A month in Provence
Jan 25th, 2016, 04:22 PM
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A month in Provence
My husband and I want to spend a month in Provence. We plan to start our trip with 12 days in Ireland in early September, and then travel to Provence for 4-5 weeks from mid-September to mid-October. We would like to find an apartment in a location we could take day trips from, but that would have enough locally (shops, cafés, markets) for the times we want to have a more relaxing day. My husband speaks fluent French and we are looking for a place where we could feel like we were part of the community. We would like to use only occasional car rental and rely on local transportation if possible. We aren't against renting a car for the whole time in France, though. Any tips for how best to get from Dublin to southern France, as well as where to stay and what to do is appreciated.
Jan 26th, 2016, 01:06 AM
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Can't help with the Dublin bit but I stayed in Nice for a week and did day trips and got a really good feel about Antibes, so maybe you could check it out. Provence is big as you know... Uzes is also pretty, Ilse sur la Sorgue is also a good size with of course it's famous market. Sounds like a fun time..enjoy.
Jan 26th, 2016, 02:14 AM
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How about St Remy. We recently stayed for two weeks in September in a very well equiped apartment in the old Town. There is a reasonably good Spar and markets on Wednesday and Saturday. A good number of places to eat, two lovely squares with trees to sit under and not too many tourists at that time of year. Day trips to Nimes, Uzes, Les Baux, Gourdes, Aix, Lourmarin, etc. We LOVED it. Would happily spend a month in this village.
PS. We had a car so don't know about transport, there may be buses I think. See my trip report for more information.
PS. We had a car so don't know about transport, there may be buses I think. See my trip report for more information.
Jan 26th, 2016, 04:44 AM
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St-Rémy is a bad idea without a car and "being part of the community" in such a place would likely mean rubbing shoulders with a gazillion Americans and Brits. If your husband speaks French and you really want to be outside the mainstream tourist route, try someplace like Malaucène or Sault.
Jan 26th, 2016, 06:53 AM
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I agree about St Remy. Lots of English spoken there. We stayed for a month just outside of Bedoin and really enjoyed the location. Also consider Uzes and the Luberon (Gordes, Bonnieux, Menerbes, Roussillon, St Saturnin, Apt).
However, without a car you are pretty much relegated to Avignon, Arles, or Nimes. l'Isle sur la Sorgue has train access also - but not many train pass through each day. Aix has good trains access - but it is a little too far away from the "action".
You really need a car.
Stu Dudley
However, without a car you are pretty much relegated to Avignon, Arles, or Nimes. l'Isle sur la Sorgue has train access also - but not many train pass through each day. Aix has good trains access - but it is a little too far away from the "action".
You really need a car.
Stu Dudley
Jan 26th, 2016, 09:38 AM
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>>looking for a place where we could feel like we were part of the community<<
Since EVERYBODY here on this forum recommends St. Remy it is crowded with American tourists - like Santorini or Dubrovnik.
We often stayed in Beaucaire or Tarascon, two towns which are centrally located and not so touristy.
Since EVERYBODY here on this forum recommends St. Remy it is crowded with American tourists - like Santorini or Dubrovnik.
We often stayed in Beaucaire or Tarascon, two towns which are centrally located and not so touristy.
Jan 26th, 2016, 10:11 AM
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>>Since EVERYBODY here on this forum recommends St. Remy it is crowded with American tourists - like Santorini or Dubrovnik.<<
Read the replys again. Not everyone recommended St Remy.
My wife speaks French also. On our first trip to Provence after we retired early so we could travel more, we stayed in the Luberon near Gordes for 2 week, near St Remy for 2 weeks, then near Vaison for 2 weeks. Two years later we spent 2 weeks back in the Luberon, and 1 week near Uzes. In subsequent years we've stayed for 1 week near Uzes, 8 weeks near Bedoin/Vaison, and 2 more weeks back in the Luberon. Note that we "returned" to the Luberon (3 visits), Bedoin/Vaison (3 visits), and Uzes (2 visits). We did not return to St Remy. In 2017, we're returning to Bedoin again for 2 weeks.
I think St Remy is great for a first timer who wants lots of shops they can walk to, many restaurants, and lots of other English speakers to make them feel comfortable. Last year we drove through St Remy & it was packed with people in late June on a Saturday morning. If someone likes crowds and a "community" with lots of Americans - St Remy is fine. But I don't think that's what kejohnson is looking for.
Stu Dudley
Read the replys again. Not everyone recommended St Remy.
My wife speaks French also. On our first trip to Provence after we retired early so we could travel more, we stayed in the Luberon near Gordes for 2 week, near St Remy for 2 weeks, then near Vaison for 2 weeks. Two years later we spent 2 weeks back in the Luberon, and 1 week near Uzes. In subsequent years we've stayed for 1 week near Uzes, 8 weeks near Bedoin/Vaison, and 2 more weeks back in the Luberon. Note that we "returned" to the Luberon (3 visits), Bedoin/Vaison (3 visits), and Uzes (2 visits). We did not return to St Remy. In 2017, we're returning to Bedoin again for 2 weeks.
I think St Remy is great for a first timer who wants lots of shops they can walk to, many restaurants, and lots of other English speakers to make them feel comfortable. Last year we drove through St Remy & it was packed with people in late June on a Saturday morning. If someone likes crowds and a "community" with lots of Americans - St Remy is fine. But I don't think that's what kejohnson is looking for.
Stu Dudley
Jan 26th, 2016, 10:34 AM
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I agree with Stu. My French is just average but I felt quite comfortable staying in Gordes and taking easy day trips to Roussilon,, Cavillon, Bonnieux and any other quaint village in the Vauluse. Avignon and Arles are not far and the driving is easy (get a small car).
Jan 27th, 2016, 12:27 PM
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I agree that St Remy is good if you want a lot of English speakers (both American and British), tourists and expensive shops. And yes, you can walk to them, though. It doesn't have a train station, but there are some buses so if you mainly want to hang out in town. Gordes is the same way, actually, full of tourists. So it's hard to say what the OP really wants, as the only places really convenient without a car would be one with a train station, which are Avignon and Aix, etc. Isle sur la Sorgue does have one but not a main line, so maybe it would work. This idea of walking to everything implies a really really small place to me as even in Isle sur la Sorgue, I doubt if you'd be walking to everything unless you were dead center. Which is maybe possible, who knows.
You can fly nonstop from Dublin to Marseille on Aer Lingus, reasonable rates. That's what I would do. If you do rent a car, that airport is out of town a bit and easy to drive out of to go north -- I did it once going to Aix, in fact.
Given the wish list, I think St Remy might work, in fact. The glamour of living in a small village without a car may wear off really quickly since there is nothing to do there. At least St Remy has some events and cultural activities and it does have some bus routes.
You can fly nonstop from Dublin to Marseille on Aer Lingus, reasonable rates. That's what I would do. If you do rent a car, that airport is out of town a bit and easy to drive out of to go north -- I did it once going to Aix, in fact.
Given the wish list, I think St Remy might work, in fact. The glamour of living in a small village without a car may wear off really quickly since there is nothing to do there. At least St Remy has some events and cultural activities and it does have some bus routes.
Jan 27th, 2016, 03:12 PM
#12
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Thanks for all the great advice! It looks like we should plan to rent a car. We have driven in France and Germany on previous trips so we are comfortable doing that. I appreciate the recommendations of places to stay, and info on direct flights from Dublin to Marseille.
