I will be spending a couple of weeks in Provence in 2013, one of those will be with family. I am interested in some recommendations for a base from which to roam from. We will be wanting to see, Avignon, L'Isle Sure-la-Sorgue, Aix en Provence, take in the Lavender Route. Is it realistic to have one home base for this trip, or would it be better to arrange accommodations in the various locations of interest?

Somewhere in the Luberon (Gordes/Roussillon/Bonnieux) would be perfect for the cities/sites you have listed. However, I might do an overnight in Aix on the way to/from wherever you arrive or depart.

Visiting the Pont du Gard or Uzes would somewhat time consuming from Bonnieux, however.

Stu Dudley

Depends on what month you are there (when the Lavender is in bloom is in july/august). I don't mind going from the Alpilles to the luberon or alps for one day trips. My late husband and I did that often. Aix is a great place to stay if the lavender fields are high on your list. No matter where you decide, Provence is a pleasure.

We based ourselves in St Remy-de-Provence. Smaller than Aix, so a bit more intimate and easier to get around in. Handy to Avignon, Pont-du-Gard, l'Isle-sur-la Sorgue, most of the Luberon villages, and Aix. Nearby Le Beaux is a must.

We based ourselves in St Remy as well. We found it an excellent base for getting around the area you want to be. Great smaller town with excellent restaurants and fabulous market. We stayed at Le mas des Carassins just outside of the town center and loved it!

With 2 weeks, I would choose 2 bases.

First, St. Remy. We also stayed at the Mas des Carassins and loved it. Day trips to Pont du Gard, Nimes, Avignon, Les Baux, Arles, Aigues Mortes. Return to the Mas, hang out by the pool, then dinner either at the Mas - excellent - or walk into the village past the olive groves.

Second week - move east into the Luberon and explore that area. Or all the way to Aix. I loved Aix but it is a bit difficult to drive in the city.

Thanks to everyone for your helpful information. Out of curiosity, what is the terrain like for driving? Is there somewhere in the States you could compare it to?

You can see the actual terrain on Google Earth. I can't think of anywhere in the States that's comparable, but frankly, I've traveled loads more in France than in the States, so I'm probably not the one to ask.

We stayed for 2 weeks in a wonderful gite in Saint Saturnin les Apt, about 10 minutes north of Apt. We did day trips almost everyday and headed in every direction.

The link to gite and our trips are here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ugh-france.cfm

The ONLY problem with Provence is the unlimited # of choices. I recommend staying in one place and doing day trips. St Remy is a great option but so are many of the towns in the Luberon - already mentioned in comments. Highly recommend a day or two in Aix and here is a great App www.edibleheritage.com

As to the terrain,we found it easy to drive in. You will have a mix of gently rolling hills to twisty roads but none that are particulary daunting. Enjoyable driving. Add my vote to St. Remy. We stayed at a great place out in the countryside if you don't want to be in town. It is www.domaine-du-clos.com near Beaucaire,and is an old farm but the young owners have done a fabulous job updating everything. Absolutely charming. They have several rooms and several apartments of various sizes, and a pool.