driving in provence
 

hello fodorites,

a quick question about driving in provence...

we will be there for a week and are renting a car in avignon. our base will be a gite outside of carpentras. we have decided on day trips every day in/around the area.

we have two guidebooks and michelin map #527. i am planning to buy at least one or two more detailed michelin (or other) maps while we are in paris (before hitting provence). we do not have a GPS and aren't planning to get one.

do we need to get detailed directions from viamichelin or mappy for our destinations?? or will the roads be easy enough to navigate with our various resources?

we are planning to hit the following towns (in no particular order):

Venasque
Abbaye de Senanque
Gordes
Avignon
Pernes Les Fontaines
Oppede
Menerbes
Lacoste
Bonnieux
Roussillon
Goult
Orange
Seguret
Crestet
Malaucene
Vaison la Romaine
Mont Ventoux
Gorges de la Nesque
L'Isle sur la Sorge
Les Baux
St. Remy
Pont du Gard
Uzes

thank you for your help!

With that itinerary, you will indeed be driving in Provence - <i>a lot</i>. I wonder if you will have enough time to do some sightseeing between road trips.

However, to answer your question, I didn't have much trouble getting around with a standard Michelin map and no GPS.

With the Michelin maps and a guidebook you should do just fine. Roads are good and well sign-posted.
I don't think you will need detailed directions in addition. As an alternative, you might pick up the Michelin atlas once you're in France or some of the more detailed local maps.

Just a suggestion: you ight think of cutting your itinerary back just a bit. Even with a week that's a lot to try to visit. Driving off major roads can be slow.

The only place where you may have a problem is Carpentras, which can be quite confusing, but generally any good road map will suffice. Destinations are usually well sign-posted.

You do have a lot of places on your list for 1 week but it may not be as daunting as it appears if you are comfortable with driving excursions most days.

If you want to visit most of these places, take a some time to group them into a logical order so you don't do too much back-tracking. For example, you can cover several of your nominated places in a circuit of the Dentelles de Montmirail - Seguret, Crestet, Malaucene, Vaison la Romaine, and maybe Mont Ventoux as well, comfortably within one day. Vaison has a good market Tuesday mornings.

Please realize that it's important to spend quality time (and not hit and run) in these places. Don't try to cover every single one.

Be sure to linger and enjoy...

Try to sample some of the famous nougat when you are coming through Sault (near the Gorges de la Nesque). Boyer is right in the town center.
http://www.nougat-boyer.fr/

P.S. I hope that does not count as advertisement. Unfortunately, I have no ties with that enterprise :-)

Driving is easy in Provence...Michilin map is good...round abouts are well marked..watch speed on mountain roads as radar is increasingly used.

Hi Lil,

&gt;do we need to get detailed directions from viamichelin or mappy for our destinations?&lt;

Yes.

For 7 days, you have listed 23 cities, towns and villages, some of which need 1/2 day.

At least look up the routes you are planning to see how may hours of driving it will require each day.

My rule of thumb is that no more than 4 hrs should be spent on the road if you plan to visit.

Also, the Michelin site can tell you if there is road work going on.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Driving will be the least of your problems. The roads are good, the maps are accurate, the signage is excellent.

Your itinerary is rather mad, though. I envision you racing through Provence with a checklist, ticking off names as you fly by these places. Not my idea of a vacation, but to each his own.

'Way too much. Why do that!! Pick 5 or 6 places and really really enjoy them. Sit in a cafe and drink the wine.
For example, Uzes has wonderful potteries. We spent a day there exploring them.
YOu will be checking these off your list as you pass by.

hi fodorites!

thanks for all the feedback!

i should have been more clear ... i'm not sure that we'll hit all the towns listed! i just figured that we would list out the ones we're interested in seeing and then figure out how much we want to do when we get there.

i'll definitely be picking up another map/atlas/something while in paris.

thanks!!!

We've spent many weeks in Provence - 8 of them close to Carpentras. You won't need a GPS or pre-printed routes. Like someone mentioned, getting around Carpentras is a little tricky because the ring road is one-way &amp; if you miss your exit, you'll have to circle town again (we've done that).

Here is how I would group the places you want to visit. Since you're staying in a Gite, I'll assume you'll be arriving on a Sat around 4:00

Sat - arrive &amp; purchase Gite provisions. There is a hypermarche in carpentras, or a smaller grocery in Bedoin.

Sun - leave Carpentras by 7:30 &amp; get to l'Isle sur la Sorgue around 8. head to the church &amp; have coffee &amp; croissants while watching the vendors set up shop. Then visit the market. After lunch somewhere, visit Gordes &amp; Roussillon.

Monday - return to the Luberon &amp; visit Senanque, Oppede, Menerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux. As you pass Pernes on the way back to the Carpentras area, determine if you have time for a visit. If so, pick up a walking map at the tourist office &amp; do the short or long &quot;fountain walk&quot;

Tuesday - Malaucene (short visit), Crestet, Vaison, Seguret.

Wed. Sault (I thhink Wed is market day - but check), Gorges de la Nesque, Mt Ventoux.

Thurs - St Remy, Les baux (1 hr away)

Friday - Uzes, Pont du Gard (1 hr away)

Didn't/couldn't fit in Orange or Avignon. As others have mentioned - you probably won't be able to see everything on your list unless you're a &quot;dawn to duk&quot; tourist with few stops for a leisurely lunch or iddle time at a cafe.

Visit Venasque on 1 of the 2 trips to/from the Luberon if you have time. It's in a very scenic region.

Stu Dudley

&gt;&gt;unless you're a &quot;dawn to duk&quot; tourist with few stops for a leisurely lunch or iddle time at a cafe.&lt;&lt;

That's dusk not duk, &amp; idle not iddle

Stu Dudley

hi stu,

thanks so much for the proposed itinerary!

we have actually arranged to arrive @ the gite on a tuesday; but really, your suggestions are fairly spon on regardless.

thank you!!

hah - that's SPOT on, not spon on!