Aix-en-Provence Tourist Traps

The painter's house and garden. Sure, an ok place to go if
you have nothing else to do, but I don't think it's worth it.
Costs 4 euro to get in and you only get to see one room.
Can't take any photos either.

Unique Suggestions: Take a longer walk in the garden instead, and while you're up there,
continue up the hill to portail de Cézanne and watch the Mont Saint Victoire instead.

Well, ok, you've got to go there if you visit Aix, it's impossible not to.
What I'd like to advise you to avoid are the cafés, they charge WAY
too much for whatever you're ordering.

Fun Alternatives: Take one of the side-streets off cours Mirabeau instead. You'll have
much better value for money and you'll avoid many other tourists.

Aix's most famous cafe is the Deux Garcons on the Cours Mirabeau. Well used by Cezanne and "covered" in a Year in Provence, this is one of the local landmarks.
But it has obviously lost what it had, because it is now lacking in atmosphere and patronage, and has a rude waiter to top it off.

Unique Suggestions: Dont waste your time and money here, as there are a number of much more enjoyable establishments just a few yards down the road.

Fun Alternatives: Try the Bastides du Cours for a better time.
Alternatively go up to the squares around the Town Hall, for a cheaper and more relaxed alternative for a snack, drink and an couple of hours people-watching.

This photo shows the outside of Paul Cezanne’s workshop, w/ Provencal window, with M sitting in the shadows. We didn't go inside as it was very expensive. We were rather annoyed, the tourist bureau's map was very misleading, the walk to the workshop was a long one, up a hill, not anything like the map indicated.

One tourist trap to watch out for the eating in the resturants on the Cours Mireabeau! As this is the main street and an ideal place to people watch , but service is very rushed and extreemly pricey! a much better idea is to eat someplace off the Cours mirabeau and return there fora drink to any of the over-priced resturants/cafes and bars. THen you still get a great french meal , and get to people watch on the Cours!

So you want to eat and drink on the Cours Mirabeau? Fine, if you know what to expect. Unless you're going to Ben and Jerrys, dining on this street can be expensive as hell, and the waiters are not always very helpful. Sure, it's good for people watching, but only if you want to watch other tourists aimlessing dodging local swankies. Go a little further into town for a more relaxed and better value meal, and leave the cours for the Sunday stroll, attractive though it may be.

Unique Suggestions: Well, it is snobby, but pop into Les Deux Garcons.

Actually, the opposite of a tourist trap:
Just before entering university, I spent three weeks in Aix to learn French. I've been to a dozen of different language schools in London, Paris, Florence, Lisbon, Chicago, Tokyo etc... But the one in Aix is the best – the Institut Franco-Scandinave.

don't seem to be tourists,or you will pay everything double price