Hi! I can really use some help here. We are planning to spend 6 nights in Provence (after 1 week in Nice) in May. My husband does not want to drive, so we thought we would take a bus from Nice to Aix-en provence. Has anyone done this? Is it easier to go Nice-Aix than Nice- Avignon by bus? That is the main reason we chose Aix.<BR><BR>We can get a reservation at Le Piggonet and at the Mercure Paul Cezannne. There is a BIG difference in price. Has anyone stayed at the Paul Cezanne? There are 3 catagories of rooms. Does anyone know the difference?<BR><BR>We would like a nice-size comfortable room..and a good location, especially since we won't have a car.<BR><BR>Many of you have so much experience in Provence...I would really appreciate your input.<BR><BR>Thanks, Arlene

Think again about not driving in Provence. One of the main things about this area is all of the great hill towns. We are in our 60s and have no problem driving in France. Nothing can take the place of seeing the county side and stopping in a village for lunch etc.

Hello, I know the Pigonnet - be careful if you are without a car, it is outside the center. ( Taxi) The Mercure Paul Cezanne is near the station. By the way - why are you taking a bus and not the train? The Mercure hotels are quite good and not expensive. I haven't stayed an the Mercure in Aix, but have been in many others. In Aix I stayed at the Roy Ren&eacute;, which we chose because it is near the center. The price is about the same as the Pigonnet.

Thank you both for your responses.<BR><BR>1. My husband is also 60. Although we speak French, he seems to think that driving on roads he doesn't know will be too stressful. Since this is a vacation...I certainly don't want to stress him out!!<BR><BR>Gaie....the reason we are chosing a bus over a train is that to be perfectly honest, I never again want to have to worry about lifting luggage! At least on a bus, the luggage compartment is low!

You then probaboy know this:<BR>Nice-Aix. A bus company at the Fontaine du Soleil (Place Mass&eacute;na) provides bus service to Aix-en-Provence. There are five buses a day; routes are via the Route Nationale and stop at Antibes, or an express that goes via the autoroute. Schedules from spring 1998, and subject to change; verify them yourself. <BR>Cars Phoc&eacute;ens <BR>2 place Mass&eacute;na <BR>Tel: (33) 493 85 66 61; Fax: (33) 493 57 97 52 <BR>Departures (approximate): 6h40, 7h45, 10h15, 12h30, 17h45. <BR>Cost is about 130 F. <BR>Where the bus staion is -I do not know, mostly they are near the railway station.<BR>By the way, Aix has the biggest market of the Provence on saturdays. My husband ¨hates it......<BR>Have a nice stay and find yourself a hotel in the city, there are more......<BR>

Hello, Arlene. Both my wife and I are well into our 60's and did a late October driving tour of the hill towns of the Luberon and Vaucluse. If your husband can drive here, he need not be concerned about driving in France. The roads are exceptionally well marked even though I found the the Michelin map to be as much confusing as helpful. Driving in Aix is a bit of a nightmare, as is parking, but once out of the city it's no problem. I concur with Bob, the sheer pleasure of seeing the beauty of the area and stopping for lunch in the small towns more than compensates for any driving concerns. You'll have a great trip no matter how you do it!

I drove by myself in Provence on my last trip there. I did speak some French but don't recall that I really needed it driving around. I didn't it find it stressful at all. Do you drive? Just because your husband doesn't want to drive doesn't mean you can't. He can be the navigator.

I also would have voted for the train, but I understand some problems if you need to count on carrying your bags yourself. Now maybe I have an advantage being female, but when I travel in France alone on the train, there is always a charming, polite French man who almost immediately volunteers to help remove my bag from the overhead bin or carry it down the steps, even though I do not even ask. I think you probably would not have to worry about it, that someone would help you -- also, do you know that on trains you can leave the luggage in the end space and not lift them overhead? (some other trains have space in-between some seats in the middle of the car, also. You would probably have to carry it up/down the steps to the train, however. As for hotels, that Mercure near the train station is probably ok on the inside but it's not really that nice an ambience around there IMO, just not much space between it and the sidewalk and there is lot of foot traffic (it was never going to win any Architectural Digest awards, either, believe me). I think you might do better with hotels; the Augassins could be a better choice in center city, or the Hotel des Quatre Dolphins. Here is a good description of some of the hotel choices on the Jack travel website, I agree with his comments for the ones I know:http://www.jack-travel.com/Provence/Html/AixHotels.htm

