>>Parking was difficult in Le Baux and Gordes.<<

If you arrive in Gordes from the Coustellet or l'Isle sur la Sorgue side, there is a huge lot just below the village on the left side & past the "fabulous view" spot and past the cutoff to Senanque Abbey. You can't miss it. It's a pay lot too. We stay in a Gite close to there, and it's where we deposit our recycleables (bottles, plastic, papers, etc).

Don't attempt to drive through Roussillon past the start of the entrance to the main pedestrian street. It's a two way street, but barely wide enough for two cars. Invariably a SUV or trailor gets wedged in there - ahead of us.

Bonnieux is a little difficult to park in. Menerbes has a huge lot - I think it's free. If you drive to Oppede les Vieux from the west side, you actually have to drive through the parking lot.

Stu Dudley

a car is necessary, a small car if you want to visit small villages. Without a car, you will not see Lavender fields
and may will be too early to see the fields or even the Abbaye de Senanque.

Thanks for everyone's help...and I did read Stu's itinery (very informative)...unfortunately only spending 2-3 days in Provence..so I chose Avignon...(May 12th - May 14th)

Can anybody suggest a nice hotel (possibly around $100 or hopefully below that) and where to eat in Avignon???

Another question re: TGV - would you suggest 1st or 2nd class going to Avignon from Paris (roundtrip) also plan to go to Tours...

Also--
Is it faster taking a round-trip TGV trip to Avignon from Paris and then traveling from Paris to Tours "OR" going directly from Avignon to Tours??? Sorry if this sounds confusing...

Thank you...