Itinerary suggestion for Cote d'Azur and Provence
Feb 24th, 2012, 05:41 AM
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Itinerary suggestion for Cote d'Azur and Provence
I am going on a 18N/19D tour of Italy, France and Spain with my wife and 19 year old daughter, of which 4 nights (May 22-25, 2012) will be in Rome, 2 nights in Florence; 4 nights in Cannes; 3 nights in Avignon; 1 night in Montpellier and the last 4 nights in Barcelona. I've booked apartments in all the cities except Montpellier where I'll book a hotel. I need help in planning my itinerary in Cote d'Azur and Provence.
My rough plan for the French part of my trip is as follows:
May 28 - Reaching Cannes around 5PM. Window shop on Rue d'Antibes and stroll along the Croisette promenade at night - I hope it's safe?
May 29 - Trip to Antibes, Biot and Haut-de-Cagnes
May 30 - Trip to Nice
May 31 - Trip to Menton, Monaco and Villefranche-sur-Mer
June 1 - Reach Avignon before lunch and walk around the city centre
June 2 - Half day in Aix and half day in Avignon
June 3 - Hire a car and visit Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzès, Arles and Orange - is it too much? Should I drop Orange?
June 4 - Reach Montpellier in the forenoon and hang around the Place de la Comedie, check out the covered markets and soak in the history.
June 5 - Take the 10:41 train to Figueres. Visit the Dali museum there before proceeding to Barcelona.
With time being a constraint and so much to see, I am apprehensive about leaving out some great places. I want to visit only the museums of masters like Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Chagal and leave out the other museums for paucity of time. Will appreciate valuable suggestions from experienced travellers.
My rough plan for the French part of my trip is as follows:
May 28 - Reaching Cannes around 5PM. Window shop on Rue d'Antibes and stroll along the Croisette promenade at night - I hope it's safe?
May 29 - Trip to Antibes, Biot and Haut-de-Cagnes
May 30 - Trip to Nice
May 31 - Trip to Menton, Monaco and Villefranche-sur-Mer
June 1 - Reach Avignon before lunch and walk around the city centre
June 2 - Half day in Aix and half day in Avignon
June 3 - Hire a car and visit Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzès, Arles and Orange - is it too much? Should I drop Orange?
June 4 - Reach Montpellier in the forenoon and hang around the Place de la Comedie, check out the covered markets and soak in the history.
June 5 - Take the 10:41 train to Figueres. Visit the Dali museum there before proceeding to Barcelona.
With time being a constraint and so much to see, I am apprehensive about leaving out some great places. I want to visit only the museums of masters like Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Chagal and leave out the other museums for paucity of time. Will appreciate valuable suggestions from experienced travellers.
Feb 24th, 2012, 07:04 AM
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Most places along the coast are easily reached by train, but not Haut-de-Cagnes and Biot, you'll need a car or bus.
Croisette is fairly safe, but very late at night you see some odd characters. Check the dates of the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix. It is very busy then.
Your daughter will probably enjoy Juan les Pins in the evening; lots of little boutiques open late, and plenty of restaurants right on the beach. If you're in Cannes for 4 nights, maybe go to Juan les Pins (the Pinedes area) for dinner one night.
The Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence is good, and it's a nice little town.
Croisette is fairly safe, but very late at night you see some odd characters. Check the dates of the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix. It is very busy then.
Your daughter will probably enjoy Juan les Pins in the evening; lots of little boutiques open late, and plenty of restaurants right on the beach. If you're in Cannes for 4 nights, maybe go to Juan les Pins (the Pinedes area) for dinner one night.
The Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence is good, and it's a nice little town.
Feb 24th, 2012, 07:06 AM
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<<<<<June 3 - Hire a car and visit Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzès, Arles and Orange - is it too much? Should I drop Orange?
On the way from Uzes to Arles I would try to park near the Maison Carree in Nimes, have a coffee, then immediately keep going to Arles driving past the Arene - - or skip Nimes altogether, the traffic can be enervating. With a schedule like this, Uzes and Arles have lots more charm, and are more pleasant to wander.
On the way from Uzes to Arles I would try to park near the Maison Carree in Nimes, have a coffee, then immediately keep going to Arles driving past the Arene - - or skip Nimes altogether, the traffic can be enervating. With a schedule like this, Uzes and Arles have lots more charm, and are more pleasant to wander.
Feb 24th, 2012, 08:45 AM
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Speaking to your comment about art museums, along your route:
Nice - I particularly enjoyed the Musee Chagal.
