FairchildDyna

Hi Everyone - I've spent a lot of time on the forums reading everyone's helpful content, and have put together a rough honeymoon plan:

1. Paris - Arrive and Stay for 2 nights
2. Saint-Remy (via TGV Paris>Avignon + pick-up rental car) - 3 nights to explore Saint-Remy, Les Beaux, Alpilles
3. Gordes (self-drive) - 3 nights to explore Gordes, Rousillon, Lourmarin
4. Nice (self-drive) - 3 nights to explore Nice and potentially areas to the west (Eze, Menton)
5. Departure from Nice

The question I have is if 6 nights is too much time in Gordes and Saint-Remy vs. spending more time on the coast (maybe swapping for nights in Cassis or St. Tropez)

Also, would it be worthwhile to stop for lunch in Moustiers on the drive from Gordes to Nice? It adds 1+ hour to the drive, and I'm concerned if we will have already seen a lot of the same things in Provence.

Thanks!

mjs

Have you been to Paris ?

AJPeabody

Why do you want to fly into Paris for 2 nights? Arrival day and departure day are essentially wasted, and the first and only full day is for jet lag and orientation. July 2024 also brings you into the congestion and high pricing for the upcoming Olympics.

Instead, reverse your itinerary to fly into somewhere in the south where you are already planning to spend the bulk of your time. You most likely have to change planes. Nice is a great place, plus you will now have the Paris time to add to your actual honeymoon.

StuDudley

If you could fly into Nice instead of Paris and add 2 night to Nice, then your itinerary would be fine.

Attached is my Cote d'Azur & Provence itinerary

Stu Dudley

Christina

I don't see anything wrong with the 2 days in Paris. First of all, US flights arrive really early, like sometimes 6-7 am, so you have most of that day and all the next. Plus, it has the big advantage of a place where you can get over jetlag before going south and renting the car. I think it's a great idea. However, with the Olympics, it does depend. I just checked prices on a hotel for early July in Paris and the rates weren't bad at all, so I think it depends when you are going. They don't start until very end of July, after all. Now Paris is kind of messed up right now due to all that construction etc but you don't have to go dead center. If the flight works, I think it's ok if it's early July.

I think your timing is fairly good as is. But no, I would definitely not cut out days in Gordes to add a day to Cassis or St Tropez. I think both are bad ideas. First, Cassis if too far away from the rest of your itinerary and why go to all that trouble for one night in a hotel for what? People usually want to day a boat trip to see those calanques, but that can take an hour or two, as I recall (I"ve done it). Cassis itself is nothing special. It fits in better to a visit including Marseille. Are you aware how crazy it is down there in summer?

I'll admit I've never been to St Tropez, is this because you've heard it it glitzy and full of rich celebs? But the point is there is plenty for you to see as is form the Gordes base, without adding yet another place. Not to mention, you don't seem aware of how crazy it is along the coast during summer. You haven't even mentioned north of Gordes which is an area I really like, and you can visit that if you have a car and are based in Gordes. LIke the Dentelles, vaison la Romaine, Nyons and Grignan. I love that area (Drome dept). Not to mention many other towns like Apt.

AS for Moustiers, I'm not following you on that as you can drive from Gordes to Nice in about 2.5 hrs along the A8. So first, that isn't that long a drive anyway. If you are thinking of Moustiers, that's more the rural route and maybe that's what you are contemplating. Gordes to Moustiers is about 2 hrs. You do go through Valensole area so could be good lavender at that time. So going that way could make it more a four hour total drive, I guess, but if you have all day, why not. That's near the gorge de Verdon also. Another place to think about is Manosque. This article says they have the lavender festival in July in Valensole, I thought it was August, but you could check that. Manosque has headquarters of Occitanie company.

https://internationalliving.com/thin...ue-france-trl/

If you did go along the A8, Aix would be on the way but that's a larger city so might be more of a stop off than you want to do compared to smaller towns.

So I think your timing is ok, but would never add Cassis or St Tropez to it.

If you did go by the A

StuDudley

I'll second Christina's recommendation of Moustiers. If you have not seen enough lavender while you were in the Luberon, drive to Moustiers and visit the spectacular lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau. See my itinerary for details. I'm not a fan of the Gorges du Verdon. The Routes des Cretes one-way drive is a tad scary, and the lookouts are fewer than you would like.

Stu Dudley

gooster

You are fine with spending time in western Provence, but I would not add another stop in St. Tropez. If you felt like you had too much time inland, you can add a day on the Cote d'Azur and have a beach day in Cannes, Antibes or Villefranche-sur-Mer. Those are easy day trips from Nice, and you can reserve a spot at a private beach club.

From St. Remy, you can make it Arles or take a trip north to the Pont du Gard. Add a day into the Valensole or head into the southern Rhone if you are into wine.

FairchildDyna

Thank you all for the incredible feedback! This will really help with our planning!

Yes - We will be arriving Paris early in the AM, so should have at least two full days to adapt to the new timezone and perhaps see a couple low-key attractions if it isn't too hectic (not our first time visiting the city). Also, just checked the hotel rates for our dates, and they are fairly reasonable / before the major increases starting July 25.

And we will definitely heed the group's advice to stick with our original plan for six nights in Provence and skip Cassis/St.Tropez, and focus on getting our coastal fix in Nice - we also depart in the evening on our last day so we should have 3.5 days or so on the ground.

Thank you Christina for the recommendations along the scenic route from Gordes to Nice via Moustiers. Didn't realize there was so much to see along the way - so we're looking forward to this drive now!

StuDudley

Have you read any parts of the 40 page itinerary I attached? I've sent this itinerary via e-mail to around 4,000 folks on Fodors, and I don't know how many others have read it since Fodors introduced a method to attach it to a post. It describes the Valensole lavender fields driving route, Moustiers, & beyond. Plus our favorite restaurants, a section of Provence fabric, markets, scenic drives, etc. We've spent 47 weeks in Provence & along the Cote d'Azur, and are heading back to Nice & the Nice Hinterlands for 3 1/2 weeks this June.

Stu Dudley

mjs

I think two nights In Paris is fine since you have already been there although I do see merit in just making this about Provence and flying to Nice instead of Paris. I would just stay in St Remy and do your travels from there instead of splitting your time in two with Gordes. Moving always takes up some of your time. There are nice hotels for a honeymoon both around St Remy and Gordes but I would just pick one in St Remy. I too would not spend the time to go to St Tropez.