Provence/Cote D'Azur finetuning
Dec 15th, 2006, 06:41 AM
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Provence/Cote D'Azur finetuning
Hi all:
Going to Provence and Cote D'Azur for my honeymoon in September and could use some finetuning advice about our choices. We have roughly 11 days for our trip and our thought was to break up the time with roughly half in Cote D'Azur with Nice as our base and the other half in Provence using St. Remy as our base. Our thought was to fly into Nice and use trains/buses for that portion of the trip to visit the local sites and villages, then rent a car our last day to drive out to St. Remy and for all our excursions in Provence. We are in our late 30s/early 40s, and are more interested in natural beauty (possibly some hiking), relaxation, great food and wine and not so much nightlife. (We are from NYC, so the big city thing is a bit overdone for us already!)
My questions are:
1) how long a drive is it from Nice to St. Remy? Is it worth driving -- ie amazing scenery/places to stop? -- or would a train to Marseille and then a rental car make more sense? If driving, would you recommend staying the night somewhere along the way, or just keep going?
2) If we cannot fit in the Gorges du Verdon, which appears to be off our path quite a bit, will we regret it? Per the advice of PBProvence (whose posts have been unbelievably helpful!!) we were considering a trip to the Camargue instead from our St. Remy base.
Either way, any comments you have about the trip would be welcome. Once we finalize our locations, we'll book and then I'm sure to be coming back to you all for hotel advice!!
Thanks!
Going to Provence and Cote D'Azur for my honeymoon in September and could use some finetuning advice about our choices. We have roughly 11 days for our trip and our thought was to break up the time with roughly half in Cote D'Azur with Nice as our base and the other half in Provence using St. Remy as our base. Our thought was to fly into Nice and use trains/buses for that portion of the trip to visit the local sites and villages, then rent a car our last day to drive out to St. Remy and for all our excursions in Provence. We are in our late 30s/early 40s, and are more interested in natural beauty (possibly some hiking), relaxation, great food and wine and not so much nightlife. (We are from NYC, so the big city thing is a bit overdone for us already!)
My questions are:
1) how long a drive is it from Nice to St. Remy? Is it worth driving -- ie amazing scenery/places to stop? -- or would a train to Marseille and then a rental car make more sense? If driving, would you recommend staying the night somewhere along the way, or just keep going?
2) If we cannot fit in the Gorges du Verdon, which appears to be off our path quite a bit, will we regret it? Per the advice of PBProvence (whose posts have been unbelievably helpful!!) we were considering a trip to the Camargue instead from our St. Remy base.
Either way, any comments you have about the trip would be welcome. Once we finalize our locations, we'll book and then I'm sure to be coming back to you all for hotel advice!!
Thanks!
Dec 15th, 2006, 06:51 AM
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Definately rent a car in Nice and drive - the stretch of highway from there to Aix is one of the few highways anywhere in the world which is actually pretty to drive. Plus, it will be faster than taking the train to Marseille and then dealing with traffic and hassles of getting out of Marseille. Figure 1 1/2 hours drive from Nice to Aix, then another 45 minutes to St. Remy.
The Gorge du Verdon is gorgeous, but if you do that, stop along the way - for example, the village of Moustiers. Then you have a nice leisurely drive the next day during which you can easily visit the Luberon before heading to St. Remy.
The Camargue is also great - couldn't be more different than the Gorge du Verdon. Early September can be a superb time to get in some beach time down there after the summer crowds have packed it in.
Enjoy.
-Kevin
The Gorge du Verdon is gorgeous, but if you do that, stop along the way - for example, the village of Moustiers. Then you have a nice leisurely drive the next day during which you can easily visit the Luberon before heading to St. Remy.
The Camargue is also great - couldn't be more different than the Gorge du Verdon. Early September can be a superb time to get in some beach time down there after the summer crowds have packed it in.
Enjoy.
-Kevin
Dec 15th, 2006, 07:15 AM
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It's about 2 1/2 from Nice to St Remy
As Kevin says, the section from just west of Nice to Aix is very scenic - especially around the St Tropez turnoff where you get great views of the Maures mountains to the left of the freeway.
You could spend a week visiting all the cute villages, scenic drives, etc between the Nice area & St Remy - we've spent 4 weeks in that region. Fayance, Cotignac, Mons, Bargemon, Tourtour, Tourrettes, Cabris, Grasse, Montauroux, Seillans, Lorgues, Chateaudouble, Entrecasteaux, and of course - Aix. That doesn't even include the dozens of cute villages inland from Nice - St Paul, Tourrettes, Vence, Gorbio, Carros, Luceram, etc. nor the area around St tropez - Ramatuelle, Gassin, Bormes, Grimaud, etc.
I'm not a real big fan of the Gorges du Verdum. Guide books say it's the "Grand Canyon" of France - no way - the one in the US is much, much, more dramatic. I don't even think it's the best canyon in France - the Gorges du Tarn is, IMO. Moustiers is quite nice, however, but a little touristy. Riez is very interesting - especially if you are there for their Sat morning market. You won't be there in Lavender season, because there is a lot of it on the Valensole plane just west of the Gorges du Verdun.
Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for the Cote d'Azur & Provence. If not, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll send you a copy.
Stu Dudley
As Kevin says, the section from just west of Nice to Aix is very scenic - especially around the St Tropez turnoff where you get great views of the Maures mountains to the left of the freeway.
