BooFit

shelemm Thanks for the suggestions on places to visit in Fontaine de Vaucluse. We will be visiting and including some of the sites mentioned. We are early morning people, so making an early start is not a problem for us at all.

I am going to try get my hands on a copy of Village in the Vaucluse by Laurence Wylie and hopefully find time to read it in the coming weeks when I am in Sydney.
I read this article which gives an insight into the book:
https://travelerstales.com/homage-to...-the-vaucluse/

BooFit

FTOttawa I went onto the site and did a search, Auberge de la Camarette is not available for my dates, and looking at their FaceBook page, it seems their restaurant is not open yet and they are only offering themed menus or cooking classes on certain days.

I am currently looking at Airbnb places (seems easier for me to navigate) and will be staying in/around St Remy or to its north for 6 to 7 days and using that as a base to explore areas such as Arles (will go on a Saturday for its market), Nimes and Pont du Gard, Avignon as well as the Cotes du Rhone area. I am hoping to include Vaison-la-Romaine for its Roman ruins in one of those days...

After the first 7 days or so, I plan on staying somewhere around Rousillion and using that as a base to explore the Luberon region. Depending on what the weather is like I would hope to visit the lavender fields. As suggested, I will go to Tourist Information offices for local information on how the weather has brought the flowering along at various elevations/places.

BooFit

StuDudley - your itinerary has such good information and suggestions -- thank you so much! I had a quick read but will need to go through it in greater detail when I come to do my planning which will be after I have sorted out accommodation at the places which I intend to use as a base.

I did indeed, and have taken note of that. Right now, my thinking is to allocate just one or two days for Aix at the end of this Provence trip. What are my plans for Aix?? I did some initial research and did not find any thing of much interest for me in Aix, particularly since we are not big into shopping, and in any event we are leaving for Portugal after Provence and do not want to be carrying a lot of "purchases" around. We are more interested in scenic and historic sites, in good food and wine and in general just wandering around soaking up the atmosphere and people watch. If we are in Aix on a Sunday or Monday, we will do a walking tour (either with a guide or following Rick Steves' Aix-en-Provence walk), have a nice long lunch and maybe visit the Fondation Vasarely as shelemm suggested..
I am interested in post-impressionism art (hence am looking forward to visiting Arles) and may also consider doing a self-guided walk following in Cezanne's footsteps or even booking a visit to his studio (which I understand is open every day of the week but requires booking in advance).

shelemm

For those who don't care to read the whole article, I am always amazed at how the book begins:“Thirty-five miles east of Avignon on National Highway 100 is the turnoff to Peyrane. From there up to the village’s nine-hundred-foot perch it is three miles on a gently rising blacktop road. By car it takes only forty minutes to go from Avignon to Peyrane. It is even an easy bicycle ride if the wind is not blowing.

“Without a car or bicycle the trip is complicated. The only bus that goes directly leaves the bus station under the old Avignon ramparts every Thursday morning at eight o’clock. It does not follow the main road but meanders from village to village and reaches Peyrane only in midafternoon. Seven hours to go thirty-five miles!”

The book was recommended to me before my fist trip to Provence. At the time, it was commonly read in Sociology departments in the US. In a way, it changed my life. To this day I am always drawn to a taste of village life in Europe. Cities can be spectacular, but the glory of Europe is in the villages.

If you seek out a copy, realize that there are updated versions, with chapters added even 25 years later showing what has changed (or hasn't) in the village.

FTOttawa

BooFit, sounds like you have an excellent plan. You could expand your Luberon search to Lourmarin and Bonnieux (Friday morning markets) as well as Apt, Oppčde and Manosque (Saturday morning markets), bearing in mind the fun of waking up there on market day. Apt and even more so Manosque begin to put Valensole and Moustiers Sainte Marie into play…but perhaps you prefer to concentrate on the Luberon itself with so much to offer.

BooFit

Whew! Finally got my bases sorted out! Thanks to all who kindly offered advice on this thread!

I have booked 3 places for this trip. My requirements for accommodation were (1) air-conditioned; (2) Bed size: at least a queen; (3) preferably 2 rooms or a bigger space for us to "spread out and relax"; (3) quiet surroundings; (4) car parking on site or within very close walking distance; (5) views and (6) very good reviews.

For the first 7 days we will base ourselves in the St Remy area. For the next 5 days in Bonnieux. For the final two days in the Loumarin area. We will have private gardens and a private pool for the last two days (the place is simply wonderful and has received over 60 reviews with all full marks), and we may just enjoy staying in and skip Aix altogether!

Now the next step is to flesh out the outline of our itinerary!! AND make reservations at nice restaurants

BooFit

One question please: is Google maps reliable as a GPS when driving in Provence or should we rent a GPS with our rental car?
Should we get paper maps? (In 2003 when we drove round Spain for a month we relied solely on paper maps!)

FTOttawa

I'm in love with paper maps, particularly the Michelin series with scenic routes outlined in green.

