Provence and Cote D'Azur three weeks, location advice please!
Apr 16th, 2015, 03:03 PM
#1
Original Poster
Provence and Cote D'Azur three weeks, location advice please!
We decided after all to go to Provence for three weeks this September.
I've been pouring over maps and books and Fodors, and especially Stu's guide (thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm!) and am hoping for some advice.
The preliminary plan is to arrive in Marseille on a Friday morning, stay overnight, pick up a car and head to a gite, staying either one or two weeks, then spending the last few nights near Nice before heading home, making 19 nights.
It is my second time in Provence, last time was in 2005, but will be John's first time. We'd like to visit all the typically usual places, including Les Baux, St. Remy, Avignon, Camargue, Gordes, Stu's drives east of Vaison la Romaine, St. Paul de Vence.
We're not interested in staying in a hilltop location if it means winding cliff edges and switchbacks, but would like a location with a few places to eat within walking distance, so we can park the car at night, and not worry about the wine police after dinner!
Not including the Nice area, any suggestions on a centrally located area that we can stay in for two weeks, or is it actually preferable to have two separate locations.
We'd like to keep a lid on the prices if possible, around 700€/week. If there are any gite or even apartment recommendations, I'd appreciate that.
I've been pouring over maps and books and Fodors, and especially Stu's guide (thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm!) and am hoping for some advice.
The preliminary plan is to arrive in Marseille on a Friday morning, stay overnight, pick up a car and head to a gite, staying either one or two weeks, then spending the last few nights near Nice before heading home, making 19 nights.
It is my second time in Provence, last time was in 2005, but will be John's first time. We'd like to visit all the typically usual places, including Les Baux, St. Remy, Avignon, Camargue, Gordes, Stu's drives east of Vaison la Romaine, St. Paul de Vence.
We're not interested in staying in a hilltop location if it means winding cliff edges and switchbacks, but would like a location with a few places to eat within walking distance, so we can park the car at night, and not worry about the wine police after dinner!
Not including the Nice area, any suggestions on a centrally located area that we can stay in for two weeks, or is it actually preferable to have two separate locations.
We'd like to keep a lid on the prices if possible, around 700€/week. If there are any gite or even apartment recommendations, I'd appreciate that.
Apr 16th, 2015, 06:30 PM
#2
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When making your plans, keep in mind that rental periods for most gites runs Saturday to Saturday.
We stayed here in Sept 2012 for 2 weeks. Great location, great owners. Check all the pages on website for local info and what to do in the area.
http://www.accommodationinprovence.com
We stayed here in Sept 2012 for 2 weeks. Great location, great owners. Check all the pages on website for local info and what to do in the area.
http://www.accommodationinprovence.com
Apr 17th, 2015, 05:12 AM
#4
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The village is 10 minutes stroll down a lovely lane. There are 3 places to eat. L'Estrade is the best. For us, the part we liked best of staying in a gite in Provence is the fun of shopping locally (farmers markets or even local supermarkets) and cooking dinner.
2 weeks without driving for dinner is going to be tough to do in most small villages. Some of course do have a larger selection, but those tend to be the much more heavily visited tourist destinations. We much prefer the smaller, quieter village life.
2 weeks without driving for dinner is going to be tough to do in most small villages. Some of course do have a larger selection, but those tend to be the much more heavily visited tourist destinations. We much prefer the smaller, quieter village life.
Apr 17th, 2015, 06:05 AM
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The gites where we stay in Provence are already fully booked through mid October.
I agree with Deb that you'll have a hard time finding a village with enough restaurants for 2 weeks - unless you don't mind visiting the same places 2-3 times. We've stayed as long as 4 weeks in one spot - but we don't have any problems driving as much as 20-30 mins to a restaurant. We typically dine at restaurants 4 nights a week and "eat in" 3 nights. Look for something in St Remy or L'Isle sur la Sorgue - but both have a high percent of "touristy" restaurants where the menu choices at the restaurants are pretty similar.
Stu Dudley
I agree with Deb that you'll have a hard time finding a village with enough restaurants for 2 weeks - unless you don't mind visiting the same places 2-3 times. We've stayed as long as 4 weeks in one spot - but we don't have any problems driving as much as 20-30 mins to a restaurant. We typically dine at restaurants 4 nights a week and "eat in" 3 nights. Look for something in St Remy or L'Isle sur la Sorgue - but both have a high percent of "touristy" restaurants where the menu choices at the restaurants are pretty similar.
