Best base ideas for the luberon and avignon
 

Hello all,
My husband and I are planning a trip for two weeks to the luberon area and the french riviera. We will have a two years old son with us.
I need some guidence and help please as last year we went for two weeks to Nice and I just loved it. It was a good base for us to explore Monaco, Cannes, St Paul de Vence...etc. Nice was great as it has all what we needed and was very good for me to go out alone with my son when my husband had to finish some work on his computer and stay in the hotel to meet us later on. Also it was great as some days we were not energetic to go anywhere so it provided us with a lot to keep us busy.
We did not cover Saint Jean cap ferrat or Beaulieux sur mer which I heard was a mistake.
This year we are thinking of spliting the two weeks between luberon and St Tropez (which we have visited for a day last year).
What is the best base which is similar to Nice (using the above sense) in the luberon. I found a great hotel in Bonnieux and Aix en provence. Which one is better for us and similar to Nice?
Do you think we better stay in Beaulieu sur Mer and cover the eastern part till Monton?
Any ideas or comments will help.
We are going there from 24th or 25th of May for two weeks.
Appreciate if anyone can give me some review on the following hotels:
la-ferme-de-capelongue (bonnieux)
Cezane (Aix)
What is nicer Aix or Bonnieux? St Tropez or Beaulieu or St Jean cap Ferrat?
Many many thanks in advance.
Thanks,
May

Can't help you on the St Tropez etc beach resorts. But Aix and Bonnieux aren't remotely similar so can't really be compared. The first is a university city and the second a very small village with restricted access. Well, restricted parking anyway, although you can still drive through the center of town, unlike some of those villages.

So where is the hotel, is it really in BOnnieux or in the country around it? I just wondered as I had a budget hotel booked in the center of town last summer which was supposed to have great views and then cancelled after reading reviews about how there is no parking and you have to park in a public lot at the bottom of the hill, etc. When I was there and saw the situation, I was real glad I had stayed elsewhere in a nice budget hotel in Roussillon with free parking right across the street.

Bonnieux is pleasant enough but it is very small, not a lot going on there.

sorry, I see you want to know which of those two is most similar to Nice? Aix, obviously, as Nice is a very large city, also.

Thanks a lot Christina. I am doing a lot of research but I think I will end up staying in Aix en Provence. Though different from Nice but I am sure Bonnieux being a small village will be much different. I think with a 2 years old son, I would rather be in a city as a base. Maybe I will get other replies as well. Thanks a lot for your prompt response.

maybe you will, but if you wnt to have things to do while your husband is in the hotel, etc., you have to choose a place bigger than Bonnieux. There is nothing to do in Bonnieux, it is very small. There are only a few gift/souvenir shops and a couple places to eat. There is one boulangerie museum and some old church, as I recall, up a hill. I don't know if there is even a park where you could play with your son, it's just a small village on the side of the road that goes through it. there are lots of tourists, though, so they will be walking up and down the sidewalks to go into those few places.

I've heard of that hotel, it isn't really even in Bonnieux, it's out in the country , so you'd have to be driving around to do anything, which isn't going to be fun at night when it is dark. It's about 10-15 km away from the center of Bonnieux down some winding roads (which most are around there).

I agree with Christina on Bonnieux vs Aix.

If you want something similar to Nice, I would also consider staying in Avignon. Although we slightly prefer Aix over Avignon - I think Avignon is much more centrally located than Aix for visiting the "top" sites in Provence.

St Tropez vs Beaulieu sur mer.

Beaulieu is a small village next to Nice, that cascades down a hill/cliff to the sea. I would not want to spend too much time walking around there (you can see everything in 1 hr) with a 2 YO. Being next to Nice, there are good public transportation options. St Tropez is flat, has lots of restaurants/cafes - but gets terribly crowded mid-day. We've stayed there multiple times - including 2 week stays & 1 week stays. Public transportation is not that great - you'll need a car. The countryside & small villages southwest of St Tropez are quite interesting to explore. St Tropez will give you a different "feel" than Nice. However, reasonably priced lodging is scarce and often books up 9-12 months in advance. I've "tried" to help many Fodors people secure lodging 4 months or so in advance - without much success.

