We are driving through Provence on our way to the Riviera from Burgundy. I have researched books at length and have been SO grateful for all the valuable advice from the fodorite experts on this forum (including Stu's 20+page itinerary!--thanks again, Stu). Even though we have to save Provence for another trip, I want to get a taste of a few highlights and have narrowed it down to a few towns, hoping to get some more advice. The problem is that I got too much information and now can't decide!!!

We will be doing this drive on a Sunday (no choice, there), getting an early start and approaching the Orange area no later than noon. We don't have to be in St. Paul de Vence until 5 or 6.

Now..
How much can we do?
And which might not be worth it on a Sunday?

I've narrowed my choices to the following:
Gordes
Les Baux
St. Remy

I'm afraid the Pont du Gard is too out of the way. I liked the advice I got of saving thebigged cities (Avignon, Aix) on a later trip when we can base ourselves in Provence.

Any advice or recommendations are, as always, VERY appreciated. Thank you! Dina

Both the St Remy/les Baux and the Gordes/Luberon selections would be excellent. Shops will be open in St Remy, Les Baux, and Gordes on Sunday.

If you want to see what brings me back to Provence most years, do the Gordes & Luberon route. Follow the drive through the Luberon that I outlined in the itinerary I sent you. Stop & visit Roussillon & Goult. You will have to modify the drive a little, because the drive is a loop - starting & ending in Gordes.

Leave Bonnieux over the Combe de Lourmarin, visit Lourmarin, and then head off to St Paul.

St Remy & Les Baux are great places to stop, but I think the countryside in the Luberon is prettier.

Stu Dudley

Reminder - since you are traveling with your belongings, be sure they are secured in the trunk; leave nothing in the car you don't want to tempt anyone.

The countryside in the Luberon is prettier, though I truly enjoy St. Remy and Les Baux. However, on Sunday, regardless which route you choose, wherever you stop will be busy with locals and tourists.

Mark your map before you start out to be sure which national roads you need once you get off the Peage; local roads can have you going in circles in both areas.

Toss a coin!

Stu-
Is is possible to squeeze in either St. Remy or Les Baux, and then head to Gordes and do the Luberon drive?
And, should we add L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue since they have a Sunday morning market? (How early would we have to get there?)
If so, we'd have to sacrifice Roussillon, Goult, and/or Bonnieux, and just enjoy the drive.
What do you think?


Sandi-
Thanks for the tips.

>>Is is possible to squeeze in either St. Remy or Les Baux, and then head to Gordes and do the Luberon drive?<<

I think you could do that. If you're doing this on a Sunday from about May 1 to Oct 1, I would visit St Remy instead of Les Baux - mainly because the parking is very difficult at les Baux & it takes a little more time getting there. However, Les Baux is different from anything you'll see on your vacation. St Remy is a little like St Paul with all the shops etc. Not every shop will be open in St Remy - but most will.

Actually, Gordes is a nice town to visit - but it's really more specatular just viewing it from a rock platorm across the gully. You could just drive there, view from the platform, drive to the Gordes parking lot below the short hill to town, and turn the car around and continue driving through the Luberon. I think you will actually enjoy the "inside" of St Paul more than Gordes. You can see almost all the other "perched" villages in the Luberon this way also - with the exception of Roussillon and Goult, which do not offer the same view from outside the town as Gordes, Bonnieux, Oppede, Memerbes, and Lacoste do. You can drive through Menerbes and get a good picture of what it's like - same with Bonnieux.


>>And, should we add L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue since they have a Sunday morning market? (How early would we have to get there?)<<

That's probably not doable if you plan to get there after about 10:00. Parking is difficult/impossible after 10, and it is VERY crowded after about 10:30 from May to Oct. Most of the vendors (except the permanent antique shops) close up by 1:00. It would be too time consuming to try to add l'Isle sur la Sorgue to the schedule, IMO.


Stu Dudley

Les Baux isn't really a town--it's fabulous ruins with a view with a small village with shops and a few restaurants as you walk up the hill. I wouldn't miss seeing the area of the ruins, however, and you can do it in two hours. Try to go near sunset.

Oh, Stu,
what would I do
without you...
Thanks!
I think we'll skip L'Isle sur la Sorgue, and unless we get to Provence early enough, we'll choose St. Remy over Les Baux for this trip.
I'm now researching through Mappy if it's possible to incorporate part of your lavender route into the Luberon route... will keep you posted.

