StuDudley

>>Guy where do you live ?<<

Good point! I've lived on/very near the coast of California for over 50 years. We have no markets here like the ones in Provence - so while in Provence, we spend more time at the markets than we spend on the coast.

Agree that you will hear lots of American English in l'Isle sur la Sorgue - especially as the day goes on and more day-trippers arrive. Same with the St Remy market. Not so much at the Bedoin one. If you want to hear less English at the l'Isle sur la Sorgue market, go earlier - get there by nine.

There is less English at the Carpentras market - which is better for everything (IMO) except antiques.

Stu Dudley

Guy18

benjinho-I'd like to apologize for getting all opinionated and snippy above. I hate when others do it on this forum, and there's really no excuse.

I think Stu is right. What a local looks down on is sometimes exactly what the traveler has come to experience. I live in Florida and can't imagine spending a lot of money to come sit on the beach. But if I lived in cold weather half the year, I might want to do just that...This local/tourist polarity be a good idea for a thread!

Guy18

That should be "come in order to experience" and "might be a good idea for a thread."

39Steps

Hi Rainbow. On our first trip to Provence ten years ago we used Arles as our base, and this past summer we spent a week in St Remy. Arles will always be our first experience and hold a special feeling for us, - but I think St Remy would make a better base, particulary with a rental car. I'm also with Stu on preferring the Luberon as a base. As for Aix - love it, but it is not a good base area.

If it's my trip, I skip Collioure and go straight to Provence. Heck, I'd probably skip Burgundy as well, but I do understand the desire to see more places. And you've picked some great ones.

miel2384

bookmark

benjinho

Thanks Stu and Guy.
Yep I'm sure that Isle s/la Sorgue is definetely a new experience just like we frenchies get excited by Miami South Beach or old wonderwomen on Venice.
Anyway, St Remy and Aix are both towns that have to be visited.
To come back on the sea part, if you have not done the boat trip from Cassis, i would like to emphasize on it : definetely different from large US beaches (yeah of course, no running sexy and healthy women in red bathing suit but we have our own nice women on the beach ;o). Look at the following link to see les calanques (Seacost off Cassis)
http://www.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-golli...s/en_vau_1.jpg

Cheers

rainbow007

I truly appreciate ALL of your opinions and experiences. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I now have 7 guide books (1 Barcelona and 6 France or specific parts of France), and I have read most of the pages that seem relevant to our trip many times. Somehow, they don't paint a very complete picture for me. Many of the smaller cities and towns are barely mentioned. Maybe I'm having a difficult time because I want to plan an amazing trip that meets all of my travel companions’ expectations.

Whatever the case, the flavors and morsels of information that all of you are providing is what I'm looking for. It’s great to hear from people that travel to the area often like Stu Dudley -- you have the kind of practical advice that makes for a much better trip and a tremendous amount of detailed knowledge. It’s also great to hear from people who have only been to the area only once or twice -- maybe our impressions will be similar to yours. And it’s great to hear from people like Benjinho who make me think about things I had not even considered. (That picture blew me away!)

Your advice and viewpoints are helping me to find out what would be a good fit for us. Maybe 2 nights in Collioure, and use the extra day in the Provence area to fit in that boat trip to les calanques? Not sure, but I’m busy looking into many of your suggestions – others welcome.

Thanks!
Rainbow

benjinho

Yes 2 nights in Collioure, no more. Lovely place, Banyuls nearby is a nice scenic drive. If you go to Cassis, you will be able to compare them. With St Tropez (which is radically different), they probably are the 3 nicest fish harbour on the Mediteranean Sea.

cigalechanta

Cassis is what St Tropez was like long ago but getting there. At one time it was a favorite of the Fauvre painters. But it grew from a coral-fishing village to chic and artsy crafty. Taking a boat ride by the calanques is a must, those white cliffs between Cassis and Marseille. The cafés in the port are fun. I tasted my first fresh out of the shell sea urchins there.

StuDudley

>>Yes 2 nights in Collioure, no more. Lovely place, Banyuls nearby is a nice scenic drive.<<

Benjinho,

Rainbow will not have a car in Collioure - so she won't be able to take that lovely drive to Baynuls & see the grape vines on the very steep hills. Do you still recommend 2 days there, and 4 days in Provence, or do you think 1 day is enough - which gives her 5 nights/4 days in Provence??

I would only stay 1 night in the Burgundy area - in Dijon (take the train). That would give you 6 nights (5 days) in Provence which would allow you to spend a day doing the Cassis stuff.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

>>Do you still recommend 2 days there, and 4 days in Provence, or do you think 1 day is enough - which gives her 5 nights/4 days in Provence??<<

To be consistent with myself, that should read:
Do you still recommend 2 nights/1 1/2 days there, and 4 nights/3 days in Provence, or 1 night/1/2 day there - which gives her 5 nights/4 days in Provence?

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

too bad you can't make this year a Provence only to visit arles, stay in the Alpiles to see that part and on to the Luberon for those villages. There is so much to see in both area but if you touch and go you can't get a good impression. And those are only a part of Provence.

