Early Planning Stages - Tentative Provence / Riviera Itinerary
Mar 27th, 2009, 11:17 AM
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Early Planning Stages - Tentative Provence / Riviera Itinerary
I'm looking for some advice on allocating time for a visit to Provence and the Riviera. This is now the third time I've tried to plan a trip to the south of France in the past five years, we wound up having to cancel the prior two so I'm hoping the third time's the charm!!
The time frame is late August and into September. I'll already be in Paris, but my husband will be flying in to CDG and the plan is to catch the TGV to Avignon, pick up a rental car, and drive to our first overnight stop. We'll have 22 nights total after my husband's arrival in France.
Here's what I'm considering:
-5 nights - St. Remy - use this as base for visiting Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzes, Arles, Avignon
- drive from St. Remy to Riviera - 6 nights Riviera (probably Villefranche as a base)
- drive from Riviera to Luberon - 5 nights Luberon - unsure of a base here - perhaps Roussillon area - visit Roussillon, Isle sur la Sorgue, hill towns of Luberon, Abbaye de Senanque, Les Bories.
- drive from Luberon to Cotes du Rhone - 5 nights in the Vaison la Romaine area - spend time relaxing and exploring Cotes du Rhone villages and wineries, Chateauneuf du Pape, Orange, drive to Mont Ventoux; possibly also Gorges de l'Ardeche and/or daytripping into the Drome Provencale. (I'm wondering though if I should take a day from Luberon and give it to Cotes du Rhone ... seems as if there may be more to occupy us here? Although we'll go to a couple of markets, we're not all that big on them so that'll be a very minor part of the trip.)
- then - drive from Vaison la Romaine back to Avignon TGV station, drop car, take TGV back to Paris, overnight in Paris before catching our flight home!
I'd like to visit Cassis too, but it doesn't appear to be a reasonable day trip from any of our overnight bases ...
How does this look? Would anyone suggest re-arranging any of this, or allocating the number of nights differently? Thanks in advance for any advice!
The time frame is late August and into September. I'll already be in Paris, but my husband will be flying in to CDG and the plan is to catch the TGV to Avignon, pick up a rental car, and drive to our first overnight stop. We'll have 22 nights total after my husband's arrival in France.
Here's what I'm considering:
-5 nights - St. Remy - use this as base for visiting Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzes, Arles, Avignon
- drive from St. Remy to Riviera - 6 nights Riviera (probably Villefranche as a base)
- drive from Riviera to Luberon - 5 nights Luberon - unsure of a base here - perhaps Roussillon area - visit Roussillon, Isle sur la Sorgue, hill towns of Luberon, Abbaye de Senanque, Les Bories.
- drive from Luberon to Cotes du Rhone - 5 nights in the Vaison la Romaine area - spend time relaxing and exploring Cotes du Rhone villages and wineries, Chateauneuf du Pape, Orange, drive to Mont Ventoux; possibly also Gorges de l'Ardeche and/or daytripping into the Drome Provencale. (I'm wondering though if I should take a day from Luberon and give it to Cotes du Rhone ... seems as if there may be more to occupy us here? Although we'll go to a couple of markets, we're not all that big on them so that'll be a very minor part of the trip.)
- then - drive from Vaison la Romaine back to Avignon TGV station, drop car, take TGV back to Paris, overnight in Paris before catching our flight home!
I'd like to visit Cassis too, but it doesn't appear to be a reasonable day trip from any of our overnight bases ...
How does this look? Would anyone suggest re-arranging any of this, or allocating the number of nights differently? Thanks in advance for any advice!
Mar 27th, 2009, 12:56 PM
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I would be tempted to start in Nice and just work my way over to the Luberon, St. Remy etc. You might even consider taking the TGV to Nice from Paris and then TGV to Avignon a few days later, and not even picking up the car until you get there unless you really want one in the Riviera. You could also start at Avignon and do all of your visit except the Riviera, then drive to Nice and take the TGV from there back to Paris.
Also, you may want to think about your specific datesin your case since late August is very busy in both areas but September is much less crowded-so you may want to plan carefully where you are in August versus September. For instance, the Cotes du Rhones area will be a lot less crowded than the Riviera or Provence-so maybe you want to spend the time in August there if your dates fall close to the August/Sept. return from vacations and then go on to Provence and Nice. Given where you want to visit, if it isn't too expensive I would tempted to return the car from a second city rather than go back to Avignon TGV.
The places you mention as bases are all really nice. It sound like a great trip no matter which order you take it in. I hope it works out this time!!
Also, you may want to think about your specific datesin your case since late August is very busy in both areas but September is much less crowded-so you may want to plan carefully where you are in August versus September. For instance, the Cotes du Rhones area will be a lot less crowded than the Riviera or Provence-so maybe you want to spend the time in August there if your dates fall close to the August/Sept. return from vacations and then go on to Provence and Nice. Given where you want to visit, if it isn't too expensive I would tempted to return the car from a second city rather than go back to Avignon TGV.
The places you mention as bases are all really nice. It sound like a great trip no matter which order you take it in. I hope it works out this time!!
Mar 27th, 2009, 11:11 PM
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That's good advice about taking the TGV to and from Nice and Avignon, it will save you a good bit of doubling back. You could do St. Remy - Cote du Rhone - Luberon - Cote d'Azur in that order and then either the TGV back from Nice, or even look into a shuttle flight from Nice to Paris which will save you an all day on the train.
As for Cassis, we go quite often just for lunch and a stroll along the sea (or a hike in the Calanque). It's a very easy day trip - a very pleasant and scenic 1 1/2 hour drive to get there.
