Provence itinerary critique
Apr 12th, 2014, 06:42 AM
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Provence itinerary critique
My wife and I have sketched out a draft itinerary for 7 days in Provence. Would welcome any comments or suggestions.
Day 1. Arrive Avignon by train midday. Rent Car. Stay around Avignon for afternoon. Drive to Hotel near Perenes- les- Fontaines late in the day.
Day 2. Tour Luberon area. Circular route; Gorges/ Menerbes/Bonnieux/Saigon/Sault/Lioux/Roussillon
Day 3. Tour north of Carpentras. Circular route; Sablet/Sequret/Vaison- la Romaine/Suzette/Beaumes. Return to hotel and pick up baggage and drive (D942/ D570) to hotel in Arles, arrive late in the afternoon or evening.
Day 4. Pont du Gard/ Uzes. Considering circular route to return through Nimes however driving through City seems a little complicated. May just use D981 both ways. Explore Arles later in the day
Day 5. (Saturday) check out Arles market. Visit St Remy and Les Baux area
Day 6. Undecided. Possibly could go back to Luberon area.
Day 7. Drive to Marseilles, drop off rental, check in hotel. Take airport shuttle to Aix. Spend remainder of day exploring downtown area. Return to hotel
Day 8. Flight home
We have not dedicated a lot of time at Arles but think that there will be lots of time to explore during our 3 days there. Wondering if Day 2 is too much and if we should reduce the drive or maybe try to split the Luberon into 2 days and go back on Day 6. We have toyed with the idea of adding another night in the Pernes les Fontaines area however it may be difficult to get another night at this stage. Day 3 seemed to work for our last day at Pernes Les Fontaines as we can leave our luggage there (just thinking about security rather than leave in car) , do what looks to be a half day tour, pick up our luggage and then get to Arles at a reasonable hour. However wondering if it might be better to drop the drive north of Carpentras and concentrate on more Luberon and then go straight to Arles. That would mean keeping the luggage in the car…just a little nervous with doing that.
Day 1. Arrive Avignon by train midday. Rent Car. Stay around Avignon for afternoon. Drive to Hotel near Perenes- les- Fontaines late in the day.
Day 2. Tour Luberon area. Circular route; Gorges/ Menerbes/Bonnieux/Saigon/Sault/Lioux/Roussillon
Day 3. Tour north of Carpentras. Circular route; Sablet/Sequret/Vaison- la Romaine/Suzette/Beaumes. Return to hotel and pick up baggage and drive (D942/ D570) to hotel in Arles, arrive late in the afternoon or evening.
Day 4. Pont du Gard/ Uzes. Considering circular route to return through Nimes however driving through City seems a little complicated. May just use D981 both ways. Explore Arles later in the day
Day 5. (Saturday) check out Arles market. Visit St Remy and Les Baux area
Day 6. Undecided. Possibly could go back to Luberon area.
Day 7. Drive to Marseilles, drop off rental, check in hotel. Take airport shuttle to Aix. Spend remainder of day exploring downtown area. Return to hotel
Day 8. Flight home
We have not dedicated a lot of time at Arles but think that there will be lots of time to explore during our 3 days there. Wondering if Day 2 is too much and if we should reduce the drive or maybe try to split the Luberon into 2 days and go back on Day 6. We have toyed with the idea of adding another night in the Pernes les Fontaines area however it may be difficult to get another night at this stage. Day 3 seemed to work for our last day at Pernes Les Fontaines as we can leave our luggage there (just thinking about security rather than leave in car) , do what looks to be a half day tour, pick up our luggage and then get to Arles at a reasonable hour. However wondering if it might be better to drop the drive north of Carpentras and concentrate on more Luberon and then go straight to Arles. That would mean keeping the luggage in the car…just a little nervous with doing that.
Apr 12th, 2014, 02:25 PM
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Sault is not in the Luberonce
I would add a day to Pernes. Since you're staying in Pernes, do the walking tour of the fountains. Get a map at the TI.
Day 2. Quite a while back, I did a timetable for the Luberon Drive. Here it is:
Luberon - Time schedule
8:00 or 8:30 - Get to Gordes, pull the car over at the view "spot" & take a picture. Park the car in the lot, and visit Gordes. Have a cafe creme & croissants for breakfast at one of the outdoor cafes. Walk down to the Lavoire & back. Explore Gordes.
10:00 leave Gordes.
10:30 arrive in Oppede le Vieux & explore a bit
11:30 leave Oppede, drive to Menerbes
11:45 arrive in Menerbes & explore. Grab a sandwich for lunch & sit on a bench with a view & have lunch.
