I will be spending 3nts. in Canne, and then 2 nts in Aix and 2 nts in St Remy. What town should I visit from each location. Should I split my nights or combine St Remy and Aix to one location.

Hi. I don't think you need to change locations and St. Remy is the most central location for seeing Provence. I would highly suggest Gordes, Rousillon and Les Baux as towns to visit. Driving is very easy and I comfortably visiting Gordes in the morning (be sure to visit the Bories village) and Rousillon at night. The sunset over the ochre cliffs in Rousillon is just spectacular! <BR>Ellen

Why is it that most people say to skip Aix as a location to tour from? Is it better to stay in different towns, or to combine these 2 towns?

You don't say if you are renting a car. Are you?

Aix itself is a wonderful city. I spent three days there and could have spent more even though there are not a lot of "major" sites. It's just a nice place to be. The more interesting small towns in Provence seemed to be up closer to Avignon which might be why you feel some people say not to use Aix as a base. St Remy is close to Avignon (I think it was about a half hour) and Les Baux very close also. On the other side of Avignon is Gourdes, etc. The way you have described your plans is very similiar to what I did last summer and I was very happy with it.

I would stay in St. Remy. It is very easy to tour all of Provence from there.

Why is everyone so hot on St. Remy? What is so great about it?

I too have a similar itinerary, but I am starting out in Juan les Pin- otherwise the same.Most people on this site have told me combine my Aix and St. Remy stops into a stopver at St. Remy. Where are you all.

I think many don't recommend Aix (including me) is that it is a biggish <BR>congested city. <BR>Shopping is somewhat interesting, parking and traffic are absolutely impossible. The smaller towns of Provence are just so much more charming and when time is limited, that is where I would prefer to be.

I preferred Aix to St Remy. I think Aix is a beautiful city architecturally. To me, St Remy was just a small town with not much to do; it's attractive for a small town in comparison to some, but I wasn't wowed by it and would not want to stay there because I think it's kind of boring, but it depends what you want from a place to stay. I don't like little rural towns as places to stay, but when I've been in Aix, I did not have a car so wasn't concerned with traffic or parking problems. A lot of people want to go to those small Year in Provence towns (Gordes, etc) on the north side of the Luberon Mountains, so it's easier to get to them from St Remy or Avignon area than from Aix, and Aix is closer to the flatter and urban areas of Marseille and the coast. However, while in Aix, it would be closer to visit these places (in comparison to St Remy): Cassis, the Camargue, Lourmarin, Manosque. Really, seeing Aix would take one day so you must choose for the other. If you are interested in Aix or these other places, I would stay there for a few days rather than doing everything from St Remy. You're not really leaving much time to see the main sites, even with only four total days in Provence. You won't get agreement on this issue as I think Aix is a lot more interesting than smaller tourist towns like Gordes; Aix is a real place, has interesting history, architecture, and things to see (museum, market, old town, fountains, cathedral, the Mazarin district, the place de Hotel de Ville, etc) whereas I don't think there's much to see in Gordes itself except it's a picturesque small town with a lot of tourist business and souvenir shops. There are some things near by Gordes which are of interest, abbeys, etc.

Christina-c What do you mean by small year in provence towns? can you please explain? Where you in Aix during the construction?

I think by small year in Provence towns people means towns mentioned by Peter Mayle in his series of books "A year in Provence", etc. Aix is definitely a real city but the old historic center is very nice. You do have to drive through some modern industrial areas (about 10 minutes worth) if you are staying out near the highways (I was, and though not ideal it was fine). There were several parking areas around the historic area where you can park all day for a reasonable amount. Although a city, Aix is no where near the scale of Paris, so driving and parking are not more than an inconvience. Definitely do not drive in the old section though. While St Remy is nice, I spent about 3 hours there, including lunch, and had no desire to stay longer. There is much more to do in Aix, even if it's just walking, sitting at cafes, shopping, and enjoyingthe architecture and ambience.

Hi Olicia. If you like staying in different towns, then sure, split your four nights between St Remy and Aix. However, if you'd prefer four nights in one town, I'd highly recommend Aix (although I understand the main street, the beautiful Cours Mirabeau, is undergoing some extensive construction.) <BR> <BR>Near Cannes, you could visit places like St Tropez, Antibes, and Nice. Near St Remy, places like Arles, Avignon, Les Baux, and the Pont du Gard. Near Aix, the small towns of the Luberon (I'd especially recommend the unique ochre-colored town of Rousillon.)

<BR>Interesting debate. No doubt, if you enjoy shopping, going out, clubing, etc...Aix is a vastly better choice than Arles. <BR> <BR>But I suspect that most people, when they lack informations about the kind of vacations a poster enjoys, tend like me to assume they would appreciate the same things than themselves. <BR> <BR>Since i'm living in Paris, I don't feel an urge to stay in a "real town" while in vacations (well...except if it's an exceptionnal town...like Barcelona where I hope to be asap). I prefer to head to some charming and quiet town with a lot to see and appreciate, even if there isn't a lot *to do* there. So I tend to recommend Arles. <BR> <BR>It could indeed be a poor advice for some people. I guess I should say : "If you like this, go here but if you like that, go there"...or the poster should state what exactly he expects to find during his vacations.

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Is St. Remy the most centrally located town for touring? What are the most exclusive hotels that people have stayed in?