Help with Provence
 

Thinking of a 2 week trip dates are arrival 10/4 and departure 10/17

starting in London for 3 days 10/4 to 10/7

Then taking train to Paris for 3 days. 10/7 to 10/10

Then thinking of taking train to Avignon and picking up a rental car

Should I base the rest of time in st remy or move to another area in Provence?

We have been to London and Paris many times, but have not been to Provence in 15 years.

I can get a flight home from marseille. I am thinking that would be better than going back to Paris

Any suggestions would be appreciated and what do you think of this time of year? We like weather in 60 to 70 s
Thank you
Dac

We spent a week in St. Remy as a base for Provence in March 2007. We loved it as a base. We also flew out of Marseilles. We had an early morning flight so left the day before after lunch and drove to Cassis where we enjoyed exploring the town and had a nice dinner. Then returned the rental car at the airport and spent the night at a hotel right near the airport.

My only other suggestion would be depending on what area of Provence you visited last time you may want to stay in a different area.

ttt

St. Remy (alternatively: Arles or Les Baux) are strategically located in the center of Provence. From there, you can reach practically every destination within an hour - and driving through beautiful scenery is an attraction in itself.

To the Northwest, Pont du Gard is a must-see attraction.

To the West, Nimes has the most spectacular Roman heritage, followed by Arles.

To the South, drive to medieval Aigues-Mortes and have a horseride through the Camargue marshes (most recommendable).

Right near St. Remy, you have the picturesque ruins of Les Baux, more Roman heritage (Les Antiques) and the scenic Alpilles mountain chain.

To the East, you may drive to Abbaye de Senanque, the Colorado of Rustrel and the Borie villages near Gordes.

To the north, Avignon is worth a day (esp. the Papal Palace).

Further North, Orange and Vaison-La-Romaine have more Roman excavations (if you are not tired of ancient stones so far).

IMO no neeed to change bases.

Thank you jgg and traveler for taking the time to give me advice.

And St Remy itself is a great village - Glanum ruins, the Saint Paul Asylum where Vincent van Gogh created some of his most famous works, the Wednesday market, galleries, ateliers and great restaurants & cafes. And also, on the way to Les Baux is the Carriere de Lumieres - a wonderful experience. We also drove north to Chateauneuf du Pape for some winetasting.

St. Remy is a great base...virtually all the major, most-popular sites and villages are within an hours drive. And yes, we have tons of nice restaurants, galleries, shops and cafes. It's such a pretty village I always feel good recommending it and everyone loves it. And yes, fly home from Marseille if you can, rather than train back up to Paris. October tends to be beautiful, weather wise. Have a great trip!

We did this trip a couple of years ago also in the fall and spent an entire week in Gordes. Upon reflection we wish we had split the week between Gordes and St. Remy. We stayed at Mas des Romarins which we really liked. They have a sister hotel in St. Remy called Mas des Carassins.

Good idea to fly home from Marseilles.

I agree with everybody that St Remy is perfectly located and has a lot to offer. Your timing is really nice since it will get quieter and the weather should still be nice.
If you want to stay updated on what's up in St Remy and around, you can check this blog
http://saintremydeprovencetourism.blogspot.fr/
Hope it will help