Aix Provence
 

Thoughts on Aix as a good base location, to travel in Provence.....we will have a car. Thanks. September travel.

It's Aix EN Provence, and a very nice place to use as a base--depending on just where else you want to go. Have a look at a guidebook for the south of France, such as the Michelin Green Guide, to sample itineraries and get good sightseeing information. Before you choose a base, you really need to do some research and decide just what you want to see and how long you'll have to do it. September is a gorgeous month in Provence, both the western part and the eastern, AKA the Côte d'Azur

Aix is our favorite city in Provence - but it is NOT a good base for exploring the places most people want to visit in Provence.

If you want to base in a large city - base in Avignon instead.

If you want to base in a smaller village with lots of shops, restaurants, cafes, & hear lots of English - base in St Remy de Provence.

If you want to base in the countryside surrounded by vineyards & lavender fields (late June & July) base in the Luberon near Gordes, Rousillon, Menerbes, or Bonnieux.

Stu Dudley

Stu states it perfectly

Yes. Stu is right.
However like him, Aix is one of my favourite cities, so I'd base myself there.

Aix is a lovely city but we found driving in the centre an absolute nightmare. We've driven in a lot of different countries but this place had us tearing our hair out. We booked a hotel smack bang in the middle of things but once we finally got the car parked in the hotel car park we didn't dare touch it until we left. Not that we needed it to explore Aix.

The fresh food open air market there was the best I have ever seen, I really wished I lived there so I could shop there every week. Fabulous, mouth-watering food.

Also something I found out while researching our trip in the area was that each town or village has a market on a different day so you can visit a few if you like markets. The one at Isle sur la Sorgue stands out in my mind as being especially good and picturesque.

I don't think Aix is a good base if you plan to travel out and back in every day.

Kay

OP is of the kind of posting then not acknoweldging so don't expect feeedback from him nor thanks.

Okay thanks, i will check other locations mentioned. We will leave France for Barcelon via train so I did check Avignon, it appears to a have a good train schedule to Barcelona. St Remy, I have considered and we check.....thanks. We want to do everything of course but will pick and choose what time allows.

"OP is of the kind of posting then not acknoweldging so don't expect feeedback from him nor thanks."

Goodness, it's been just a matter of hours since the OP! Some of us have other things to do besides hovering over the computer waiting for a response. Take a chill pill, Woin!

Do you have my 32 page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary??? We've spent 20 weeks exploring Provence and we are returning for 2 more weeks this June. The itinerary describes our favorite villages, scenic drives, sites, markets - and has a section on Provence fabric. I've sent this itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. Specify that you want the Provence itinerary - I have others.

Stu Dudley

The market in Isle sur la Sorgue is one of my favorites, too, but I wouldn't go there on a Sunday. It is open on Sundays and during the middle of the week (Thursday, I think). The first time we went was on a Thursday, and we loved it! Crowds were manageable and parking was easy. Then we went on a Sunday. What a mistake! The crowds were unbearable, making it a less enjoyable experience, and finding parking was very difficult. Go during the week!

Thanks Stu, would love a copy! Karen, from past experiences keeping in mind where I am traveling on Sundays..thanks.

Goddess read the history of other threads if OP.
Now he comes back on these 2 threads. Good of him.

I based myself in Aix one summer with a car, but I chose an inn on the outskirts of the town. That way, no parking problems at the hotel and it was an easy drive into Aix proper the day or two I wanted to visit there. But it was on a major N road to the NW so was very convenient for driving to other sites like the Abbaye de Silvacane. I also drove around Mt Ventoux one day for a bit (to the east). But I did not use that location to tour around the Avignon/Luberon area. I stayed there about 3 days probably, then moved on and stayed closer to the other area for the next 4 days. That worked out well. I liked staying in different areas, also.

