Provence- 4 days- shorten the itinerary-- need help!!
 

Hi, due to my husband's work, we need to shorten the stay in Provence from 7 days to 4 days. We will depart next week and stay in Avignon. Original plan (7 days) is to explore the villages around -- Casillon, L'Isle Sur la Sorgue, Roussillon, Apt; St. Remy, Arles; Uzes, Pont De Gard; Orange; Aix-en.


Just being informed need to shorten the stay...and suddenly not knowing how to re-arrange...I need your experts' help.

How should I shorten the itenary in to 4 days? We want to enjoy those towns, markets, museum and food. Our stay will be from Monday (9/22)noontime and depart on Friday (9/26)early morning.
I know it's impossible for all. Please kindly advice us 1 or 2 markets and museums (we like post-impressionism and modern art), skip which town and better driving itinerary.

Thanks a lot...

Skip: "Casillon" (do you mean "Cavaillon"?), Apt, Orange.

Add: Les Baux (citadel), Sénanque Abbey.

For market days: http://www.theluberon.com/markets.htm
http://www.provencelive.com/practica...et/market.html

thank you so much. So, if I stay and visit Avignon for the first day, drive to L'Isle sur la sorgue, Gordes and Roussillon for the 2nd day. Down to St. Remy, Les Baux and Arles for the 3rd day. Pont De Gard and Uzes for the 4th day. (Our base is Avignon)

will the itinerary be too rush visiting those towns?

if I stay and visit Avignon for the first day,
- I'd not spend an entire day in Avignon. As your base, you can catch it in the evenings.

drive to L'Isle sur la sorgue, Gordes and Roussillon for the 2nd day.
- Add Sénanque Abbey, near Gordes. If time permits, add one or more of the following: Bonnieux, Lacoste, Ménerbes, Oppède Le Vieux. (These are sites I'd suggest you visit on your first day in lieu of Avignon.)

Down to St. Remy, Les Baux and Arles for the 3rd day.
- A full day; good. Be sure to allow enough time to explore the citadel above Les Baux.

Pont De Gard and Uzes for the 4th day
- Good.

I agree with TuckH's recommendations. However, I think your "Avignon day" is only really a half-day - and that's fine for Avignon. If you decide instead to just see Avignon before & after your other excursions as TuckH suggested, visit Vaison, Seguret & the Dentelles on the Monday half-day - if you are "sunrise to sunset" tourists.

Stu Dudley

I love the Sunday Market at Isle sur la Sorge, but since you wont be there for the market, I don't see any reason to take anymore time than to drive through it'

You might want to consider moving your base out of Avignon -- since the received wisdom here says only a half day in Avignon -- which I agree with. Parking's harder in Avignon, you'll spend time driving in and out. and probably walking to the parking lot.

We stayed in St. Remy, which made a good driving base. Easy in and out, selection of restaurants (though not as many as Avignon). Wednesday is market day in St. Remy.

I'm kinda surprised at so many recommendations for the Abbey at Senanque. The lavendar won't be in bloom as it wasn't when we visited. It just didn't seem to me to be worth more than a drive-by at most.

>>Abbey at Senanque. The lavendar won't be in bloom as it wasn't when we visited. It just didn't seem to me to be worth more than a drive-by at most.<<

I would agee with that - especially now that a guided tour is required for a visit. However, the sight of the Abbey from the road to Gordes is magnificent - it won't consume much time.

Stu Dudley

I thought your itinerary was fine (the reduced one). Do not agree that you can see Avignon only in the evenings, some of the most important things to see are not open in the evenings. I don't think anything is but the restaurants, of course. I suppose the cathedral would be. But it probably gets dark around 7 or 7:30 pm at the end of September, so I don't think you'd enjoy some of the things to see in Avignon (like the bridge or the park on the hill with the view of the river) at night. The museums close at 6 pm and the palace at 7 pm. So I suppose if you got back at 4 pm you could do some of that stuff. I wouldn't miss the Petit Palais museum (or the place, after all, it is famous).

Dear all, thank you so much. And I will modify my itinerary.
One minor question-- since it is my first time drive in France, I have no idea about the road condition-- easy to drive? if I come back to Avignon after dinner (say, 9:00pm) from other town, will that be safe and without lost?

I agree with Christine that the suggestion that you can "catch [Avignon] in the evenings" would make it hard to see the major sights. I'd urge you to try to set aside one morning or afternoon so you can see the Palace of the Popes.

We also thought the charter house in Villeneuve les Avignon was very interesting.

>> if I come back to Avignon after dinner (say, 9:00pm) from other town, will that be safe and without lost? <<

Oh boy. That could be a problem. It's easy to get lost in the outskirts of Avignon (I've done it!).

TuckH & I must be twins. I've got lost entering Avignon many times - in the daylight. Also, there is a lot of ugly sprawl around Avignon - not the "image" of Provence you want to see.

BTW, in Provence the likelyhood of you returning from a dinner at 9:00 is unlikely. You'll have trouble finding a good place that serves before 7:30, and a 2 hr dinner is the norm (I usually have 2 1/2-3 hr dinners).

The reason to stay in Avignon is so you can walk to dinner and not get into a car. You could do the same if you stayed in St Remy which is much easier to get in & out than Avignon. You could dine around Le Baux if you stayed in St Remy.

If this is your first time driving in Europe - don't try to return to large cities in the dark after dinner and perhaps a little wine.

Stu Dudley

don't drive after dark after drinking. It's easy to get lost.
Visit Villeneuvre-Lez-Avignon. From Avignon, you can walk across the bridge, take a boat or bus. It has one of the most famous Provenc'al gardens and a wonderful Sturday morning flea market. Bear in mind that when some list the hotel or B&B may not be actually in the town.

Wow, I did not consider so much in the beginning when I chose the base and booked a hotel about three months ago. Now I started to worry the driving issue if I based in Avignon.

Maybe I should search for some available hotels in St. Remy. Only a week to go... hope not too late. Have you ever heard about "Le Clos du Rempart" the B&B in Avignon? I have paid the deposit for our stay...

We like to take our meals at midday, preferably sitting on a lovely terrace. Drinking is no longer an option, so that's not an issue for us.

I (almost) never drive after dark while on vacation in Europe and that's one reason why I like the June timeframe with the long hours of daylight.

In choosing a lodging, I consider the ease of access and the proximity to a road network for our daytrips.

Given that you have limited time, I suggest that you seek out another spot.

Joliech,

I've heard good things about the Clos du Rempart from guests who have also stayed there.

Although Tuck and Stu bring up good points about driving in and out of Avignon, given that you have already booked and paid your deposit, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Thousands and thousands of tourists base in Avignon each year and drive around visiting Provence and they manage one way or the other. And I am sure the owners of your B&B will be able to give you good indications for driving.

Enjoy,
Kevin

Dear All,

Thank you so much sharing with me your experience.

I have a clear idea about my trip now. Thank you very much again!

If you have already booked & made a deposit on your B&B, I would not change locations. I love Avignon - it's the driving into & out & parking that I don't enjoy. Driving west to the Pont du Gard area is not bad, and south to St Remy is OK (although I got lost once), but east to the Luberon takes you through a lot of sprawl, and north gets me lost.

Stu Dudley