13 days - Paris, Loire and Provence
 

Hi everyone,

Yay! We will be in France, flying in and out of Paris, from May 13-27th for 13 days excluding flight time. We are in our early 30's and love Paris, art, gardens, food and architecture. We prefer to travel at a leisurely place staying in a few places. We would like to spend time in Paris, visit the chateau's in the Loire Valley and spend a couple relaxing days in Provence.

Logistically and weather wise, is it better to go to Loire Valley first (3 days), back to Paris to train to Provence (5 days?) and then stay in Paris (5 days?) at the end of the trip? I do have Stu's Provence guide, but haven't read through it all yet. Any opinions on how many days in each place? I read yk's trip report on 3 days in Loire and lots of chateau's, wondering if 3 days is too rushed for all of the chateau's? How many days would be good in Provence?

While in Paris we would like to take a trip to Monet's garden.

I'm still reading and researching but any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Originally we were just thinking of Paris and Provence, but then I saw yk's report and would really love to visit the Loire valley and all of its chateau's. Is it too much traveling all over the place if we try to do Loire and Provence?

Also, we would love to see the French Open. Is it better to buy tickets online and if so where? or just show up and buy general admission?

Thanks again.
Cheers,
~appletea

Logistically, all can be done in 13 (12) days but if, as you say, you prefer to travel at a leisurely pace, you might want to consider only Paris and Provence. The trip from Paris to Provence (Avignon) by train is easy. You will probably want a car when you get there as Provence is difficult to see without one. The reason I suggest Provence rather than the Loire is that you need only 2 or 3 days to visit chateaux

If you haven't been to France before, splitting your time between Paris and Provence will allow you to see and enjoy both. Since you want to see the French Open and Giverny, you have only about 4 days left for Paris. Not nearly enough! Sounds like a marvelous trip> Enjoy!

One choice for the French Open is to buy evening tickets on site - this is a very cheap option which we used a couple of years ago. And Provence - so much to see and do that our 10 days last year barely scratched the surface, as you can see in our phototravelogue at http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...08%3A540606391

Personally, I wouldn't skip the Loire. I absolutely loved that region and would go there again in a heartbeat. If you click on my profile, you can read my trip report (I think it's called France, Belgium, Netherlands trip report), which details our time in the Loire. We took the train from Paris to Tours, rented a car in Tours (the Avis car rental is at the train station-- couldn't be easier) and took off from there. We spent 1 night in Saumur and 2 in Amboise (at Chateau des Ormeaux, which was *amazing*) and were able to cover a lot of ground and see many chateaux without feeling rushed. If you love gardens, art and architecture, don't miss the Loire.

As for the logistics, the train from Paris to Tours isn't long, but once in Loire it's a long drive to Provence or a couple of connecting train rides. It might be easiest to return to Paris and then take the TGV to Provence, which is only like 2-3 hours. How about something like this:

Day 1- Arrive Paris, overnight
Day 2- Train to Tours, rent car
Day 3- Loire
Day 4- Loire
Day 5- Train to Paris
Day 6- Paris
Day 7- Paris
Day 8- Paris
Day 9- Paris
Day 10- TGV to Provence
Day 11- Provence
Day 12- Provence
Day 13- TGV to Paris, depart

If your flight to Paris arrives early enough on Day 1, you could just go straight to the Loire without taking the night in Paris. Personal choice. Good luck!

You don't have to return to Paris to take the train to Avignon. You can catch the TGV at Tours.

Like StCirq mentioned, there is a 2:30 no-train-change TGV that goes from St Pierre des Corps (Tours) to the Avignon TGV station - arriving at 6:46 (may be a different schedule on weekends - I didn't check).

Of all the many many many places we stayed for 2 weeks or longer in France, the Loire countryside was the least scenic, IMO. We were just there last year for about the 6th time (we love Chateaux). I think 2 1/2 days there is fine. I wouldn't bother seeing the countryside, just visit the Chateaux & the gardens at Villandry - then take the afternoon train to Provence. I would visit Provence last - so that you stand the better chance of getting good weather. It doesn't matter what the weather is like inside a chateau, and Paris is great in any weather.

