HOME BASE IN PROVENCE
 

Can anyone suggest a good "home base" in Provence? I've heard St. Remy is pretty centrally located...

Krisall,<BR><BR>St Remy is a very nice little town located abotu 25 miles or so South of Avignon. It is quaint, has some nice restaurants and is near the Greek and Roman ruins and it serves as a nice gateway to some of the little hill towns. <BR><BR>However we chose Avignon and we were not disappointed. We spent 10 nights there last Septmeber. We took day trips by car to Chateauneuf du Pape, Orange, Isle Sur La Sorgue, Aix, Rousillon, Gordes, Lacoste etc. We took the train to Arles.<BR><BR>We liked Avignon because it was bigger and had more to choose foro. <BR><BR>You will however find posters that are proponents of both as well as Aix and Arles.<BR><BR>All would be acceptable.<BR><BR>US

If you like cities, I would recommend Avignon or Arles (actually a large town). FOr something a bit quieter and less traffic, but still with a wide selection of restaurants and shops - St. Remy or one of the surrounding villages - Maussane-les-Alpilles (where I live) or just outside of Les Baux.<BR><BR>The villages are easier to get in and out of and are very centrally located for visiting just about everything.<BR><BR>Aix is really too far east for ease of day trips to most of the sites.<BR><BR>PB

A small correction to "Uncle Sam"s post... St. Remy is 22 kilometers south of Avignon - not miles.<BR><BR>PB

PB,<BR>Thanks for the info. I actually stayed in Mausanne last year when I was in Provence. Such a small town...quite a coincidence! I was with my family so we rented a house. This time, I need a hotel so Mausanne is kind of too small. Are there even any hotels there? I remember really liking St. Remy but wanted to make sure that was a good, central place to be. I loved Mausanne! Drinking coffee in that little square, driving to get goat cheese every day from the family up in the vineyards, rose wine in the afternoon...heaven! My parents are going back in June to stay in the same house but this time they are leaving me at home :(<BR>Hopefully St. Remy will be as rewarding an experience. Thanks again!

Following Rick Steves advice, we stayed in Arles and were very happy.Really neat city core with lots of dining and shopping, There were a lot of locals in the central area as well as tourists.<BR>Location is good and ingress and egress was easy because the town is compact.<BR>Good local sites and color to make Arles a stand alone destination.<BR>A must for Van Gogh fans.

<BR>Krisall,<BR>&lt;&lt;Mausanne is kind of too small. Are there even any hotels there? &gt;&gt;<BR><BR>Off the top of my head I can think of at least eight hotels in and around the village. At last count we had eighteen restaurants....<BR><BR>If you went to get goat cheese from the farm, you drove past my house...<BR>PB

PB,<BR>Who knew there we so many hotels in Mausanne? I'd love to stay there again! I will look on the internet for hotels, unless you can give me the names of the less expensive ones. I'll be there 8/23 - 9/2 and regardess of where I stay, I am definitely going back for my goat cheese:) So funny that you live on the road going up there. I will definitely be in touch before we arrive!<BR>

Krisall,<BR><BR>Here are a couple that are very nice and not expensive. I've thrown in a lovely B&B as well - it's on the 'route du Destet" - just above the road you'd take to go to the cheese farm.<BR><BR>Val Bausssenc<BR>Small comfortable hotel decorated in Provencal style - views of the countryside. Rooms on the ground floor have terraces. Pool, handicap access, restaurant.<BR>21 rooms from 89 - 106 euro<BR>Closed 1 November to 1st March<BR> Tel: (33) 490 54 38 90 Fax: (33) 490 54 33 36<BR><BR><BR>Hotel Aurelia <BR>New hotel, small rooms, but very neat and clean. Nice bathrooms. A/C, Pool, handicap access (I recommend the rooms over looking the pool - the other side is near a main road)<BR>11 Rooms from 84 - 106 euro<BR>Tel: (33) 490 54 2254 Fax: (33) 490 54 20 75<BR>email: [email protected]<BR><BR>B&B - Mas des Fontaines -<BR> Outside of the village, at the foot of the Alpilles in an olive grove, lovely views.<BR> 5 rooms. Pool <BR> Tel: (33) 490 54 22 81 <BR>Fax: (33) 490 54 22 83<BR> [email protected]<BR>(sorry, I don't have their rates for this year yet)<BR>Email me whenever you like.<BR><BR>Patricia

Krisall,<BR><BR>Here are a couple that are very nice and not expensive. I've thrown in a lovely B&B as well - it's on the 'route du Destet" - just above the road you'd take to go to the cheese farm.<BR><BR>Val Bausssenc<BR>Small comfortable hotel decorated in Provencal style - views of the countryside. Rooms on the ground floor have terraces. Pool, handicap access, restaurant.<BR>21 rooms from 89 - 106 euro<BR>Closed 1 November to 1st March<BR> Tel: (33) 490 54 38 90 Fax: (33) 490 54 33 36<BR><BR><BR>Hotel Aurelia <BR>New hotel, small rooms, but very neat and clean. Nice bathrooms. A/C, Pool, handicap access (I recommend the rooms over looking the pool - the other side is near a main road)<BR>11 Rooms from 84 - 106 euro<BR>Tel: (33) 490 54 2254 Fax: (33) 490 54 20 75<BR>email: [email protected]<BR><BR>B&B - Mas des Fontaines -<BR> Outside of the village, at the foot of the Alpilles in an olive grove, lovely views.<BR> 5 rooms. Pool <BR> Tel: (33) 490 54 22 81 <BR>Fax: (33) 490 54 22 83<BR> [email protected]<BR>(sorry, I don't have their rates for this year yet)<BR><BR>You can also look at the website for the village - www.maussane.com<BR><BR>Email me whenever you like.<BR><BR>Patricia

PB,<BR>Wow! Thank you so much for the hotel info. I'm happy to hear that there are hotels in that area. It's funny - I actually emailed with you a few years ago when I was supposed to go to Provence with my boyfriend (we broke up and I ended up not going) - but you were a huge help back then too and my family used your notes on our trip last summer. If you ever want New York City advice or need a place to stay, let me know. I will let you know where in Mausanne we decide to stay. We should definitely meet for some coffee:)<BR>

Krisall or PB where is that farm, I am a chevre lover and didnt know of this place.

Mimi - You will have to get the name of the farm from PB - I only know how I used to drive to it. It was probably the best cheese I've ever had - we ate so much of it at night we were full by the time dinner came around. Definitely worth going to. No more fodors chat room for me...it is making hate my cubicle more than usul. I need to be in France! :)

topping for me<BR>

Mimi,<BR><BR>The goat cheese farm - it doesn't have a name as such - is off the old road to Mouri&egrave;s. Back near the part of the mountain where everyone hikes and does 'escalade' (rock climbing) you would take a left (there's a small sign that says "fromages de ch&egrave;vre".<BR><BR>The family is originally from Switzerland and they have one of only two herds (in France) of a certain type of Swiss goat. For the past couple of years Madame sells her goat cheeses at the market in Maussane on Thursday mornings.<BR><BR>Patricia

Aloha all from Hawaii,<BR><BR>I love staying in Arles. It's quiet and pretty, and yes, there are a good amount of locals as well as tourists. I have stayed at the Hotel Gauguin, but the proprietors (Monsieur & Madame Dugand)whom I loved sold it. Has anyone<BR>stayed there since?