Collioure (on the French border) - reproductions of Matisse's and Derain's works are placed exactly where these masters of Fauvism painted the originals. (Not a museum, the whole village is the painting.)
Figueres - Dali Museum. It was mobbed with groups of school kids when we arrived and the wait was too long, so we simply admired the outside!
Barcelona - Museu Picasso. None of his masterpieces, but the collection gives a unique sense of his evolution (and devolution, in later years, IMO).
Gaudi is such an important influence on Barcelona. Just walk around and admire his architecture, or go inside the buildings, if you have time.
Nice - I particularly enjoyed the Musee Chagal.
Collioure (on the French border) - reproductions of Matisse's and Derain's works are placed exactly where these masters of Fauvism painted the originals. (Not a museum, the whole village is the painting.)
Figueres - Dali Museum. It was mobbed with groups of school kids when we arrived and the wait was too long, so we simply admired the outside!
Barcelona - Museu Picasso. None of his masterpieces, but the collection gives a unique sense of his evolution (and devolution, in later years, IMO).
Gaudi is such an important influence on Barcelona. Just walk around and admire his architecture, or go inside the buildings, if you have time.
Feb 24th, 2012, 10:46 AM
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>>>June 3 - Hire a car and visit Pont du Gard, Nimes, Uzès, Arles and Orange - is it too much? Should I drop Orange?<<
Almost all (if not all) the shops in Nimes, Uzes, Arles, and Orange will be closed because June 3 is a Sunday. Museums will be open - but guess where everyone will be instead of shopping??? The 19 YO might like to see something in addition to Roman Ruins in these cities.
I would urge you to do this itinerary on another day.
Stu Dudley
Almost all (if not all) the shops in Nimes, Uzes, Arles, and Orange will be closed because June 3 is a Sunday. Museums will be open - but guess where everyone will be instead of shopping??? The 19 YO might like to see something in addition to Roman Ruins in these cities.
I would urge you to do this itinerary on another day.
Stu Dudley
Feb 24th, 2012, 11:53 AM
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Also, check with the Montpellier TI to make sure that the covered market is open on Monday. The one in Avignon (les Halles) is closed on Mondays (open every other morning - Tu-Su)). Many such markets are closed on Mondays in France.
I would certainly visit St Paul and Vence before Haute Cagnes - which is small with not many shops.
Stu Dudley
I would certainly visit St Paul and Vence before Haute Cagnes - which is small with not many shops.
Stu Dudley
Feb 24th, 2012, 12:34 PM
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I spent a week in Aix 3-4 years ago.
I think your schedule is way too aggressive to enjoy yourself. If it's 1PM it must be ?????
Get a map and start looking at the distances involved.
June 2 - Half day in Aix and half day in Avignon is really a stretch. Aix was lovely, but it seemed like long distances to everything else (except Marseille).
Arles is also a very pleasant town to visit.
In our week in Aix we couldn't seem to fit Avignon in for a visit. Tankfully, I've been there before.
I think your schedule is way too aggressive to enjoy yourself. If it's 1PM it must be ?????
Get a map and start looking at the distances involved.
June 2 - Half day in Aix and half day in Avignon is really a stretch. Aix was lovely, but it seemed like long distances to everything else (except Marseille).
Arles is also a very pleasant town to visit.
In our week in Aix we couldn't seem to fit Avignon in for a visit. Tankfully, I've been there before.
Feb 24th, 2012, 01:45 PM
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>>Get a map and start looking at the distances involved.<,
The OP is doing most of this by train - so he needs a train schedule. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Dates are in DD/MM/YYYY format (June schedules may not be available yet so use a March date).
Note that both TGV stations for both Aix & Avignon are not in Aix or Avignon - they are outside of town. You'll need some other type of transportation to get to & from the TGV stations.
sudipchat
My wife & I have vacationed for 18 weeks in the Cote d'Azur and Provence. I've developed a 27 page itinerary for this region which describes our favorite cities, villages, markets, scenic drives, etc. I've sent the itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. E-mail me at [email protected] if you would like a copy & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.
Stu Dudley
The OP is doing most of this by train - so he needs a train schedule. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Dates are in DD/MM/YYYY format (June schedules may not be available yet so use a March date).
Note that both TGV stations for both Aix & Avignon are not in Aix or Avignon - they are outside of town. You'll need some other type of transportation to get to & from the TGV stations.
sudipchat
My wife & I have vacationed for 18 weeks in the Cote d'Azur and Provence. I've developed a 27 page itinerary for this region which describes our favorite cities, villages, markets, scenic drives, etc. I've sent the itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. E-mail me at [email protected] if you would like a copy & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.
