JeriB

We'll be staying in Arles for 5 nights with a car. I've sketched out some possible day trips and would love comments,advice, additions, your favorites for lunch, dinner, afternoon coffee. Here goes:
1 day - Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape,Pont du Gard and Uzes.
1 day - St Remy, Les Baux, (La Riboto de Taven - where is this? or Le Bistrot du Paradou) back for some of Arles.
1 day - Villages of the Luberon - l'Isle sur la Sorgue,Abbey de Senanque, Gordes, Rousillon, Pont St. Julien, Bonnieux - lunch Le Fornil (open?), Moustier-Ste-Marie, Lacoste (?)back to Cavaillon dinner at Prevot (is this a restaurant?)
1 day - Aix-en-Provence
5th day go back to a favorite or finally see Arles.
Thanks for your input, Jeri

TuckH

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34428717

cigalechanta

Definately go to the Camargue. You can do Aigues-Mortes and St Marie in a day and have lunch there. Riboto is on the main road where les Baux is. You will see signs for there and on the lower road, the Oustau de Baumaniere.Fournil in Bonnieux is a favorite.

Underhill

Moustiers-Ste-Marie would be a bit much to include on the day you visit the Lubéron villages--those alone will easily fill up one day, and the drive back from Moustiers to Arles would be lengthy. What you could do is combine a day and night in Aix with the following day up to and in Moustiers, with lunch at Les Santons.

But do leave yourselves some time for Arles--it's fascinating. I'm afraid your head will be spinning if you try to see everything in your list in only 5 days; you easily have enough for a full week, and going full tilt at that.

JeriB

ttt

Prairie10003

Your schedule is ambitious! It took me almost 10 days to see most of the sites that you mentioned.

Bistrot du Paradou is wonderful and it's very close to Les Baux. I ate there three times on my last trip to Provence. Generally, it's only open at lunch (except, it may be open for dinner in August).

The best breakfast that I have ever had in France was at the Tomas Patisserie in Bonnieux (it's across the street from the Bread Museum)---perfect croissants and bowls of fabulous cafe au lait. It's also open for tea in the afternoons.

margo_oz

Arles is certainly worth a day or two on it's own. Don't use it just as a base. It's a particularly interesting town.

StCirq

Your schedule is definitely ambitious, but I'd urge you to take a day trip out to Aigues-Mortes in the Camargues and enjoy the scenery along the way. Lunch or dinner at La Tellines or LA Chassagnettes would be great if you could include it. Otherwise, just enjoy the amazing scenery and buy some sea salt.

cigalechanta

Be sure to buy the attractive round box of Fleur de sel, very expensive here. It brings out the flavors of food. You don't cook with it but sprinkle it on before presentation.
The other thing to buy in the Camargue, is their famous nutty red rice, and an apertif called Camarguise.