I found the Gorges Ardeche about as nice as Gorges du Tarn=-of course no Millau Viaduct but Ardeche is a neat area - close to or part of Provence?

Another suggestions: Rent the car at the Geneva airpot (French side) and keep it until you get to Sommières or finish touring that part of the Provence/Languedoc. You could drive through the Massif Central on the way to Sommières.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...7623313123155/

I'm not sure where you are headed between Nimes and around Avignon, but from Avignon you can visit Vaison la Romaine, which is a different area from the Luberon, but I liked it very much.

Vaison-la-Romaine is really neat - old Roman theatre that they have events in in summer. Great setting.

Thanks PalenQ for the Gorges Ardeche suggestion. Looks like a good option. What are the roads like into and out?

Vaison-la-Romaine looks interesting too - thanks undriedtopepo & PalenQ

Michael your suggestion of le Puy looks interesting also. I am plotting these all on a map to try and piece the jigsaw together. We will drop the car off when we get to Avignon.

This may be an easier option than Gorges du Tarn and still very interesting.

We found Gorge du Tarn more interesting than du Ardeche.

I guess I liked G Ardeche better because me and my son did a canoe trip there - I biked along G d Tarn- different prospective and I think most would agree with tomboy but if you do not want to make a major detour G Ardeche and Ardeche in general are neat too.

We spent 2 weeks near the Ardeche Gorge this year, and 2 weeks in the Gorges du Tarn last year. No comparison - we enjoyed the Tarn Gorge (and adjacent gorges) a lot more. Unless you kayak or canoe down the Ardeche Gorge (which we didn't do) - there are very few places (Belvederes) where you can stop the car, get out, and get a good view of the gorge. We were very disappointed, actually. In the Tarn & adjacent gorges, you can actually drive close to the water and look up at the cliffs from the gorge floor, and also view the gorge from high above along the many Causes. The Tarn gorge is far superior, IMO.

Stu Dudley

Oh dear too many hard choices!
Back to the planning, books, maps and reviews.

Yes it was probably because we did out own boat float the G Ardeche looked so nice- we even tipped over once but loved it.

My husband is a kayak paddler. Sometimes spending 5 days paddling on a river. I have done a little paddling when on holidays. So I am sure he would enjoy any river to paddle on.