Stu Dudley

There nice sandy beaches near St-Tropez which we enjoyed.

Stu and Happytrvlr, thanks a lot.
Stu, thank you for elaborating on the differences between beaulieu and St Tropez.
I decided to stay either in Avignon or St Tropez and we will have a car as it seems it is a pleasure just to get lost and drive from one village to another in Provence.
Can you suggest a good 4 stars hotel in each? I like modern hotels not old buildings (unless newly renovated)! I do not like old style in furniture and light clean bright rooms.
Thanks,

From your original post:

>>This year we are thinking of spliting the two weeks between luberon and St Tropez <<

From your last post:

>>I decided to stay either in Avignon or St Tropez<<

I don't understand this. Staying in Avignon OR staying in St Tropez won't allow you to easily visit both the Cote d'Azur & the Luberon (Provence) without a lot of driving. Spend 1 week in both places.

We stay in Gites or apts while in France - not hotels. However, for a short stay in St Tropez once, we stayed in the hotel Des Lices, which was quite nice & had parking & a pool. Like I stated earlier, hotels in St Tropez book up early.

Stu Dudley

Stu, what I meant is that I will spend one week in each of Avignon and st tropez. Thanks a lot. I will check the hotels u suggested.

Misho
Do you have my 27 page Cote d'Azur & Provence itinerary? I've sent it to over 1,000 people on Fodors. E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail. It includes our favorite villages, markets, scenic drives, and has a section on Provence fabric.

Stu Dudley

Stu,
I am sending the email in a second. One last quick question: Avignon or Gordes? What the best base 'for me'? I just came across a good hotel in both:
Avignon:Auberge de Cassagne and Spa
Gordes: La bastide en Gordes and Spa
Wish you know them in order to give me an honest feedback as usual.

I think for Gordes, that's the best you will do. There aren't a lot of hotels there, of course, it is very small, so I think that is the only nice one right in Gordes itself (it may be the only hotel right in Gordes itself, not sure).

Now I considered staying at the other one you name once myself, but I really wanted some place outside Avignon as I had a car and wanted to be driving around the countryside a lot. So I didn't stay there but have read some nice reviews about it (I think from someone on Fodors, not sure), but you can check that. However, if you really want a hotel that is in a city where you can just go out the door and walk around and do stuff, that place is not in Avignon, it is in a suburb (Pontet). I have no idea what Pontet is like, but this is not going to be suitable if your idea is to walk around Avignon for things to do. I don't know how far away it is, that is a big metropolitan area around Avignon, it's to the NE in-between the N7 and A7 highways. I'm guessing maybe 10 km, could be more.

What is your real goal here, maybe someone can recommend hotels actually IN Avignon if that is really what you want. There are several nice ones.

Thanks a million Chritina...That is very helpful as all your comments...I think I will go for that hotel in Gordes if I could not find a good 4 stars hotel inside Avignon itself.

I'm familiar with both places

We have dined at the Bastide (under different ownership), and have also visited friends who were staying there (current ownership). It is quite a dramtiic hotel - with wonderful views. It is very pricy for dinner, and the rooms were a tad smallish. They have parking for the guests - which is a big plus in Gordes. The hotel is about 20 yards from the middle of town - we've walked past it dozens of times. However, other than the Bastide, there are not many other (if any) restaurants that I would want to dine at within an easy walking distance of the center of Gordes. There is a string of hotels with restaurants (not all of the hotels have restaurants) about a 20 min walk downhill (uphill on return) on the Route de Senanque - but it is not a difficult walk there. We stayed at the Domaine de l'Enclos once & walked into Gordes many times. There are several nice restaurants within a 10 min drive of Gordes - Mas Tourteron & L'Estellan.