I had no problem driving in Aix but I wasn't trying to drive right into the center of it (which is a bad idea for tourists, I would never do that). In fact, I don't even know if you can drive in some parts of it in the center. But it was easy to come in from the edges onto bd de la Republique and park in a central garage for the day. The one closest to the Tourist Info site/rontonde is often full, but I parked in one near the gare routiere (bus station) which is only a few blocks from the TI. I don't think it's a good idea for a tourist to ever choose a hotel in the center of a city/town with a car.

Aix is fine as a base if you don't choose a hotel smack in the center of the city, as long as it suits your tourism needs in the area, I had no problem driving in that area even though I was going out and back several days. This is true in any city, I'd guess. My inn was lovely and had a great restaurant so I ate there a couple nights. It was really popular with locals in the neighborhood, also, very good food, so not a sacrifice to eat there.

I planned ahead, also, and found on the internet possible parking garages that would suit me.

Read this thread, woins. He's already come back more than once. And what difference does it make anyway? This thread is still valuable for anyone looking for info on Aix.

My nephew went to boarding school in AIX and his mother (sister#2) always stayed in Marseilles when visiting him because she loved it so much.

Thin

Thanks everyone for then info, has been helpful. I am going to read the Provence itinerary that Stu has sent. Looks interesting!

Christina, it seems the center of the city would not be as easy....thanks.

We went to Aix by accident. We were driving from a stay with a friend in Nice to a hotel in St. Remy, when I realized we were a day early for our reservation. I called but they had no room that night so I quickly started calling hotels in Aix which was just down the road and I did find a hotel in the centre of town.

I don't remember having any problems driving in or out of town but we did have to be guided into the very tight turn of the hotel parking lot. Beyond that, I don't think we moved the car at all -- just walked everywhere. And boy, what a lucky error on my part because we just loved Aix and would have missed it altogether!

Thanks, Aix looks great! So many choices, my husband just asked
me about Pernes les fontanes.......BB called Le Laverdin

Pernes is a nice town. Not tourist infected at all. Good central location. A few nice restaurants but not a lot of commerce. Famous for their many water fountains.

Stu Dudley

Thanks.....we have a lot to think about!

This is what happens when someone posts in 'pieces' and does not outline their entire plan. This poster has asked about staying in Antibes for 3 nights on another thread and in that thread has added that they would then move on to spend 4 nights in 'Provence.' It's all Provence!

WoinParis complains that mels does not acknowledge responses sometimes. I'd say that s/he does not provide enough information to get truly relevant input.

Mels, you may think you know what you are doing and that asking about each part of what you have planned makes sense. It does, but only AFTER you have outlined your entire plan and got input on that which may or may not affect that entire plan.

If for example you decided to take my advice and base yourself in Antibes OR Avignon for your entire 7 nights, most of the other responses to both of these threads would be a waste of people's time. The more background info you give people to work with, the more relevant responses will be. But you seem to just 'drop' things in as you go or have to have the info pulled out like pulling teeth. It was only after you later added on the other thread that you planned to move on to 'Provence', that it made sense to me to suggest perhaps staying in only 1 place in Provence instead of 2.

For example, you now add 'leave France for Barcelona by train'. If you had included that info to begin with, people might have given different suggestions based on having to incorporate the train into your plan.

Take a look at what it will do to your train travel to Barcelona if you stayed in Pernes les fontaines vs Avignon.

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid...ona+by+train&*

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid...ona+by+train&*

Depending on when you wanted to depart, you could turn a 9am departure from a 7.5 hour journey into a 19 hour journey. an 11-11.30am departure from a 6.5 hour journey to a 10.5 hour journey.

Learning how to ask questions is as important as someone trying to learn how to give relevant answers. But the second is dependent on the first. YOU must learn how to ask before you can expect to get relevant answers.

I for one would never suggest staying in Pernes les Fontaines if you plan to train to Barcelona. But first I would have to know you planned to train (your job to tell me that up front) and then I would have to know the difference it would make in travel time (my job to know if I'm going to suggest it is a reasonable alternative).