So, I would do:
1 land in Paris
2 Paris
3 Paris
4 Paris
5 Paris
6 Morning train to Loire
7 Loire
8 Loire in am, afternoon train to Provence
9 Provence
10 Provence
11 Provence
12 Provence
13 Provence in am. Late train to Gare du Nord in Paris. Dinner at Train Bleu at the Gare (fabulous interior - don't miss)
14 Fly home

Stu Dudley

I agree with Stu that the Loire is one of the least scenic areas in all of France. It has its merits, of course, but scenery isn't its finest attribute.

Thank you all for your replies. We visited Paris a couple years ago for 5 days and loved it so much we didn't have enough time to leave to go to see Versailles. After reading all of your suggestions, we are thinking:

Day 1- arrive Paris 8:30am
Day 2 - day trip to Giverny or versailles? will giverny be better in late May?
Day 3 - 5 - Loire Valley
Day 5 - 10 - Provence
Day 11-14 - Paris - french open starts the 23rd, maybe giverny?

a few questions:
Loire Valley - thanks Erin, I read your trip report and inquired with the B&B you stayed at. sounds lovely.
1) Do you think 2 nights is enough in the Loire valley?
2) How many chateau's can one realistically see in one day without rushing through it? I think we definitely want to visit Chambord, Villandry, Chenenceau, clos luce and maybe usse and cheverny?
3) Are there any special concerts at these chateau's?
4) Do you recommend taking the train to Tours and then renting a car to get from chateau to chateau?

Sunday - is there more to do on a Sunday in Paris or Provence? debating whether to go back to Paris one day earlier because its a Sunday?

Provence - I haven't finished studying Stu's guide yet . . .
1) Since its May and lavender fields aren't in bloom, would it be worth it to drive to Simiiane la Rotonde and go to the lavender fields route? I love lavender.
2) If we wanted to stay in one place for 5-6 days, which area would you recommend?

How is Versailles compared to the chateau's in the Loire Valley? I don't want to get chateau'd out, but I am very interested.

Thanks again for all your help!

Giverny is at its most beautiful in May. While Versailles is the biggest and most lavish, I would go to Giverny since you are planning to see so many chateaux in the Loire. And the chateaux in the Loire will be much less crowded than Versailles. We saw 2 or 3 a day - more is overload.

Both the Loire and Provence are best seen with a car. Take trains to Tours and Avignon and rent cars there.

As for Provence, take your guidance from Stu but we have stayed in St. Remy and just outside of Les Baux and found both locations to be very convenient to move around Provence. In Les Baux, the lavender was blooming in May in the gardens surrounding our hotel but not in the lavender fields.

Sounds like a lovely trip!

>>a few questions:
1) Do you think 2 nights is enough in the Loire valley?<<
2) How many chateau's can one realistically see in one day without rushing through it? I think we definitely want to visit Chambord, Villandry, Chenenceau, clos luce and maybe usse and cheverny?<<

Two nights & 3 1/2 days will be fine if you just visit Chateaux & gardens
You'll be there near peak season, and Chenonceau & the most popular Chateaux in the central/east area will be crowded. Best to see both Chenonceau & Chambord as soon as they open in the am & just before closing in the PM. My wife & I don't get tired of Chateaux - we've easily visited 70 or so throughout France. But practically speaking, 3 maybe 4 is all you can really see & enjoy in a day. In many areas in France, many Chateaux close for lunch & have guided tours. We were in the western Loire for 1 week last year and visited around 6 Chateaux. I think most had guided tours & closed for lunch. However, I think Chenonceaux, Chambord, the gardens of Villandry, and most chateaux in the central & east section are open all day. Most have a "song & light" show in the evening - which is quite enjoyable.

>>3) Are there any special concerts at these chateau's?<<

Song & light shows in the evening

>>4) Do you recommend taking the train to Tours and then renting a car to get from chateau to chateau?<,

Absolutely - that's the only way you're going to see all the chateaux you want to visit in 2 nights & 3 1/2 days

>>Sunday - is there more to do on a Sunday in Paris or Provence? debating whether to go back to Paris one day earlier because its a Sunday?<,

We love Sundays in Paris because things are quiet & most shops are closed. The Marais is quite active (too active, IMO) and so is the Isle St Louis. We love walking the quays on Sunday

Provence is very enjoyable on Sunday also. The huge market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue is quite a treat. St Remy, Les Baux, Gordes, and Roussillon will be quite active on Sunday. Avignon, Arles, Nimes, Aix, Vaison, and Uzes will not.

