Provence & Cote Itinerary/Anniversary Celebration
 

Well, I'm back. Based on your previous input and some research, here's my preliminary itinerary. My husband and I will be celebrating our 30th anniversary!!! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all of this and would love any feedback or advice you have.

Does this seem like a logical sequence? Are we trying to see too much? We would prefer to have a leisurely paced vacation (anniversary trip). Slow down and smell the lavender; more interested in taking in the sights and enjoying the culture and lifestyle (food, wine, people, shopping, scenery). I'm thinking the Riviera/Cote may be our favorite type of place but all will be fabulous.

Day 1: Travel to Paris (we've been to Paris before, years ago)
Day 2: Arrive in Paris
Day 3: Paris
Day 4 Paris

Day 5: Leave Paris (TGV?) for Alpilles Region
Should be pick up a car when we arrive?
Day 6: Where to base ourselves (Avignon, St. Remy)
Day 7: Visit Avignon or St. Remy
Day 8: Visit Nimes & Les Baux, Vaison La Romaine

Day 9: Leave (drive) for Luberon Valley (via Chateau Neuf Du Pape)
Day 10: Where to base ourselves?
Day 11: Visit Gourdes, Rouissillon, Menerbes
Day 12: Visit Loumarin & Bonnieaux

Day 13: Leave for Cote / Riviera (should we drive?)
Where should we base ourselves (Antibes, Villefranche)
Should we keep the car?
Day 14: Visit Cannes, Antibes, Cap d'Antibes
Day 15: Visit Monaco?, Villefranche-sur-Mer
Day 16: Visit St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Eze
Moustiers-Ste-Marie....
Day 17: Fly home from Marseille or Nice?

Any comments or other hotel recommendations:
I'm not even sure yet, if these are good central locations.
Mas de Cornud
Hotel Welcome
Hotel Vallon
La Bastide de Marie
Mas-Provence
Les Trois Gourdes
Bastide de Capelongue
Villa Gallici
Hotel De Charm Le Hameau

In 2005, we took in several of the areas that you are looking at, and thoroughly enjoyed the region. Since my daughter was in Nice at the time, we flew to Nice, rented a car at the airport, and headed to Provence.

We stayed at a wonderful B&B ("PBProvence" is a frequent poster on Fodor's) and used that as our central location, so we didn't have to pack up too frequently. When we went back to Nice, we kept the car. Although parking may be a problem in the city, we had a city garage across from our small hotel.

It is a MUST to keep you car, though, since you really need it to get to those places you mentioned - Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, Eze (a favorite!), etc.

"StuDudley" is also a frequent poster on Fodor's, and he has a good itinerary that we used as the basis for some of the sights we visited. Check out some of his posts.

Sounds like a fantastic trip! I'm sure you will enjoy it, especially if you take it easy, and use those central locations for a relaxing anniversary trip!

I would take the TGV from Paris' Gare de Lyon, then pick up a rental car at Avignon, and stay around St. Remy. I wouldn't move to the Luberon myself. It's not that far from St. Remy. (Also be sure to check out Isle sur la Sorgue, a cute little town built around "arms" or canals of a river and famous for its antiques market.)

I'd drive to the Cote and drop the car. All the places you want to go are on the train, except Eze-village and Cap Ferrat (both reachable by bus from Nice).

You seem to be avoiding staying in Nice, which is the obvious place. It has excellent transportation connections for the places you want to visit. I really liked Nice. It has a lazy, sensual ambiance, lots of good restaurants and shops. We stayed at the Hotel du Petit Palais, which is a little removed from the downtown on the lower reaches of Cimiez, near the Chagall Museum. Very quiet and residential. But it was an easy walk into the downtown.

Can't help you much with the hotels. Though I've heard good things about Hotel Welcome. Check hotels at www.tripadvisor.com.

Thanks for the quick feedback!!! It sounds like staying near St. Remy for xxx number of days would allow us to see everything listed for Day 5-12. Any rule of thumb on number of days in these areas. I know that's a tough question based on individual desires but....for instance, should you plan a full day for Avignon or St. Remy, etc. Does 6 days in one location sound good as a base for Provence/Luberon. Do you know what the farthest distance is that we would drive from from our base to our sight-seeing adventures, just he Provence leg.

