1)How long does it take?<BR>2)How far is it?<BR>1)What's the best route?

It will take you anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on which route you take.<BR><BR>I suggest you purchase the Michelin Map number 245 (Provence & Cote d'Azur) which is about the best for this area.<BR><BR>You can go Arles - St. Remy - Cavaillon - Robion - Coustellet - Gordes<BR><BR>or Arles - St. Remy - Noves - follow signs for Avignon and l'Isle sur la Sorgue and then Gordes<BR><BR>PB

Pardon me for saying this, but that kind of question indicates the asker is either dumb or lazy. Anyone who can't purchase and look at a map of France, look at the mileage shown between major points, and figure this out for himself probably shouldn't be driving at all in Europe. In return, I have a question for you: How long is a piece of string?

In defense of Mike's question, which I think is valid: a map can show route, but there are other variables to take into consideration when judging time to travel certain distances. For example, one May we drove from Gordes to Moustiers Ste. Marie and made very good time, as expected;however, the locals told us that in high season the roads are clogged for miles outside of MSM, sometimes adding 2 hrs. to a trip. Arles to Gordes is probably not that busy of a route, but who knows?

My apologies, but there are always local matters that one cannot predict and did not experience in earlier visits. The kind of problem cited is one example of that. A person who had driven that route at a time when it was not clogged would have given a different answer than one who wrestled with traffic on the same roads. My point is simply that most good maps do show the road quality, and so it is easy enough to pick and plan the best route based on road quality and mileage, which is also shown on most good maps between many points. I would say that anyone who quotes his experience based on a few months or years ago could well be in error, either too conservative or too optimistic. My final point is that these two towns are so close together that you could ride a bicycle between them if you were in shape; that kind of information should be obvious from looking at a map and should be enough to give a reasonable traveler sufficient confidence that he won't be stranded on the highway for hours. Sorry if I sounded harsh; my wife just drove her car home this morning with the rear end bashed in (other guy's fault), so I'm probably overly sensitive to anything that has to do with driving.

Wayne, if everyone were as polite as you, this forum would be a consistently pleasant place! I can identify with your mood--sometimes some of these posts just "get to ya" b/c of what's going on in our lives.

Wayne is NOT POLITE...he calls a poster dumb or lazy and then spends 10 minutes of his valuable time explaining why Mike is the equivalent of the village idiot.<BR>Mike's question could have shown a little more effort on his part; but having never driven in France and staring at a 4 foot by 3 Foot map is a little daunting sometimes.

While not infallible, either mappy of viamichelin are handy for route planning and mileage info. I prefer the former.

Looking at a map, or a map site, is good for seeing the route, but the times given are usually not taking into consideration factors like tourist season, markets, etc. that can slow the traffic down.<BR><BR>FOr example, if Mike were to take this drive on a Wednesday, he'd have markets to contend with in both Arles and St. Remy... and in season that means a lot of lost time. Just getting through St Remy on a Wednesday morning in July, for example, can take an extra twenty minutes.<BR><BR>In the dead of winter, I can get from my house near Les Baux to Gordes in about 45 minutes... you can double that time in the summer.<BR><BR>PB<BR><BR>

Thank some of you for your responses. I do in fact have the Michelin Map No. 245 and have driven in France on a number of occasions, just not between Arles and Gordes. In response to Wayne's "comment" I can also look at the Michelin Map and see the distance between Nice and San Tropez which tells me absolutely nothing about how long it takes to get from one point to the other in the summer. <BR><BR>I will be making this drive on Tuesday, June 18 and was simply wondering if someone had made a similar trip, had some idea of the traffic which I would encounter, and had a suggestion for a route which might be less crowded. <BR><BR>Apparently Wayne does not understand the purpose of this site. There are many other "flame" sites out there which might better suit his temperament.

Here’s a web site that I use to get directions http://www.shellgeostar.com/ Although it will state number of miles and length of journey, one will never know the exact time it will take to get from point A to B. So what I do is assume the time stated is based on normal circumstances (no traffic, no accidents and driving the speed limit that is posted). <BR><BR>As for looking at maps, when my husband and were in Greece (on the island of Naxos) the map we had (given to us by the car rental company) we found that the map was WRONG. What looked like a 15 minute short drive, turned into almost an hour drive on a windy, very high mountain road. <BR>

mike, <BR><BR>check out this website and click to the right on cartes zoomables. it will not only give you distance between 2 places but also gives you choices as to fastest driving time, shortest distance, etc. i'm planning to spend a month in june and this site has been invaluable! there are descriptions of just about every city/village/town in provence as well.<BR><BR>www.provenceweb.fr<BR><BR>enjoy your trip!

Where can I get a Michelin Map 245. I cannot find it in the book stores. Can I get it in the CDG airport? We are leaving Friday and would like to have it for travel.<BR><BR>Liz

I found the Michelin map 245 in Barnes and Nobles.

While doing research for my trip in June to determine whether to take the train or rent a car from Tuscany to Arles I came upon a website(I used Google to search)sponsored by the Michelin people which allows you to determine various driving times in Europe.I would give you the address but I don't have it at the moment.I think I typed in "driving times-Europe" or something like that.I hope that helps.

either of these will take you to the Michelin site<BR><BR>www.viamichelin.fr (Click on the little British flag for English version)<BR><BR>www.michelin-travel.com<BR><BR>PB

Some prefer viamichelin, he site I like to use for route planning is <BR><BR>www.mappy.com<BR><BR>The time estimates will be more accurate for the autoroutes as opposed to the secondary roads, but you also need to make allowances for finding your way in and out of towns and what have you.<BR><BR>Michelin puts out a pocket-sized, spiral bound "Guide Routier" that you can buy over there--this is very handy for the major roads. I don't like fold-out maps.<BR>Laugh if you want, but since I travel by car all over the country, I bring along the huge Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas. This also serves as a place to record whatever travel info I may pick up either along the way or in planning here at home.<BR><BR>May I also point out that having asked my share of so-called "dumb" questions I don't think this something to be criticized.

OK, Folks--I'm taking my medicine like a big boy. My personal angst at an unrelated situation should not have caused me to be critical of you, Mike. Once again I offer my apologies and my assistance (hopefully helpful) if you need it in the future.

I found absolutely the best distance/route/time source for driving in France! Check out Cybevasion. It provides routes, times, and maps. Fabulous.