houli

1st trip to Provence late September with rental car, cannot decide if should have two bases one near St. Remy and one in Luberon...I love the looks of La Coquillade in Gargas but feel it may be out of the way. Is it worth wasting a half of day changing hotels or driving distances daily to see sites in and around these areas. The other concern is staying where we can walk to dinner and not have to drive (concerns are getting lost and we like to drink wine) the place in Gargas has a restaurant but want to experiment.
I have spent hours and just torn. Thanks!

DebitNM

There is basically nothing in Gargas besides the hotel and restaurant. We celebrated my husbands birthday at the restaurant there and it was lovely, but I wouldn't consider staying there.

StuDudley

I would stay in two different areas, just to get some different surroundings, and less driving to some of the sites. I always recommend St Remy with access to the Pont du Gard, Uzes, Arles, Nimes, Camargue, Les Baux, Alpilles, & Tarascon. Then the Luberon to get closer to Lourmarin, villages in the Luberon, other villages in the south Luberon around Lourmarin, Pernes, Carpentras, Vaison, Aix, the lavender fields around Sault, and the Cote du Rhone. Both areas have easy access to Avignon. If you want to stay in a village with may restaurants - try l'Isle sur la Sorgue and you won't have a hassle trying to get to their wonderful but crowded Sunday morning market.

Actually for 10 days I would stay in St Remy for 3 days and then rent a Sat to Sat Gite for 7 days in the Luberon.

Stu Dudley

Christina

I always stay in 2 areas when I'm there that long (actually, not sure I've been there longer than a week, but still moved). I liked staying in different towns and also split my stay so I visit different things from each location (ie, one farther north so I can visit the Drome area, Vaison, etc., and one perhaps being Aix). Once I split staying in Uzes, to the west of the Rhone, and staying around the Luberon, also.

It doesn't take me half a day to change hotels, though, not sure on that estimate. Becuase I am moving to an area where I want to be sightseeing, anyway.

Christina

oh, walk to dinner? have never stayed in a place in Provence where I could do that when I had a car, except once I stayed in a wonderful inn just outside Aix that had its own excellent restaurant and then when I was staying in Uzes, also, of course, as I was right in town.

dulciusexasperis

Horses for courses really. Whether to stay in one place or two really depends on the individual, what their interests are and what they want to do.

People can tell you what they have done and what they would do but really, YOU are the one who has to make the decision.

Stu's suggestion of 3 and 7 makes some sense. Staying in a Gite for a week makes some sense. Personally, I'd stay in one place for the entire 10 days. Quantity is never my prime motivator.