The last time we rented a car, just pre-pandemic, a GPS screen was factory equipment, no need to pay. Handy feature: it flashed up every change in speed limit.

AJPeabody

Some rental cars already have a GPS, although you may have to pay to access it.

zebec

'I'm in love with paper maps, particularly the Michelin series with scenic routes outlined in green.'

Me too FT! Those are really indispensable and are always part of our brought map collection.

OP BF, you could also gain a bit more input from our 'Provencal Echo' TR or its associated foto essays here such as ''D'Aix' or 'Cuckoo for Cucuron'. Our other similar imagery for Uzes, Avignon and Lourmarin will appear further down the road.

I am done. the lavender

Underhill

Try looking at chambres d'hôte for lodgings. These are rooms, some small, some large, in or adjacent to the owner's home. The several at which we've stayed have been interesting, comfortable, and enhanced by the presence of local owners who enjoy sharing their knowledge. Breakfast usually comes with the room and sometimes dinners can be had by advance reservation. We particularly enjoyed our stay at one near the small town of Mouans-Sartoux, near Grasse, where the host liked to cook and made crępes for us one morning. At another the hostess gave me French lessons.

BooFit

Thanks FTOttawa , AJPeabody and zebec - I think I will get some Michelin maps. I too am a fan of paper maps

Underhill - I stayed at some of those for my earlier trips and loved it. They enhance the travelling experience for sure!

ties333

Hello Stu, would it be possible to send me your Provence itinerary by email? [email protected]

Many thanks!
Regards, Matthijs

jan47ete

A fodorite offered books on Provence late last year and I took her up on her offer (if you are reading this please message me your address as check came back addressee unknown). If you would like them, I would love to pass them along. PM me ASAP. I say that as I live outside the US and will be going there in 2 weeks and will be able to mail them to you.

BooFit

Hi jan47ete ,Thank you so much for your kind offer. I don' live in the US (although parts of my family do) so it will not be possible to mail the books to me in the US. I have got Rick Steves' book on Provence (and Portugal as we will be going there after Provence), and his books have helped a lot! I have also paid heed to Stu's advice to get Michelin maps, so have ordered them as well.. Am also doing research on the internet, although I feel I am progressing slower than expected because I sprained my knee whilst here in Sydney (visiting daughter, son in law and my 5 month old bundle of joy).

Enjoy your stay in the US!!

starrs

"Do you have my 35 page itinerary for Provence & the Cote d'Azur? I've sent it to over 3,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at my Fodors name at AOL and I will attach a copy to the reply e-mail."

Hi Stu,

I've emailed to request your guide. Thank you for all of the information you share here!

BooFit

Update:
I had a meniscus injury and had to cancel my trip to France and Portugal. My knee was swollen and painful and I could not walk without severe pain. Orthopaedic surgeon said I was not fit to travel. The knee seems to be getting better (very) slowly -- I have turned down the option for surgery and am hoping to try conservative means first.

Thank you to all who helped me with planning my itinerary, I hope I can visit Provence soon...

Keep well!

geetika

Oh no, a meniscus injury can be quite painful, hope you get better soon. Sorry about having to cancel, but there will be other trips. Take care and get well soon 😊

jpie

I realize that you have had to postpone your trip, and I am so sorry to hear that. My DH and I are similar in age and had to cancel a Portugal trip pre-covid three years running-it was disappointing but necessary.

But for others reading this I just wanted to say that we did a month long driving trip last fall in that area and google maps handled it all without a hiccup. We love maps, but with "old eyes" trying to use them for navigation is getting harder and I personally prefer google maps to most of the gps systems I have used.

magsrose

BooFit I'm sorry to hear of your injury and this trip to Provence has been canceled or postponed. I read through many of the posts here and am now inspired to revisit Provence. I went as a 20-year-old during a study abroad (20 years ago) and we stayed in and visited many of the places you have mentioned here. Today is an American holiday so I took the time to pull out my old photo books to remind myself of our adventures. We had a home base in Aix, which I absolutely fell in love with. We experienced a festival for the calisson sweets where they were being handed out in the streets. I was excited to see your interest in the Cezanne connections to that area. If I go back, which I think I will, I will definitely visit his studio and do all things Cezanne while I'm there. Speaking of art, at the Aix market (Saturday or Sunday, maybe?) I bought an original artwork that I've cherished ever since and has hung in my bedroom for 20 years. As a starving student, it was a splurge to buy that and I'm so glad I did. A favorite memory is sitting out in a cafe late into the night with my classmates.

Arles was another favorite visit. After experiencing Arles, you can really appreciate Van Gogh's art. I was so excited to see the stands selling Santons there and I added an angle to my family's nativity. Pont du Gard and Fountain de Vaucluse were stunning. Gordes was probably the gem of the region. At that time, I'd never seen something so picturesque and quaint in my life. Avignon felt lively and colorful. Many of the girls on my trip bought traditional tablecloths there. Someday when I go back, I want to time it better to see the lavender. I hope this trip can still happen for you!