Mt Ventoux & Chateauneuf de pape
 

We are visiting St. Remy de Provence and have been to the main sites Les Baux, Avignon, Arles and several of the Michelin guide book tours through Alpilles etc. But we have not been to Mt. Ventoux or Chateauneuf de Pape. Can we do both in 1 day? Do you recommend a drive to the top of Mt. Ventoux? My husband doesn't cycle. Should we climb it? We will be traveling in early October, and would like to take a drive through the countryside. Thank you!

Are you fans/spectators of pro cycling? If not, I'm not sure what would draw you to detour to Ventoux. The views are great, but it's completely de-forested, usually windy and cool/cold on top and IMO not attractive.

By "climb it," do you mean hike to the summit? There are a lot of hiking trails in the area, but I'm not sure you could count on good weather in October. Probably better done in summer.

But do clarify what you had hoped to do. Where are you coming from and where will you stop at the end of the day?

Jean is so right, it can be perishingly cold in summer and if the
clouds/fog roll in you see nothing at all.

It would be a stretch to drive to the summit of Mt Ventoux and visit Chateauneuf du Pape in the same day, especially if originating in St Remy-- I would not recommend it. I'll bow to others in their opinion of driving to the summit but would add that we have enjoyed both of our trips there.

I assume you are interested in wine and Chateauneuf du Pape is a worthy destination. The Cave du Verger is a good resource www.caveduverger.com They represent a number of wineries and can introduce you to the area and its wines very effectively. Another suggestion is to visit the wine villages just east of CdP--Gigondas, Cairanne, Vayqueras and Rasteau. Its a very pleasant area and there are several cooperatives and tasting rooms. Lots of good wines and food.
Have fun--Paul

As an alternative, I'd recommend the following:

From St. Remy head instead to Vaison-la-Romaine (fascinating town to walk around with a medieval section above and Roman ruins down below). From there, take the road north of the Mont Ventoux to the village of Brantes. It's a stunningly beautiful little village with amazing veiws of the Mont Ventoux.

Then double back a bit and swing around east of the Dentelles hills via Malaucene - this is a gorgeous drive - before hitting Chateauneuf on your way back.

That's a good full days touring without involving too many kilometers. And you can do your wine tasting late afternoon as opposed to first thing in the morning.

Driving all the way to the top of the Mont Ventoux, as others have said, is long and while the views are amazing, if you get any sort of cloudy weather, you'll have wasted a lot of time and effort. Hiking up from the bottom is an all day affair. The summit is about 2,000 meters high.

-Kevin

We did a nice two-day excursion from the St-Rémy area once that involved driving to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Perne-les-Fontaines, Carpentras, Malaucène (spent the night there), Vaison-la-Romaine, the Château de Grignan, Séguret, Gigondas, Vaqueyras, Le Barroux, and Crestet. You could pick and choose from that list and pare it down to one day.

I also wouldn't bother driving up Mont Ventoux.

There's a restaurant situated in the vineyards
at the chateau des Fines Roches. The view from the terrace is spectacular. You can see the Chateauneuf-du-Pape as well as their vineyard.

I'm enthusiastically endorsing Kevin's route - Brantes is just
lovely and the countryside is so beautiful.

There's lots of hiking/rock climbing around the Dentelles de
Montmirail near Gigondas. My DH did a day hike that came
complete with wonderful views and then great wine!

And then there's Beaume de Venise - so many charming villages
in that area and so many litres of good wine to sample.

Interesting suggestions. Bookmarking for future reference.

Thanks for all of the tips. On your thoughts we decided to do Chateauneuf on separate afternoon. But do love exploring countryside and have always wanted to see Mt. Ventoux, but maybe better to do scenic route as Chris/others suggested. Chris, your scenic drive sounds great. Does it go thru the Gorges de la Nesque? One guidebook suggested start at Carpentras, D942 to Mazan, Villes-sur-Azon Gorges de la Nesque, Belveder de Catelleras, to Monieux to Sault. On to Mt. Ventoux, D90 to the Dentelles de Montmirail to Seguret, back to Carpentras. I guess I have to source your route on a map - it sounds great. Cant wait to try the Cave and restaurant suggestions above. It sounds perfect. Thank you for your help!M

One other thought...if you had 1 day would you drive the Vaucluse Mt. areas or kayak the Gorges de L'Ardeche? We are game for either, and don't mind kayaking in cooler weather.