Arles-vs-Avignon which city would be a better home base while in Provence for 3 days?
 

Will fly to Paris in Oct. then immediatly take train to Provence for 3 days then return to Paris for 4 days. We need to know which city has more to offer? we will rent a car for at least 2 days if necessary while in Provence.

St Remy is ideal if you rent a car for the full 3 days. Lots of itineraries are on this board.<BR>Without a car, Avignon is the best base. Look for the thread "Provence without a car" (just type it as is between quotation marks). <BR>

We stayed in Arles for a week in 2000. Really enjoyed the city (van Gogh sites, Roman ruins, markets, etc.). And Arles is well-situated for Pont du Gard, Les Baux, and the hill towns of Luberon. I would definitely recommend you rent a car for a couple of days--it is necessary. Jinx Hoover

Both are very hard to find parking. Try one of the many villages in between. Everything you will want to see is in easy driving distance.

I loved using Arles as a base because of the ancient feel and compactness of the city. Besides there is quite alot to see and do there and the dining was fantastic.<BR>We used a large parking garage near the center of town after the hassles of parking on the street.<BR>We visited Avignon and found it much busier and less compact than Arles.<BR>Rick Steves also likes to base in Arles, but your TGV connection to Paris is more complicated. We drove from CDG to Arles, it was the best part of the trip.