Like Christina stated, The Auberge de Cassagne is out in the burbs of Avignon. Nothing attractive about the area. You won't want to walk into Avignon - too far away. We dined there several years ago. It was a Michelin 1 star restaurrant then.

Stu Dudley

There are some nice hotels in Avignon, but not tons of them. The Mirande is very very nice and about right next to the Palais des Papes.
http://www.la-mirande.fr/

Other high-end hotels in Avignon itself are the Hotel d'Europe http://www.heurope.com/fr/index.php

and the H Cloitre St Louis (this is actually a bit of a hike to the main square
http://www.cloitre-saint-louis.com/uk/index.php

Those are the best hotels in town, I think.

I have a conflict here!
My husband and I have different views.
I think Avignon and he thinks Gordes...
I need something to convince him! (he is not difficult by the way so no worries...I just need to be logical and use the right points)...so given the advantages I mentioned above about Nice (which he agrees with by the way)...which one would you go for, Gordes or Avignon....
Sorry to repeat myself but I need more assurances...
Thanks again

We stayed at Mas de Romarins http://www.masromarins.com/anglais.php a 10 minute walk uphill from Gordes and really enjoyed it. The staff all speak English, are very nice and accomodating. Breakfast is included and they do serve dinner (additional cost) on the patio several days a week with a fantastic view of Gordes. There are rooms and also mini suites which may be a bit "roomier" for your small family. There is also a swimming pool. In addition to dining at the Mas, we dined one night at Le Clos de Gustave. Nothing fancy but great food in a beautiful setting. http://leclosdegustave.voila.net/page1/index.html

Thanks Anna...appreciated.

Gordes is a small village in a dramatic site in the hills. Avignon is a big town on the flat. I don't think either of them makes a good base. Gordes because it's so small and because it's up in the hills a bit away from other sights. And I don't like Avignon because there's a lot of sprawl around the historic center that you'd have to navigate through twice when making daytrips. Neither of them are like Nice, which is a big city.

Maybe look at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. It's a medium-size town, on the flat and well located for daytrips but interesting in itself for its many canals and its antiques street market. I don't have the faintest idea about hotels in L'Isle, but there are several listed at Tripadvisor.com.

It depends on what part of Provence you want to see. But Nimes and Arles are small cities more Nice-like. Provence is really not an urban destination. It's all about the countryside, the small towns, the food, the wine, the easy-going lifestyle.

Gordes is a village, Avignon a city. why not stay at both.
Split the time but staying inside Gordes it will be mobbed but stay at the outskirts and visit. Lots of wonderful places stay. I stayed outside avignon one year in the Villlage Villeneuve=Lez-Avignon. Everyday I could walk across the bridge to Avignon or take a bus. My hotel was beautiful.
I read it has been taken over by someone else, the chef/owner of another famous place in Les Baux.

We stayed at Mas de Romarins this past September and loved it. We ate all three evening meals in the hotel as the food was excellent. There are a few restaurants in Gordes but can't comment on them. Gordes, as already mentioned, is a village. A lovely place but without transportation I think it might be too confining for more than a day or two.

My mistake. It's Le Mas des Romarins (rosemary) and while we had a wonderful room with a private terrace, after looking at your criteria for a hotel, I'm not sure it'd suit you.

I think some of your desires are a little difficult to fit. Basically, I like cities and like both Avignon and Aix so cn get behind the idea of having plenty to do. But if you are going to have a car, it isn't convenient to stay right in the center of cities for parking. And that is where it is convenient to drive out of the area a lot for day trips. So for Avignon, probably that hotel I said was a bit of a hike from the main swuare would be the best for parking, not sure. I don't know what arrangements the Mirande has for parking -- actually, there is a large underground lot right under the place in front of the palace, but it can be difficult to get a spot in there at times. But it is easy to drive in and out of town to that lot as it's right off the main highway.