Underhill-
Can't believe you're trying to help me plan MY vacation while you're on YOUR vacation. Hope you're having a wondeful time!! I think we'll save Les Baux for our next trip, when we CAN be there at sunset. Good tip. Thanks.

Dina

>>>I'm now researching through Mappy if it's possible to incorporate part of your lavender route into the Luberon route... will keep you posted.<<

I don't think you would have time to leave Burgandy, dive to St Remy for a visit, tour the Luberon by car, take even an abbreviated "lavender route", and then head to St Paul & get there by 6:00. Lavender fields "move around" a little as they get removed and replaced by either "baby" lavender, or wheat. There are some mice fields in the Luberon valley that you will pass as you follow my Luberon drive itinerary. I remember a very nice one just below Saignon - however, it may have "moved" since I saw it in '03.

Stu Dudley

Mice fields, yikes, I don't want to go there! Just kidding,Stu.

Stu and Underhill are your experts, but I'll give you my little opinion only having been to Provence once. If I were deciding between St. Remy and Les Baux, I would choose Les Baux. I loved St. Remy and plan to base ourselves out of there our next trip, however it is a town somewhat similar to others you will no doubt see. Les Baux, for me, was just such a highlight, I would not have wanted to miss it. We were there in early October and it wasn't busy at all, we had no trouble finding parking. If you're there during summer, that would be a completely different issue. And, you'll drive right past the Antiquities which you could make a quick stop (or Glanum or the asylum where Van Gogh lived). annieladd

St-Rémy and Les Baux are about 15 minutes from each other - no reason you should have to skip either one. And unless you're a shopaholic, you needn't spend much time in Les Baux. It's small and steep. Just park, walk up the hill, check out the château and grounds and walk back down. Voilà!

Agree with Stu on Gordes. You don't need to go all the way to the top of the hill, if you just want to view it from a nearby spot. Stores and restaurants are similar to others you will encounter, however seeing the old town from a vantage point is spectacular.

Ok. Here's the new plan...
We will try to get there early to do St. Remy and then do Les Baux quickly (we'll save our shopping for other towns, St. Cirq) (and good point about Les Baux being so unique, Annie). Then we'll do Stu's modified Luberon drive (hoping for blooming lavender on June 24th), just "driving by" Gordes, stopping only in Goult, and then driving by LaCoste, Bonnieux, and Lourmarin to the expressway and on to St. Paul de Vence.
Thanks everyone!
Dina

>> Then we'll do Stu's modified Luberon drive (hoping for blooming lavender on June 24th), just "driving by" Gordes, stopping only in Goult, and then driving by LaCoste, Bonnieux, and Lourmarin to the expressway and on to St. Paul de Vence.<<

Try to add in Oppede (drive by), Menerbes (drive thru), and then follow the "smaller" road to Lacoste (D3) - I think this section is exceptionally pretty. Perhaps skip Goult to save time, if you need to.

Stu Dudley

Thanks again, Stu.
(Is Goult really different from St. Remy or from places we'll see near St. Paul?)

Stu, may I get your list of recommendations for the Provence?

Also, annieladd, we're considering renting Villa Luberon in Robion next year. May I ask you a few questions about it?

mf1 @ fromherz.us

Thanks much,
Markus

Dina4

Goult is less touristy than Gordes, St Paul, St Remy etc. and therefore has some "features" you won't find in other towns. However, it's not that different - skip it if you need to make up time.

If you follow my itinerary from Gordes, to Oppede, to Menerbes, Lacoste, and then to Bonnieux, you will see that after Bonnieux, you are next to the road you take to get to Lourmarin & on to St Paul. If you continue on the itinerary to Roussillon and then to Goult, you will be back-tracking a couple of times & perhaps loose 1 hr in doing so. I suspect you will need to save that 1 hour. If you have not seen lavender to your satisfaction, after driving thourh Bonnieux, take the D149 north towards Roussillon. In '03 there were a couple of really nice Lavender fields along this road before it hits the N100. This drive is equally a visit to some pretty villages, and a drive through lovely countryside with vineyards & lavender.

MarkusF - If you want me to send you my itinerary, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll send it to you as an attachment.

Stu Dudley

Thanks again, Stu.

Markus-- get is itinerary. It's amazing and fun to read!