Avignon/Luberon Lodging

Old Jun 8th, 2007, 10:14 AM
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Avignon/Luberon Lodging

We'll be taking the TVG from Paris to Avignon and then picking up a car. I'm figuring the easiest way is to stay 2 nights in Avignon to visit St. Remy, Les Beaux and then 2 nights around Fontaine de Vaucluse to vistit Gordes, Roussaillon etc.

In Avignon is it better to stay in Villeneuve Les Avignon or by the center. Is there such a thing in Avignon as a hotel with a river view, I'm guessing not. What's a good inexpensive place under $150 for 2 nights.

To visit the Luberon has anyone stayed in Fontaine de Vaucluse in a hotel called Le Parc, or, La Maison aux Fruits. I see this in Fodor's guide and they sound nice. Or, is there a better place to locate ourselves.

Thanks for your help.


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Old Jun 8th, 2007, 12:21 PM
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ttt
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Old Jun 8th, 2007, 12:36 PM
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I know there are people who have answers here...
Michel_Paris is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2007, 02:55 PM
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Suze, my bride and I stayed at l'Hotel de l'Atelier in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon in 2004. Nice hotel, two or three star, I think, comfortable and not expensive. If I recall correctly, it's about a twenty minute, rather pleasant walk from the hotel to the Palais du Papes.

When is it you're travelling? The Theater Festival is on in Avignon in July, and accomodations are at very much of a premium. If you plan to be there during that period, you might want to think about a different base. There are lots of choices, if you're driving...Arles, Nimes, and Orange are just a few, and all are interesting cities.
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Old Jun 8th, 2007, 03:16 PM
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Suze, a couple of thoughts:

- If you stay in a hotel in the centre of Avignon, consider parking just outside the old city walls (there is "parking payant" at the old railway station, for example) and walking in to your hotel. You certainly can drive within the city walls, but the streets are narrow, often one-way, and some of them have those posts that block access unless you are a resident.

- We've stayed at Hôtel de l'Horloge and Hôtel Garlande in Avignon. The latter is less expensive and much quieter, but the rooms are a bit worn and there is no elevator. (There is a hotel cat, though, if you like that kind of thing.)

- Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, on the other hand, is much more accessible by car. Like JefferyJ, we've stayed at Hôtel de l'Atelier and enjoyed it, although our garden room was dampish in October 2003.

- Unless you have a compelling reason to spend time in Avignon, consider instead picking up your car at Avignon TGV and making the easy drive to St-Rémy. I can't recommend a place there, but a search on Fodor's should reveal a few suggestions. St-Rémy is much easier to get in and out of for day trips.

Anselm
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Old Jun 8th, 2007, 03:18 PM
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I stayed at the Hotel de l'Atelier, also, but it's been many years ago, but I see that JeffreyJ found it to be the same nice little place that I did. V-l-A has the advantage over Avignon of being easier to leave and return to if doing day trips in the area.
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Old Jun 8th, 2007, 03:43 PM
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Thank you all for your answers, sounds like Villeneuve Les Avignon is a better location according to these comments.

How about for the Luberon area, any suggestions? Thanks Michel_Paris for coming to my rescue.
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Old Jun 14th, 2007, 12:20 PM
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I was reading Anselm's comments again, we're not compelled to stay in Avignon. My thoughts were since we're taking the TVG to Avignon wouldn't it be easier to stay there and visit the sights that day and then the next day go to St. Remy and Le Baux. I just figured if we stayed in St. Remy wouldn't we be doubling back to go to Avignon.

What are your thoughts out there, should we chnage our location stay to St. Remy/
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Old Jun 14th, 2007, 04:42 PM
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suze, I'm having a bit of trouble visualizing your schedule, but it sounds like you'd like to look at Avignon on the day you arrive on the TGV, then spend the next day or two in the St-Rémy and Les Baux area. (You could easily add in a driving tour around Les Alpilles; they're all pretty close to each other.)

If that's the case, one option might be to delay picking up your rental until the second morning. So, it would look something like this: arrive at Avignon TGV; take the shuttle bus from the station to its destination just outside the old city walls (just across the street from Avignon Centre station, by the way); walk into whatever hotel you choose in Avignon (typically a 10 to 15 minute walk, very do-able of you have medium sized wheeled luggage); check in and spend the rest of the day walking around Avignon.

Next morning, reverse your steps and take the shuttle back out to Avignon TGV; walk right through the station to the south side and pick up your rental. Drive to St-Rémy, and stay in a hotel for one night. (Alternatively, you could taxi from Avignon TGV in to the door of your hotel and taxi back out. Saves walking with luggage, but is more expensive.)

This approach gives you an overnight in Avignon and saves one day of car rental.

My wife have done something similar when we have used Avignon as our entry point to Provence: train from Paris, one night in a hotel in the old city, then back out to the TGV station to rent the car the next morning, and then off to our rented house for a week or two.

