We're a family of 4 looking to rent a house in Goult in the Luberon for a week this summer. Our main requirement is that we'd want to be a very easy walk to the center of town; a house with charm/views would be a bonus. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have!
(And thanks to stududley - if you read this - for your great Luberon tips elsewhere on this forum.)
P.S. The Maison Rose in Goult, which was suggested in another thread, is unavailable for the week we're going to be there.

http://www.vacation-rentals.org/p8666.htm

Hopefully, Kevin Woodrow who posts here will see this because I think he stayed in Goult. I remember him posting the menu of the café La Poste.

Thanks for your quick reply, cigalechanta, as also for your other helpful posts that I've been discovering today!

Well, I thought I'd decided on Goult as our base for a week in end-June, but I just got a response saying that a house I'd been looking at in Roussillon has become available. It's very close to the village center AND it's got great views towards Mt. Ventoux, so I may end up going with that. But I'd be curious if any of you have thoughts on Roussillon instead of Goult?

My only concern about Roussillon in comparison to Goult is that it sounds much more touristy (I assume it'll be pretty crowded in end-June). On the other hand, my teenage kids would probably prefer a place with a little bit more buzz (not to mention a pizzeria and creperie), and tromping around the ochre quarries would be fun, so perhaps Roussillon would be a good compromise. Have any of you actually stayed in Roussillon? I'm curious whether it becomes significantly less touristy after the hordes vanish at the end of the day - I remember staying in San Gimignano in May which was packed during the day but magical in the late evening. And having read about Roussillon in A Village in the Vaucluse, I have to say I'm intrigued by the thought of staying in the village that's the subject of Laurence Wylie's book, even though the era he described has long since passed.

krishnan, Roussillon is a busy place during the day. It's completely understandable, considering how richly attractive it is, but you might find it a bit crowded during the day. However, if you're making day trips to other places in the Luberon, you may find yourself away from the village during the busiest times.

Does the house you're looking at in Roussillon come with a dedicated parking spot? If not, you'll have to find street parking (something that I didn't see too much of when I was there) or a municipal lot. There are at least two of those, both of which charge by the hour, although they may be free overnight. It might be worth asking the person from whom you are renting about parking arrangements.

Goult is virtually silent by comparison, although also a very attractive little village. There are very few stores oriented solely towards tourists. The two municipal parking lots are free, or at least they were when I was there in the fall of 2003, and I think you'll find it very quiet at night.

It's a hard choice. Personally, I'd choose Goult over Roussillon as a place to stay, but our days of travelling with a teenager are gone now, so you may give more weight to local amenities.

Anselm

If it's not in the center of the village, it will be fine. You rarely see anything for rent exactly in the village, I myself don't mind staying in the thick of things. Both locations are so close to other villages worth seeing. I love Mt. Ventoux, have stayed at the foot of it several times.

Krishnan -

You would be hard pressed to find two neighboring villages so different one from the other.

As others have said, Roussillon is really unique in its beauty but will be packed with tourists. At night, the ambiance is more calm though there is still enough activity to make it fun for teenagers hanging out at a cafe. Many restaurants from which to choose and you have the ochre cliffs to walk around (though I recommend much more highly the Colorado in Rustrel).

Goult is decidedly quieter. Also very pretty, though not uniquely so, like Roussillon. Great hike to do in Goult through the agricultural terraces.

If you go with Roussillon, just be aware that the old village is high up on a cliff and places can be physically close, but still leave you with a major hike to get into the village. If you have the exact address of the place you are considering or the web site, I can let you know as we live just nearby.

And you will be shocked when you see how much Roussillon has changed from what Wylie describes. Still, a great read !

-Kevin

Thanks to all of you for your responses, and to Anselm and Kevin for joining in - its nice to have this group of Provence heavy hitters weighing in!

Kevin, here's the link to the house in Roussillon
http://www.gite.com/la-cachette
The house meets our main criterion of being an easy walk to a bakery/cafe, and also has a terrace with a lovely view. If you have any thoughts after seeing the website, I'd very much appreciate it.

On the point about the parking: the house does come with a parking sticker good for all village parking lots, but I don't know whether parking is likely to be still available if we go out for the morning and come back midday - I'll have to check with the owner.

At this point the Goult vs Roussillon is somewhat hypothetical, since I haven't yet found a house-with-a-view that meets our needs in Goult. Kevin, cigalechanta mentioned that you may have stayed there - do you have a rec? And other than Goult, I've also looked at Saignon, which appeared a little more authentic and less overrun with daytrippers than Roussillon/Gordes/Bonnieux. (in fact, I thought I was all set months ago when I booked a lovely place in Saignon - yes, walk to the square, views, charm - but I just heard from the owner a couple of days ago that they are likely to be selling it and so I'm on the hunt again - the silver lining is that I've discovered this great forum meanwhile...)

That gite looks very nice and it seems to be "far from the madding crowd." Saignon would be another good choice. We have stayed there at "The Room with a vue(chambre de séjour avec vue) and the Hotel Presbytere. Another year in nearby Silvergues at a goat farm.
Several posters here have rented houses in Saignon and loved the area and village as we do.

Krishnan -

I took a look and the place looks very nice. You will be right in the heart of Roussillon, so expect the crowds, but going to a cafe, out to eat, etc will be a snap. Nice view too - right over the valley where we live! Only downside I can see is that there isn't a pool - which is nice to have in the summer.

I think Cigale may have confused us with someone else as we have never stayed in Goult, though we know it quite well.

-Kevin

Yes, I think I did because I thought you posted the café menu. Pardon

Cigale -

Je t'en prie !

-Kevin

Ah Rousillon, the place I blew my entire travel budget on film -- well, almost. There isn't a corner you turn or a window you can look at that isn't totally picturesque. I'd assume with others that like places such as San Gimangnano, it may be crowded in the daytime -- when you're away -- but delightfully quiet at night. I'd go for that in a minute!

After reading your responses and trawling through a few more posts, I decided to go with a place in Goult. I'm sure either Goult or Roussillon would be great, but Goult appears to be less frequented and closer to an "authentic" Luberon village (not that such an animal is really likely to exist in June in the post-Peter Mayle era).

Thanks again for all your help - I'm sure closer to the date I'll be picking your brains again on specific things to do in Provence as well as for our week in Paris!