I will definitely add Isle sur la Sorgue to our list also. I read about it but forgot!!

For the Cote, I was trying to stay away from the bigger towns (Nice) and was looking at something like Antibes or Villefranch-sur-Mer but again looking for suggestions. Good central point, etc.

Sorry, at this point I have more questions that anything.

Thank you so much!

You might indicate the days of the week for your itinerary. Many shops in towns & villages close all day Sunday and Monday morning - so if day 6, 7, or 8 is on a Sunday or Monday morning - you're not going to see these cities & villages at their best. I usually visit the countryside on Sundays (after the market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue). Also, if you plan to visit Provence in late June or July (next year, I hope - it's a little late to start itinerary planning for June/July this year), you'll be there in lavender season - and I don't see any lavender sightseeing trips in your plans.

I kinda disagree with people advising you to stay in only 1 location for 8 nights. St Remy is a nice village - but you may tire of it and the hotel if you stay there all 8 nights. I would suggest that you stay in the Luberon - out in the country surrounded by vineyares to get a
"countryside" feel. Perhpas consider staying in Kevin's place (a frequent contributor here)
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html

Drive from Provenmce to the Cote - lots of neat stuff to see on the way. Stay in Nice - for the same reasons Mimar described

I have a 20+ page itinerary which describes my favorite villages, sites, scenic drives, markets, & it has a Provence Fabric section. e-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

Are you interested in going to any/all of the many markets in Provence? Research when the markets are to help you determine where to go on certain days in Provence and the Luberon.

The granddaddy of them all seems to be the Sunday morning market in Isle sur la Sorgue but there are many others with varying personalities.

More specifics:

Base in St Remy - not Avignon. Avignon is a little difficult to drive in/out of & park - and it's also not a scenic drive to/from.

Get a better map - Nimes and Les Baux are not close to Vaison. Visit Vaison while based in the Luberon.

No need to allocate any time to visit St Remy if you stay in St Remy for several days. It's smaller than you might think & you'll see plenty of it at the beginning & end of your day trips elsewhere.

I don't see the Pont du Gard or Uzes on your itinerary - mistake. Make this a day-trip & add in Castillion du Gard. Patricia gave you a good plan for visiting these places on your other post.

I would drive around the Dentilles on your visit to Vaison & pass through Seguret, Gigondas, etc - all this is detailed in my Provence itinerary - which you should e-mail me for. It also has a detailed plan for visiting the Luberon, and also a driving tour for going from Provence to the Nice area.

Day 16 is not do-able in 1 day for someone who wants a leisurely pace. Moustiers is too far away. Remember, shops close for lunch - so that's not the best time to visit Moustiers, Eze, Villefranche, etc.

Stu Dudley

Hi Jazzy,

I posted a reply to your previous post. I thought I would again mention about your stay on the Cote. I agree with you about not staying in Nice. I prefer the smaller towns as well. I would consider staying in Cap Ferrat at the Royal Riviera, as I mentioned previously. You can easily walk to Villefranche (about 20 minutes along the Med) or walk into Cap Ferrat or to Beaulieu. The train station in Beaulieu or in Villefranche is easily accessible from this location. IMO, Hotel Welcome is over priced for what you get. I agree with the other poster that said you do not need the car in the Riviera. Trains and buses are easily available. Your trip sounds fabulous, I am sure you will have a wonderful time whatever you decide. The Royal Riviera is a beautiful hotel, wonderful service and spectacular location.

I think if what you're after is culture, eating, shopping, you'd be better off staying in Nice. Although St. Jean Cap is quite beautiful, the town is very quiet at night, and it has only a handful of restaurants. Nice, on the other hand, along with offering easy transportation to most cities/towns along the coast, has tons of great restaurants, excellent shopping, wonderful museums, a flower market/old town to explore, and beautiful scenery from the top of "Le Rock." There's also very good people-watching from the cafes that line the other side of the Promenade des Anglais. Have fun!

I forgot to mention that a few years ago, we stayed at Villi Gallici. I understand that it's very hard to get a reservation there now, but we loved it, and found it an easy walk to downtown Aix.

