slh1

hello, my girlfriend and i will be spending 8 days in france (between May 20 and May 29) our current itenerary (a combination of suggestions from Rick Steve's, Frommers and this board)
looks something like this:

Friday 20-May: Paris
Saturday 21-May: Paris
Sunday 22-May: AM train TGV to Avignon, stay overnight in Avignon (stay in Avignon or Villeneueve-les-Avignon???)
Monday 23-May: Pickup rental car, tour Cotes du Rhone villages between Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Vaison la Romaine taking in scenery/wineries stay ???
Tuesday 24-May: Luberon villages (Roussillon, Gordes, ISLS) stay ???
Wednesday 25-May: St Remy, Les Baux stay ???
Thursday 26-May: Arles, staying in Arles?
Friday 27-May: am Pont du Gard, lunch in Uzes, evening Avignon TGV to Paris
Saturday 28-May: Paris
Sunday 29-May: Fly back to the States


Any suggestions/critiques would very much be appreciated. one of my big question marks has to do with the monday-thursday villages, should i stay in one town like St Remy and tour the villages or should i try to experience something different each night or are there certain things going on at nights in some of the villages that would make it worthwhile to stay in that particular village? Also, i keep seeing Maussane metioned on this board, should i substite/add?

thanks in advance

StCirq

There's no need to stay in more than one place, unless you want to split your trip up between the Bouche-du-Rhône and Lubéron areas.

St.Rémy or thereabouts makes a nice base for the Avignon area. It's maybe an hour and a half drive to the Vaison-la-Romaine area from there, so an easy daytrip. Arles is about a half-hour from St-Rémy. You could spend three nights in St-Rémy and see all of that plus the Pont du Gard, Uzès, Les Baux, etc., then move to the Lubéron area for two days.

Maussane is a speck on the map, a pretty little village, nothing more. You'll probably end up driving through it on the way to or from one of the places you're planning to visit.

StuDudley

I would not break up Paris into two stays. I would take the TGV directly from the airport to Avignon, then on your return, stay 4 nights in Paris before flying home.

I alway recommend the same thing St Cirq is recommending about staying in Provence - 2 spots. St Remy & somehwere in the Luberon - perhaps Gordes.

You arrive in Provence on a Sunday, and if you stay in Avignon, it will be pretty dead Sunday and Monday mornings, since most shops/stores will be closed. St Remy has some life on Sundays, as does Gordes and other villages in the Luberon.

If you change your plans as I suggested by going to Provence first, you will be there for the wonderful Sunday morning market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue. A leisurly day in the Luberon after the market is what I normally do (If I can pull my wife away from the market & the antique vendors - we have a kitchen full of enamelware she's purchased there & at the Vanves market in Paris).

I have a 20+ page itinerary on touring Provence & Cote d'Azur that I've sent to over 200 people on this and the aol board. It describes my favorite villages, scenic drives, outdoor markets, restaurants, and has a "Provence Fabric" section and a scenic "Lavender Field" route, but you won't be there in Lavender season (the route is pretty any time of year). E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

slh1

thanks y'all

Stu - ygm.

cigalechanta

Maussane is fun eating at a café around the fountain. There are three olive moulins to buy your favorite to take home. There's a few good shops for pottery or gifts, some good restaurants,
and the countryside there to see the olive trees. mMke reservations as soon as possible, places get booked full early on.