Also I meant to add the trying to stay in Cannes itself during the FF could prove expensive and very challenging to find a place, but you may find places not too far away and just visit to see some of the festivities that go on.

Also, you might do better to pick up a car from the Nice airport in terms of price-although it is the opposite end of town from where you are going that day.

However, if you got the car at the airport, you could go up to the hills and visit St Paul de Vence, stay in the hilly route and go on to Menton and then come back by the coastal road and end the tour in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Ezes and back into Nice. The drive is only around 3 hours but with all the stops that would be a whole day. The big thing to visit in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild which is really impressive-we liked it more that we thought we would. The Villa is lovely but I find I remember the garden and views even more: http://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/exp...exterior-villa

Vence, with the Matisse Chapel and St. Paul de Vence city (similar to Ezes) and the The Maeght Foundation are all great.>

Both easy by public bus from Nice - I emjoyed the few-mile walk from Vence down to St Paul de Vence a lot - rather bucolic given the setting and comes right out to Maeght Foundation, outside of the town.

Thanks a lot for all the insight. Will really look at Vence to make it fit into the Nice portion of the trip.
What you guys think about Gorges and St. Remy as bases for the second part of the trip?

We stayed in Avignon just for an overnight last July - the Best Western. Easy access, you drive right into the car park. And great location. It was during the Avignon festival; great atmosphere, and it was not a problem to get there and park. We really enjoyed Avignon.

What you guys think about Gordes and St. Remy as bases for the second part of the trip?>

Great smaller town bases - St Remy has th asylum van Gogh committted himself to after slicing off an ear in a psychic fit in Arles and once here painted furiously and many of his works are put up as copies right in the bucolic environs of the asylum he painted them.

And don't neglect Les Baux the Dead City above - one of most famous places in Provence- very close to St-Remy.

Near Gordes don't miss Fountains-des-Vaucluse nearby.

They are both nice towns, but very close to each other -- less than an hour perhaps. Maybe go further north? Bedoin at the foot of Mt. Ventoux is a nice, little town. We stayed there years ago and revisited it this past September. It's turned into a mecca for cycling, and allows great access to Mt. Ventoux. If not there, somewhere in the vicinty to cover more terrority.

Thanks a lot everyone for the awesome suggestions!!!
I think we have a pretty good plan now.