>>Provence - I haven't finished studying Stu's guide yet . . .
1) Since its May and lavender fields aren't in bloom, would it be worth it to drive to Simiiane la Rotonde and go to the lavender fields route? I love lavender.<<

Lavender is not that interesting when it is not blooming. Do the lavender route last if you have the time - otherwise, save it for a later trip

>>2) If we wanted to stay in one place for 5-6 days, which area would you recommend?<<

St Remy if you want to stay in a village where you can dine, sit at cafes, & wander around. However, St Remy is rathar dead at night compared to Avignon or Arles (except for dining). If you want to stay in the countryside & surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, budding lavender - find a place near Gordes, Roussillon, or Bonnieux in the Luberon. You'll have to drive to dinner most nights, however.


>>How is Versailles compared to the chateau's in the Loire Valley? I don't want to get chateau'd out, but I am very interested.<,

More extravagant & massive. I wouldn't miss it. Perhaps visit Versailles, and only spend 2 full days in the Loire.

My wife & I are not fans of Giverny. Not our style of gardens (wild English style). We much preferred Villandry (ordered Italian/French style). Not Monet fans either.

Stu Dudley

We have taken the train to The Loire on 2 different trips. Once the local (slower) train to Tours to stay near Amboise for the Eastern Loire (Chambord, Chennonceaux, etc.) and once the TGV to Esprit de Corps (just outside of Tours as the TGV does not stop at the Tours station)to stay near Chinon for the Western Loire (Villandry, Uze, etc.)

IMO, the TGV was a much better choice. Both places were very easy to pick up a car (but watch your arrival time, as they both close for lunch). Both stations were easy to drive on from.

From either station for a short trip I would stay near Amboise for a central location.

I have not been to Provence, but I think to try to do all 3 and relax as you say you would like, would be hard. We spent two weeks one year; half in Paris and half in the Loire and that was a good amount of time for 2 of them. The Loire Valley is really quite large and the chateaux are spread out. Also, the pace is much more relaxed than Paris, so you really don't feel like being on the go all the time.

We took the TGV to Tours which took about an hour. We reserved the tickets on the SNCF website before we left and also rented the car on that website for the Avis outlet in the Tours train station. Actually, at that time, that website had the cheapest rate for the car rental. Everyone else has given you great information, so I won't say much more. However, a great place to stay in the Loire is La Roseraie in Chenonceaux. The hotel is about 3/4 mile from the chateau, which for some reason does not have the x in its name. La Roseraie is great and I am sure you can find many reviews about how special it is. We used it as our base and drove around the valley and enjoyed it at a leisurely pace.

You cannot even begin to see all the chateaux in 3 days. We spend 6 nights in Chinon and with a rental car seeing 2 a day is a brisk but reasonable pace. Seeing more than that is not really possible - and there are a host of chateaux, towns to explore, historic abbeys etc - so 3 days is just a taste of the Loire.

So - I would do either Paris and the Loire or Paris and some of Provence - doing all 3 will mean a lot of driving (you can train from one area to another, but will need a car to really explore either the Loire or Provence).

If you decide to stay in the Loire I reco staying in one of the private chateaux for a wonderful experience. We stayd at the Chateau des Reaux near Chinon (original 15th century), which had wonderful hosts, a loto to do within easy reach (including several of the sone et lumiere evening performances) and offered dinner en famille several nights per week. We joined a group of other Americans, Canadians, Argentinians and a couple from Russia. A most fascinating dinner.

>>You cannot even begin to see all the chateaux in 3 days<<

I don't think anyone is proposing that the OP tries to see "all" the Chateaux - that would take a couple of months. We each have our own chateaux "threshold" - but I think visiting about 5-7 in 2 1/2 days is reasonable.