Stu Dudley
Apr 17th, 2015, 09:48 AM
#6
Original Poster
Actually, a few restaurants within walking distance is fine, as is a short drive, so Deb, your location fits the bill perfectly, just depends on the price. We tend not to eat out every night, and we're happy with breakfast for dinner or making something simple.
I've been shying away from St. Remy and L'Isle sir la Sorgue, I'm not sure why, perhaps looking for a more authentic experience in a smaller town or village.
So we're looking for a good base thats suitable for two weeks.
I've been shying away from St. Remy and L'Isle sir la Sorgue, I'm not sure why, perhaps looking for a more authentic experience in a smaller town or village.
So we're looking for a good base thats suitable for two weeks.
Apr 17th, 2015, 10:25 AM
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>>I've been shying away from St. Remy and L'Isle sir la Sorgue, I'm not sure why, perhaps looking for a more authentic experience in a smaller town or village. <<
I totally agree. However, these two villages "welcome" the tourists with many restaurants - that's why I recommended them to satisfy your "walk to restaurants" requirement.
Both Deb & I both prefer less touristy spots. France has many, many "carry home" dinners available in groceries & farmers markets. We always start our 1 month vacations with "gite Chicken". Rotisserie chicken, 1 1/2 cups Creme Fraiche, 1 1/2T Mustard Ancienne, and lots of grated hard cheese. Put stuff in a saucepan, warm until the cheese melts, then serve over quartered chicken. Most farmer's markets have some kind of potatoes that you can purchase also to go with the Gite Chicken. We also have gite recipes for magret de Canard (duck breast), and mussels au curry & cream.
Stu Dudley
I totally agree. However, these two villages "welcome" the tourists with many restaurants - that's why I recommended them to satisfy your "walk to restaurants" requirement.
Both Deb & I both prefer less touristy spots. France has many, many "carry home" dinners available in groceries & farmers markets. We always start our 1 month vacations with "gite Chicken". Rotisserie chicken, 1 1/2 cups Creme Fraiche, 1 1/2T Mustard Ancienne, and lots of grated hard cheese. Put stuff in a saucepan, warm until the cheese melts, then serve over quartered chicken. Most farmer's markets have some kind of potatoes that you can purchase also to go with the Gite Chicken. We also have gite recipes for magret de Canard (duck breast), and mussels au curry & cream.
Stu Dudley
Apr 17th, 2015, 10:51 AM
#8
Original Poster
Stu, can you point me to any particular villages that would fit the bill? After using your Dordogne itinerary extensively last year, i know that your advice is dependable.
I've been on the gite France site, and find it frustrating in that it loses what info I've entered, start again, lose the dates and requirements, repeat ad nauseum.
Gite chicken sounds wonderful, Im going to give it a try here!
I've been on the gite France site, and find it frustrating in that it loses what info I've entered, start again, lose the dates and requirements, repeat ad nauseum.
Gite chicken sounds wonderful, Im going to give it a try here!
Apr 17th, 2015, 11:19 AM
#9
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The Gites de France web site is difficult to work with. To start with, if you enter your language as "English", it will only retrieve gites that have English translations. Which is only about 25% of the gites they have available.
Keep the language as French an put in destinations (Ou souhaitez) of:
Goult or
St Saturnin les apt or
Bedoin
Then Check "locations/Gites"
Then check
3 Epis
4 epis
If you want to stay "in town" change "elargir le Rayon" to "sur place" (in town) or
5 K
or 10 K
And see what youn get.
Stu Dudley
Keep the language as French an put in destinations (Ou souhaitez) of:
Goult or
St Saturnin les apt or
Bedoin
Then Check "locations/Gites"
Then check
3 Epis
4 epis
If you want to stay "in town" change "elargir le Rayon" to "sur place" (in town) or
5 K
or 10 K
And see what youn get.
Stu Dudley
Apr 17th, 2015, 12:37 PM
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Most true villages - places like St-Remy-de-Provence and Isle-Sorgue are proper towns with small supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, etc, but true French villages and I've biked thru a zillion on them have at most a local cafe that doubles as a tobacco stores, newspaper store and sells a few high-priced snack items or a few basics - that said the joy of true gites in true villages is you can savor the old village life - locals there are either farmers or retired probably as the youth have fled long ago - many gites I think are vacation homes for folks from Paris or other cities - thus if you want what you wish you'll have to go to a proper town like St-Remy or take a taxi for a wine with meal dinner in a nearby proper town.