The Nimes day does not seem to work for reason stated by Stu. I would look at doing Nimes with Pont du Gard one day. An easy day trip from St. Remy. St. Remy and Les Beax would be a good first day after taking the train down from Paris assuming you arrive around lunch. You could hit the hospital in St. Remy and then Les Baux late in the day when the crowds are smaller (we went at about 4:00). You could do Ch N du P with Avignon depending on what you wanted to see in each place. We did some tastings and ate lunch before driving into Avignon for a tour of the Palace and stayed in town for an early dinner.

We stayed at a wonderful B&B near Maussane south of St. Remy, and though it was a perfect location (Mas des Fountaines, I believe). I recommend staying outside of a town to be in the "country". It was great to lay by the pool looking out at olive trees, vineyards in the distance, and Les Alpilles above it all.

Thank you all for taking the time to provide me with such great feedback. I'm going to tweak my itineary a bit to include the actual days of the week, market days and move a few things around. As a few of you mentioned I need to move Vaison La Romaine someplace else and include I'sle Sur la Sorgue (market day). I'm think we will stay outside St. Remy for 2 nights and then 2 nights in the Luberon???? I'm not sure shy but I'm not terrible interested in Nice. Based on the feedback, I'm probably short selling it. I'm going to check out the hotels/B&B's you've all mentioned. I will post my updated itinerary and look forward to your "most excellent" input.

Unrelated but....we saw a movie this weekend called "The Valet"....French with English subtitles. It's very good (funny).

Merci and Au Revoir

Well, what do you think of this??? Sheez:-)

Mid September 2007
(I will add days/dates and lodging next)

Day 1: Travel to Paris (we've been to Paris before, years ago)
Day 2: Arrive in Paris
Day 3: Paris
Day 4 Paris

Day 5: TGV - St. Remy (3 nights)?
Car in Avignon, drive to St. Remy (see Les Baux - too much in this day)?
Day 6: Visit Avignon & Sur La Sorgue (sun market)?
too much for 1 day?
Day 7: Visit Nimes, Pont Due Gard
Day 8: Pont Du Gard & Uzes

** Does the above look too busy or out of sequence? Shoud I remove something above. We do want to relax a bit? Is Nimes special? Should I drop that?

Day 9: Drive to Luberon Valley - Stay in Bonnieux @ Bastide de Capelongue but not good reviews, or Menerbes @ La Bastide de Marie, don't know price yet?
Day 10: ??
Day 11: Visit Gourdes, Rouissillon, Menerbes
Day 12: Visit Loumarin & Bonnieaux
Where should I put Vaison La Romaine, Seguret,..)?

Still working this piece out:
Day 13: Drive to Cote / Riviera - Base:Cap Ferrat or Antibes
Day 14: Visit Cannes, Antibes, Cap d'Antibes
Day 15: Visit Monaco?, Villefranche-sur-Mer
Day 16: Visit St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Eze
Day 17: Fly home from Marseille or Nice?

>>Day 5: TGV - St. Remy (3 nights)?
Car in Avignon, drive to St. Remy (see Les Baux - too much in this day)?<<

Assuming you'll get to the Avignon TGV station around noon, then drive to your hotel & check in, and then visit les Baux, & return to St Remy to "get aquainted" - that's not too much

>>Day 6: Visit Avignon & Sur La Sorgue (sun market)?<<

I guess what I mentioned on my first post didn't "sink in". I'm assuming day 6 is a Sunday - and all the stores in Avignon will be closed. Also, the market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue is only in the morning, closing by 1PM. The permanent antique shops stay open in the afternoon. If this really is a Sunday, I would visit the market, return to St Remy to explore the town a bit (many shops wil be open), and then visit Les Baux in the late afternoon. If you do this, visit Arles or Avignon the day you arrive instead of visiting St Remy & Les Baux.


>Day 7: Visit Nimes, Pont Due Gard
Day 8: Pont Du Gard & Uzes<

If day 6 is Sunday, then day 7 is Monday (I'm good at math). Again, shops will be closed in Nimes on a Monday morning. I don't think there is any need to visit Avignon, Arles, and Nimes. They are all pretty big cities (Arles is smaller), but there are many similarities in all three cities, & perhaps only 1 or 2 of them would be all you need to visit. I don't think any of these cities would take all day to visit - unless you want to have lunch there & spend a lot of time at cafes.

I'm assuming the Pont du Gard on day 7 is a mistake.