I enjoy the cities & villages in Provence much more than I enjoy those in the Loire. Tours is at the bottom of my list, and Aix & Avignon are in the top 6.

Stu Dudley

OK Stu, I've been wondering this for awhile as you've dropped hints about your preferences on various threads. What is your loose ranking of your top 10 favorite cities after Paris?

From your previous posts, my guess is that it might start off something like this:

Dijon
Nice
Toulouse
Avignon
Aix
Lyon?

I'm not sure after that at all and I may have Dijon & Nice mixed up.

Favorite Cities and Villages in France

What we like:
We are building architecture buffs – old architecture – not new. We also like to see lots of pedestrian-only streets, outdoor markets, non-touristy shops, & outdoor cafes. We typically don’t go to many museums, so cities get “no points” for having museums. Also, churches don’t give a city extra points. When ordering these cities, we did not consider the “setting” of a city, like the beach at Nice or the lake at Annecy.

Cities with a population greater than 85,000

1. Paris
2. Dijon
3. Toulouse
4. Rennes
5. Strasbourg
6. Avignon
7. Aix-en-Provence
8. Rouen
9. Montpellier
10. Lyon
11. Nice
12. Nancy
13. Bescancon
14. Bordeaux
15. Nantes
16. Marseille
17. Perpignan
18. Tours

Cities with a population greater than 10,000 but less than 85,000
1. Sarlat
2. Colmar
3. Beaune
4. Auxerre
5. Chambery
6. Vannes
7. Annecy
8. Troyes
9. Albi
10. La Rochelle
11. Figeac
12. Perigueux
13. Arles
14. Bourges
15. Dinan
16. St Malo
17. Quimper

Stu Dudley

Thank you all for taking the time to read and respond. We truly appreciate it.

Ideally this is moving a bit more than we would like, but we really want to see the chateau's. We definitely don't plan on seeing all the chateau's but would like to see maybe 5-7 max as Stu said.

Another idea would be to go to Loire first day we land and then Provence and end in Paris to move around less. I know Stu recommended to try to go to Provence as close to the end of May as possible, but maybe this would make it less hectic? Any comments on this? Can you get from CDG airport to Tours easily? We land at 8:30 am, but then we might be jetlagged and could probably realistically see 1 chateau on the first day, meaning we would have to extend Loire one more day?

Day 1-3 - Loire
Day 4-9 - Provence
Day 9-14 - Paris

or maybe:
Day 1-3 - Paris to settle in and see Giverny and maybe Versailles
Day 4-6 - Loire
Day 6-11 - Provence
Day 12-14 - Paris - french open

For 2.5 days would Ambroise be a good base? I was reading that there is a lot of traffic if you base in Tours. Another thread said Ambroise has a lot of traffic too. We would prefer to stay in a chateau like hotel. Budget is 200 Eur a night, but flexible. Are there lots of cats in these areas? I also read for 2 nights Chinon is a farther base to visit chambord and villandry.

Btw, nice list, Stu. Will definitely have to put those on our list for "some day."

Thank you so much!

2 more questions

Weather in Provence - does better weather for Provence mean less rain and not as windy? I tried to look up the historical weather for Provence but it looked like upper 60's and low 70's. Is it difficult to enjoy Provence in the rain? Sounds like it might still be romantic. =)

Traffic in Loire - does bad traffic mean it will take an hour to get to the chateau's from Tours or Ambroise even though it's normally a 15 min drive? I'm from Los Angeles, so just want to get a perspective on what bad traffic is. Thanks.

Also, if good food is very important to us, is Ambroise a good base for that compared to the other areas like Chinon or Chenonceaux and Tours? Or regardless, will you have to drive to go to dinner, so it won't matter? We don't really mind a 10-15 min drive for dinner but it would also be nice just to stroll to dinner.

Tours is a city; Amboise (note correct spelling) is a town. I've driven in and out of Amboise many times, and except on market day, didn't encounter anything remotely like LA traffic. I've also driven in and out of Tours and found it a huge PITA. There are a number of good restaurants in Amboise, including the upscale restaurant at the Hôtel Choiseul, the restaurant at the Hôtel Lion d' Or, and l'Epicerie, right at the foot of the château.