-Kevin
As for Cassis, we go quite often just for lunch and a stroll along the sea (or a hike in the Calanque). It's a very easy day trip - a very pleasant and scenic 1 1/2 hour drive to get there.
-Kevin
Mar 28th, 2009, 11:19 AM
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Ordinarily I should recommend you start in Nice, work your way to Avignon and depart from there as early trains from Avignon can get you to CDG in time for many departures.
The problem with the above is I suggest you stay as far away from coastal areas as possible during the month of August the national holiday month. Doing so means starting in Avignon and departing from Nice. If you are trying to leave France from CDG, there are few if any trains from Nice which make a same day connection to CDG possible. There are inexpensive flights from Nice but I recommend any flight you consider taking into Paris is tagged to flights departing Paris. This precludes problems which may result from a CDG miss-connect.
Overall, travelling in only one direction should provide you with the time to visit Cassis, even if only for lunch and a quick boat trip to see les calanques.
Otherwise your itinerary is very good. As a personal choice, I do not find St. Rémy sufficiently compelling to use it as a base for 5 days (or at all actually). I might select a location in the Luberon as a base for the period of time spent exploring Provence. There are gites or chambres d'hotes around l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Roussillon, or Gordes which I would find preferable.
The problem with the above is I suggest you stay as far away from coastal areas as possible during the month of August the national holiday month. Doing so means starting in Avignon and departing from Nice. If you are trying to leave France from CDG, there are few if any trains from Nice which make a same day connection to CDG possible. There are inexpensive flights from Nice but I recommend any flight you consider taking into Paris is tagged to flights departing Paris. This precludes problems which may result from a CDG miss-connect.
Overall, travelling in only one direction should provide you with the time to visit Cassis, even if only for lunch and a quick boat trip to see les calanques.
Otherwise your itinerary is very good. As a personal choice, I do not find St. Rémy sufficiently compelling to use it as a base for 5 days (or at all actually). I might select a location in the Luberon as a base for the period of time spent exploring Provence. There are gites or chambres d'hotes around l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Roussillon, or Gordes which I would find preferable.
Mar 28th, 2009, 12:23 PM
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I think your choice of St-Rémy as a base to see Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzes, Arles, Avignon is a good one, though not necessarily staying in St-Rémy itself.
I don't know why you go all the way over to the Riviera before going to the Luberon which isn't far from St-Rémy.
Don't take a day from the Luberon - it's worth every minute.
In going to Mont Ventoux, be sure to take in Brantes...
I don't know why you go all the way over to the Riviera before going to the Luberon which isn't far from St-Rémy.
Don't take a day from the Luberon - it's worth every minute.
In going to Mont Ventoux, be sure to take in Brantes...
Mar 31st, 2009, 06:39 AM
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Thanks all for your comments.
I did have a rationale (but maybe not a good one?) for going from St. Remy to Riviera then back to the Luberon ... which is that although ideally we'd have flown out of Nice and left the Riviera for the end of the trip, we're flying on FF tix and the choice was into and out of Paris or nothing. We don't think we want to spend 6 hrs on the TGV from Nice back to Paris plus waiting time at the station - it seems like we'd basically lose the majority of the day to travelling, and then travel all day the next day too, to get home.
Via Michelin is telling me it's roughly a 3 hr drive between Provence & Nice, which didn't seem so bad because then it doesn't seem like a whole day is lost to travelling, plus the 3 hr drive would be book-ended on each end by 5 / 6 night stays in each location, so it seemed more appealing to stick the Riviera into the middle of the trip and then catch the TGV back to Paris from Avignon, at only 2 hr 40 mins. But since everyone is telling me that's a stupid idea, I guess I'll start looking into prices / options for flights from Nice back to Paris to see if that would be feasible and within our budget!
I did have a rationale (but maybe not a good one?) for going from St. Remy to Riviera then back to the Luberon ... which is that although ideally we'd have flown out of Nice and left the Riviera for the end of the trip, we're flying on FF tix and the choice was into and out of Paris or nothing. We don't think we want to spend 6 hrs on the TGV from Nice back to Paris plus waiting time at the station - it seems like we'd basically lose the majority of the day to travelling, and then travel all day the next day too, to get home.
Via Michelin is telling me it's roughly a 3 hr drive between Provence & Nice, which didn't seem so bad because then it doesn't seem like a whole day is lost to travelling, plus the 3 hr drive would be book-ended on each end by 5 / 6 night stays in each location, so it seemed more appealing to stick the Riviera into the middle of the trip and then catch the TGV back to Paris from Avignon, at only 2 hr 40 mins. But since everyone is telling me that's a stupid idea, I guess I'll start looking into prices / options for flights from Nice back to Paris to see if that would be feasible and within our budget!
Apr 1st, 2009, 12:25 PM
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Since much of the trip is Provence, and if you don't want TGB to Nice (the 6/hrs goes quickly) why not just take a short flight from CDG/NCE. Rent a car to visit around the Riviera and hill-towns. Then work your way west. On the way you can visit Cassis, then into Provence. End in Avignon for flight or TGV to CDG.
Les Bories, as I recall is in the Luberon area. Someone correct me, if I'm off!
Les Bories, as I recall is in the Luberon area. Someone correct me, if I'm off!
Apr 1st, 2009, 12:37 PM
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I think the OP is probably referring to the "Village des Bories" just outside of Gordes. It's a small group of bories than have been restored and turned into a sort of open-air museum with lots of info on life in a borie village, etc. It's not a bad thing to check out, though I'd just recommend saving the 5-odd euros and going for a nice hike in the hills behind St. Saturnin where you'll see plenty of bories in their natural state (no tour buses around) and get a bit of excercise while yo're at it !
-Kevin
-Kevin
