Thanks to all the comments I've received on my trip to france, I decided to scale it down to 3 nights in Paris, 7 in central provence, and 6 in the cote d'azur. I've booked my flight and also a flight from nice to cdg to catch our flight back to Boston. As of yet I haven't booked our hotel in Paris, plus still researching where to base in Provence after renting a car in Avignon upon arriving by TGV from Paris. The same holds true for a base in the cote d'azur. Any suggestions on hotels, b and b's plus restaurants will be appreciated. I did get and print Stu's itinerary which i'm still hi-lighting. Thanks again for the tips. Nick

Where in Provence do you want to stay?
I'm going in September (also from Boston) and it took me over a month to find a place we could afford in the area we wanted, so don't delay.

Hi,
We want to stay somewhere near Avignon possiblt St.Remy.

What's your hotel price range?

Hey Jean, welcome back!!

nicolos, I found this one whn I looked for my place:

http://www.masdessenteurs.com/xhtml/tarif.html

Hi underhill,
I would say between 100-135 euros would be my price range. Thanks also Cigalechanta for the website.
Nick

Hotel Sous Les Figuiers in St Remy
www.hotel-charme-provence.com

For a base in the Cote d'Azur, consider Villa Ste Maxime in St Paul de Vence (a luxury B&B). Stayed there in March and found it to be wonderful (more than your target price, but it was cheaper than some other options). Hillside location with beautiful views, excellent rooms, luxury appointments, champagne breakfast and evening refreshments included. Ex-pat American owners very accommodating and gave good insights on seeing the sights in the region. About 15 minutes from the autoroute, once you get the hang of the directions. They have a website; just google Villa Ste Maxime (and the pictures on the website are true images of the place and its location - what you see is actually what you get).

troll alert!

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Please explain!

Sorry wrong post!

If you are going to Cote d'azur , WHY not stay on the coast (rather than a hillside).
We stayed in hotel Cigales in Nice ( your price range). If you prefer a small town,there are many to chose from .

I just finished planning a similar trip for two weeks this summer. We decided to base ourselves in St. Remy at Hotel Sous Le Figuiers. It gets great reviews on Trip Advisor and also has a pool and free parking. Giselle (from the hotel) has been absolutely wonderful in all my correspondence. We are then moving on to Nice and staying at the Hotel Windsor. The Hotel Windsor also gets great reviews and seems to be a favourite with travellers on this board.

Think about basing yourself in Antibes for Cote d'Azur, it's got a lovely village feel but has everything you need for a great holiday, hundreds of restaurants to choose from, pavement cafes galore, quaint cobbled streets, covered Provencal market, Picasso museum, beaches, and it's perfectly placed if you want to explore other towns along the coast.
Why not stay in an apartment in the Old Town? have a look on www.travel-library.com. or www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.

thanks firstlady,
I've booked a hotel in antibes. From what I've read it seems like a lively spot. Thanks again.
Nick