If you are flying in and out of Paris I would not try to arrive by train from Provence the same day as your departure-I have had the TGV be late too many times-so personally I would prefer to be back in Paris overnight before a flight.

Likewise with trying to catch a TGV directly on arrival from CDG to Tours-if you are delayed on your arrival or in customs, it could be a problem. It is isn't that easy from CDG to get there since it requires a change, whereas in Paris there is direct train from Montparnasse to Tours. I have mentioned in other threads a favorite hotel of ours near Montparnasse is the hotel Odessa-it is only a 2 star but almost right next to the gare and in a great little part of the neighborhood. So you might even just want to overnight close to Montparnasse if you want to go to Tours the next day....

In terms of weather-this is a general statement-if it is hot when you are there, then the Loire is likely to be hot and more humid and Provence will be more hot and dry. We live in Los Angeles too but don't like excessive heat, so we prefer to go to Provence earlier in the spring versus later. Also, the Loire tends to get more rain, so putting it at the end of the trip-you might have a better shot at sunnier weather-but as you can imagine, spring weather can be very changeable all over France.

In terms of traffic-I don't think you will find it that difficult in the Loire. The biggest problems are really getting in and out of Paris on weekends but it sounds like you will be taking trains for that part.

Thanks jpie and StCirq. This helps a lot. Taking that into consideration, we are now looking at:

Day 1 -2 Paris - settle in, wander Paris 1st day, 2nd day- Giverny, day 3 leave for Loire in the morning.
Day 3 - 5 - Loire Valley - we booked a hotel in amboise.
Day 5 - 10 - Provence, leave for paris in the evening
Day 10-14 - Paris - french open starts the 23rd, maybe versailles

1) For Paris Part 1- Day 1-3 - Where would be a good base since we would like to visit Giverny on day 2 and leave for Loire on day 3. On day 1 we want to settle in and maybe spend the afternoon at the tuileries and have some macarons at laduree, maybe hang out on the lawn in front of eiffel tower.
Should we buy our Giverny tickets ahead of time?

2) for trains, is it best to book ahead of time? I see Montparnasse to Tours at ~$50 a person and Tours to Avignon at $140 a person. Will it get cheaper or should I just book. It's one month away.

Thanks again for all your help!

Hi appletea:

In terms of hotels-I wouldn't base your hotels necessarily on the trains because it is so easy to get to the stations by metro or taxi. I think your itinerary makes sense and splitting the Paris visit gives you a chance to see 2 neighborhoods.
If it is a first visit my choice would be to stay one time in the Marais and the other time in the Latin Quarter- two of the most popular neighborhoods here on the board. If you know Paris well, then you might just want to explore new neighborhoods like near the Eiffel tower or Montparnasse for example.
When you are arriving from LA at the airport, then you might want stay somewhere along the direct RER B line from the airport to make it easy to take public transport into the city. The Latin Quarter near the St Michel stop is very central as is the next stop near Luxembourg gardens is also nice.
By the way-if you click on my profile it has my email address under location. Feel free to email me directly if you have more detailed questions-we spend around many months in Paris each year and have been to the Loire, Giverny and Provence multiple times in the past 5 years or so. Sounds like you are planning a great trip!

Since we are taking 3 trainw, would it be worth it to get a 3 day rail pass? It seems cheaper, but is it harder to guarantee tickets for a particular train? I can't seem to find too much info on that on the raileurope site.

It seems there aren't too many hotels left for St. Remy for 5 nights. If the hotel is 5 miles from St. Remy city center, does that mean it's not really in St. Remy? If you we stayed 2 nights and 3 nights, what other area would you recommend? How is Arles as a base? We plan on renting a car.

Thanks again.

In terms of the rail pass, you will probably need to price it out. Our experience is that with 2 travelers we can almost always beat the pass price with PREM tickets-which as you probably know from reading the boards are really low cost tickets that you can buy a few months in advance but are not changeable or refundable-but also have the advantage that you can print out at home before you leave-no need to "post" the ticket-you just show it on the train along with your passport.

