g33kgrl

Mom keeps mentioning Provence now instead of the Dordogne (which sounds much more interesting to me), so now I need to figure out a base for this area. It's SO much easier planning a solo trip!

Background: We will be in France 10 nights in mid-May: 5 in Lyon and Provence (need to figure out how to divide this--3/2 or 2/3?) and the last 5 in Paris. The time outside Paris will be from Tuesday afternoon (arriving by train from CDG to Lyon or ??) thru Sunday early afternoon (train from Lyon or ?? back to Paris).

How would you divide the 5 nights? I'm thinking 3 in Lyon because it's a bigger city, and we definitely want to do a day trip to the Beaujolais vineyard area just north of there.

Should we start in Provence or Lyon (we'll pick up the car at the place we start from)?

What is a good base town in Provence? From my reading, the most likely cities are Avignon and Aix. Aix sounds more lively and interesting to me. What does Avignon offer?

Any general Provence tips? It just doesn't sound to me like there's as much to do/see there as other areas, but it's obviously a very popular tourist area--what am I missing?

g33kgrl

ttt

Guy18

I'd say rethink your ideas about Provence. It's a very interesting province with a lot to see and could easily fill five days. In fact, it could fill your entire trip and then some. If the Lyon-Provence idea is in stone, do 1 or 2 days in Lyon and 4 or 3 days in Provence. There is Aix, Avignon, Arles, the Luberon hill towns, Les Baux, St. Remy and surrounding towns, and L'isle sur Sorgue (especially if you like antiques). You are right to think that Aix is more vibrant than Avignon, but it is not very central. The consensus on this board (and I agree) is that a country hotel outside St. Remy is a good base for anyone with a car. If you decide to do this, I and others can recommend some good places to stay. Also, if you do go to Lyon, I'd continue by train to Avignon whose TGV station is big and modern and has lots of car rental places to choose from. Tell us the number of days you decide on for Provence (I vote for 4!) and we can give you some sample itineraries. Make sure you tell what activities/sights you enjoy.

g33kgrl

I'm quite willing to revise my thinking about Provence--that's why I asked for more info about it. But all I ever seem to see for recommendations in Provence are "drive around and see the towns." We like good food, wine, and learning about different aspects of a place and its history, not just looking at it thorough a car window.

The market in Aix is supposed to be great, but other than that, what? I can't decide on the number of days to spend in Provence vs. Lyon until I know what there is to fill those days...

Lyon is definitely set in stone, as there are things I HAVE found that sound interesting there--vineyard tours just north in Beaujolais, the Valrona factory just south, the old part of town on the hill to the west of the Rhone, museums about the silk industry there.

C'mon, I know tons of people on this board have been to Provence. What did you do other than drive thru/past villages?

Guy18

Goodness, g, did I say I drove past villages? Aix is filled with wonderful squares with sidewalk cafes, churches, fountains, shops. Outside St. Remy is the lovely monastery St. Paul with its gorgeous cloister where Van Gogh convalesced. Arles has a perfect Romanesque cathedral and Roman Arena. The Luberon hilltowns are attractions in themselves, cut off from traffic with lovely views of the countryside and stone houses crowded picuresquely together. Avignon has the Palais du Papes and other medieval/renaissance buildings. You needn't worry...the food and wine is wonderful.

abbydog

To me Provence offers the perfect mix of natural beauty, colorful culture, interesting history, wonderful food, and wine, wine, wine. For nature visit the glorious Mediterranean Sea, take breathtaking drives through the mountains and Gorge du Verdun, smell the scent of rosemary and thyme, or stroll along endless olive groves and vineyards. For culture experience the Wednesday market in St. Remy, the Saturday market in Arles, the Sunday market in Isle sur le Sorgue, where you can taste a fantastic variety of local foods and buy beautiful fabrics, pottery, soaps, and fragrances. On top of all this, Roman architecture and wineries (for sampling and purchasing buy the jug) are EVERYWHERE!

If it doesn't put you to sleep, you can read a small sampling of what the region offers in my trip report at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34634242

Good luck!

g33kgrl

Thanks, Guy18! That's the sort of info I'm looking for--specific things to do. Most of the stuff I've read mentions the towns but nothing about what there is to DO once you get there, so what else is one to assume but that you go there just to see the town? Say I have just 2 or 3 full days in the area--what would be your sample itinery?

And I'd love to hear your suggestions for places to stay around Avignon and/or St. Remy. Our budget is about 75-125E per night (since lodging seems to be much cheaper than in Paris). Would go a bit higher for a really nice, memorable place.

StuDudley

Instead of making a special trip to visit the wineries/vineyards of Beaujolais, tour the Beaucastel winery (make a reservation) in the Cote du Rhone region instead - they make a pretty good Chateauneuf du Pape.

We've vacation in Provence for about 16 weeks and we're still finding new & interesting things to do. We've been to Lyon for 1 full day, and saw most of the things we wanted to see.

Get a book and read about Provence - I like the Cadogan guide.

Other attractions are Gorges de l'Ardeche, stalactites & mites at Aven d'Orgnac, Pont du Gard, Uzes, tons of cute villages around Balazac, Chateau at Grignan, vineyards everywhere just west of the Dentelles, Mt Ventoux, Roman ruins at Vaison, Lavender fields around Sault, fantastic markets at Apt, Carpentras, l'Isle sur la Sorgue, Roman ruins everywhere, Les Baux, Aigues Mortes, Camarque, Cassis, Alpilles, etc, etc, etc.

I have a 20+ page itinerary about Provence that I've sent to over 500 people on this forum. e-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy

Stu Dudley