I'm trying to decide on a place to stay for five nights - July 1-6. Plan to visit Avignon, Arles, Pont du Gard, Uzes, St Remy, Les Baux, hilltowns including Gordes, Roussilon. Possibly also Antigue-Mortes, Nimes and Tarascon (they are on the 'if time' list). We will have just come from the Dordogne and after this area will head to Vence, then Italy (if before and after matters to your advice).
I've been to Avignon, St-Remy and Gordes but my daughter has not, and for me it was 12 years ago so I'd like to revisit them. We want to avoid the Avignon Festival which starts on July 5, so will do Avignon at the beginning.
One thought was two nights Avignon and three in Arles, but even for July 1 & 2nd I'm finding very limited availability in Avignon, plus more expensive and parking extra. My other thought was do all five nights in St-Remy, which I see has been suggested on numerous threads.
My questions - Even in St-Remy I'm seeing a lot of "sold out". Do you think things are really sold out already or maybe they just aren't on the booking sites yet? I mostly use booking.com but am open to other sites. Most of the places in my price range that look good to me are a little out of the 'center' (1-2 miles or less) which I guess would be good for driving to other places but we'd probably need to drive into town for dinner, etc. Is this a problem in St-Remy? I did it as a day trip the last time and really don't remember the parking situation.
What would you do in my situation?
Base for Provence - St-Remy vs Avignon and Arles
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St Remy and Arles are good for all the places you want to see.
Through the years I have stayed in all three and enjoyed every one of them.
Parking is an issue at that time of year in all three places, and all three will be crowded, and yes, I'm guessing they really are sold out. St-Rémy has a fairly big parking lot in the center of town, but it's often full, especially on Wednesday, market day. Still, St-Rémy would be my choice over Arles or Avignon.
I would probably also split the time up between Les Alpilles and the Lubéron, especially as you're heading to Vence afterward. And I'd make sure to get to Aigue-Mortes!
In St Remy, L'Hotel des Images is on the main st
and has its own parking out back
Hi, thanks. So I guess I should assume things really are booking up already six months out and get something now.
Thanks for the suggestion of L'Hotel des Images. It looks wonderful, unfortunately I need to keep the price lower than that but I've found several that got decent reviews so I think I'll find something. I'll probably do all five nights in St Remy, since even though I am heading to Vence afterwards, I have to drop my daughter at the train in Avignon at the end of our time here since she has to go home and back to work and I'll be solo for the second half of my trip.
StCirq - would you try to do Aigue-Mortes en route from Sarlat to St Remy or as a separate day trip from St Remy? And if you'd do it as a day trip from St Remy would you give it a whole day or combine it with something else? I can play it by ear of course but nice to get a feel for what the local experts would do?
And while I've got you two experts - any suggestions for places in Sarlat in the 100€/night range? Based on the various trip reports I've been reading it looks like street parking is possible. So is it safe to book something that doesn't say it has parking?
Can't really say much about hotels in Sarlat, as I have no need to stay in them, but the Villa des Consuls gets a lot of good press here.
And I wouldn't do Aigues-Mortes on the way to St-Rémy; that would be a long day. I'd make a day trip to it and Arles once you're in St-Rémy.
If you're dropping your daughter at the train in Avignon, you're right, it makes no sense to change to a place in the Lubéron. Staying in St-Rémy is fine.
This is a sweet, quirky (in terms of decorating) place right in the center of town that looks to be about 150 euros a night (has a nice little café/restaurant, too): http://www.hotel-gounod.com/
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