12:45 leave Menerbes
1:00 arrive in Lacoste, drive up towards the village & view Bonnieux across the valley. No visit of Lacoste. Drive to Bonnieux.
1:45 Visit Bonnieux (sandwich, if you didn't have one in Menerbes)
3:15 leave Bonnieux & head to Roussillon.
3:45 arrive in Roussillon, park the car, and explore Roussillon. Visit the Ocre fields. Have an afternoon coffee at a cafe.
5:45 Leave Roussillon. If you still have some energy left, visit Goult - otherwise, call it a day.
Stu Dudley
I would add a day to Pernes. Since you're staying in Pernes, do the walking tour of the fountains. Get a map at the TI.
Day 2. Quite a while back, I did a timetable for the Luberon Drive. Here it is:
Luberon - Time schedule
8:00 or 8:30 - Get to Gordes, pull the car over at the view "spot" & take a picture. Park the car in the lot, and visit Gordes. Have a cafe creme & croissants for breakfast at one of the outdoor cafes. Walk down to the Lavoire & back. Explore Gordes.
10:00 leave Gordes.
10:30 arrive in Oppede le Vieux & explore a bit
11:30 leave Oppede, drive to Menerbes
11:45 arrive in Menerbes & explore. Grab a sandwich for lunch & sit on a bench with a view & have lunch.
12:45 leave Menerbes
1:00 arrive in Lacoste, drive up towards the village & view Bonnieux across the valley. No visit of Lacoste. Drive to Bonnieux.
1:45 Visit Bonnieux (sandwich, if you didn't have one in Menerbes)
3:15 leave Bonnieux & head to Roussillon.
3:45 arrive in Roussillon, park the car, and explore Roussillon. Visit the Ocre fields. Have an afternoon coffee at a cafe.
5:45 Leave Roussillon. If you still have some energy left, visit Goult - otherwise, call it a day.
Stu Dudley
Apr 13th, 2014, 06:35 AM
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I would do Aix on Day 6 and actually do Marseille on Day 7.
To drive to Marseille, drop off car, check in [where are you staying?] and then take airport shuttle to Aix and back, seems like a lot of effort with not much time in Aix.
Marseille gets a bad rap and we spent 3 days there last year and quite enjoyed it.
We did a free [donation only] walking tour of Marseille and it was excellent! It was supposed to be a couple of hours and we ended up spending all day with the guide, Patrick.
We stayed at the Grand Tonic right by the old port and had a magnificent meal at:
http://www.unetableausud.com/
http://www.hotels-de-marseille.com/
http://www.marseilleprovencegreeters.com/en/
To drive to Marseille, drop off car, check in [where are you staying?] and then take airport shuttle to Aix and back, seems like a lot of effort with not much time in Aix.
Marseille gets a bad rap and we spent 3 days there last year and quite enjoyed it.
We did a free [donation only] walking tour of Marseille and it was excellent! It was supposed to be a couple of hours and we ended up spending all day with the guide, Patrick.
We stayed at the Grand Tonic right by the old port and had a magnificent meal at:
http://www.unetableausud.com/
http://www.hotels-de-marseille.com/
http://www.marseilleprovencegreeters.com/en/
Apr 13th, 2014, 08:16 AM
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Day 6. Undecided. Possibly could go back to Luberon area.>
Or head to the fabled Camargue - not far south of Arles - the wild area known for its flamingos and wild horses - lots of places offer guided horseback treks out into the wilds to see the wild horses and flamingos.
Or head to the fabled Camargue - not far south of Arles - the wild area known for its flamingos and wild horses - lots of places offer guided horseback treks out into the wilds to see the wild horses and flamingos.
Apr 13th, 2014, 01:06 PM
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DebitNM We are staying at the Ibis near the airport in Marseilles. I was thinking that we could be checked in and finished with the rental by lunchtime and be in Aix by early afternoon and then depending on the shuttle schedule return to the hotel in the evening. That seemed like a good way to spend the rest of the day. Do you think Aix is worth more time than that?
Never gave Marseilles a second thought due its rough reputation. I will review your links and give your suggestion consideration. I was avoiding driving to Aix but perhaps I'm being to cautious. How would you rate the drive to get into Aix from Arles and the ease of finding parking?
PalenQ I wouldn't be up for horseback riding. I was looking at the Camargue early in my research but when I read there were lots of mosquitoes I dropped the idea. But thanks for the suggestion.
Never gave Marseilles a second thought due its rough reputation. I will review your links and give your suggestion consideration. I was avoiding driving to Aix but perhaps I'm being to cautious. How would you rate the drive to get into Aix from Arles and the ease of finding parking?