In terms of the hotels, 5 miles from the center will definitely mean it is "outside" of the center. You will find with many of the towns in the south of France including parts of Provence that they have a one way circular road (like a mini Peripherique in Paris) going around the historic center-Uzes is like that Aix, etc. If you go to google maps and type in St Remy France and come in for a pretty close view you will see what I mean. So if it is important for you to feel like you are in town, try to stay inside the circle. That said there are lovely places that are in the nearby rural areas and distances aren't very long, so with a car you don't really have to limit yourself unless you want to.

Thanks jpie.

Provence Hotels 5 nights - We are now deciding between staying:
Hotel Particulier in Arles (5 nights available)
or Clos de Glycine in Roussillon/Gordes (5 nights available)
or Vallon de Valruges in St. Remy. 3 nights and combo with above

Is one combination better than another?

Hmm-a real bounty of riches! The hotels all look gorgeous. I can't remember if you said if it is a first trip to Provence or not? That would make a difference to me. And also be aware that Arles is very very different and not Provence. Even Provence itself has different areas that don't necessarily resemble one another. I am assuming you will pick up the car in one place and drop in another?

I would be tempted to take the train to Avignon (TGV)and then go to Roussillon. By the way, the gare at Avignon TGV is different from centre ville-it is basically a big open area outside of town that keeps you from having to deal with traffic inside the city itself. Here is a link to it-it si also a cool building http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_d%27Avignon_TGV

If you can stand to move twice I would be tempted to spend 2 nights in Roussillon then spend 1 night in St. Remy and then 2 more nights in Arles and take the tgv back from there.

If you only want to stay in 2 places and want to get the full Provence feel versus Arles which is more the Camargue area, then stay in Roussillon and St Remy. If you want to venture down further towards the Camargue and maybe even up towards Uzes, Nimes, Pont du Gard area, then you could split the time between Roussillon and Arles and stop in St Remy for lunch along the way. It just starts to come down to personal choice and how much driving you want to do.

Don't forget we aren't talking huge distances here. From Roussillon to Arles via St. Remy is only 80KM and about 1h45m so if you really want to, you could base in only one place and do day trips....but I would be inclined to do the pick up drop off route at different stations.

It is our first trip to Provence. When you say pick up the car in one place and drop in another, is that not the same place at Avignon TGV?

We would prefer not to do more driving than needed so a central location to visit the various villages would be nice.

Appletea
Check out B&Bs in the Luberon on Tripadvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g1...ce-Hotels.html
Enjoy provence
W

I don't know what jpie means when s/he says Arles is not Provence. It is quintessential Provence. That said, of your choices, I would opt to stay in St-Rémy if your goal is to focus on the Bouches-du-Rhône.

Sorry St. Cirq-I was typing too fast. I didn't mean to say it so literally-I guess I meant to say that Arles to me feels more connected to the Camargue region rather than what I think of as "quintessential" Provence-if there is such a thing. But St. Cirq is absolutely right, it is in Bouches-du-Rhône department. But I guess it just doesn't feel to me like Provence as much as some of the other departments like the Var or Vaucluse. That said even though Marseilles is in Provence literally-I just don't think as a town it describes the Provence that most first-time visitors think of i.e. the Peter Mayle Provence. And some places like Uzes that aren't really Provence all work hard to claim "membership" in their local tourist guides :)

Sorry for the confusion. Just to clarify-here according to Wikipedia are the departments of Provence:

Var
Vaucluse
Bouches-du-Rhône
parts of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence & Alpes-Maritimes

appletea-what I meant by about picking up the car at one place and leaving it another, was that you can take the train down to Avignon for example and drop the car at the gare in Arles and take the TGV from there rather than backtracking. We have found in the past that the cost of doing that is the same or minimally more than returning the car to the same Hertz agency and generally outweighs the cost of the gas to backtrack.

This is my understanding:

Cote d'Azur
...Alpes Maritimes
...Var

Alpes
...Alpes de Haute-Provence
...Hautes Alpes

Provence
...Vaucluse
...Bouches du Rhone

There is an administrative region called "Provence - Alpes - Cote d'Azur"

The Michelin Green Guide to Provence includes sections of the departments of the Gard, Ardeche, and Drome. The Cote d'Azur omits part of the Alpes de Haute-Provence.

