Toulon, France, was the third stop on our cruise, and it turned out to be one of those days that didn't go quite as planned.
We left the ship with a guidebook in hand and a plan to explore Toulon on our own. We walked to the bus stop and looked for the bus number our guidebook told us to take. The problem? There was no such bus number.
We also quickly discovered that communicating wasn't going to be as easy as we expected. A kind French man tried to help us, but between our limited French and his limited English, we weren't getting very far.
Eventually, we decided to forget the plan and simply explore Toulon on foot.
And you know what? We had a wonderful day.
It wasn't the day we had planned, but sometimes those unplanned days end up being some of the most memorable parts of a trip.
Exploring Toulon on Our Own
Toulon is a port city on the French Mediterranean coast, known for its harbor, maritime history, markets, and the surrounding hills. It is also an important naval port, so there is plenty to see simply by walking around and taking in the atmosphere.
We didn't take a guided excursion or make it to all of the major sights. Instead, we wandered through the streets, browsed the shops and street vendors, took photographs, and enjoyed seeing a little of everyday life in Toulon.
One of the highlights was shopping with the street vendors.
It was a cool morning, and we hadn't brought our coats with us. That gave us the perfect excuse to do a little shopping. We ended up buying scarves and sweaters to keep warm.
My daughter bought this adorable blue jacket for around €5. We also purchased beautiful scarves for around €3 each.
We had fun looking through the things being sold and enjoyed the experience of simply wandering around without a schedule.
A Beautiful Church
While walking through town, we came across a beautiful church with its doors open.
Of course, we had to go inside.
Like so many of the churches we encountered during our travels through Europe, it was beautiful and filled with details that made me want to stop and take photographs.
One of my favorite things about exploring European cities is that you never quite know what you are going to find around the next corner.
Sometimes it is a famous landmark.
Sometimes it is a beautiful old building.
And sometimes it is simply a quiet street or a doorway that catches your attention.
A Walk Through Toulon
Here are some of my favorite photos from our walk through Toulon.
You can't see her in this photograph, but there was an adorable little lady standing in the window when I took this picture. She looked like she was in her late 80s or 90s, and I remember wondering what stories that little house could tell.
These are the kinds of little moments I love about traveling. They aren't necessarily things you put on a sightseeing list, but they are the things you remember.
You Can't Visit France Without Trying the Pastries!
Of course, there was one thing we absolutely had to do while we were in France.
We had to visit a bakery!
You hear so much about French pastries and bread, and there was no way I was going to leave France without trying some for myself.
The croissants were every bit as good as I had hoped. They were flaky, soft, and practically melted in your mouth.
Back to the Ship
Eventually, it was time to head back to the ship.
Even though our day hadn't gone according to plan, I was glad we decided to simply enjoy Toulon instead of spending the entire day worrying about finding the bus we had originally planned to take.
Here is our ship in port.
As we sailed away, I spotted this little lighthouse and had to take one last photograph of Toulon.
It was a simple day, but sometimes those are the days that remind you why you enjoy traveling.
We didn't see everything Toulon had to offer. We didn't take a tour or check every attraction off a list.
We simply walked, shopped, ate pastries, took pictures, and enjoyed being in France for the day.
And honestly, that's a pretty good way to spend a day in Toulon.
Tips for Visiting Toulon from a Cruise Ship
If you are visiting Toulon on a cruise, I would recommend doing a little more research than we did!
Check your cruise line's information about transportation from the port. Depending on where your ship docks and what you want to see, you may need transportation into the center of Toulon.
Have a backup plan. If you are exploring independently, make sure you have current transportation information before leaving the ship. Our old guidebook was no help when the bus information turned out to be outdated.
Download maps and information before leaving the ship. Don't assume you will have Wi-Fi or be able to easily find someone who speaks English. We ended up walking around pointing at our phones and trying to communicate that we needed Wi-Fi!
Give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. When exploring a port independently, always keep the ship's departure time in mind and allow extra time for transportation.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to change your plans.
Our original plan didn't work, but wandering around Toulon turned into a fun and memorable day.
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