Hi there everyone,

This is my second post regarding my France honeymoon in September of this year. I am trying to focus now on our Provence section of our trip and have a few questions.

We will be spending our first 3 nights in Paris, either 2 or 3 nights in Provence, and either 3 or 4 nights in Nice.

We have been doing some research on Provence and I think I have narrowed it down to either Aix-en-Provence or St. Remy. Which is a better location in your opinions and why? To give you a better sense of who we are and what we are looking for, these are our top interests: romantic scenery/views, wine, food, some nightlife, shopping and architecture. We are not big museum or church lovers, but if there are some well-known ones in the area, we will choose a couple to see.

I would love some feedback on these two cities, as well as hotel recommendations. Price wise, we have a middle-of-the-road budget. This is our honeymoon, so are willing to spend more for value, but probably no more than 200-250 euros a night.

Also, I understand that many people will say that we are not giving each place enough time and believe me, if we could stay longer, we would. That being said, is it better to give Provence 2 nights or 3 nights? This would then leave either 3 nights or 4 nights for Nice.

I appreciate any feedback! Thank you!

Aix is closer to Nice and both Aix and St Remy don't have much of a night life except for restos with entertainment
and a few private clubs.not sure of the rates but Villa Gallaci in Aix is very romantic.

You won't get any more than a "sniff" of Provence with only 2 nights/1 1/2 days. We think the charm of Provence isn't the big cities - but the pretty countryside, quaint villages, scenic drives, Alps, lavender fields, and just being "outside".

Aix is my favorite large city in Provence, but if you have just come from Paris and your next destinatioin is Nice - Aix will just be another "big city". It is not centrally loacted in Provence, so gettig to the areas there that I love the most will be rathar difficult & time consuming.

I would suggest that you settle close to a small village in the Luberon - Gordes, Bonnieux, Roussillon, etc.

If it is St Remy or Aix - I would choose St Remy because of its location and smaller city feel.

We've spent 34 weeks vacationing in Provence & Cote d'Azur and we stay in Gites - so I don't have any accommodation recs - except the Hotel Windsor in Nice..

Stu Dudley

Tough questions. Congratulations on the coming event by the way.

Nice ia a larger city so I would say to stay in St. Remy (a smaller one) versus Aix for the difference. Aix is nice, but I think you'll find most posters on Fodor's will steer you to St. Remy. Will you have a car? That will influence what to recommend.

As for number of nights - I'd say that also depends on what you want to see. In Nice you can slip over to Monaco (not that it is a great destination, but then you can say you have been there, seen it), Italy, Eze, St Tropez and so on. Lots of nice places with famous names nearby. So if you want to run around like that - I suppose an extra day in Nice will pay off.

However, on the romantic side, St. Remy and the local area is also very beautiful. If you don't have a car, then I would say your options are probably better in Nice.

I am sure others will agree when I say with this amount of time, I might stay in Paris the entire time and take a few day trips or an overnighter from there. (I.e. Normandy, Strasbourg, Versailles, etc.)

Keep doing your research - you will be happy with whatever you decide. And no doubt anxious to go back and see the other parts you missed when you can.

Joe

St Remy is better situated IMO for easy day trips to gems like Les-Baux-de-Provence (sp?), Nimes and its astounding Roman ruins, the Pont du Gard, Avignon, Arles, etc all within say a 20-30 mile radius - much longer driver from Aix and even though there are grand day trips from Aix I think those in the Avignon/St Remy area are better - much better - like the Pont du Gard itself one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Aix is a city (population 145,000). St-Rémy is a town (population 6,700). You can't really make a comparison.

But with only two days in Provence, you're only going to have time to get your bearings before you move on, so if you want a big city, go to Aix; if you want a smaller feel, choose St-Rémy.

Or reorganize your trip so you can actually enjoy the area.

As usual, I vote for St. Remy. It's much easier to navigate, it's pretty and there's plenty to see and do. Like someone above said, you'll get the city vibe with Paris and Nice. Try the small town vibe. You can always spend an afternoon in Aix on your way from St. Remy to Nice. I recommend a few nice hotels in St. Remy, within your price range, on my blog ProvencePost.com. Click the tab up top that says HOTELS I LOVE. Have fun and congrats!

I see no mention in your post that you will be driving a car and if you are considering St Rémy for a stay of just a few days you will need one. St Rémy is not accessible by train though there is bus service from Avignon. The time to travel to/from and around places like St Rémy can be excessive and consume a good amount of your alloted vacation unless you are driving.

Most likely with such a short itinerary, you are not driving which makes Aix-en-Provence (or Avignon) your only viable choice.

My wife and I stayed in Mas des Carassins , in Saint Remy last year and really loved it.Just a couple minutes walk from the center , but we felt like being in the country-side. Peacefull and romantic !
would recommend the dinners there to anyone. At 31 euros per person for their guests, it is a steal! The two owners, Pierre and Miichelle, are delightful hosts. They are on sight from mid morning through dinner, which leads to a very smooth operating system.

We've visited St Remy twice, both times we've travelled through Provence, and stayed not in, but nearby. The last place we stayed was Chateau de Roussan, which had wonderful grounds with gardens, water features and swans. Unfortunately for us we were there on a night when their restaurant was closed, or we would have been able to have lovely meals out in the garden. The previous time we stayed at a delightful B&B in St Etienne de Gres (?) but I'm not sure it is still open.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I would definitely choose St. Remy. It is so romantic and beautiful. And I would also recommend the extra day there as opposed to Nice. We stayed at the Vallon de Varugues and it was so lovely. I think it is also within your budget. It was a quaint walk to town and it also has a michelin star restaurant that is amazing!

I agree, St Remy is much easier to drive in and out.
Larger group of restaurants to choose from.To really enjoy Provence, the diversity, I'd skip Nice and discover the beautiful Provence From the Camargue to the Gorge du Verdon.