How to do Provence in the second week of July?
 

In the spur of the moment, I just booked tickets to Paris for July 3 with the objective to go Provence.Normally, I would never go to France in July, but it would be my big birthday that time of the year, and I always wanted to see lavender fields; and I just saw decent airfare, so decided to book. So, we will arrive to Avignon (train from Paris) stay for a couple of days in Avignon, rent a car, and tour Provence. We have 10 days (flying back on July, 14). We would probably like to do a day in Arles/and a day to Camargue.And after that, we would like to see Luberon villages and tour Lavender/Sunflower fields (Sault, Valensole Plateau).I am looking for help to understand where to base ourselves. Do we need one base, or two or more bases? Any tips on accommodations would be really appreciated.Also, I realize it is middle of the summer, and perhaps there will be a lot of people doing the same thing as us. So, I would also appreciate some tips on how to avoid large crowds. We really like driving, so going somewhere of the beaten path (or just not crowded) would be really nice.

Thank you in advance!

Just a bit on booking trains -though you seem to be a veteran - but if not and for benefit of others - book ASAP at www.oui.sncf for serious discounts over full fare but they are limited in number and can sell out way early. Book at www.oui.sncf - www.seat61.com has erudite advice on doing just that - for general info trains and where to go with them - www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

to base off the beaten path check out Gites de France - vacation homes often in small villages that are rented out by week or more usually -

https://en.gites-de-france.com/searc...non-84007.html

Hopefully Stu Dudley - a Fodors expert on this area will chime in.

Thank you PalenQ! This is a great tip, I would not even think about this.

We rarely travel in Europe by train. I need to figure out where a train station is in Paris (need to transfer to airport), and then figure out train schedule.

Yes, I know Stu... He has helped me a lot in the past. However, I no longer see him being on site or chiming in.

I wish I had a copy of his Provence itenararies

I saw Stu on here last week so hopefully he will chime in. We visited a few years ago and followed a lot of his advice. We stayed at Bed and Breakfast - Luberon B&B - Provence - a beautiful inn located in the Luberon Park in the heart of Provence.. We loved it and the area. The hosts were very helpful. We were able to drive to many of the Luberon villages and saw lots of lavender. We did not see many crowds of people and driving was very easy. Hope you have a wonderful trip. It is a beautiful area.

We flew into a Paris and rented a car ( on the outskirts). We stayed in Burgundy a few nights, stayed in Vaison la Romaine and then on to the Luberon for a few nights. We then went on to Nice and flew out of there. We had a great trip. Hope you do too.

Stu is here and just posted today on another Provence thread.

Trains to Avignon-TGV station leave from Paris' Gare de Lyon and go direct via Lyon. There are major car rentals at Avignon-TGV station from what I've read.

I'm here.

I would spend half your days in St Remy & the other half in the Luberon. Not Avignon - too much ugly sprawl you'll have to drive through on your comings & goings.

E-mail me at [email protected] for my newest Provence itinerary.

Stu Dudley

PS - we rent our gites more than 1 year in advance for June travel. I suspect just the dregs will be the ones available for early July this year.

Stu Dudley

Oh, this is great. Thanks PalenQ, Sberg and Stu for replies! So helpful!

I will look for switching to St Remy instead for Avignon. I thought only to stay there one day on arrival.

Stu, I am so glad you are here on this stite. I still remember and appreciate how much you helped me with my trip to Dordogne valley

I know I should of planned for this trip much earlier, but this was not a planned trip. Hoping to find something decent.

PalenQ, this OUI site told me I am too early, not bookable yet. I selected Avignon TGV as a destination, I think this is what I need to select (from Paris airport station).

Do I have to buy tickets for a specific time or they are flexible?

We're going to be in Provence for 10 days mid-June and I booked our Roissy CDG to Avignon tickets on loco2.com. The tickets go on sale three months out and I was able to get 1st class for just 6 euros more than the cheapest available fare. Check on trainline.eu also, I found the return tickets to Paris cheaper on trainline than on loco2, even though it was exactly three months before the date of travel. Maybe each site has only a finite amount of tickets for sale?!