Gordes is a small, perched village, not a place that I would find convenient for the purposes you stated. It sure isn't convenient for walking around a lot (and with a toddler, to boot) as it is very steep and has a lot of cobblestones around as I recall. Gordes is full of tourists, also, it got popular as it is an attractive setting.

If I were going to stay in a small village like that, I'd pick one that wasn't up on a hill like that (you can't even drive into it, as I recall). I would not at all want to be walking to dinner along the Rte de Senanque, especially with a toddler. I wouldn't even want to do it myself, most likely. As I recall, Domaine d'Enclos and the area it is in (les Imberts or something) is not that close to Gordes, it is quite a ways away. I just was by there last summer (driving around) and remember seeing it.

YOu can find something to eat in Gordes, though, as long as you aren't picky, so I wouldn't worry about going hungry.

Why does your husband want Gordes, what is it he thinks is desirable about it, that might make a difference. If he wants a smaller town, I can understand that. When I stay in that area, I stay in a country inn with a pool and lovely grounds for relaxing with easy access to a main road for driving--in a flat area, not one of those perched village deals. But it is in the country, I couldn't walk to anything from it. I prefer to stay near Pernes-les-Fontaines. Which actually has a few things to do in it now that I think of it and is more accessible than those perched places (and not as popular with tourists, which I like). But the hotel I stay in is a few km north of the town itself. And the hotel is not a high-tech place where I think of someone working, it's not modern.

Gordes could work for you if you understand the limits. No way would I stay a week there, I'd go mad. Maybe the idea to split the week between those two is the best compromise (Avignon and Gordes).

>>>As I recall, Domaine d'Enclos and the area it is in (les Imberts or something) is not that close to Gordes,<<

I think you have Domaine de l'Enclos mixed up with some other hotel. It is not in (or very close) to Les Imberts. It is on the Rte de Senanque, and it is the closest hotel to Gordes on this route. My IGN map says it is about 1/2 K from Gordes. We walked to Gordes from the Domaine/Rte de Senanque many times - so has anna_roz, & possibly historytraveler. The Mas des Romarins is further down the Rte de Senanque.

We have also stayed in a Gite very close to Les Imberts & close to Gordes for 4 weeks, and walked from the Gite to Gordes (45 mins). Nice area.

On her other post, Misho said that she wanted to hike the Cinque Terre in Italy - so I don't think she will have trouble with the 1/2 K to Gordes.

BTW, a GR walking route runs down part of the Rte de Senanque, and then on to Senanque Abbey. This is a very scenic/dramatic walk downhill. We took this walk, but had friends pick us up at Senanque Abbey.

Stu Dudley

"...which one would you go for, Gordes or Avignon..."

Avignon.

You won't enjoy pushing a stroller in Gordes for long. It's also very small and doesn't offer many spaces for children to roam (I can only think of one).

Within the last four years we've stayed at the Hotel d'Europe with toddlers twice. The service is excellent and our only wish was for a pool (not easily found w/in the walls of Provencal towns).

In July/August 2010 we stayed here:
http://www.la-saga.co.uk/lasaga/Welcome.html
Pernes is smaller village (pop. 10k), but an easy drive to both L'Isle and Carpentras for dinners. The home is beautiful, fully modern inside, with very private courtyard pool.

If you do choose Aix, please consider: http://www.villagallici.com/
A beautiful property just above the city centre, 10 minutes walking downhill to the heart of Aix. 15 minutes walking uphill back to the hotel (or 11Euro cab ride including stroller surcharge). My one year old son was doted on and fully welcomed.

Have a great trip.

Many thanks to all of you...
mmmmm have to do a lot of thinking with hubby now!

<<<We walked to Gordes from the Domaine/Rte de Senanque many times - so has anna_roz>>>

Indeed, we walked Rte de Senanque to Gordes. There is also a back road, sort of a short cut, directly from the back of Mas des Romarins. Honestly, it was a lovely stroll and the views nothing short of magical all around. We look forward to revisiting the area this coming June.

Thanks everyone for ur valuable recommendations and advices.