Thanks, I'm not as concerned about the hotel as the location, hotel Clos du Bois seems to have good reviews so if Bonnieux is a good location we'll make it there. So, Bonnieux is a much better location than St. Remy if I'm reading right!

I'd like to point out that "unspoiled" villages are not that easy to find anymore... I know. I used to live in one near Les Baux, until everyone "discovered" it and told everyone about it.
Now we have sidewalks and parking disks....and tourist shops where the charming useful shops used to be.

So ...PLEASE go over to the Lubéron and the Var and visit all those undiscovered villages (many of them peopled by the Brits).

The recent Gourmet magazine has an article on Chassagnette saying the food is very good but not like when Rabenal was there. He served more of a tapas style and motre inventive, (IMHO). and they write about his L'Atilier.

>- So, Bonnieux is a much better location than St. Remy if I'm reading right! -<

Yes!!! (IMHO)

it depends. St Remy is great for visiting Arles, Avignon,Isle-sur-Sorgue, Fountain de Vaucluse, Les Baux, cAVAILLON.
Bonniex, you will be closer to Lourmarin, Roussillon, Gordesand othr small delightful villages.
There are no mistakes in whichever you chose IMHO.

I've never seen anything I've liked about Cavaillon.

Bonnieux is also closer to Lourmarin and the villages south of the Luberon Mtns, closer to l'Isle sur la Sorgue, the beautiful area around Sault, the pretty 943 north of St Saturnin, the Gorge de la Nesque, the Mt Ventoux region, Simeon la Rotunde, Lavender fields on the Albion Plateau, pre-Alps, and probably equal distance to the Dentelles around Vaison.

St Remy is closer to the three star attractions in Provence (Avignon, Arles, Nimes, les Baux, Pont du Gard), but I prefer the Luberon because it provides better access to the countryside that I think is more scenic than the St Remy region, and has more cute/small villages.

Stu Dudley

Well Stu, As steve Martin says, EXCUSE ME W like Cavaillon, not just for the fmous melons but because we have been going to the baker Chez Auzet that Peter Mayle wrote about long after we discovered his shop. Cavaillon has an 18th century synagogue.
There'a wondrful cheese shop there and the man is knowledgeable, kind and worth the visit. after we buy wine, cheese, bread, fruit we drive up to the hill . Colline St-Jaqus that offers magnificent views of the alpilles and mountain range of the valley de durance

Looks like I can't go wrong in this area. We will be visiting Paris, then take the train to Avignon, rent a car,visit Provence and then probably stay at the Hotel Welcome or Clair Jolis, undecided as of yte.

We'll have 14 days, how many days should we spend in each area.

Paris 5 days
Provence 5 days
Riveria 4 days.

Stu Dudley

OK, you're the expert. For some reason I thought there was more places to visit from the Riviera but I guess I'm wrong. Thanks for your help.

There IS alot to see on the Riviera,
look at the boats in Antibes harbor and think about the artists whose works are there, Matisse, Picasso, Cocteau Chagall, Renoir. The scenery of its shores and the hill top villages of St Paul-de-Vence inspired them, let alone St Paul that was written by luminaries s Bonnard, , Modigliani, F. Scott Fitzgerald and even Greta Garbo.
The perfume industry, the gardens and the, gorges du cians, startling red slate and greenery. We stayed in the Gorge du Loup to explore this area, and twice in St Paul-de-Vence

But saying that and have visited most of France, my heart lies in the Alpilles and the Luberon.

Bookmarking this fabulous information!

Just wanted to book mark all this great information. Thanks to all