Stu Dudley
Feb 24th, 2012, 10:11 PM
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I am overwhelmed by your response and the excellent suggestions from the veterans.
Tulips
We'll include St Paul de Vence and Juan les Pins in our schedule and club it with Antibes. Is Croisette safe till 10PM or should we be back earlier? The apartment we have booked is located in the Golden Square in the Belges Street, 30 meters from the Palais des Festivals and the Croisette. I hope this area is safe.
dfourh
We'll skip Nimes and Orange and take Uzes and Arles at a more leisurely pace. In which case, can we use the public transport?
just27
Checked Collioure. Looks a beautiful place by the sea. For a moment wondered if we should stay here instead of Montpellier. But then in Barcelona, we have booked an apartment at Castelldefels on the beach with clear view of the sea.
StuDudley
As advised, we'll now make the trip to Pont du Gard, Uzes and Arles on June 2 (Sat). We'll reach Montpellier in the forenoon, check into a hotel and then walk around the squares, see the historical buildings (many of which I now understand will be closed), have lunch by which time the shops should open. I don't have a set agenda for Montpellier. It's a break enroute Barcelona and I'll take it at an easy pace.
Rastaguytoday
Should I then drop Aix from my schedule and focus on Avignon instead. Is there enough in Avignon for 1&1/2 days?
Awaiting your response and a big big thanks to all of you.
Tulips
We'll include St Paul de Vence and Juan les Pins in our schedule and club it with Antibes. Is Croisette safe till 10PM or should we be back earlier? The apartment we have booked is located in the Golden Square in the Belges Street, 30 meters from the Palais des Festivals and the Croisette. I hope this area is safe.
dfourh
We'll skip Nimes and Orange and take Uzes and Arles at a more leisurely pace. In which case, can we use the public transport?
just27
Checked Collioure. Looks a beautiful place by the sea. For a moment wondered if we should stay here instead of Montpellier. But then in Barcelona, we have booked an apartment at Castelldefels on the beach with clear view of the sea.
StuDudley
As advised, we'll now make the trip to Pont du Gard, Uzes and Arles on June 2 (Sat). We'll reach Montpellier in the forenoon, check into a hotel and then walk around the squares, see the historical buildings (many of which I now understand will be closed), have lunch by which time the shops should open. I don't have a set agenda for Montpellier. It's a break enroute Barcelona and I'll take it at an easy pace.
Rastaguytoday
Should I then drop Aix from my schedule and focus on Avignon instead. Is there enough in Avignon for 1&1/2 days?
Awaiting your response and a big big thanks to all of you.
Feb 25th, 2012, 03:58 AM
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10 pm is very early; I was thinking 2 am or later. Drunk guys, some dubious looking characters. I wouldn't like my daughter to walk around on her own at that time.
Rue Belges is fine; lots of nice shops in that area!
Rue Belges is fine; lots of nice shops in that area!
Feb 25th, 2012, 07:52 AM
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>>Uzes and Arles at a more leisurely pace. In which case, can we use the public transport?<<
There is no train station in Uzes. Get a car for June 2 & 3 to give you the most flexibility & convenience for your VERY short 2 1/2 day visit.
>>As advised, we'll now make the trip to Pont du Gard, Uzes and Arles on June 2 (Sat). <,
If you swap it with Aix/Avignon - that will put you in those cities on Sunday - when everything will be closed. Aix is my wife's favorite shopping city in Provence.
>>Should I then drop Aix from my schedule and focus on Avignon instead. Is there enough in Avignon for 1&1/2 days?<<
Aix is my favorite city in Provence, but since you have little time to visit much in Provence and since you are planning to visit Avignon, Arles, & Montpellier - I would skip Aix. Visiting Aix would be like a "repeat", IMO.
You may have seen enough of Avignon on June 1 (especially since you'll be staying there for 3 nights). On Sunday, I would take a drive through the lovely Luberon, visiting several of the perched villages. Shops in Gordes & Roussillon will be open on Sunday. If you have my Provence itinerary, follow the driving route that's in the itinerary. Sundays are days to enjoy the lovely countryside in Provence.
Stu Dudley
There is no train station in Uzes. Get a car for June 2 & 3 to give you the most flexibility & convenience for your VERY short 2 1/2 day visit.
