Marseille - Avignon - Nice

Hello.

Im planning a vacation for south france in July. But im so confused now and not too sure whether my original plan would work. Hope someone who've been there before could
help.

We will be arriving Marseille Airport at around 21:30 on 1July 2009. And will be leaving at Nice Airport on 7July 2009 at 10:00.

What I would like to do most is to go visiting the lavender fields and enjoying the beach
and sunshine in Nice. Therefore i planned to stay in Avignon for 3 nights and 3 nights
for Nice. (1-4 Jul 2009 - Avignon, 4-6 Jul 2009 - Nice)

1. Is there any direct bus from Marseille airport to Avignon so that i could get to
Avignon on 1Jul night?

I have read some comments about the safety in Marseille... we are two girls so we're a bit concerned about arriving Marseille late at night.

Or do u think it would be better for us to stay in Marseille for the first night then leave for Avignon on 2Jul?

And what is the best method of reaching Avignon from Marseille or Marseille airport and around how much would it cost?

2. We plan to leave for Nice on 4Jul afternoon (or evening). I hv searched for the train
tickets from Avignon to Nice and it costs more than 40 pounds per person... Is there any alternative ways of reaching Nice from Avignon?? coz the train tickets seems a bit
expensive...

3. We planned to stay in Nice and would like to visit Cannes and Monaco as well. What's the best transportation between these cities? And also are there any cities around which
we must not miss?

4. I have read some comments about Arles as well. Do u think we could have enough
time to visit Arles during our stay in Avignon? Or are there any cities around that area
that we should not miss during our stay?

hope someone can share their experiences!!

thanks so much!!!