ieivan01

I will be traveling through Provence by car next week. Total stay: 3 days (base in Arles).

I wanted to see if Camargue nature park is worth the visit as I really want to see the following places: Avignon, Palais des Papes & Pont Du Gard, Uzes, Les Baux-de-Provence, Arles, St. Remy & Luberon. Also, how would you break these cities up?

Thank you in advance for your help.

StCirq

Well, I love the Camargue, especially Aigues-Mortes, but you've already got plenty on your plate for a 3-day trip, so I think you'll either need to forget the Camargue this time around, or forget something else.

The Lubéron is a day on its own. Arles and Avignon could each be a full day as well, though you don't have time for that. You might conceivably do St-Rémy, Les-Baux, Pont-du-Gard, and Uzès in a day, but it would be a full one.

PalenQ

The Camargue is a vast wasteland - in a nice way - a wild area known for its wild - well kind of wild small horses - just driving on main raods yields many signs for guided horse treks into the Camargue - from a 'Mas' or a farm - I've taken these and they last about two hours or less and you see the wild horses and this ruggedly romantic in its own way land.

So something very different.

kerouac

If you have the time, it is definitely worth seeing -- flamingos and wild horses! What is there not to like?

And then there is always Aigues-Mortes which I visited in July of this year. I made this photo report: http://tinyurl.com/aigues

PalenQ

Aigues-Mortes is an exception EXCEPTIONAL place well worth deleting some lesser place to see - do it with the Camarge and also see the mountains of sea salt being extracted in salt ponds along the coast.

cigalechanta

Pink Flamingoes, wild White horses, small black bulls
captivated me. I've visited several times and stayed in Aigues-Mortes there's a wonderful restaurant La Chassagnette
You sit outside by the organic farm and watch the butterflys hover over the herbs. Inside one wall is covered with bay leaves under chicken wire. A magical place.

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/a.../#.UhULi3DD_IU

PalenQ

Les Saintes Maries de la mer - though not nearly as awe-inspiring and historic as Aigues-Mortes, from which King s launched Crusades in medieval days, is nevertheless the town of the Camargue in many ways - on the coast just south of the nature preserve and if in the area around the end of May you can take in one of France's most colorful sites - the Parade of the Gypsies, who have gathered here for eons to celebrate their culture.

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/s...m#.UhUNmZLrz3g

ieivan01

Thank you for your responses!

StuDudley

We enjoyed Aigues Mortes on our first visit there in our early travel years (early 1980s). Since then, we've been back twice (staying overnight once) and it has appealed to us less & less on each visit - after visiting hundreds & hundreds of other interesting villages in Europe. The main square is quite nice and so are the walls. The main entrance to town through the tower is lined with some of the tackiest shops I've seen anywhere in France - but luckily, the street is short. As you get a few blocks away from the main square, the architecture gets much less interesting, IMO (we're architecture buffs).

We have lots of pink flamingos at our local zoo, and horses & bulls don't do much for me (lots of cows & horses grazing freely in the Pyrenees - actually walking & sleeping on the roads we're driving on). So - I'm probably the exception & I don't have any interest in the area. Others, obviously, do.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

a place like Aigues-Mortes to me exudes history - thinking of preparing here for Crusades and seeing the very docks they left from - I have not been in recent years but just remember a neat old port town - heck if you avoid all the places in France that have tacky commercial gauntlets you throw out Mont-Saint-Michel; Rocamadour (2nd most visited site in France outside Paris except M-s-Michel - throw out Notre-Dame Cathedral - all of the Riviera in season - Vezelay and especially Lourdes, etc.

Sometimes you have to overlook the schlock but again each to their own and no one's subjective opinion is any better than anyone else's - that Stu has visited several times more recently I give more credence to however and if I went back I may now too be appalled and turned off by the tacky entrance.

StuDudley

The tacky entrance does not bother us. Like you said - tacky stuff is everywhere - and we just ignore it. What bothers us is the lack of interesting building architecture that we see elsewhere in France. We were in Figeac (Dordogne area) last month - and, IMO, Aigues Mortes is not nearly as interesting architecture wise. We also visited 17 Bastide towns on our most recent trip - and many of them were more interesting than Aigues Mortes.

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

Stu, to each their own. I've never seen those creatures in my zoos. I would never discourage anyone from seeing the unique
but touristy places like Caracassone, Les Baux, Aigues-Mortes,
Gordes,so different than we would see here,

PalenQ

Yes nobody goes to those places anymore because they're too crowded! (Yogi Berra I think!) speaking of places like cigalechanta mentions - but touristy places like Caracassone, Les Baux, Aigues-Mortes,
Gordes to which could be added some of the touted bastides - at least the ones I have been to in August in the Dordogne - a lot depends on the time of year you visit.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. And yes A chacun son goute or is it Chacun a son gout? each to their own taste - no right or wrong here.

Christina

I've seen flamingoes in lots of places, like nature preserves in Mexico where they winter, or special parks in Florida. I come from farm country, bulls are no big attraction to me, either, I get it. I go out West a lot in the US, also, so need more to wow me, although I went by there once in France.

These kinds of questions are hard to answer as they are specific to a person, what they've seen elsewhere or can, and what their interests are. And how unique you think some thing is that you want to see on your vacation, is it worth your time investment on this trip? Sounds like the OP has never been to Provence before and has only 3 days. I wouldn't be spending it in the Camargue myself.

cigalechanta

Christina, go away when I post, since 1999,
you try to undo anything I post, you tell unfair news
and you have a constipated personality. I never attack posters like you do but you are such a nasty poster

StCirq

ieivan01, If you do get out to the Camargue, try to find a way to eat here: http://www.restaurantlatelline.fr/

cigalechanta

@StCirq, I hope the dog is still alive at Telline. My other favorite dog is no more at the Bistrou du Paradou.
@ the OP. if you have access to magazines from France,
This month's Cote Sud has a feature on Arles and dining there and the Camargue

michele_d

We enjoyed our drive through the Camargue. We were rewarded with a large grouping of the white horses so were very happy as that is what we went there for. We enjoy driving through nature areas so it was perfect for us. I would allow a couple hours to do the drive.

BowenLinda

I took a guided 4x4 tour of the Camargue out of Arles in May. Saw Spanish bulls, the Camargue bulls, lots of "wild" horses and many flamingos. 3 1/2 hours, a pleasant half day, would recommend visiting the area.

isabel

I visited all the places you mention this past July. I was based in St Remy and had almost 6 days. While I am glad I went to all of them, including Aigues Mortes,I have to say it was my least favorite. Driving from Arles to Aigues Mortes through the Camargue we only saw the horses and bulls from a great distance - way too tiny to really appreciate. I think you need to take side roads further into the Camargue to see the wildlife. And of course with wildlife it's always a gamble whether you will happen to actually see anything that day or not. And that would probably take the better part of a day. The town of Aigues Mortes does have impressive walls but the town itself was pretty boring to us. All the other towns you mention I found far more interesting. One thing you did not mention that we really loved was the Abbaye de Montmajor, just outside Arles.