>>As advised, we'll now make the trip to Pont du Gard, Uzes and Arles on June 2 (Sat). <,
If you swap it with Aix/Avignon - that will put you in those cities on Sunday - when everything will be closed. Aix is my wife's favorite shopping city in Provence.
>>Should I then drop Aix from my schedule and focus on Avignon instead. Is there enough in Avignon for 1&1/2 days?<<
Aix is my favorite city in Provence, but since you have little time to visit much in Provence and since you are planning to visit Avignon, Arles, & Montpellier - I would skip Aix. Visiting Aix would be like a "repeat", IMO.
You may have seen enough of Avignon on June 1 (especially since you'll be staying there for 3 nights). On Sunday, I would take a drive through the lovely Luberon, visiting several of the perched villages. Shops in Gordes & Roussillon will be open on Sunday. If you have my Provence itinerary, follow the driving route that's in the itinerary. Sundays are days to enjoy the lovely countryside in Provence.
Stu Dudley
Feb 25th, 2012, 09:19 AM
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You will want a car to visit Uzes and Arles because you will need a car to also get to Pont du Gard.
There is a wonderful market in Uzes on Saturday, but by 1PM they pack it all up and are GONE! It is one of my favorite towns in the South of France, and we are likely to go back for an extended stay there sometime in the next couple of years. On the Place des herbes ( where the market is held...although it also stretches out along the streets leading to the Place) there is a good restaurant for lunch called Burger Bistrot. Yes, they serve hamburgers with "fries" but Wow are they wonderful. You could chose to have your burger on a roll or baguette, but even these rolls were not just standard McD's style. I had one with breast of duck and blue cheese and I forget what else, but it was sublime. DH and I split a huge salad, and had some wonderful beer. And the people watching (as well as watching the vendors tear down and clean up after market) was terrific.
We were there in November, 2010 so it wasn't tourist season at all. But Market Day is a big deal and everyone makes a true event out of it. All the restaurants were packed. The table next to ours was a local family with Mom, Dad, Grandma and a teenage girl. When they were served their burgers, we noticed how good the food looked, and then we kind of grinned at each other as we observed them using knife and fork to carefully eat their burgers, buns and all, with their forks. When ours came, we cut them in half, and proceeded to eat them as we do normally - like a sandwich. I heard a slight intake of breath ( not really a gasp, but audible) and glanced to see the big eyes of our neighbors. But no matter how one eats their food, everyone clearly enjoyed every bite.
I guess the best advise I can give you is that you can easily spend half or more of a day enjoying either Uzes or Arles, especially if you are there on a market day. Gosh. Now I'm going to drag out all my pictures of Uzes and start dreaming all over again.
There is a wonderful market in Uzes on Saturday, but by 1PM they pack it all up and are GONE! It is one of my favorite towns in the South of France, and we are likely to go back for an extended stay there sometime in the next couple of years. On the Place des herbes ( where the market is held...although it also stretches out along the streets leading to the Place) there is a good restaurant for lunch called Burger Bistrot. Yes, they serve hamburgers with "fries" but Wow are they wonderful. You could chose to have your burger on a roll or baguette, but even these rolls were not just standard McD's style. I had one with breast of duck and blue cheese and I forget what else, but it was sublime. DH and I split a huge salad, and had some wonderful beer. And the people watching (as well as watching the vendors tear down and clean up after market) was terrific.
We were there in November, 2010 so it wasn't tourist season at all. But Market Day is a big deal and everyone makes a true event out of it. All the restaurants were packed. The table next to ours was a local family with Mom, Dad, Grandma and a teenage girl. When they were served their burgers, we noticed how good the food looked, and then we kind of grinned at each other as we observed them using knife and fork to carefully eat their burgers, buns and all, with their forks. When ours came, we cut them in half, and proceeded to eat them as we do normally - like a sandwich. I heard a slight intake of breath ( not really a gasp, but audible) and glanced to see the big eyes of our neighbors. But no matter how one eats their food, everyone clearly enjoyed every bite.
I guess the best advise I can give you is that you can easily spend half or more of a day enjoying either Uzes or Arles, especially if you are there on a market day. Gosh. Now I'm going to drag out all my pictures of Uzes and start dreaming all over again.
Feb 27th, 2012, 09:44 AM
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Still salivating after reading uhoh's post. Generally, I avoid American fast food in an European tour, since I have them all the time in India, from where I hail. But, have to make an exception this time with a breakfast at Burger Bistrot, Uzes.
