crazyfamilyof4

SQ ..booked out for our dates shame!

StCirq

Bummer...but look for other places in that area. It's a bit "out of the way" but so much to see and do, and beautiful.

Where in the South of France are you headed? South of France is a HUGE expanse of territory.

dugi_otok

Testing our understanding. You are traveling with mum and the kids. No car.You have been to Nice and Monaco and do not wish to visit there.
<<14th June - Fly to Marseille from London
14th June-21st June = Provence - SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?
21st June = We fly to Venice from Marseille?>>

crazyfamilyof4

Morning SQ and Dugi - good memory and yes you are right. I haven't booked the flights so we don't have to fly in and out from those locations but we will need to fly as mum doesn't want to manage luggage and children on multi stop trains.

Basically wanting a nice little town/village with shops and cafes and do day tips etc Avignon is only place I can think of because our travel pamphlets don't really show us any other places.

Thanks for your help and yes I will look for some place in that area SQ it looked great!

StCirq

In/around Provence, look at Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, St-Rémy, Maussane-les-Alpilles, and Uzès.

And as for Italy/Umbria, look for places in/near Panicale as well as Paciano (which literally has a population of about 75, so there might not be a lot of places to choose from). Or in or near Chiusi or some of the spa towns in the hills nearby.

crazyfamilyof4

Ok thanks for that . .will take a look .. without a car we do worry but as I said to mum if we have a base training with the kids is fine as long as I don't need to luggage as well etc . .I am thinking St Remy . . .Mum said we should think about Nice as a base and fly out from there to Venice. So 1 week London, 1 week St Remy/Nice, 1 week Venice/Varenna, 1 week Paris - then hubby joins so we can do cars etc.

How does this sound . . .we can go over a week here and there so each place has at least 4 days in it.

Thanks for everyones help!

dugi_otok

<<1 week London, 1 week St Remy/Nice, 1 week Venice/Varenna, 1 week Paris
How does this sound . . .we can go over a week here and there so each place has at least 4 days in it.>>

This itinerary is excellent. You could split your time in Provence with St Remy and Nice, or just St Remy, either will work. Nice,alone would not work, as it is too far from the heart of Provence.Even though St Remy is not serviced by train, it is an easy bus or taxi ride from both Avignon and Arles. Also, Les Baux, castle ruins and medieval town, are close by.

crazyfamilyof4

Hi...that's great news! I think 4 days in each place would be good. So we would need to fly into avignon and then catch a taxi to St Remy and then would we train or drive to Nice?

dugi_otok

You would probably fly into a major airport like Marseille or Nice, train to Avignon, taxi to St Remy. I do not know if there are convenient and reasonably priced flights from a London airport to Avignon.After 4 days in St Remy, train to Nice from Avignon for 4 more days. Then fly to Venice from Nice. All this is if you do not rent(hire) a car.

crazyfamilyof4

Morning Dugi . . thanks for that! I might even see if I can stretch them to 5 days each. Since you loose time in the travel etc. I'll get the calendar out ...AGAIN Thanks for all your help! With Nice .. .would a property on the beach or in the old town be best? I found this one

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Vacati..._Provence.html

But no reviews yet so I wasn't sure about the location etc.

Many thanks,
Claire

crazyfamilyof4

Ok today was about Tuscany . . .what are your thoughts about this place

http://www.italyperfect.com/tuscany-...belvedere.html

it fits in with the availability and price . . looks like a good area. Would stay a week.

cathies

It looks really nice, I think you should book it.

crazyfamilyof4

thanks cathies! Will be able to get about and see lots of towns from here with a car?

cathies

With a car yes, we stayed in that region and loved it.

crazyfamilyof4

recent change today - looks like we fly from london to nice. Everything I have read has said this place is great for without a car. the question is now do we do an apartment or two hotel rooms. I like blue beach but I am not sure if the location is good. I also saw this apartment thorough someone else thread and it is really well priced

http://www.go-nice.com/le_grimaldi_p...y_details.aspx

what are your thoughts. DO you have any apartments or areas to look at?

thursdaysd

Nice is a great place to stay without a car. Click on my name for my French TR. I've been back since that trip and still have plenty left to explore. Rue Grimaldi is a good, central location.

crazyfamilyof4

thanks thursdaysd . . . so that apartment is good??? I wasn't sure ...we do have the kids so I was thinking living across from the sea. So hard but glad nice is a good swap! THANKS

thursdaysd

I'm not convinced that a sea view is worth additional expense. BTW, don't be thinking sandy beach. It's pebbles.

crazyfamilyof4

True . . .what about blue beach . . my other thought is staying at that hotel and using the private beach.

thursdaysd

Which hotel? Do you mean the apartment you linked? That's further from the center than I would choose, but then I totally don't care about the beach except to look at.