Day 8 of the Pont & Uzes is fine - add in a quick stop to Castillion du Gard.

The reason why I suggested that you add days of the week to your itinerary is so some "more experienced" travelers to Provence can perhaps find things that would work better for you in a different sequence, based on specific days. For example, if day 6 is indeed a Sunday, Isle sur la Sorgue is much closer to the Luberon than St Remy. Perhaps stay in the Luberon first so you can visit the market, and then spend the remainder of the day in the Luberon - where shops will be open in Gordes & Roussillon, and a visit to Senanque Abbey would be nice. Then on Monday, take my "Lavender drive" (I assume you have my 20 page itinerary that has this drive detailed). The lavender will not be blooming, but this is a very scenic drive, with a few villages to visit along the way. This region (around Sault) in Provence is what brings be back almost every year. Then on Tuesday, visit Vaison, and the Dentilles loop which passes through Seguret. On the way back stop in Pernes and take the fountain walk (see my itinerary).

On Wednesday, head to St Remy & stay there for the remainder of your Provence visit. Wednesday morning is their market. Visit Arles, Avignon, the Pont, and Uzes from St Remy

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu! I gotcha. I see there's a much bigger picture here in terms of adding the days to this. You comment about perhaps switching my plans so we hit the Luberon first and then St. Remy, etc. is a good thought. We don't have any restrictions really as far as the dates. I can arrange them any way that will allow for the best travel plans. I will try and work on this tonight. I don't know why something so wonderful can be sooooo stressful:-). If you happen to have any suggestions regarding days for each stop....I'm all ears!!! We can move things around every which way. BTW, I do have you itinerary. I requested after my first posting a month or so ago. Thanks again. Your help is invaluable!!!!

Are you saying that you don't have airline tickets yet, so you can travel anytime you want??? If so, are you restricted by the number of days you can get away for this anniversary???

Stu Dudley

Bonjour Stu! I haven't purchased tickets yet. We are planning to go in September. Trying to catch the best weather and least crowds. We are limited to 2 - 2.5 weeks including travel days to and from. We too live in Northern California, like you!

I developed a long reply - but I hit the wrong key on my PC & I wiped it out before sending. I'll try again tomorrow - Gym & dinner now.

Stu Dudley

Oh man. I hate when that happens. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you and everyone else on this forum does. I know it takes a lot time and patience;-). I hope to join the ranks of helpful posters. Have a good evening Stu.

Just follow Stu's advice. He is da man! Everytime I read his comments I want to rush out an buy a plane ticket, make reservations, and head off for the south of France.

It’s raining & cloudy – so I have some time to sit at the PC & give you some suggestions for your Provence/Cote itinerary.

You seem to be getting a little frustrated & stressed trying to put something together. As you know from my itinerary, my wife & I have spent over 25 weeks in this region – and we’re returning for 5 more in June. Provence offers a wide diversity of things to do & see – including doing “nothing” – which is sometimes the most enjoyable part of laid-back Provence.

I’m not sure what your main interests are. You mentioned a “slowed down” pace so you can smell the lavender, which is the best way to really enjoy Provence, IMO. Perhaps if you could answer some of the following questions, I could develop an itinerary what would be ‘efficient, and still allow you to see the main “stuff” in Provence & the Cote.

1. What are your 3 - 5 “must sees”? (ie – market in l’Isle sur la Sorgue, Palace of the Popes, Pont du Gard, small villages, pretty countryside, shopping, Les Baux, Art, Roman Ruins, etc). Answer for both Provence & the Cote d’Azur

2. What are your 3 – 5 “would like to sees”?

Remember, when you arrive in Provence, you will have just visited Paris for 3-4 days. Usually when we visit a big city (Paris, Rome, etc) we want the next stop to be in the quiet countryside (Luberon, Tuscany) – not in a big city. Avignon, Nimes, Aix, and , to a lesser degree, Arles are all large cities with lots of noise, concrete, & congestion. You may want to consider only visiting 1 or 2 of these larger cities, and concentrate on the countryside and small villages. When you get to the Cote, you’ll encounter the larger cities again.