Based on the inputs received from this forum, my revised plan for Cote d'Azur is:
May 29 - Cannes-St Paul-Biot-Antibes-Juan les Pins-Cannes. I'll take a taxi from St Paul to Biot Village to save time. Can't afford a car with driver since the lowest price that I have so far is 440 euros for 8 hours.
May 30 - Full day at Nice
May 31 - Menton-Monaco-Villefranche-sur-Mer
At Avignon, I'll hire a car on:
June 2 for a trip to Uzes, Pont du Gard, Arles, Les-Baux-de Provence, St. Remy, Avignon - the last 2 subject to time.
June 3 for a trip to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (experience the Sunday market) and then on to Gordes, Roussillon, Lacoste and Menerbes in the Luberon.
I am thankful to StuDudley for sending me his 27-page information packed travelogue which helped me rejig my tour plan. I have come across a tour operator in Avignon who provides a car with driver for 8hrs./250 Kms at 230 euros.
Based on the inputs received from this forum, my revised plan for Cote d'Azur is:
May 29 - Cannes-St Paul-Biot-Antibes-Juan les Pins-Cannes. I'll take a taxi from St Paul to Biot Village to save time. Can't afford a car with driver since the lowest price that I have so far is 440 euros for 8 hours.
May 30 - Full day at Nice
May 31 - Menton-Monaco-Villefranche-sur-Mer
At Avignon, I'll hire a car on:
June 2 for a trip to Uzes, Pont du Gard, Arles, Les-Baux-de Provence, St. Remy, Avignon - the last 2 subject to time.
June 3 for a trip to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (experience the Sunday market) and then on to Gordes, Roussillon, Lacoste and Menerbes in the Luberon.
I am thankful to StuDudley for sending me his 27-page information packed travelogue which helped me rejig my tour plan. I have come across a tour operator in Avignon who provides a car with driver for 8hrs./250 Kms at 230 euros.
Feb 27th, 2012, 09:51 AM
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By the way how crowded will Cote d'Azur, specially, St Paul, Biot, Monaco and Villefranche-sur-Mer be in May end. The Monaco Grand Prix gets over on May 27. So I hope the crowd will disperse by the time I reach. What about the crowd in Provence? Also, how hot will these places be at that time of the year?
Feb 27th, 2012, 10:28 AM
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I think the only large crowds you will experience will be at the markets in both Uzes & l'Isle sur la Sorgue. Get there early (8:30 for l'Isle sur la Sorgue), and the crowds won't be bad until around 10:30. When we were in Nice in very early June of '01 the crowds were not bad at all.
When we were in Provence in early June 07 and again in June 10 it was quite cool - too cool to dine outside in the evening a couple of times. When we were there in around '01 & '03 & it was quite hot. '05 was nice.
Stu Dudley
When we were in Provence in early June 07 and again in June 10 it was quite cool - too cool to dine outside in the evening a couple of times. When we were there in around '01 & '03 & it was quite hot. '05 was nice.
Stu Dudley
Feb 28th, 2012, 04:33 AM
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May 29 - Cannes-St Paul-Biot-Antibes-Juan les Pins-Cannes
Are you doing this all on the same day? Why not rent a car then, that would be much quicker. You can end up in Juan les Pins, shops are usually open late, and have dinner there, and drive back to Cannes.
Traffic and parking are fine in May. If you go to Fondation Maeght, and then to St Paul village, you'll want a car. There's a car park next to the village.
Parking in Antibes is easy, next to the port. And in Juan you can nearly always find a space to park on the street.
With a car you can also visit a glass factory in Biot, as well as the village (if you have time for all that)
Does your daughter agree with your itinerary? Does she not want a day to relax on the beach? Mine would shoot me if I were to subject her to this! She would send us of on our own, and stay in Cannes. You are spending no time at all in Cannes, just the evenings.
Are you doing this all on the same day? Why not rent a car then, that would be much quicker. You can end up in Juan les Pins, shops are usually open late, and have dinner there, and drive back to Cannes.
Traffic and parking are fine in May. If you go to Fondation Maeght, and then to St Paul village, you'll want a car. There's a car park next to the village.
Parking in Antibes is easy, next to the port. And in Juan you can nearly always find a space to park on the street.
With a car you can also visit a glass factory in Biot, as well as the village (if you have time for all that)
Does your daughter agree with your itinerary? Does she not want a day to relax on the beach? Mine would shoot me if I were to subject her to this! She would send us of on our own, and stay in Cannes. You are spending no time at all in Cannes, just the evenings.
