You know my situation well by now. South of France in July with a group.

I've finally come down to staying in Avignon or St. Remy. St. Remy I prefer but if it's booked up I know that Avignon will be the spot to stay.

I need help with the itinerary. We will be in the area for seven days.

Where do I start? Day one Aix Day two Avignon?

I'm starting to get concerned that we are going to be hours away from the towns I wanted to visit. I also wanted to see the lavendar fields and after reading it looks like we need a car. So, that poses the queston of where do we fly and then do we take a train and rent a car in St. Remy Or do we rent a car in Paris and take the horrible trip down?

I have researched and researched, and now I feel like I have confused myself or something.

You can see a few vilages each day and you could take the TGV from paris to Avignon where you will pick up the rental car that you'll rent from the states less expensive that way be sure the buy the Michelin detail map of provence so you can see the villages you want to see after that head to Aix and to th lavender routes. I gave you th provence sites, Write to the tourist boards. they will send you booklets on lavender routes and wine routes or whatever you ask. Don't delay in doing that. meanwhile buy a travel book on Provence like the insight guide provence that gives you route and roads to take.

If you can get a good fare connecting thru Paris (CDG) to Marseilles (MRS) you can pick up the car at MRS and the drive to AIX is less than 1/2-hr.

You can spend 1-nt and most of next day touring the area (find a hotel that has a parking lot, and leave it there once in AIX). Then in late afternoon next day drive to St. Remy (about 65-miles) to your hotel/villa/gite in that area.

Anyone of these should have parking, so no extra fees. From the St. Remy area and with the Michelin #528 Orange map and a guidebook you should have no problem seeing a few towns daily.

Do visit one area at a time - go East one day, South another, West another and finally North. And you should get to visit and see plenty. I would strongly recommend that the North direction be the day you depart and you can return your car in Avignon and take the TGV back to Paris for departure out of CDG.

Do make sure that the day you are leaving, should you make any stops before getting on the TGV, that your vehicle is locked and luggage is well hidden in your vehicle. Try for a garage rather than a outside parking lot, if possible. Though you might be able to drop your luggage at the TGV for storage till you depart.

Now, take a deep breath and figure out a place to stay, as July is busy in Southern France and places book up quickly.

toile: Do you have a map? This isn't all that hard.

Either get a good deal on a flight to Marseilles, or take the TVG to Avignon.

Spend a full day exploring St-Rémy and Les Baux.

Another day in Arles (watch out for that Saturday market - it's delightful, but parking is a bear).

Another day in the Camargues visiting Aigues-Mortes and seeing the flamingos, wild ponies, etc. Have lunch or dinner at Les Tellines or La Chassagnette.

Spend another day in Fontveille, Tarascon, and the Pont du Gard.

Another full day in Avignon.

Another full day in Aix.

Maybe a day in Marseilles.

Yes, you'll need a car. In fact, you'll need at least two of them. Call AutoEurope at 1-800-223-5555. If you fly to Marseilles, pick the car up there. If you take the TGV, pick the car up at the train station in Avignon.

Not to be rude, because people here are more than willing to help, but I need to know one thing. Has your group committed to this trip? Or are you presenting this to the group and someone else is going to suggest say Barcelona, another Italy and then everyone is going to vote. This would be helpful to know, because otherwise your pleas for HELP! might be construed as "crying wolf!" If you are truely committed, then you will get a better response.
JoeG

Our total time in Europe will be three weeks. We are doing one week together then meet up again towards the end of the trip for three days. Return home to the states.

We are as a group deciding where we will spend the week together. So, you are corect JoeG everyone is debating where to go still.

For my spouse and I we ARE spending a week in the South of France with one other couple regardless of what happens. In fact last night anohter couple said they too want to do this trip. So, we will in one shape or form go to the South of France for a week. It may be six of us or it may be ten of us. It depends.

I'm not crying wolf at all thank you very much. I am researching because we are going in July! I can hardly wait.

If the group decides say they want to go to Germany for a week together that is fine. then we will go on to Provence for a week or longer, then possibly meet up there as a group. I hope everyone understands that.

To me the South of France especially the Provence area seems ideal for a group. Many options of things to do. Easy to get around, and with having a home base of St. Remy it will take the stress of moving around off of everyone.

