Carol

I'm in the planning stages of my next trip to Europe. I haven't been to France and am considering it. I will be traveling solo and not driving. I would definitely like to see Paris and then maybe Provence and the south. Can anyone give me a sample itinerary for two weeks? I travel budget - 1-2* hotels or B&Bs. Would be going either spring or fall. Thanks.

anthony

Carol,<BR><BR>Car is not needed in Paris. Provence, however, is a big place and a car would be a distinctadvantage.<BR><BR>Hotel in Paris: "Caron de Beaumarchais", about $140/night, in the 4th Arrondisement, near Notre Dame, Ile St. Louis, etc. Metro nearby is very convenient way to tour Paris. Depending on your own preferences you could easily visit Notre Dame, museums, Opera, etc. A week in Paris would be a good start though a lifetime is not enough to fully enjoy this great city.<BR><BR>Provence is country. My wife and I like quiet villages with good dining,Wednesday market, general ambience. We love St. Remy in the heart of Provence. Small hotel we love is "Hotel L'Amandiere", modest tariff, about a half mile outside of town. we walk in for meals.A larger town, with more activity, etc. would be Aix-en-Provence. Note that in the fall or spring in Provence there are less cultural offerings. You can get to Provence by the French speed train, the "TGV", from Paris, that could take you to Aix, Avignon or other large southern cities.<BR><BR>Good luck.

lydia

If you have two full weeks, I would do Paris for no less than one week and do the rest in Provence. I think St. Remy as a base is fine, but there are others that are good also. I personally didn't like Avignon or Arles as I prefer smaller more quaint towns.

Carol

Thanks Anthony and Lydia. So, spend a week in Paris, train to town in Provence and then can I do day trips from a base town to other areas by - train or bus?

nancy

Get Rick Steves' tour books of France and Paris - you'll find a lot of budget hotels in the 7th in Paris (rue Cler area) where I stayed for a month (I rented an apt). I felt the area was very safe being solo. I'm pretty sure his book can get you around France by train. E-mail me if you have any questions re Paris.

David

Carol:<BR>On our only trip to France, which was for two weeks, we included a week in Paris and 4 nights in Provence. Although Arles is not as quaint as some of the smaller towns suggested, once you enter the town center, it does have a small town flavor (at least to me). IF you are considering Arles, we stayed at l'Calendal hotel which was wonderful and ran 70 euro this last june. Certainly worth looking into.<BR>During your stay in Provence, learn when the markets are in each town and attempt to get to the towns on market day as that is when all the locals are out shopping and you get to enjoy the flavors of the local artisans, and vendors.<BR>In Paris we stayed at hotel grandes d'eccoles which is a 3 star but had double rooms ranging from 95 euro to 110 euros/night. If that fits your budget,I doubt if you will find more "bang for the buck" anywhere in Paris.Great hotel and location.<BR>Getting back to Arles; it is right on the main train line from Paris. We saw ads for tours of the Carmouge(sp) which may be of interest to you.<BR>You've picked a great destination. You will find many on this board willing to offer their suggestions!<BR>

Christina

I didn't drive on my first trip to Provence and had a wonderful time. YOu can enjoy it if you don't drive. This is just a sample itinerary because your time is so short for both areas:<BR><BR>= Paris 5 nights<BR>TGV train Paris-Avignon<BR>= Avignon 4 nights (Avignon, day trips to Arles by train, maybe St-Remy by bus or some other sites)<BR>train to Nice<BR>- Nice 4 nights (Nice, can do day trips by train to Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, bus trips to some other places)<BR>fly home from Nice (probably will have to connect back in Paris)<BR>you could add a day at Aix-en-Provence in-between Avignon and Nice, if you wish as it's right on the train line<BR><BR>There are plenty of budget accommodations in all these places

Vincent

Provence (or at least a part of it) in one week is feasible on public transport, but then you'll have to be based in a relatively big town. Avignon springs to mind, and it's, in my view, small enough off season to be considered "quaint". There are buses that go from the "gare routiere" (bus terminal)to the Pont du Gard, Les Baux de Provence, Saint Remy. You can take the train to Nimes (40 mn), Montpellier (one hour), Orange (20 mn), even Marseille and the Calanques if you wish. That said, when you write "I am not driving", is it because you don't have a license? or you are afraid to drive in Europe (no need to, plenty of posts on this phobia here)? or don't want to incur the costs of renting a car (you can get a pretty reasonable model for $ 150 a week all taxes and CDW inclusive) and it really gives you extra freedom and flexibility, and, in my view enjoyment and memories - and I am not usually a big car fan.

Carol

Thanks for all the great advice. I think getting the guide book is probably a good idea. I am glad to hear that it is feasible to do in 2 weeks. I am not very comfortable with driving in a foreign country, and would rather let someone else do the driving so I can just sit & enjoy the scenery. I know, I'm a wimp. So, spring or fall?