We are spending all of 6 days in the south of France from 9-20/9-26. Our goals are to do as little driving esp. nerve racking variety, relax, etc. Also would like to take TGV to Paris at end of visit, fly into Nice. What do you think of the following?
1. Fly to Nice, spend 3 nights in Villefranche or Cap Antibes. Wish to be in close proximity to train staion/buses so we can visit St Paul Vence, villa rothschild,eze.
2. TGV to Avignon or Arles. Rent a car at train station. Spend 2 nights near Gordes or St. Remy in some sort of inn.
3. Drive to Gordes, Rousillion and Isle Sur Sorge (sp) one day; St. Remy, Les Baux anohter.
4. Drive to Uzes and Pont de Gard day 3.
Sleep in Nimes near train station and take tgv to Paris.
Merci.

make sure you're in Ile Sur La Sorgue on a market day.

Seems fine - except make sure you know the bus schedule to St Paul & Eze. As I recall, they do not run frequently.

If this were my trip, I would pick up the car in Nice, and visit St Paul, Gourdon, Tourrettes sur Loup on the way to Provence.

St Remy & Les Baux will not take an entire day, IMO - especially if you choose to stay in St Remy. Looks like you might hit Uzes on a Monday, when most stores will be closed - like they are in most towns & villages, except the very touristy ones.

Stu Dudley

Thanks, I booked it!

Oops, wrong reply for this thread.
Thanks Stu. How hard a drive would that be? Do you know if the train trip from Nice to Avignon is scenic?
I really want to avoid the husband wife map reading, getting lost, arguing bit which we tend to do
Worried that this will occur enroute to Provence and husband will get anxious

It's all freeway from Nice to Provence - we've done this route dozens of times. Very easy drive and also scenic around the St Tropez turnoff. The signs to St Paul from the freeway are well marked.

Never taken the train.

I should add that some stores in Uzes will open up in the afternoon - which is around 2:30 or so. I think my wife's favorite pottery store there is actually open on Sunday & Mondays.

If course, I assume you will hit the l'Isle sur la Sorgue market on Sunday, followed by a visit to the Luberon. Stores in Gordes, Roussillon, & Fountaine de Vaucluse are open on Sunday.

Stu Dudley

Thanks Stu! When are you writing a book!

BTW, do you think my plans hit the "high points" and expose us to a variety of scenery?

Your itinerary looks fine. You can visit a few more villages in the Luberon on Sunday (Menerbes, Bonnieux, Goult, Saignon, Oppede les Vieux). On the St Remy day, also visit Eyguires, and drive around the south side of the Alpilles.

On the Uzes/Pont day, also visit Castillon du Gard.

After the Luberon, my second favorite area is the Dentelles - Vaison, Seguret, etc. However, I don't think you could fit that into your schedule without some driving you may not want to do.

Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for Provence & the Cote. My favorite "things" are in there. e-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

Thanks, yes I do have your Provence guide. We are the kind of folks who could happily sit by a pool, read a book and sip a glass of wine for 5 hrs each day and be content to spend 3 hrs doing touristic stuff so I dont want to be overly ambitious.

Realize that you can't get from either Villefranche or Cap Antibes to St-Paul by train; you'll need to go by bus.

There's no TGV from Nice to western Provence until you get to Aix or Avignon, so far as I know. Check the SNCF site to be sure, and so the same for getting to Arles--the TGVs are specific lines and don't go everywhere; so you would need to take a different kind of train.