I agree with St. Cirq. Get a map of Provence. The distances are not great at all using Avignon as your base. You just "radiate" out for the day in a particular direction and see the towns and sights along that way. Get a guide book for Provence--the Michelin Green Guide is very complete.

toile,
Thank you for your clarification. I share your enthusiasm for this area. I can guarantee that wherever you stay and whatever you do, you will have a great time and you will have barely scratched the surface.
JoeG

JoeG

You could not be more right. I look at France on the maps and see all the areas and get so anxious. There must be at least three months of solid travel in France alone.

I want to see everything, and the part that I get frustrated with is that it is going to take me years to do this country. Then we have Italy, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and what about other parts of the world like Australia? OY VEY!

So many places! So little time!

Toile, if you are definitely going, I would suggest you buy a map right away for planning and then you would get an idea of these distances. You can buy foldable plasticized ones of the Provence area at bookstores in the US. I have one by Streetwise and another by Insight (which is a little better for topography and has more detailed maps of Avignon, Arles and Aix).

These maps will be easier, I think, for you to get an idea of distance and general layout and plans than a detailed large Michelin road map. They may not be detailed enough for driving once you are there (although they aren't that bad, actually, for the main roads), but are very useful.

I think the Insight one gives you the most and it even includes the distance between all major cities in a chart. The map also includes markings of beaches, viewpoints, famous landmarks, etc. It costs $8.

Toile,

Re cars: my husband likes the Renault Scenic mini-van (more like a slightly oversized car, really) because it puts the driver up where he can easily see the road. Visibility for 3 passengers in the back seat is also very good, and there is ample luggage space with a cover. Both EuropeCar and AutoEurope offer the Scenic at a good price.

Hey,

as you are going to be in Languedoc anyway (Nimes, Aigues Mortes, Pont du Gard, why not see some more ?

And you can see places like Montpellier without a car.

Peter
The Languedoc Page
http://tlp.netfirms.com

Peter -
Great idea and likely most of us agree with this suggestion, but "toile" doesn't have enough time.

toile - if two NYC women, neither of whom own a car, nor had been behind the wheel of a car at minimum 5-years, could do 2-weeks through Provence and Languedoc, anyone can. The Michelin #528 (with every itty bitty road marked) will get you wherever you have to get to in Provence and the Cote d'Azur.

You're right, you have to make a decision and make it soon, as July is busy and lodging books up quickly if they haven't already.

Cigalechanta, Underhill, StCirq, myself and others have given you more than enough detailed info on places to stay, sites to visit, type of car to rent*, how to get to/fro - get the group together and make a decision, or you're likely to be staying home.

*your vehicle, preferrably two, should have sufficient room for luggage kept in the trunk; and two vehicles, as with a group there are going to be times when someone (or a couple) wants to go in one direction and others elsewhere.

Don't worry about seeing all of France or all of anyplace else - unless you're a recent Lottery winner, you travel like everyone else. When you've got the time and money, you go.

Sandi,

We've found in recent years that getting a car with a real trunk is becoming increasingly difficult unless you want to pop for a Mercedes or BMW or something in that class. All our cars in the last few years have been of the hatchback variety (such as the Renault Laguna), but as yet we've had no problem. However, it does make me nervous. Any suggestions?

Underhill -

You're absolutely correct. But most cars these days, unfortunately, have small trunks (both Stateside and elsewhere).

Believe we had rented the first level "automatic" which was small with hatchback trunk. Managed to get all our luggage inside and headed directly to AIX, where we checked-in and then kept nothing in car but guidebooks, map and umbrellas.

We found the best thing to do under these circumstances is get to your next destination, drop the luggage, then go touring with only the passengers. Went from Aix to St.Remy (dropped bags), then to Nimes (dropped bags), and same for Carcassonne and onto Toulouse.

But with 4-people in a car the luggage situation is difficult, and no way around it unless no one is allowed to bring more than a 22" rollaboard. Not! It's just important not to stop anywhere when you have luggage inside - it's just a matter of being cautious. And a break-in can sure put a damper on a trip.

I got a car with a real trunk just a couple years ago in Provence from Europcar with no problem. It was an automatic with AC, and in the next-to-smallest category, probably. It was about the size of a Toyota Corolla or something and was pretty cheap. It was some model of Alfa Romeo.

That may be the problem--we don't rent automatics, as my husband prefers a stick shift in France.

On two previous trips we rented the least expensive "standard" shift cars, both w/ a/c, as my partner (male) preferred that - we had no problem with luggage fitting and believe we actually had a trunk - they were both Puegots.

When traveling with female partner we went with the "automatic".