Stu Dudley

Yeah-everybody looks at it a bit differently-when my friend bought a guide book in Uzes-I think it was Frommer's or insight they included Uzes in Provence-which I definitely don't include there, but I suspect it is the same in your Michelin? Anyway, my point I guess was, that certain towns/villages have more of the "stereotypical" feel of Provence to me, whatever that is ;)

Ok on to Provence rough itinerary. We love markets, lavender, flowers, food and old architecture. Would love to see fields of red poppies (Senanque?) and maybe catch a glimpse of lavender?

Based on our days, would you please advise on our itinerary?

~~Tuesday – Stay Canto Cigalo, St. Remy
Arrive at 7pm from Tours, rent car, check in, dinner somewhere
Anything to see in the evening?

~~Weds – Stay Canto Cigalo, St. Remy
St. Remy Market – I thought I read this somewhere but now I can’t find it on this site? http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/m...t-provence.htm If we did do the market would we have enough time for Pont De Gard, Nimes and Uzes?
Pont de Gard, Nimes, Uzes

~~Thursday –Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
Les Baux/Alpillies/Millau/ Eygalieres

~~Fri - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
Carpentras market
Pernes les Fountaines
The Dentelles, Vaison with Roman Ruins

~~Sat - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon - is this too much in one day?
Oppede-le-Vieux
Village des Bories
Goult
Abbey Senanque
Menerbes
La Coste
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – is this worth going to if we are going on Sun for the market?

~~Sun - Take late train to Paris
Market at Isle sur la Sorgue
Roussillon
Gordes
Anything we missed the day before

Do we have enough time to go to Lourmarin, Cucuron, Pertius? I think Stu mentioned lavender route isn’t worth driving in May and we probably don’t have enough time anyway.

If we do this rough itinerary, which hotels would work better, meaning less driving? I mapped it out and know it’s only 30 min away, but maybe we’d have to wake up less early to go to the Fri and Sun morning markets? But then, is the food better in St. Remy? I think I read in Stu's guide that the food isn't as good in the Luberon.

1) 2 nights in St Remy and 3 nights in Roussillon or Gordes
2) 5 nights at Mas des Romarins in Gordes or
3) 5 nights at Le Clos de la Glycine in Roussillon
4) 5 nights at Canto Cigalo in St. Remy, 800 meters (0.5 miles) from city center.

Any opinions on or Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon vs. Mas des Romarins, Gordes? Is Gordes more central since Stu says "If you are basing in only one hotel in the Luberon and exploring all of Provence from there, I would stay near Gordes to reduce driving time a bit. "

Thanks for your help!

>>~~Weds – Stay Canto Cigalo, St. Remy
St. Remy Market – I thought I read this somewhere but now I can’t find it on this site? http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/market-provence/market-provence.htm<<

Yep - the market is Wednesday

>> If we did do the market would we have enough time for Pont De Gard, Nimes and Uzes?
Pont de Gard, Nimes, Uzes<<

Doubt it. Visit Pont, Uzes, and Nimes last - and see if you hve the time to visit Nimes when you finish Uzes.

>>~~Thursday –Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
Les Baux/Alpillies/Millau/ Eygalieres<<

Doubt if you'll have time for all of this either. Do Millau last - & make a decision wheter you want to make the long drive.

>>~~Fri - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
Carpentras market
Pernes les Fountaines
The Dentelles, Vaison with Roman Ruins<<

The Carpentras market is huge - make sure you really want to visit 2 markets in 3 days. If you do these things in the order listed - you're backtracking. Do Pernes last.

>>~~Sat - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon - is this too much in one day?
Oppede-le-Vieux
Village des Bories
Goult
Abbey Senanque
Menerbes
La Coste
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – is this worth going to if we are going on Sun for the market?

You should be able to visit all of these plus the pretty countryside in between. Doubt if you'll make it to l'Isle sur la Sorgue too. Oppede & Lacoste can be drive-bys & Menerbes can be a quick visit.


