Jewels of The Mediterranean
Infinity Rugby will be visiting some of the jewels of the Med during Rugby World Cup France 2023 – Rob Short has focused on three locations in his latest blog post…
How can you make a trip to Rugby World Cup France 2023, staying on a luxury cruise ship, even more exciting, more thrilling, and more epic? Easy – add in trips to some of the most vibrant cities & islands in the Mediterranean. Trying to pick a top three out of this lot is extremely challenging but I’ve given it a go.
For me, there’s only one place to start. All roads lead to Rome, the eternal city. For a history nerd like me, there’s few cities in the world that can compare. There’s the obvious (Colosseum, the Vatican) which are of course must-sees; then there’s places such as the Forum and Castel Sant Angelo which, though hardly ‘hidden gems’, are less well known. The thing about a city such as Rome is that the history permeates everything; every cobbled street, every church, every pizzeria – each building tells its own story. Talking of pizzerias, I think we all know the other great aspect of a trip to Italy – the cuisine. Lose yourself in the delectable delights of the finest pizza, pasta and ice cream anywhere in the world. You can join us in Rome on our South Africa v Tonga package here.
Next on my top 3 is Corsica. Again, history is never far from my mind – Napoleon was born on the island in 1769. His birthplace, Ajaccio, is where we will dock during our visit, notably for some post Ibiza culture on our 7-night trip at the start of the tournament here. With average temperatures on the island in September hovering around 26 degrees, this beautiful island should prove an incredible spot for some late summer sun. The coastlines here are stunning – perfect to explore on a long walk. This visit is perfect preparation for those guests joining our 10 night cruise – a calming stop before heading back to mainland France for Wales v Portugal & England v Japan.
And rounding off this rundown… it could only be Marseille. It will be the EPIC cruise ship’s base for much of the tournament, offering fans an incredible option for the World Cup. And we’ll be right in the heart of things, based in the port, giving our guests easy access to France’s vibrant second city. And you’ll want the opportunity to explore Marseille on non-matchdays, not be stuck hours outside the city as with other providers. The Old Port is a spot of breath-taking beauty, with bars & cafes serving renowned Marseille dishes such as bouillabaisse. Delving deeper into the town, there’s plenty of retail therapy opportunities in the Rue St Ferreol district and, as ever for me, there’s numerous museums and historic places to visit – including the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, overlooking the port.
And of course, the other great thing about Marseille is the rugby! The Stade Velodrome is one of the great places to watch sport in the world, and you can be sure it will be electric there throughout the tournament. For me, being there for a potential mouth-watering Quarter Final Clash between England & Australia will be once-in-a-lifetime. Fancy making sure you don’t miss it? Join us on our Quarter Final Package.
You can find details of all our packages here. Want to chat to us? Reach out to one of the team so we can discuss things further and find you the perfect option for Rugby World Cup France 2023.
