If you loved Tuscany you will love Provence, with everything from Roman ruins (Arles, Nîmes, Les Baux, Vaison-la-Romaine, Pont du Gard) to charming small villages (e.g., the Lubéron and those near Nice). Pick up a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to Provence and/or the Cadogan Guide to the South of France. The latter offers more in-depth coverage, while the Green Guide is best for itinierary and sightseeing planning.

Have a wonderful trip!

Cyber:

Congratulations on your retirement! I am sure it has been well earned.

I have traveled through both Provence and the Loire Valley. If you are as you say, a fan of Italy i.e Rome and Tuscany, then you'd enjoy Provence.

If you want to see Medieval and Renaissance towns, then you might consider the Loire Valley. My favorite towns of the Loire are Angers, Saumur, Amboise just to name a few.. Each of these towns has enough to see and do to hold your attention for at least one full day, possibly longer.

Thank you both for your replies. Do you think we could possibly do both areas well in a two week trip (or do we have to choose?)

I would not try to do both regions in the 2 weeks -too far apart- we did Burgundy and Provence in 2 weeks which was a good length and we did the Loire-Normandy regions another year for a week each! We are heading back to Provence for 2 weeks in May to further explore - I think I would stay for 2 weeks to hold down the driving and not rush each day - take the train from Paris to Avignon to get a car, rent a nice gite and have a ball! We liked the Loire as well as I am a castle nut but the rest of the region was rather dull! The Provence is a large area so we are splitting it with a week near Marsilles to cover the south half and then to Carpentras for the northern area! Its been 11 yrs for me since retirement - LOVE IT!!

We are doing both Provence and the Loire Valley in two weeks this summer. I've roughed out our daily itinerary and don't feel that it's too rushed.

We are taking the TGV from Paris to Lyon, then from Lyon to Avignon, then from Avignon to St Pierre des Corps (near Tours), then back to Paris.

There is a a direct TGV train from Avignon to St Pierre des Corps that leaves about noon and arrives about 4:30 p.m. Advance Prems tickets (purchased 3 months in advance) through TGV-Europe were very reasonable -- about $100 per person for all four legs, including 1st class on the Provence to Tours leg.

Thanks so much!

Dsevig, glad to hear you're enjoying retirement. That's the way I want to retire, too!

We loved having two weeks in Italy to drive/train/stay in a leisurely fashion, but it could have been longer in some of those quaint towns. Two weeks in Provence sounds heavenly.

Those castles in the Loire are calling me! I love reading historical fiction and biographies of medieval/Renaissance times, and it would be wonderful to see where they lived. But if it's mostly just castles, that could get a bit boring for DH...

I'll check out the information you provided ardithl, and maybe I can make it work. Where will you be staying?

We've spent 18 weeks vacationing in Provence after we retired, and 2 weeks in the Loire. That kinda tells you what our opinion is. Although we love chateaux, and we never miss a chance to visit as many as possible (perhaps around 50-60 so far in France) like dsgvig, we found the the Loire quite dull and not nearly as scenic as the other regions we've visited in France (about another 1 1/2 yrs worth, outside of Provence & Loire). Lots of "nooks & crannies" in Provence with charming villages, lavender & sunflower fields (sunfowers in the Loire too), and beautiful mountains, gorges, valleys, cliffs, coastal villages, coves, and Aix, Avignon, & Arles. Along with the Dordogne, Provence is our favorite region in France.

Our closest friends had a house in San Quirico in the Val d'Orcia and we stayed at their house often - so we're pretty familiar with that region. If you liked the Val d'Orcia - you will also like Provence.

I have a 27 page itinerary about Provence that I've sent to over 2,500 people on Fodors (about 8-9 just today). If you would like a copy, e-mail me at StuDudley@aol.com & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.

Rent a gite - we've rented 43 different gites and stayed in them for 74 weeks. You'll enjoy "retirement" much more if you can stay in a house with multiple bedrooms, perhaps a pool, yard to dine outside & sit in the sun, and a fully equipped kitchen so you can go to the markets & buy roast chickens, duck breast, fruits/vegetables, cheese, olives, etc and prepare meals at the gite.

Stu Dudley

Cyber:

Not all chateaux are the pristine castles & fortresses you may envision. In fact, the only castle that really lives up to the fairy tale ideal is the Chateau de Usse. It is purportedly the castle which inspired Charles Perrault to write Sleeping Beauty.

I would certainly include Usse as one chateau to visit. Angers is more a true fortress than pleasure castle. Built in the 13th century, the Chateau d' Angers is patterned after the castles seen by the Christian crusaders when they invaded Palestine.

Do some research and I am sure you will find towns & castles in the Loire valley which you will truly enjoy.

Cyber,
In Provence we are using St Remy as our base. In the Loire Valley, we are staying in Chenonceaux. I was very tempted by Saumur also, but the hotel I wanted was already booked (and I prefer to minimize hotel-hopping anyway). I chose Chenonceaux because I want to stay within walking distance of good restaurants so we can drink wine with dinner, and to be close to the departure point of our 6 a.m. balloon flight.

The Loire Valley also has some beautiful gardens, which interest me as much as the chateaux. And some good wine caves.

In my opinion, there is no "wrong" choice. Provence for 2 weeks would be heavenly. But in answer to your question, it is possible to do both if you also want to spend a few days in the Loire.

What month are you going? Two timing factors to consider are the summer temperatures and the possibility of crowds in Provence. Another in my opinion would be the blooming of the lavender (which unfortunately we will miss this time).

Cyber

We retired in June of '99. One HUGE piece of advice I can pass on to you if you love travel & adventure like we do, is to SLOW DOWN and spend a minimum of 2 weeks in ONE SPOT. Whether it is the Loire or Provence - don't try to do too much. Research gites. Travel in May/June or Sept/Oct to keep gite costs to about $700 to $1,000 PER WEEK for a multi-bedroom place with a kitchen/yard/DR/LR/washer/dishwasher so you can save $$$ for dinners/lunch/breakfasts and have more room to "spread out", like you have where you probably live now. We "experimented" with Gites for 8 weeks in '99, and we have been returning to France for 2 months most every year - staying in Gites.

Stu Dudley

Hello, I hope I can be of some help for your coming trip. I think you can do both, if you keep a few days for the Loire Valley. Ussé is a lovely castle, you do have a lot of other castles to discover like Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau. If you like gardens you have to see Villandry. Discover the troglodyte valley of the Goupillières, that makes a change. Walk near the Loir River with the so special light. We hope you'll have a wonderfull time. Regards