StuDudley

Personally, I would skip Collioure entirely and head to Provence, but if you want to visit Collioure, this schedule would work:

Leave Barcelona at 8:00am from Sants, or a little later from the Passage Grazia station (we got on there - closer to the center of town). Arrive in Collioure at 11:00am. Stay overnight, and next day leave Collioure at 12:45 and arrive in Avignon Center at 4:00pm. This would give you one full day in Collioure and you will arrive in Avignon with enough time left in the day to do something.

Leave Avignon TGV at 12:40, and arrive in Dijon at 3:30 just as shops open up after lunch.

Leave at 6:30 the next morning and arrrive at CDG at 8:20 for your flight home.

Stu Dudley

rainbow007

Good morning! Thanks, Stu, for taking a look at the logistics of this trip. Based on the many recommendations, I thought I’d try to outline an itinerary that incorporates suggestions from postings/replies and my notes from guide books.

For now, I’m going with 2 nights in Collioure because I think we will need a “vacation from our vacation” at that point, after 8 days in Paris and Barcelona. If we need to shave a day off somewhere to add to the Provence part of our trip, I’d rather subtract one day from Beaune/Dijon (although I was looking forward to some wine tastings and maybe a tour).

I’ll show the Provence portion day by day, because that is the part that involves driving, and I’m not sure if the activities and travel times are reasonable. Also, this itinerary assumes we will stay in St. Remy within walking distance of the town.

Day 1 (Saturday) Arrive Paris (2 of foursome arrive on Sun.)
Hotel in 6e.
Visit Lourve, Orsay Museum, Eiffel Tower, walk around historic center (Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame), Arc de Triomphe, market streets (rue de Buci, rue Mouffetard or rue Cler) picnic riverside, stroll Luxembourg Garden, nighttime boat trip on Seine, day trip via train to Palace of Versailles.
Depart Paris Thursday, flight from Orly at 10:30

Day 6 (Thursday) Arrive in Barcelona El Prat at 12:10
Hotel – (budget-minded in L’Eixample?)
Stroll Ramblas, visit Sagrada Familia, other sites? (have not read much about Barcelona yet).
Depart Barcelona Sunday, train from Sants (need to check stations and schedules)

Day 9 (Sunday) Arrive Collioure train station
Relax, stroll around town, enjoy views, car rental possible in town at Renault garage if we want to take drive.
Depart Collioure Tuesday, train to Avignon at 12:45 (center or TGV? Cars at TGV?)

Day 11 (Tuesday) Arrive Avignon around 16:00, rent car, drive to St. Remy, check-in at hotel, drive to Les Baux for stroll and dinner.

Day 12 (Wednesday) Early walk to St. Remy market, then Luberon Hill town drive, lunch and dinner along the way, return to St. Remy.

Day 13 (Thursday) Early to Aix-en-Provence for coffee, pastry and stroll along cours Mirabeau, on to Cassis for lunch, boat trip to les calanques (have not found boat information yet – times, length of trips?), dinner in Cassis or return to St. Remy for dinner?

Day 14 (Friday) Early to Arles to explore, lunch in Arles and maybe more exploration, on to Pont du Gard (better in afternoon or in evening for light show?), dinner near Pont du Gard or St. Remy?

Day 15 (Saturday) Depart St. Remy for Beaune (with four people, is driving easier and less expensive, any scenic drives?), lunch in Beaune, then March aux Vins wine tasting, maybe a wine tour, drive to Dijon and turn in car, check-in Dijon hotel.

Day 16 (Sunday) stroll around Dijon, maybe Musee des Beaux Arts, travel companions to have lunch or dinner with their friends in Dijon.

Day 17 (Monday) Leave Dijon station at 6:30, arrive CDG at 8:20 for flight home.

This is the first time I’ve tried to put it all together – let me know what you think!

Thanks,
Rainbow

katzen

bookmarking

StuDudley

>>(center or TGV? Cars at TGV?)<<

I think the train from Collioure goes to the city center train station. We've rented many cars at the TGV station.

You may not make it to Beaune for lunch.

Did you know that there is wine tasting in Provence? Read the itinerary I sent you. Chateauneuf du Papes makes pretty good wine, as does Gigondas. The area around Gigondas is very scenic - one of my favorite regions.

Most, if not all, the shops will most likely be closed in Dijon on Sunday. See if you can get a hold of Coco to verify this - she lives there.

Stu Dudley

JoeG

Rainbow,
The TVG station in avignon is a modern facility with easy access to the rental car companies. They are all grouped together similar to how they are set up at newer airports in the states. it's a very short walk from the station.

Uzes is a town close to Pont du Gard with a bunch shops and dining choices.

I would consider skipping Aix if you want to spend any time at all in Cassis.

JoeG

nono

Still researching all the Provence towns for accomodations.Bookmarking this.
More posssibilities in Arles or St Remy?
Stu,where is the itinerary I read about?
Thanks,Nono

abbydog

I may have mentioned this already, but Mas de la Christine (see www.masdelachristine.com/index_us.htm) is a wonderful B&B centrally located near Arles and St. Remy. Great if you like sheep and a bucolic setting that's still extremely convenient. I also stayed in Arles at the Forum Hotel, right on the Place du Forum, which I enjoyed (although driving there is pretty wild) -- great staff!

cigalechanta

In Arles, I've stayed at the Calenal, and the Nord Pinus.
In St Remy, in townat at L'Hotel, Les Ateliers De l'image