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Provence - Solo Traveler w/o car seeking help w B&B and itinerary this July

Provence - Solo Traveler w/o car seeking help w B&B and itinerary this July

Old Jun 19th, 2011, 06:05 PM
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Provence - Solo Traveler w/o car seeking help w B&B and itinerary this July

Hello - I am planning a trip to visit South of France and checking out the Lavender Fields. I have researched online and this forum for places to visit around Provence, and found many lovely places. Many places/village in this area requires a car to get to.

Because I want a relaxed trip and meet local people, I want to find a nice B&B base where it's within walking distance to town. I can then choose to hire a local guide or car driver to take me to surrounding places if I want to.

Has any one done similar style of traveling in this area by him/herself? Any suggestion on what a solo traveler can do to enjoy a wonderful trip in Provence region would be much appreciated. Is one week enough for this area? I am looking at end of July time frame.

Many Thanks to all the other posts on this Forum about Provence. Your help here for a solo traveler is much appreciated! Hope I can still enjoy the nice region as well.
dodola is offline  
Old Jun 19th, 2011, 07:15 PM
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I was there solo with no car in January several (!) years ago-- so no lavender, that's for sure. I stayed in Aix en Provence and also Arles. Both had bus connections to many of the more touristy, smaller places. I am sure you could also arrange a private driver. Or were you thinking of staying in a smaller town and going from there? Arles and Aix are both pretty big and not bucolic. In those days my budget was tighter than it is now, so I didn't consider a private driver. Good idea!

In Arles I stayed at Le Calendal and I recommend it highly. A lovely, relaxing spot.

I believe cigalechanta, who posts here, took a solo trip and didn't drive either. I hope she sees your question. Kevin Widrow probably has more information too.
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Old Jun 19th, 2011, 10:23 PM
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Thank you Leely2. I like Aix. Glad to know that it's not too small. I am looking for a balance. I like to stroll around town, find a cafe in the afternoon, browse local shops or have dinner in town and walk back to my B&B. I heard that Aix has a fun local market to visit, too. The B&B you recommended looks really nice. Thank you very much. It's in Arles. Is it close to Aix? I am thinking of flying into Paris and taking TGV to Aix. Then, catch a taxi to a B&B in town. Then, I will use it as a base to tour around near by cities.

I will look up cigalechanta and Kevin Widrow's postings too. Thank you, Leely2.
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Old May 2nd, 2013, 07:31 PM
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Old May 2nd, 2013, 09:46 PM
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We had a car when we were in Provence last May. We found a lovely B&B called Le Clos des Freres Gris. It was about 8 minutes outside of Aix. Getting on the highway was a straight shot from the B&B. Great place, lovely grounds and owners, and we liked Aix.
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Old May 2nd, 2013, 10:44 PM
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Hi dodola,

I also visited Arles without a car, and I thought it was a fun trip. I enjoyed the city itself and found there was lots to do there. I stayed at the Hotel D'Arlatan.

I also took a one-day small-group tour to see the lavender fields and some of the small villages. There were only 5 of us on the tour, and the driver changed the itinerary to accommodate our wishes; it was very nice.

Have fun as you plan!

s
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