Lavender fields in Provence

Old May 2nd, 2015, 11:54 PM
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Lavender fields in Provence

DD and I are going to Paris from +- 15 July to +- 15 August.

I want to do a trip from Paris to the LAVENDER FIELDS in Provence, perhaps to stay one or two nights in a hotel and then return again to 'our' place.

Having read about a Fodorite who received eight speeding tickets, another person describing traffic jams on small roads in August, and some-one else telling about the intricacies of finding and paying for parking, I have decided not to rent a car. I know this will limit what I can visit / do / see, but to me it feels more restful. It seems that to see the Lavender fields, I will have to go on either a half day or full day trip with a small(ish) group from Avignon. My questions:
Is there any other way of doing this? I am kind of allergic to doing things in packs.
In a perfect world I would like to stay in a pretty small town with nice views and a good restaurant Can you recommend anything like this that also has public transport, or am I totally unrealistic? Any favourite hotels in this area?
I should buy train tickets asap. Do I understand correctly that these tickets are booked for a specific date and time?
Anything else that I should know??
Thanks that I can ask, looking forward to your responses!
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:42 AM
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Well I can't answer your question about groups but I can say that I think you are reacting to a small percentage of people who get speeding tickets. I too was worried about getting a ticket but I was careful to drive the speed limit, and even though you could still be going a tad over when you come into a town or such where the speed limit drops, if you are at all careful your chances are really not that high that you are going to get a ticket. The guy who got eight? Really, he must have been speeding quite a bit.

I've been in the area in July (not August) a couple of different years and never had a problem with driving or parking. Every town had parking lots that were clearly marked as to how to pay. The roads were not crowded.

If you are going July 15 to Aug 15 you would want to go to Provence at the beginning of your trip to see the lavender. Some one else can probably tell you when they start to harvest it but it's at it's peak in early July.

Here's my photos of the lavender fields. As I said, this is the first week in July. http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/france_-_provence

I really think the joy of driving around the area and seeing the small towns and the lavender fields at your leisure outweighs the possibility of getting a speeding ticket. I just don't think it would be the same experience in a group tour. And BTW, I'm a person who only rents cars for areas that I think it's really necessary (otherwise I prefer public transportation) but I think Provence is one of those areas.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:59 AM
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If you don't like group travel, and you are visiting rural areas, you'd really be better of renting a car. We drive often in France, I've had 1 speeding ticket in France in all those years. It's not complicated, roads are well signposted. As Isabel says, most towns have parking lots, mostly with a pay-and-display system.
Take the train to Avignon and rent a car there.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 04:40 AM
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Isabel - thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures. We made that trip in September and missed the lavendar.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 04:43 AM
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We have driven in Provence in spring, summer and fall. We have never had a speeding ticket or a problem with traffic or parking.

Take the TGV to Avignon. Rent a car at the train station, drive to St. Remy an easy drive of less than an hour. Reserve a nice hotel in St. Remy (do it quickly as the area is busy during lavender blooming season). It is a pleasant town with lovely walks and nice restaurants. Drive to lavender fields from there. Don't miss the lavender at the Abbaye de Senanque near Gordes for lovely fields of lavender. Others can suggest other favorite places.

Provence is lovely but it is best seen with a car. Spend a few days - it will be worth it.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 05:12 AM
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Well, regarding the car -- the person who got 8 tickets did so because he or she was speeding a lot. I've never gotten one because I don't speed, it's really that simple. France is no different than other places -- it has speed limits and signs are posted, the speed limits are normal. The car will have a speedometer in km and that's what the road signs will be.

Traffic isn't that bad around the Luberon. And parking in small towns/cities isn't terrible but in some, you do have to park a bit away from the main centger and walk because there are a lot of people and/or the center is closed to cars (eg, Gordes).

However, your concerns are not unfounded in that I have spent hours out of my trip making sure I knew where to return my car, and it was a little tricky. That was at Avignon TGV station -- but mainly because I didn't rent from there, I rented some place else. If I had gotten it there I wouldn't have had as much trouble.

But of course you can go to Provence, stay in Avignon for 1-2 nights (which is a city I like, it's lively and has a lot of open air cafes on the main square, it's fun), and take a day bus tour. There are many from Avignon, and the cost could even be less than renting a car for 1-2 days.

Your remark about groups is already somewhat pejorative so you are coming into it with a negative predisposition, about not liking to do things "in packs." I've taken many day bus tours in various cities and enjoyed them all, every single one. The guides are often very good, it is convenient, you can often see things you wouldn't otherwise, and the groups are always pretty small on those day bus tours. They usually use minivans, so maybe 6-8 people. www.viator.com is agood aggregator of such tours, they ahve some for lavender fields that cost about $56 for adults and $28 for kids.

No, you cannot stay in some pretty small town with public transportation to do these things. Not possible, you'll have to stay in Avignon if you want access to day bus tours. Or Aix, but it's farther and no reason for that.

I don't agree with everyone on Fodors who tells people they have to rent a car in Provence and that driving has no problems, etc., and that you can't possibly do it without renting a car. You certainly can and especially if you only want to be there 1-2 days, actually. In that time frame, I don't think it makes much difference. If you were going to be there a week, it would be different. And I don't like St Remy myself, and don't think it's that bucolic, and it is crammed full of tourists with terrible traffic and extremely difficult parking in the center.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 06:34 AM
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I wouldn't stay in St Remy if you want to visit Lavender fields. The Luberon around Bonnieux is much more centrally located to visit the fields. I was a little disappointed with the Lavender fields around Sault last year in very late June. I thought the fields in the Luberon & Valensole plateau were much more vibrant.

Stu Dudley
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 08:31 AM
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If you are willing to share a double bed, this is a lovely spot to stay, a 10 minute stroll to the quaint village of St. Saturnin les Apts. Free parking, a tasty breakfast, no large crowds and very close to lots of Luberon lavender.

http://www.accommodationinprovence.c...re-du-platane/
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