>>~~Sun - Take late train to Paris
Market at Isle sur la Sorgue
Roussillon
Gordes
Anything we missed the day before<<

So - 3 markets in 5 days!!! I would drop the Carpentras market - it's similar to l'Isle sur las Sorgue (more food in carpentras, but no antiques)

>>Do we have enough time to go to Lourmarin, Cucuron, Pertius? I think Stu mentioned lavender route isn’t worth driving in May and we probably don’t have enough time anyway.,,<<

You're already pretty crowded - remember, Provence is a place to relax!!

>>I think I read in Stu's guide that the food isn't as good in the Luberon.<<

I don't think I said that - I'll have to check. I did mention, however, that you can walk to many restaurants if you stay in St Remy - but you'll need to get in a car for most restaurants in the Luberon. I didn't find any restaurants I liked IN Gordes (they are 2 nice ones just outside of Gordes - closer to Les Imberts)

>>Is Gordes more central since Stu says "If you are basing in only one hotel in the Luberon and exploring all of Provence from there, I would stay near Gordes to reduce driving time a bit. "<<

Much of that opinion is because I think the Luberon area is prettier than the St Remy area. St Remy is closer to the Pont du Gard & Uzes, but Gordes is closer to the Vaison/Pernes area & the drive from Gordes to Vaison can be prettier than the drive from St Remy to Vaison.

Stu Dudley

>>~~Sat - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon - is this too much in one day?
Oppede-le-Vieux
Village des Bories
Goult
Abbey Senanque
Menerbes
La Coste
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – is this worth going to if we are going on Sun for the <<

Visit Bonnieux & Saignon also. Since you're not visiting Gordes or Roussillon (perhaps the 2 places that will consume the most time in the Luberon) I think this can be done in a day.

Stu Dudley

Thank you, Stu. Yes, we definitely want to relax too. Hoping we can relax in the evenings after driving around during the day.

Thanks Wilko for the b&b link on tripadvisor.

With our itinerary, would you recommend switching hotels or all 5 days in one hotel and if we switch does it make most sense to stay in St. Remy 2 nights then in the Luberon 3 nights?

Revised:
~~Weds – Stay Canto Cigalo, St. Remy
St. Remy Market
Pont, Uzes, and Nimes last

~~Thursday –Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
Les Baux/Alpillies/Eygalieres

~~Fri - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon
The Dentelles, Vaison with Roman Ruins Pernes les Fountaines

~~Sat - Stay Mas des Romarins, Gordes or Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon - is this too much in one day?
Oppede-le-Vieux
Menerbes
La Coste
Village des Bories
Goult
Abbey Senanque
Bonnieux & Saignon

~~Sun - Take late train to Paris
Market at Isle sur la Sorgue
Roussillon
Gordes

"So - 3 markets in 5 days!!! I would drop the Carpentras market - it's similar to l'Isle sur las Sorgue (more food in carpentras, but no antiques)" hahaha but I love markets and you said that's your favorite one, I think? but ok. prob too many markets in a 5 day span.

For sunday, what time is a good depart time if we want to visit Gordes and Roussillon?

Thanks so much.

There is a good chance you can fit in Nimes on Wed, OR a better chance on Thurs.

I perfer the market in Carpentras because there is more food there. My wife prefers the l'Isle sur la Sorgue market because of the antiques & more "crafts".

>>For sunday, what time is a good depart time if we want to visit Gordes and Roussillon?<<

After lunch in l'Isle sur la Sorgue or as soon as the crowds start to get to you.

Stu Dudley

>>With our itinerary, would you recommend switching hotels or all 5 days in one hotel and if we switch does it make most sense to stay in St. Remy 2 nights then in the Luberon 3 nights?<,

Staying in 1 place
Pros: - no packing & unpacking
Cons: you may find yourself driving more to visit the sites. You only get to "experience" 1 hotel/area

Staying in 2 places
Pros: perhaps less driving. You get the "village" feel of St Remy (walking to dinner) AND the countryside feel of the Luberon (driving to dinner through the vineyards at dusk). You get to "experience" two hotels & 2 different areas. You might get a room or "leisure area" (breakfast, pool) with a nice view in the Luberon.
Cons: packing & unpacking

Stu Dudley