be as generous as you would like. If you feel that any individual in particular has gone above and beyond in making your experience something extra special, then we encourage you to reach out to them directly and let them know how much you appreciated their service during our time together.

Currency

What Money Should You Bring?

France

France is a member of the European Union and one of 23 countries that uses the Euro (abbreviated €) as their national currency.

You can also use your credit or debit card as well throughout our trip, as credit cards are widely accepted everywhere in France. However, remember that there will be additional bank charges upon usage and even a foreign transaction fee in some cases, depending on your bank.

Travel Insurance

If we’ve learned anything over these last couple of years, it’s that the world can be an uncertain place at times. While you’re never required to buy travel insurance, it’s a good idea and we recommend all OUTbounders consider protecting your hard-earned vacation money. The price of your coverage will depend on a few factors, including the cost of the trip, what state you live in, how long before the trip departs, and if you have any pre-existing or underlying health conditions, to name a few.

Some reasons why you might buy travel insurance include:

Cancel for Any Reason
Unexpected Work Requirements
Personal or Family Illness

OUTbound does not provide travel insurance. However, we always recommend using a third-party insurance carrier to provide your coverage.

X Get Ready French Wine Cruise