jenniel6

Just posted a message but now can't find it through usual search methods so am re-writing - sorry for redundancy.

Am trying to finalize trip for Sept. asap.

1. am planning to fly into Marseilles - stay 2 nights to see sights, etc.
2. am driving to St. Remy to stay a few nights to see surrounding towns/sights.
9/30th-10/2nd
3. then driving onto Moustiers St. Marie for one night to see Gorges du Verdon
4. then driving to Nice for one night, 10/6th, to catch flight home on Sat. 10/7th

Questions:
do you think we can just base ourselves for more nights in St. Remy to see other sights/towns east or should we move onto Gordes for 2 nights to see Apt, Bonnieux, etc.
Also, can we drive to Nice airport within a reasonable drive time from Moustiers St. Marie without staying in Nice and save Cote d'Azur for another trip. This would extend our stay in either St. Remy or Gordes or Gorges du Verdon area if this is possible. I think we can catch an afternoon flight back to Boston area.
Appreciate the advice and hope this makes forum.

rex

Oh... I see now that you have re-posted - - sorry for the "reminder" on your "other" post...

As for answeting your question - - it all depends on when this "afternoon" flight is, from Nice back home. It will take you 2.5 to 3 hours to get from Moustiers St. Marie to Nice airport. What does mappy.com say - - or viamichelin.com - - perhaps taking the longer of the two estimates?

Underhill

I wouldn't want to chance driving from Moustiers to the Nice airport unless you have a flight at 1 p.m. or later. The drive can take a long time if you get stuck behind a truck or a slow driver; passing isn't easy. We find that the trip from Moustiers to Grasse takes about 2.5 hours when the roads are relatively free of traffic, and from Grasse you need at least 40 minutes to get to the airport.

I imagine you'll need to return a rental car; that too will take time. Then there's check-in, passport control, and security...possibly another hour.

So you'll need to get a really early start from Moustiers or consider spending the night somewhere closer to Nice. The little town of Castellane, about an hour east of Moustiers, could be a good choice. It's a very pleasant place to stay and considerably less expensive than Moustiers (which I love, but...).

RonZ

I say yes to staying in one of the Luberon villages, as opposed to driving back and forth from St Remy. Also you'll be closer to Moustiers.

Les Santons in Moustiers is a great place for lunch.

jenniel6

Thanks for your responses so far. Am considering some changes!

Bailey

Jennie,
It's been four years since we were in Provence, can't remember the how long it took to get from one location to the other...
BUT I do remember that Gordes, Apt & Bonnieux were among the most beautiful villages.
I wouldn't miss them......
Here's an image of Bonnieux......
........
www.pbase.com/baileyzim/image/21933899

Have a marvelous trip!

PBProvence

I don't think you need to stay two nights in Marseille... one night would be suffic ient.
Marseille is now offering a City Pass, which might interest you - for 18 € for the day it offers you entrance to museums, a visit to Château d'If, the navette, tourist train and visit to the Basilica.

Patricia

jenniel6

Hello - after further research and many sleepless nights! worth of planning:
This is what I "think" we should do"
1. Fly into Marseille; drive to Arles
2. Stay 3 nights in Arles do see surrounding areas (Nimes, Pont du Gard,
St. Remy, and Arles, of course)
3. Then on our way to Gordes for a 2 night stay, visit Avignon and Isle de la Sorgue. While staying in Gordes, visit Bonnieux, Apt, Orange and ???
4. Drive to Moustiers Ste. Marie for a 2 night stay to drive the suggested circular tour given in the Nat'l Geo tour book.
5. Drive to the Nice area to visit Cote d'Azur towns for 2 nights, then fly home.
Any comments on this? Suggested hotels (at least 4*) and great restaurants.

Thanks for anticipated responses.
ps. will we regret not visiting Aix or Marseille?

hsbhandbags

Sounds like a great itinerary!

I was in the region for ten days in May. I stayed in Avignon, but after visiting Arles, I wished I had chosen that as my base. Be sure to visit the Alyschamps. It's the most peaceful place I've ever seen, and you can see what Van Gogh meant when he wrote that
the light in Arles was unlike anywhere else in the world.

Nice is not my favourite, though I'm glad I went because of the beautiful surrounding area, especially Vilefranche Sur Mer and Monaco.
If you do go to Nice, Le Royal is a great affordable hotel with waterviews in the heart of town and Maison De Marie http://www.lamaisondemarie.com/ was the restaurant highlight of our trip!

Have a great time!

Underhill

Visiting Orange from Gordes...not a good idea, as it will take up a good chunk of your day. Unless you particularly want to see the Roman theater there, I'd drop that from the itinerary. After all, you will see plenty of Roman ruins, including a theater, in both Arles and the Pont du Gard.

Do you have the Michelin map of Provence? If not, time to get it and work out your actual routes to avoid back-tracking.

jenniel6

Thanks Hsbhandbags and Underhill. Appreciate your input! I checked out the restaurant site and will put it on my list of places to eat!
Underhill, Orange has just been erased from my list of towns to visit. And, yes, I do have a Michelin "Provence, Cote d'Azur" map laid out on my countertop and am trying to layout a sensible route. Do you think I am making a mistake about leaving out staying overnight in Marseille and not seeing Aix????
Again, thanks.

Underhill

Aix is not a favorite of mine;so I'm not the best person to ask. But staying 2 nights in Marseille wouldn't be high on my list either--one day is sufficient to see the sights. You could instead go up and stay at Le Mas d'Entremont, on a small plateau above Aix, and spend the day in that town. But be warned: apparently there's a major outbreak of graffiti there; so don't be surprised or let it put you off.