A bit overwhelmed!!!
 

Hi
I'm just starting to plan a trip for September 2018 and could use some expert help! We are coming from New Zealand so it's a long and expensive trip for us, and we want to make the very most of our time. We plan to be away from home for a month, and will roughly block it into 4 four-week chunks, maybe more or less a day or two. The chunks I'm thinking of are London, Paris, then we love the look of the Amalfi Coast, and also Provence.
We have been to London and Paris before, so will be looking to add in some of the things we haven't seen already (done all the usual already :)
I haven't been to the Amalfi Coast but have done a tour that included Venice (loved it), Florence (again) Rome and some of the countryside.
Last year we spent a week in Provence, stayed in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and did day trips around the usual gorgeous villages - Rousillion, Gordes, Lourmarin, Pont du Gard - and loved our time there. We also had a couple of nights in Cassis (gorgeous) and lovely Nice.
We are thinking of going to Provence again because we love it but need help with suggestions as to where to base ourselves to give ourselves some down time along with day trips, and we don't want to go to the same places, much as we loved them. We are open to suggestions, it doesn't have to be Provence, it could be somewhere else in France entirely, but I don't know which direction to head.
We hired a car for our Provence part of the trip last year, and used the trains and plane.
Help please!

Hi from Australia! We've just come back from the most perfect 4 weeks, all spent in France and all in the ancient, Romanesque centre of the country. If this is of interest, I can give you the details.

Is this four weeks total, or, as you've stated, "4 four-week chunks" As in 16 weeks total? Makes a big difference. In any case, I would consider the Dordogne. You'd need a car.

I think you have to decide if you want to repeat or not.

AS for Provence, you don't say how much time you will have, but for a change, you could base yourself around Uzes to the west of the Rhone, which gives you different places to visit, such as Nimes, Arles and around Uzes or Montpellier for a larger city. But you aren't going to get those cutesy touristy perched villages over there. I'd also suggest something farther north on the east side of the Rhone, perhaps north of Carpentras. Then you could visit Nyons, Grignan, Gigondas area, the Dentelles, Vaison la Romaine, and Orange for a larger city. It's really nice in that area.

Languedoc could be a good place for a base, particularly later in the season. Besides interesting cities like Montpellier, there are quite a few appealing small towns in the department of Hérault.

deja vu all over again :-)

sorry sue, we seem to be getting a shed load of Kiwis asking this question at the moment and I stupidly thought you were asking this question twice. My bad.

You might like the Tarn valley as your "provence" section. The valley sits in some pretty barren hillsides (see Travels with my Donkey) but hiring a gite can be cheap, the sheep cheeses are great and hiking especially fine (with donkey or without). Sept is nicely at the end of season so restaurants are still open but the crush has gone

I also recommend the French Jura, hard up against the swiss alps, the landscape is hard but enchanting, the locals pleasant though Sept may be a little cool.

Third option might be in the town of Cahors, St Cirq knows this area much better than me, but as a unique vessel of wine making french people it offers "chill" in abundance.

We visited the Amalfi Coast in September a few years ago. We loved it. We spent more time lounging around than anything (by choice). It will still be quite wam but not crowded.

I think you meant you would break the trip into four week long chunks. The AC would be a good week, especiallly if you want to visit Capri, Pompeii and Paestum while there.

I think it is quite clear that the OP is talking about a 16-week trip.

Then why did they say:

"We plan to be away from home for a month" ???

True. Perhaps one of them will be sent home with dysentery. I'm used to Antipodeans spending longer than just one month in Europe.

So, apparently, it is not quite clear then.

In the original post she says they plan to be away from home for a month. So that indicates four one week stays.
Have you looked at the Var department of Provence? It does not seem to be as well known as Vaucluse or the area around the Cote d'Azur. We are planning to include it next trip.
As Kerouac suggests, L'Herault is nice. In 2014 we were based near Clermont l'Herault which is a bit further north than a lot would stay. Pezenas could be a possibility if you like smaller places.
We stayed near Albi last year and really enjoyed the area. There are plenty of lovely villages to visit.
For something a bit different you could look at the Basque region. We stayed a little away from the coast in Sare.
If you click on my name you can see my trip reports for our last three trips. 2014 - l'Herault , Provence, Dordogne may interest you.
2016- Basque region and Albi area, even maybe the Lot et Garonne.
We are some of those pesky Antipodeans Kerouac mentions !!!

Well good luck to OP as it seems she cannot find her way back to her post after nearly a week.
I am also confused with time on the ground. 4 or 16 weeks.
No need to elaborate before she comes back.

I don't know why some of you are "confused"?

What is not clear about:


"We plan to be away from home for a month"


How much clearer can they make it?

The French Riviera area is a great base for however long - car would be nice but not needed as trains and buses are frequent to every place of interest and there are so so many.

Hyphens are useful punctuation when you're trying to explain yourself; "4 four-week chunks" does not equal a month on the road. THAT's the confusion.

The Dordogne or Languedoc would be very good choices.

"4 four-week chunks"

I assumed it was a typo (duplication) since they clearly stated a one month trip total.

"September 2018" says it all - one month with 4-one-week stays.

I see said the blindman - clear as mud!