We are planning a trip to France next fall. We will spend a week in Nice then we want to spend just 3 nights near Les Baux - not for the town but to go to the Catedral des Lumineres. We are thinking or Avignon (big) or maybe Arles. We will be traveling mostly by train so want a town / city convenient to that. We will have a car for one day so don't want to rent where there are driving difficulties. We will travel on to Paris to fly out. Where would you sugget we stay?

Either one is fine - Arles is smaller so easier to drive out of I guess. I liked them both - can't go wrong. Both have good train service. St-Remy is close to Les Baux and much smaller but still all the offerings of a city- many people here have raved about it.

For me, Arles beats Avignon.

Prefer Arles as there are more things to do. I think it is easier to visit other towns from there by bus or train. I prefer to stay in a small town or city where there are services rather than a village like St. Remy where driving is involved and has fewer activities.

I, too, preferred Arles although I know other people who liked Avignon better.

I prefer Arles, too.

Never been to Avignon, but Arles has a wonderful market and is a very walkable city with lots of Roman sites. Stayed at le Calendal hotel next to collesseum.

I think it depends bit on what you want to do. I think there is more to do in Avignon than Arles and taking the train to Paris from Avignon is quite easy. On the other hand It is bit more work to drive out of Avignon than Arles and Arles is closer to Le Baux. I prefer St Remy as its is an easy drive to many places and just big enough for me. Use a GPS and driving in Provence is quite easy.

suec1 was any of this helpful? I am in the same position, have stayed in Avignon twice but never Arles. I really like that Avignon is so central and on the TGV line, but thinking that if we stay in Arles, we can see that city, since we've already been to Avignon.

Does anyone have any hotel recos in Arles? (besides le Calendal)

I like that Arles is on the river, it's pretty...is it really easier to drive out of? My memory from 10 years ago in Avignon is spending so much time to get away from all the traffic.

. I really like that Avignon is so central and on the TGV line,>

but there are direct buses I believe from Avignon TGV to Arles, taking 50 minutes- total travel time from Paris about 3.5 hours so is longer. Arles has rail service with regional trains to Avignon, Lyon, Nimes, etc but I think TGVs do not stop there- Arles has great bus service too.

We changed our accommodations a few times for this area, and finally decided on St. Remy upon the advice of s-i-l who stayed there. We easily day-tripped to Arles, Avignon, Les Baux, Gordes, so conveniently. Look at its location on map and make your call. We LOVED the town and walked to/fro the village every morning and night. Stayed at Le Soleil, quiet, lovely, across the street from tourist office (and next to the awesome Souleiado shoppe). It was an easy drive from there to Avignon to catch the TGV back to Paris.