Oh, BTW, the bus station in Aix is fairly near the tourist information center and the main fountain (place de la Liberation), just behind the casino and post office, kind of. Driving in Aix (and around it) can be very stressful, I'm a very good and experienced driver and I was stressed, it's not a small rural town--if you can, the train might be more convenient, however.

Arlene, I stayed at the Mercure Paul Cezanne in Aix and thought it was just fine and a very good value for the price. I don't believe there is a place for breakfast at the hotel but I am sure there are loads of small cafes nearby. I recall reading that the train station is in a different location than it used to be. About 4 years ago, this Mercure was directly across from the train station.

Arlene, I stayed at the Mercure Paul Cezanne in Aix and thought it was just fine and a very good value for the price. I don't believe there is a place for breakfast at the hotel but I am sure there are loads of small cafes nearby. I recall reading that the train station is in a different location than it used to be. About 4 years ago, this Mercure was directly across from the train station. <BR>You can easily take the train from Aix to Avignon. I think there is a tour company out of Avignon that can take you for day trips to some of the other villages like Gordes or Rousillon. Arles is also possible by train from Aix. <BR>Ellen

First, I am not wearing my glasses...so I hope I am typing this O.K.!!!<BR><BR>I want to thank each and everyone of you for your help. I really appreciated all the feedback. It is helping me make my decisions.<BR><BR>Glad to hear that Paul Cezanne was fine. I also contacted Augustines.It's a little more expensive, but I wonder if it is worth the difference.<BR><BR>I also contacted the Piggonet (sp). It is a lot more expensive. I also worry about the fact that it is not central. We love to go for a walk after dinner and I wonder if it is safe to walk back to this hotel at night. I suppose the biggest plus would be the garden, but I wonder how much time we would actually spend there.<BR><BR>Anyway, if any of you have any suggestions, I would love to hear. <BR><BR>Thanks, again<BR><BR>Arlene

I don't know if those hotels would be worth the extra money as I haven't stayed in them. I stayed in the Hotel Cardinal once which was lovely for a budget hotel, near the museum. It wouldn't be as high a level as the others you are considering, though, I think it's a two-star but very nice for that level. There is a new TGV station outside Aix a few miles but the old station still exists in the town and it would be the one for nonTGV trains.

I have visited Aix many times and I don't drive. There is an excellent range of excursions that can be booked at the tourist office. If you are there on a Sunday you can take a bus (Voyages Arnaud) at 10.30am to the fabulous Ile sur Sorgue market. You have a beautiful run for 1.1/4 hours through the Provence countryside. The return bus leaves at 2.20pm. The market days in Aix are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have stayed at the des Augustins, Le Manoir and the Quatre Dauphins (which has no elevator). The Augustins is just off the Cours Mirabeau, so is well placed. On the negative side, they have introduced a policy of charging you the first night's stay as a penalty, even if you cancel months in advance. Le Manoir is very quiet and is in an old convent, right in the heart of the old town. The rooms are on the small side but they cost roughly half the price of the Augustins. Aix has two train staions: a new one about 10 minutes outside Aix which serves the TGV. Ther is a half hourly bus service by the airport bus between the station and Aix. The other station is in the center of town. If you have any other questions, I would be pleased to help.

Thank you, Anne, for your helpful information. I am glad you told me about Augustin's policy...so now I can rule them out. The more I think about it, the more I think I'll choose Mercure Paul Cezanne. We can have a superior (larger) room and it is so well located (I hope!)<BR><BR>Once I get the hotel and plane out of the way, I will check out trains and busses more thoroughly.<BR><BR>Everyone is so helpful....and I really appreciate it. Arlene