If you had asked to begin with, 'should I base in Antibes OR Avignon OR split my time between both in Provence? I will arrive from Italy by train and will depart from France by train to Barcelona.' You would no doubt have got very different answers to that question mels.

Sorry, but we are still in the planning process. Looking for good locations for a nice trip to the South of France. We have looked into planes, trains and auto, we will plan accordingly. There are so many beautiful spots in this area, enjoy hearing about different places and trip experiences. In 2014, I planned a trip to Italy with help from Fodors.....down to my driver in Positano to a great restaurant we ate at the last night in Milan.

I thought this was about shared travel experiences with quite a few savvy travelers....thanks to all that have helped.

Dogeared

Give Mels a little more slack. I would not have changed any of my recommendations based on the issues you have brought up.

Also, give Mels credit for some intelligence. For example, it is very easy & fast to get to Barcelona from almost anywhere in the Provence area.

>>I for one would never suggest staying in Pernes les Fontaines if you plan to train to Barcelona......Take a look at what it will do to your train travel to Barcelona if you stayed in Pernes les fontaines vs Avignon.<<

You presented scenarios that most people would not consider. With a car, Mels would probably drive 1 1/4 hrs from Pernes to Nimes to catch one of the many 3 1/2 TGVs to Barcelona. A 5 1/2 door-to-door trip - not your 10 to 20 hr trip.

A perfect itinerary for me would be Nice (second choice Antibes), Pernes, then drive to Nimes & take the TGV to Barcelona.

Stu Dudley

Thanks Stu. Getting all the information has helped me narrow it down as well as getting more familiar with the map of Provence and distances between each location. You're right we know how and where to get a train to Barcelona. My husband works with me as I give him the locations, hotels, want we want to see etc. We would like a car the entire time and will see what works best, now that we have narrowed it down.

Hey, have you been to Barcelona? That's my next chapter.....only one hotel and fly back from Barcelona to JFK.

We've visited Barcelona several times. We're big Gaudi fans. I don't have anything written up about it, however.

Purchase most of your Gaudi tickets online ahead of your trip. Get early entrance times to avoid big crowds inside the houses. We were the first people in Casa Batallo, and we photographed it with no people in the pictures. It was really crowded 1 1/2 hrs later.

Here is my Wife's Shutterfly Book of our visit to Barcelona & other places in Spain. I'll also include our most recent Cote d'Azur & Provence trip:
https://stududley.shutterfly.com/29
https://stududley.shutterfly.com/28

Click "Full screen"
Because of Shutterfly software problems, some captions & titles are missing or truncated.

Stu Dudley

I just saw this post thanks again!!

Pernes les Fontaines is my favorite place to stay in that area, the location could not be more convenient for touring. I very highly recommend the inn I stay at, l'Hermitage, although you may have booked already. if not, I love this place

http://www.hotel-lhermitage.com/

I took the train from Avignon TGV at the end of my stay, that's where I turned in my car.

We've decided to stay in Gordes at - Hotel Le Petit Palais de' Algae. Its somewhat new but has good reviews 1 mile from the center. After a lot of advice we decided on the Luberon Region. This is our Itinerary:

September 5 - 22 - 2017

Milan airport to Torino 2 nights

Santa Margerita 3 nights

Train to France - Villefranche sur mer 3 nights

Rent car in Nice drive to Gordes 4 nights

Train from Avignon to Barcelona 4 nights

Barcelona - JFK

Avignon is where we are turning the car in as well, then fast train to Barcelona.

We've decided to stay in Gordes at - Hotel Le Petit Palais de' Algae. Its somewhat new but has good reviews 1 mile from the center. After a lot of advice we decided on the Luberon Region. This is our Itinerary:

September 5 - 22 - 2017

Milan airport to Torino 2 nights

Santa Margerita 3 nights

Train to France - Villefranche sur mer 3 nights

Rent car in Nice drive to Gordes 4 nights

Train from Avignon to Barcelona 4 nights

Barcelona - JFK

Oops posted twice