Exploring Provence
 

Going to Provence in November - what city / town should I use as a base that would be centrally located?? Avignon looks interested, but I have heard it is crowded. We do not want to stay on the coast. Any suggestions??

Either Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. You won't find lots of tourists in November.

Aix is a student town so you see aloft of them about.
As beautiful Aix is, I stayed in Avignon, as a non driver because of buses and trains. I wasn't sorry. Better restaurants
and sights to see.

Aix is not centrally located to see the top sites in the Provence region - it is a long way to the Pont du Gard, Uzes, Vaison, etc. Avignon is more central, but it's a large city with some unsightly urban sprawl that you'll have to drive through. St Remy is smaller & also centrally located - but it may be a little dead in November - however, we've never been there in Nov.

Will you have a car??

Stu Dudley

Another vote for the area around St. Remy and Les Beaux de Provence. The most centrally located area for major sites in this region.

I would probably vote for Avignon. Avignon is a university town just as much as Aix, if you care about that. I would also say both Avignon and Aix are equally crowded, they are about the same size.

I for one really don't care for St Remy at all. If you want crowded, go there, not to mention much more difficult to get around and poor transportation options. It's a lot more expensive and where a lot of rich people hang out. I really don't like it. It's very difficult to find parking there, also, even in some lots that have spaces, they told me I wasn't allowed to park there if I didn't have a residential permit. This was a lot that was 3/4 empty and far from the center, actually.

Avignon is most definitely not crowded in November, and it is the best base if you are not driving. If you are driving, you can stay in a smaller place like Arles.

St-Remy isn't terribly crowded in November, either. No place in Provence is, really.

St-Remy can be a PITA in high season, as it's the mecca of just about every American who heads to Provence. To me, that doesn't necessarily lessen its appeal, as I am often there in low season, when the market and shops are full of locals, not tourists, and you can park and get around without a hassle. I've never had a parking issue there, actually, even in mid-summer on market day.

I don't recall parking issues in Saint Rémy, I'm sure there was a car park near to the centre (near to tourist office?)from where we walked around and it was during June. One of the best lunches we had on this trip was in Saint Rémy at Les Saveurs de Provence.

I loved St. Remy --especially for place we stayed -- Provence Paradise. We were there in June and never had problems with parking. Nice shops and restaurants and centrally located for sights throughout Provence. Thought it was great!

St Remy is my favorite. Though I loved staying intown(Hotel Les Ateliers) There are wonderful choices outside the main town.

I never had trouble parking in Saint Rémy, even in the middle of the summer.