Help with our Provence Itinerary
 

We (my husband and I, in our late 60's) are flying into Nice on 9/14 and will spend our first night there; we've spent time there before. On the 15th we'll either train or drive towards Avignon. My thought is the train would be quicker and make more sense but please give me your input. If we take the train, we will rent a car in Avignon and have 5-6 nights in the area. The places we are interested in seeing are: Arles, St. Remy , Isle sur la Sorgue, Lourmarin, Roussillon, Les Baux, perhaps Pont du Gard and perhaps Vaison la Romaine. I am just beginning my research but I'm getting paranoid about making hotel reservations.

Do you think we should pick one base or two? We prefer smaller towns and I was thinking of St. Remy and Roussillon but are they too close together? Also, any places you have stayed in the area that you recommend? Again, smaller inns or bed and breakfast places, in the $125-$175 range would be preferred.

When we leave the area, we will be going to the Loire Valley, and again I think taking the train there and then renting a car makes more sense than driving all the way. We will have probably 2 or 3 nights in this area before turning in the car and taking the train to Paris for our final 4 nights. I'll come back to ask questions about the Loire once I get the Provence part done.

Thank you for your input and please let me know if you have any questions.

We visited many of the towns you named on a cycling trip that departed from Avignon and finished in Fontaine de Vaucluse. We stayed in Avignon, in a country hotel near Les Baux (le mas d'aigret) and then in the Hotel du Poete in Fontaine de Vaucluse. Fontaine de Vaucluse is just a little further than Isle sur Sorgue and a bit smaller, but it was a charming little place and the Hotel du Poete was a real highlight. Breakfast is served outside next to a rushing stream. That could be a base for visiting Gordes and Roussillon and it looks like it is right in your price range. We stopped to walk around Isle sur Sorgue and I was very glad we were staying in Fontaine de Vaucluse. Isle sur Sorgue felt a lot busier and wasn't as charming for us.

For another base I think St Remy would be nice. We just stopped there for lunch before our trip up to Les Baux, but it had a few good restaurants and looked like a pleasant place. The mas d'aigret was nice but there is not much around it.

If you are going in the direction of the Pont du Gard, Uzes was a beautiful town, especially the market. I would definitely look into it if you can get there on a Saturday morning. (On our trip we first visited Nimes by car, then stopped in Uzes and the Pont du Gard before arriving in Avignon).

Thanks so much, Palatino. I will definitely consider your suggestions. I had thought about Uzes as it looks beautiful and we should be able to be there on Saturday morning.

When we were there a couple of years ago, we spent 3 nights in Gordes and then 3 nights in St. Remy which was perfect for us. I get a bit bored staying in the same place for more than 3 days. Even through the two towns are close together, it allowed us to explore different areas and eat in different places.

Isle sur Sorgue has a very busy Sunday market.

We canoed Pont du Gard and had a picnic which was loads of fun. We then visited Uzes to have a drink and just relax after our adventure. Beautiful village.

Look up comments by stu Dudley and email him directly for his 50+ page itinerary for Provence. You will be very happy you did.

Plug your dates into Mas des Carassins and see if they have any availability for your dates within your budget. VERY nice country inn and walking distance to town (St. Remy). As I recall, St. Remy is about 35 minutes from Rousillon.

Thanks to both of you; zorro, I got Stu's itinerary yesterday and plan on going over it carefully tomorrow. It should be really helpful.

If you take the train and then rent a car, you may be paying twice for transportation on those days. This may be fine with you, just a thought.

Mimar, you have a good point. Looking into this further, it looks like the drive from Nice to the Avignon area might not be too bad. Michelin says about 3 hours. Thanks.

Mas de Carassins is above our budget and their cancellation policy is harsh, but I see Mas de Tourterelles also in St. Remy, well-reviewed on Booking.com, and more reasonably priced. Has anyone stayed there? If so, is it walking distance to town?Thanks again for all your help.

Bookseller I just checked some of the TA reviews of Mas de Tourterelles and people say it is walkable into the town. Alert - one person cautioned about the attic room, but otherwise the reviews are glowing.

Thanks again Palatino. I think we'll book this since we can cancel with no cost.

My parents stayed there in 2010 and loved it.