As Stu says you want to move fast to book your accommodation, we booked early November last year, so maybe the better places will all have been taken. We're staying just at the one place, its about 20 minutes north east of Avignon near Mentoux, we plan on driving to the Luberon, Point du Gard, Camargue, etc, I don't believe any place is more than an hour's drive or so away.

We'll be rather early for the lavender fields, but am keeping my fingers crossed they bloom earlier than usual this year!

No reason anymore to use third party booking sites as the newly revamped French Railways site www.oui.sncf apparently works wonderfully folks say - previous one www.voayges-sncf.com did not for foreigners. Go to the source and yes the deepest discounted tickets are not flexible but are train-specific and if you miss train you're out- thus booking in conjunction with arriving by air means you have to leave a lot of extra time in case planes late, long lines at Immigration, etc.

To answer your question, you are buying a reserved seat on a specific train, but you do have the option of buying the cheapest (nonrefundable/nonexchangeable) ticket, a semi-flexible ticket (refundable/exchangeable under certain conditions), or totally refundable ticket. Obviously there is an attendant price scale.

But changing such tickets can be problematic in case of arrving late by air - the train you want must have seats available. So even a full-fare fully flexible ticket may not mean you can just plan to change to next train - and read the conditions of changing (as StCirq mentions) and when such changes must be done by, etc.

For example is a fully refundable ticket refundable after your train has left - I am no expert on this but only suggest that you find the answers to those possibilities - if needing to change or cancel before trains leave may be hard if on a plane. StCirq and other French rail experts will know so ask if not clear.

Staying in Paris the first night can mean you can recover from jet lag and enjoy the train ride the next day and you can comfortably book the cheapest discounted tickets the next day from Gare de Lyon and ther is a phalanx of hotels right by that station. Just something to consider - especially if thinking of picking up rental car at Avignon-TGV station same day you take train from CDG. (Not sure of your plans to stay in Avignon one day on arrival or head straight away to StRemy which would make things a lot smoother than staying one night in Avignon then reloacting next day. Just drive there from Avignon-TGV station when refreshed the next day, perhaps.

Geetika, PalenQ, StCirq,

Thank you so much for your help! I do understand now, and I will put on calendar to buy train tickets next week (3 month in advance).

We will arrive to Paris early in the morning, so I think I can pick out a train that gives me several hours layover between plane arrival and train departure. I would rather not to spend a nigh in Paris this time. I assume, in the worst case scenario, if we miss a train due to unusually long arrival delay, then I would be able to buy a ticket on the same day, paying a full price, and still get to Avignon.
My original plan was to stay overnight in Avignon on the arrival day, and then another day to explore Avignon. After that, I was planning to rent a car, and drive to Luberon for 6 nights. Then, I was planning to spend 3 nights in St Remy, and on last day - drive back to Avignon, return a car, take a train back to Paris, and fly out on the same day late at night.

Is Avignon worth a day of exploring?

Geetika, fingers crossed, you may get both - poppies and lavender in bloom

Our trip a few years ago involved flying into CDG in the late morning and taking the TGV from the airport to Avignon and staying two nights at the Novotel next to the train station so we had a day to explore Avignon. Rented a car the next morning and drove to Roussillon, where we spent something like 3 or 4 nights so we could explore the Luberon. We than moved to St Remy for about 6 nights before training to London, than home. St Remy was just the right size for us in that there were enough restaurants to eat at night and there was a local large supermarket for easy food shopping. Also easy to get in and out of and very central to much of that area of Provence.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...184bf08c89.jpg

Coquelicots early June
Yes,of course Avignon is worth at least a day of exploration (google its history or read a few books).

Poppies are a fairly early-spring phenomenon here in France. I have never seen them overlap with lavender.You can't have it all. Here are poppies last spring, early June, long before the lavender.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...184bf08c89.jpg

Coquelicots early June
Yes,of course Avignon is worth at least a day of exploration (google its history or read a few books).

Poppies are a fairly early-spring phenomenon here in France. I have never seen them overlap with lavender.You can't have it all. Here are poppies last spring, early June, long before the lavender.n

Those poppies are beautiful! I did not think they co-exist with Lavender, but I am reading Stu Provence guide (what a wonderful reading!) and he says they saw both in Mid June.