You could spend a week visiting all the cute villages, scenic drives, etc between the Nice area & St Remy - we've spent 4 weeks in that region. Fayance, Cotignac, Mons, Bargemon, Tourtour, Tourrettes, Cabris, Grasse, Montauroux, Seillans, Lorgues, Chateaudouble, Entrecasteaux, and of course - Aix. That doesn't even include the dozens of cute villages inland from Nice - St Paul, Tourrettes, Vence, Gorbio, Carros, Luceram, etc. nor the area around St tropez - Ramatuelle, Gassin, Bormes, Grimaud, etc.
I'm not a real big fan of the Gorges du Verdum. Guide books say it's the "Grand Canyon" of France - no way - the one in the US is much, much, more dramatic. I don't even think it's the best canyon in France - the Gorges du Tarn is, IMO. Moustiers is quite nice, however, but a little touristy. Riez is very interesting - especially if you are there for their Sat morning market. You won't be there in Lavender season, because there is a lot of it on the Valensole plane just west of the Gorges du Verdun.
Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for the Cote d'Azur & Provence. If not, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll send you a copy.
Stu Dudley
Dec 15th, 2006, 08:22 AM
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I'm neither Stu nor Kevin, but I'll chime in. I recommend www.autoeurope.com, a consolidator that finds you the best rate from among the companies with which it has contracts. If you find a better price on your own, AE promises to either match or beat it. While you can book online, call the toll-free number and ask about special rates.
Using trains and buses along the Cote d'Azur and to get to nearby hilltop villages works very well. However, if you want to re-live the wild ride in "To Catch a Thief" starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, pick up your rental car on your last full day in Nice so you can drive the Grande Corniche and/or the Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Monaco. I did that and was lucky enough to find a free overnight parking spot on a street within one block of my hotel.
Using trains and buses along the Cote d'Azur and to get to nearby hilltop villages works very well. However, if you want to re-live the wild ride in "To Catch a Thief" starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, pick up your rental car on your last full day in Nice so you can drive the Grande Corniche and/or the Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Monaco. I did that and was lucky enough to find a free overnight parking spot on a street within one block of my hotel.
Dec 15th, 2006, 09:06 AM
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>>Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, pick up your rental car on your last full day in Nice so you can drive the Grande Corniche and/or the Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Monaco<<
That's also where Grece kelly drove off the road & was killed.
I alwo use AutoEurope. Aboout 35 cars rented through them over the past 25 years. When "problems" have occurred due to errors made by the actual car rental company (charging for full tank of gas, mystery charges, processing someone elses return papers against my rental), they have always worked things out in my favor. Can't say enough good things about their Customer Service.
Stu Dudley
That's also where Grece kelly drove off the road & was killed.
I alwo use AutoEurope. Aboout 35 cars rented through them over the past 25 years. When "problems" have occurred due to errors made by the actual car rental company (charging for full tank of gas, mystery charges, processing someone elses return papers against my rental), they have always worked things out in my favor. Can't say enough good things about their Customer Service.
Stu Dudley
Dec 15th, 2006, 09:59 AM
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You might want to consider flying into Nice and out of Marseille if you order your trip as you mentioned. We found that otherwise you spend too much of your last day on the road. Since our last has been on Wednesday losing the market in St Remy was a drag. The train is nice as well. It takes longer but it is nice to see the countryside.
Dec 16th, 2006, 07:32 PM
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I think Gorges du Verdon is beautiful to visit if you are in the area but I don't think it is worth a detour. Only because there are so many other amazing sites to see I consider les Gorges something to do if you have some spare time.
And definitely dirve from Nice to St Remy. Beautiful and easy driving with dramatic scenery changes along the way.
Although you could easily get around by train and public transport staying in Nice I don't think a car should be ruled out there either. I love to have my own wheels and have the freedom to explore at my own pace.
Most here swear by autoeurope but I have always found lower prices with sixt rent a car. Not sure though how they would handle problems as I've never had to report any.
And definitely dirve from Nice to St Remy. Beautiful and easy driving with dramatic scenery changes along the way.
Although you could easily get around by train and public transport staying in Nice I don't think a car should be ruled out there either. I love to have my own wheels and have the freedom to explore at my own pace.
Most here swear by autoeurope but I have always found lower prices with sixt rent a car. Not sure though how they would handle problems as I've never had to report any.
Dec 18th, 2006, 11:46 AM
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Thanks again for everyone who responded! Checked out Auto Europe and seems quite simple, so will give that a try. Again, thanks all for the advice! Now to look at all the hotel threads!!
Dec 18th, 2006, 03:43 PM
#12
I'm with Kevin, I think the Gorge of Verdon is worthwhile , we also loved the Tarn. Alain Ducasse's Bastide was a special treat for me.
From St Remy, the Camargue does make more sense. We stayed At the Mas De Peint in Sambuc and in Aigues Mortes at the Hotel Des Templiers.
There are alot of pleasant lodgings near the Gorge that are inexpensive. One we stayed one trip, at the mouth of the Gorge in La Pulud.
From St Remy, the Camargue does make more sense. We stayed At the Mas De Peint in Sambuc and in Aigues Mortes at the Hotel Des Templiers.
There are alot of pleasant lodgings near the Gorge that are inexpensive. One we stayed one trip, at the mouth of the Gorge in La Pulud.
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