PalenQ I wouldn't be up for horseback riding. I was looking at the Camargue early in my research but when I read there were lots of mosquitoes I dropped the idea. But thanks for the suggestion.
Apr 13th, 2014, 01:19 PM
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We drove into Aix 2 or 3 times from the Apt area of The Luberon. It was quite doable. We did a walking tour there as well that we signed up for at the visitors center.
Checked in may not mean in a room, keep that in mind. You may have to have them hold your luggage. I would not stop anywhere with luggage, even in the trunk. We had a rental car broken into and we had NOTHING visible in the car - but they messed up the window - the only thing was that it was clearly a rental car [they either have rental agency stickers on them or they have license plate that starts with a special # that indicates its a rental; so I guess they figured they would see what might have been in trunk. We did have a broken GPS in the glove box and they did take it.
We liked Aix ok; it is a college town, so that makes it different from other Provencal towns.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ugh-france.cfm
Checked in may not mean in a room, keep that in mind. You may have to have them hold your luggage. I would not stop anywhere with luggage, even in the trunk. We had a rental car broken into and we had NOTHING visible in the car - but they messed up the window - the only thing was that it was clearly a rental car [they either have rental agency stickers on them or they have license plate that starts with a special # that indicates its a rental; so I guess they figured they would see what might have been in trunk. We did have a broken GPS in the glove box and they did take it.
We liked Aix ok; it is a college town, so that makes it different from other Provencal towns.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ugh-france.cfm
Apr 13th, 2014, 03:15 PM
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Preparing for this trip is a great learning experience. I'll have to study up some more on Marseilles and Aix.
In the meantime DebitNM your comment on luggage in the trunk puts a wrinkle in our Avignon plan. We thought we could spend a little time in Avignon on the way to our hotel but that will mean the luggage will be in the trunk (assuming there is a trunk and not a hatchback). Is there secure parking in the area of the palace where you would be confortable leaving luggage in the car? Otherwise I guess we can just drive straight to the hotel in Pernes Les Fontaines.
In the meantime DebitNM your comment on luggage in the trunk puts a wrinkle in our Avignon plan. We thought we could spend a little time in Avignon on the way to our hotel but that will mean the luggage will be in the trunk (assuming there is a trunk and not a hatchback). Is there secure parking in the area of the palace where you would be confortable leaving luggage in the car? Otherwise I guess we can just drive straight to the hotel in Pernes Les Fontaines.
Apr 13th, 2014, 04:58 PM
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I think there are several guarded underground garages in Avignon with cameras. We back the car into the parking stall and get the trunk as close to a concrete wall as we can. This way the trunk can not physically be opened without moving the car forward 4 feet or so. If you have an automatic, I don't think anyone can shift the car into neutral and push it forward without inserting a key in the ignition. Even if the car could be moved - it would look very suspicious. You just want your car to be harder to break into than the one next to you.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
Apr 13th, 2014, 05:27 PM
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The airport is an easy shuttle from Aix, so you could return the car in Aix and stay your last night in Aix, much nicer to walk there in the evening than an airport hotel.
Aix is really lovely! Pretty and rather peaceful, small, walkable.
Marseilles also has many things of interest, a pretty port and a new museum that is getting raves. Busy and vibrant.
Aix is really lovely! Pretty and rather peaceful, small, walkable.
Marseilles also has many things of interest, a pretty port and a new museum that is getting raves. Busy and vibrant.
Apr 14th, 2014, 04:37 AM
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Even before its rehab I though Marseilles to be one of Europe's most fascinating cities - never felt especially unsafe there and since the rehab St-Cirq mentions the town center at least shines - a very unique city.
Apr 14th, 2014, 01:17 PM
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Your schedule is really full and you are leaving out a lot to begin with, I would never add the Camargue to it.
Pernes itself has a few things of interest to see, first of all. Not just fountains, but some fortifications and an old church, as I recall. Here is a map, although things might be only in French, it isn't a big tourist site for English-speaking tourists http://www.tourisme-pernes.fr/upload...es-fr-2013.pdf They do have some small museums on local traditions and costumes. Now I wouldn't cut other things short, but if you want to relax more around home one afternoon, you could putter around there for a few hours and then go to dinner in-town (Dame l'Oie is very central) http://www.dameloie.fr/
You are leaving out a lot north of there, such as Bedoin or Le Barroux (Prince Charles stayed there for a while http://www.francethisway.com/places/le-barroux.php)
or Gigondas but that's for wine. I guess you will see the Dentelles if you are around Seguret. If you need to fill time, you could go up to Nyons and Grignan.
