parking in provence?
 

having lived in new york and boston, i have to ask- is parking a problem in the towns of provence?

yes, in several senses, but it really depends which town or city you are referring to. Some larger cities do not have a lot of on-street parking at all in the central areas and you will need to park in a parking garage or some distance away from the center. Some central streets will not allow any traffic, either. Examples of these are Avignon and Aix.

At the opposite extreme, some of the very small historical cities do not allow any cars at all within the town, except for local residents (which is what the sign "sauf riverains" means, you'll need to learn what signs mean). They do this to restrict traffic because they are much too small for tourists to be driving through and to avoid all the environmental and other damage that cars would make. Some examples of these are Gordes and Roussillon, and many others. It seems to be mainly the town perched on hills, as they say, that do this--at least those are the ones I've noticed.

most villages have some parking areas BUT a small car is essential. You may have to hike abit to some perché villages, and the cities are like here trying to find a space.

Difficult to find parking on the streets in many towns, cities. Often parking is outside the hilltowns and you'll see cars parked along the roadside; sometimes there is an actual parking lot.

Surprisingly, there are some towns where you think there is parking only outside, but as you drive into town you find a parking lot for use by anyone. So alot is trial and error.

In larger cities, it's almost best to find a garage either above ground, or some underground, instead of wasting time driving around to find street parking. There's an underground garage opposite the Palais du Pape in Avignon, or outside the walls above the train station. In Nice there is an underground garage in the Cours Selaya area. In Monaco, there are parking garages in various places - opposite the Casino (underground) and above ground near the Rock going up to the Palace. In Orange there is a large parking lot as you drive into town from the South.

Where there are meters in towns, read carefully as often you don't have to pay between lunch hours 12N-2pm, and if you happen to find street parking anywhere be sure when car has to be moved (if you parked overnight) next morning or car will be "booted" - you don't want that!

And yes, do have a small car!

Having driven in New York, Boston and Provence - Provence is way easier. Parking is just a little confusing. For example, I'm still not clear about getting tokens or receipts in self service public parking areas. You have to pay after you enter, you have to validate your receipt and I think that you need the receipt to leave. Maybe someone can explain.
JoeG

Usually you pay as you enter and leave the ticket on the windshield. Others you take a ticket and on leaving, slip into the machine and it tells you what you owe.

Joe, I have used several parking garages in Aix and Avignon that had a system involving a ticket and validation, but it wasn't as you describe.

Basically, you get a ticket upon entry with your time on it. Then, when you are leaving, you have to put it in a machine that totals how much you owe based on the end time--you put the money in the machine and it validates that you have paid in full. You then have some minutes to actually leave the garage, of course you have to leave immediately (I think you get 10-15 minutes). Upon exiting from the garage door, I believe you give that validated or paid-up ticket to an attendant or just into a machine, I forget. I think maybe it is entirely automated, which is the point of paying the machine, and you can't get out without a paid ticket.

That's how I recall it; I don't remember ever paying upon entry.

Avignon has a big parking lot as you cross the river(in the middle)...then you wait for a bus.

Here's the dope on parking lots and garages.

Park and keep the ticket. When you return, use the machine to pay and validate the ticket. On this last trip, all the machines took credit cards as well as cash.

On the way out you use the machine at the gate. Sometimes there is an attendant.