Anselm
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Old Jun 14th, 2007, 07:56 PM
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You might also consider staying at one of the many B&Bs in the area, since you will have a car. There are quite a few in/around St Remy and L'Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, for example. If you are driving to various villages, it can be nice to avoid dealing with the traffic of Avignon.
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 09:33 AM
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OK, I was reading Rick Steve's book last night and there's 2 hotels we can walk to from the train station. It says 10 minute walk to either Hotel Colbert or Hotel le Splendid. Reading on Avignon it doesn't look like we'll even need a car the first day.
So, here's what I came up with, walk to one of the hotels, do Rick Steve's walk in Avignon and the next day pick up the car early and go to St. Remy and Les Baux. Then the 3rd. day go to the hill villages around Gorde and Rousillon.

What are your thoughts on this part of my itinerary
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 09:47 AM
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That sounds like a wise plan to me. I for one enjoyed our two night stay in Avignon.
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 01:20 PM
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I liked Avignon a lot and there are certainly more hotels you can walk to than the ones Rick Steves named. If I had to choose one fairly close to the station, I'd pick the Bristol. It's right on the main avenue from the station to the center place and palace. I haven't stayed there, but it looked nice from the outside and is not far from the station in a nice area. It rates well on tripadvisor, etc, and is moderate cost. I think it's on www.venere.com

I don't think there are any hotels with a river view, at least none worth paying for. Once you see the city, you'll figure out why -- it's not that feasible given the geography, and hotels aren't right on the river (nor is the city). So you'd have to have a tall hotel with some views out the windows, and the hotels there aren't that tall. The best location for a view doesn't have hotels (the park near the church). In any case, special views don't go with real cheap hotel rooms, like you want.

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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 01:39 PM
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I stayed in Villeneuve Les Avignon for 3 nights before going on to St.Remy and the Luberon. There's a bus you can get from right in front of the TGV station, which takes you to downtown Avignon. Quite easy. Then I had a short taxi ride over to Villeneuve and my hotel, Le Priere. That was a wonderful hotel, with great dining. Most rooms are probably over what you're budgeting, but I had an adorable room there for only 90 euros. It was quite a bargain, as this is a Relais & Chateaux hotel.

There is frequent (and easy) bus service from Villeneuve over the bridge to Avignon, so that is what I did for those 2 days before picking up my car and heading to other parts of Provence.
I loved staying in Villeneuve. With a car, it's much easier than staying right in Avignon. I had 2 weeks in Provence, so staying in several different places.
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 01:39 PM
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Are you saying that the 2 hotels Rick Steves recommends are not very good. I'll have to email the Bristol, if I could find an email for them to see if they're walking distance from the station. It says on their web site that they're inside the city walls so they much be quite a bit further.

Or is the shuttle bus always there for us to take?
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 03:08 PM
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suze, the Bristol is about the same distance from the shuttle bus terminal as the two hotels recommended by Rick Steves. It is a very easy walk, provided you have wheels on your luggage.

You can take a look at the location of the Bristol on this little map:

http://www.bristol-hotel-avignon.com...sh/01/0103.php

The shuttle bus from Avignon TGV arrives right in front of the city walls, directly opposite the "Gare SNCF" on that map. You just wheel your luggage up Cours Jean Jaures to the hotel.

The Hotel Bristol web site let's you send them an email; click on "Reservation" and you'll see that you can either fill in the reservation form or click on "Contact" to send them an e-mail.

The shuttle runs pretty regularly from the TGV to the city walls. I'll see if I can dig up a schedule.

Anselm
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 03:30 PM
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Here you go ...

http://www.grandavignon.fr/transport...ele=transports

What it says is that the shuttle ("navette") meets all the TGV arrivals and departures. I know that the last time we took it we got off the TGV, walked down the ramp to ground level, and then walked down some steps to a bus shelter. Just follow the signs for "Navette" and "Taxi".

On our return, we walked to the navette terminal and climbed on board the bus. It left a few minutes later.

Anselm
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 03:34 PM
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We stayed in St Remy at Sous les Figuiers which is a very pleasant place this April. It is a very walkable place and has an amazing number of good restaurants. Is also an easy in and out.

Is less than 30 minutes to Les Beaux. easy hour or less to Avignon, Arles, Aix. We drove to Gordes and the Fontaine in less than an hour and a half.

Have a good trip
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Old Jun 15th, 2007, 04:06 PM
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I have stayed in a few places around the Luberon. I can recommend www.bastidesoubeyras.com if you have a car. Lovely house and hosts. Had dinner at a great restaurant nearby that made us feel very welcome despite our appalling Fench language skills. Enjoy!
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Old Jun 16th, 2007, 03:20 AM
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The name of the restaurant (from my last post) was Le Vieux Bistrot. They have a website.... http://www.vieuxbistrot.com/

Regards

Craig
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