I probably wouldn't throw in Nimes to your schedule, that's for sure, it's not like you have a lack of places to visit.
I've driven from Avignon to Pernes and went by D942 to Carpentras, then it's a straight shot south of there on D938. driving in Carpentras is a bit tricky due to some one-way streets, you may go in a circle around it once, I think I did (inside town).
Pernes itself has a few things of interest to see, first of all. Not just fountains, but some fortifications and an old church, as I recall. Here is a map, although things might be only in French, it isn't a big tourist site for English-speaking tourists http://www.tourisme-pernes.fr/upload...es-fr-2013.pdf They do have some small museums on local traditions and costumes. Now I wouldn't cut other things short, but if you want to relax more around home one afternoon, you could putter around there for a few hours and then go to dinner in-town (Dame l'Oie is very central) http://www.dameloie.fr/
You are leaving out a lot north of there, such as Bedoin or Le Barroux (Prince Charles stayed there for a while http://www.francethisway.com/places/le-barroux.php)
or Gigondas but that's for wine. I guess you will see the Dentelles if you are around Seguret. If you need to fill time, you could go up to Nyons and Grignan.
I probably wouldn't throw in Nimes to your schedule, that's for sure, it's not like you have a lack of places to visit.
I've driven from Avignon to Pernes and went by D942 to Carpentras, then it's a straight shot south of there on D938. driving in Carpentras is a bit tricky due to some one-way streets, you may go in a circle around it once, I think I did (inside town).
Apr 14th, 2014, 01:29 PM
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Check this out; it will show you Marseille from a different perspective and let you see how it's changed.
https://nightwalk.withgoogle.com/en/home
https://nightwalk.withgoogle.com/en/home
Apr 14th, 2014, 02:46 PM
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Just got back yesterday. in Les Baux we thought the Carrieres de Lumieres was spectacular , breathtaking. absolutely amazing. The town did get pretty crowded later in the day. Also in St Remy Galum was quite interesting and worth 1.5 hours. We spent I would say four hours in Arles with lunch. Great idea from Stu about backing the car up. We left our luggage once in the car, that would have been a good idea. In Avignon the parking lots underground are pretty easy to find. Not sure if switching day four and five could make sense. There is a market in Uzes on Saturday,(if I have that correct) although we didn't make it there. That way you could perhaps skip trying to do the Arles market on Saturday. We found after two they all seems to have the same things, and they were the same vendors. St Remy and Les baux will keep you busy .
Apr 14th, 2014, 03:43 PM
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Thankyou everybody for all your suggestions. There are a lot of options to consider there. Have been doing a little research on Marsailles and it does look interesting but I also want to get into Aix. May be able to do both but that will depend on what we decide to do with day 6. May just leave that day open for now and pencil in some options and decide depending on what we are liking at the time.
Christina we could extend on the north drive and get to Arles late in the day. Maybe we need to leave that open-ended as well and see what we feel like at the time.
The Uzes market may make sense. To do that I assume we should go to Uzes first and do Pont du Gard on the way back.
Yes Stu great idea backing against a wall...good one.
Christina we could extend on the north drive and get to Arles late in the day. Maybe we need to leave that open-ended as well and see what we feel like at the time.
The Uzes market may make sense. To do that I assume we should go to Uzes first and do Pont du Gard on the way back.
Yes Stu great idea backing against a wall...good one.
Apr 14th, 2014, 04:24 PM
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Jim...my husband and I drove into Nimes last summer and it was not difficult at all. There are underground parking garages that are easy to find and use. If you go to googlemaps and type in Nimes, France Parking, public parking garages will be highlighted. We parked by the Colusseum in Parking des Arenes. It was very well lit, safe, etc...
I second boxcox's comment on the Carrieres des Lumieres....definitely definitely worth seeing if you are in Les Baux. Never seen anything like it.
Also second Stu's suggestion to drive through Lacoste, however we stopped and walked up to Pierre Cardin's chateau. Chateau is nothing special, even a bit odd, but the views were spectacular.
I second boxcox's comment on the Carrieres des Lumieres....definitely definitely worth seeing if you are in Les Baux. Never seen anything like it.
Also second Stu's suggestion to drive through Lacoste, however we stopped and walked up to Pierre Cardin's chateau. Chateau is nothing special, even a bit odd, but the views were spectacular.
Apr 15th, 2014, 06:52 AM
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yes to doing Uzes first. And I have no idea how but we missed the whole exhibition at Pont du Gard!! I even went to use the bathroom which it is right by! I wondered why the admittance was so expensive. I think it was 18 euros. oh well next time..
