My friend and I are going to France (first time)for 7 days 8nts arriving March 13th. We are two women friends in our early 50's. We are planning 3nts in Paris then heading south. We are considering train/car combo for Provence as we can't tell if just train would allow us any flexibility outside major towns. We would tgv on WED am then train back on Sun afternoon to leave from Paris monday morning.

We are interested in 'feeling' france/provence rather than seeing 'all the sites'. And I think we are interested in small, quaint spots, taking it slow, exploring...as is possible in such a short time. Also we wonder what the weather in march might dictate about where to put our limited time?

Any advise on a wed thru sunday itinerary would be of great help.
Also any information on Train vs. Car vs. Rail'n Drive. Thanks!!!!

I do this fairly often. Go to ricksteves.com and check out their Rail and Drive passes. A car is a far better choice for Provence than trying to get around by train, particularly to smaller towns. Boots

Take the TGV down to Avignon. Rent a car at the station. Pick a nice B&B from this list:
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/n..._charmeSud.htm
and use it as a base to explore the area.

In March 2004 we spent 4 nights in Provence after first spending a few nights in Spain. I would use the TGV to and from Paris, and you can rent a car at the Avignon TGV station, as we did. A car is necessary if you want to visit several towns in the area.

The weather was cooler than we would have liked in early March, particularly in some of the hill towns where the Mistral was blowing all the time. It was still a very worthwhile trip, but some towns (such as Rousillon) were really quiet, with only a few restaurants and stores open the day we visited, and no one wanted to be outside.

On the other hand, St. Remy and a few other places we visited were lively and good to visit.

Of course, the weather is unpredictable, and the owner of the B&B where we stayed told us that it was unusually cool while we were there. The good news was that we didn't get rained on.

Even though it was cooler than we would have liked, there was a lot to do and we were very glad to have made the trip.

Thanks to each of you.
St. Remy seems to be a good start or base. Car seems a good idea with TGV down there to Avignon. Seems like we'll skip Aix and stay smaller.

Any ideas of great little finds for lodging--quaint, inexpensive, B+B or small hotels? I'll keep combing the site for past posts as well.

Also I just did the post of 2 women in Paris looking for feedback on the hotel St. Paul. This is my first time on one of these so I don't really know protocol. Thanks, Gaylea

Try Karen Brown's website/books. She has a wonderful list of b&b location throughout provence. Gordes is a wondeful town. Don't miss the abbey outside the town! Have fun.

You might read the following thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

This discusses the B&B where we stayed and was our inspiration for staying there (Presbytere St Thomas in St. Etienne de Gres) and it begins with a terrific trip report that will give you some other ideas for the area as well. Several other posters here have also stayed at Presytere St Thomas, and it is a great deal.

We have been to Provence many times and i would suggest on that sunday morning before your return to paris (try returning around 4:00 pm) to go to Isle sur la Sorgue (small town few miles from avignon). There is a famous flea market - the whole town is the market - and you will have a very provencal experience! If your start from avignon and go south to St remy don't miss Glanum (romans ruins) and also Les Baux. Get yourself a good map of the region. and you will enjoy your trip to the max!
Rail & drive passes are kind of expensive. Rent the car from here (US - shop around - remember automatic is more expensive) and get your rail tickets in France.

basing yourselves in st-rémy will give you easy access to Arles, the pont-du-gard, les baux de provence and the alpilles region, avignon, and the lubéron. given your four days, that should be about right. pick up a copy of the michelin green guide to provence for details and suggested itineraries and routes.