3. Does a 2 ½ hr drive in the remote countryside with only minimal stops appeal to you.

4. Do you want to visit a winery, take a tour, and do some tasting. Chateauneuf du Pape was mentioned on one of your posts. Winery visits in France are not like they are in the Napa Valley. There are very few wineries giving tours, and you usually have to reserve ahead. We arrived at Beaucastel winery on a Tuesday, and they informed us that all the tours for that entire week were sold out. Also, wineries close for lunch.

5. How many farmers/crafts markets do you want to visit? Are you on a quest for Provence fabric, Provence soap, Santons, antiques, etc?

6. Do you want to have a 1 hr sit-down lunch every day, ever other day, once a week, etc. They can be quite time consuming, and sometimes 1 hr lunches take 1 ½ hrs in France. My normal lunch is a bag of pistachios or cheese we cut up in the morning & keep in baggies so we can have it in the car going from place A to place B. If place A is an outdoor market, we’ll buy some cheese, perhaps a roast Quail, or a half-baguette smothered with mushrooms & Roquefort cheese & then heated up a bit, or a Pizza slice or two, & then find a nice spot for a picnic.

7. Do you get an early or late start in the morning? Some people enjoy a leisurely morning – coffees, breakfast lasting till 9:30, then on the road at 10. Every other day, once a week, or when the mood strikes me is a possible answer. It’s the “every day” that might influence your schedule. As I’ve mentioned hundreds of times on Fodors, shops & many sites close for a 2 hr lunch. If you leave your hotel at 10 & drive a scenic route to to Uzes (for example) & get there at 11:30 – shops may only be open for another 30 mins – and won’t open again till 2:30. This has an impact on how many things you can see in a day.

8. Do you plan to take any hikes?

9. How important is to see the coastline. You mentioned that you live in Northern Calif – like we do. We spend a lot of time on the coast here in Calif – and visiting the coast elsewhere isn’t as much of a “big deal” as it would be for someone who has spent their entire life in the middle part of the US.


10. Do you want to visit any museums??? There are modern/impressionist art museums around Nice area & in Aix. There is also an excellent museum explaining the
“whys & hows” of Roman aqueducts at the Pont du Gard (we spent 2 hrs there, and we usually don’t visit many museums).

11. The Cote d’Azur portion of your trip could consist of a few days in St Tropez and a few elsewhere (I like Nice – but you seem a little hesitant about Nice (why?)). St Tropez is a small village, & Nice is large – the atmospheres of the two are different. There are lots of small cute inland villages around both Nice & St Tropez (St Paul, Gassin, Ramatouelle, Bormes, Vence, Biot, Eze, many more inland from Nice). Do you want to stay in 2 places on the Cote or only 1. Do you want to visit some of the inland villages on the Cote – or do you want to just explore the coast & do your “cute village” touring only in Provence?

Regarding the Marie hotel in Menerbes. When we were staying in our Gite near Gordes, close friends visited us & stayed at the Marie for several days. This is a beautiful property – excellent location, surrounded by vineyards, very pretty dining terrace next to the vineyards, and comfortable common rooms. It’s quite expensive (by my standards) and the price of the room includes breakfast and either lunch or dinner. We dined there one night, and the food was good – but not that creative. The entire staff spoke English – as did most of the patrons. The bartender was Irish, and he was ‘recruited” by this hotel because he spoke English. The hotel is also “gated” and you must enter a code to get into the property. Personally, it felt more like a luxury hotel in the Napa Valley than a hotel in France – which may be a plus or a minus depending on your perspective.

I’m going into San Francisco in about 1 hr to see an exposition on the old “hungry i” nightclub. (Kingston Trio, Barbra Streisand, etc). Give me some answers to these questions & I’ll put a suggested itinerary together.

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu! You are a life saver and a real trooper. I will try and keep my answers short but I can't tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to help. I just reviewed by answers and feel like they are too vague. I hope not but let me know what you think.

We want to relax and experience the culture, scenery, food, etc. Don't want to try and hit all the stops and historic sites along the way....again, if that makes sense.

1. Would like to see one or two markets. Heard the one in I'Isle sur la Sorgue was a good one (maybe a big one and a small one). Small vigalles, shopping, some art, you also had Leb Baux listed. We've heard that's very pretty. We've done lots of museums and ruins so that's not a huge draw this time. My husband actually wanted to go to Hawaii to relax. I said....why not go to France where we can have fabulous food, scenery, sun, people, etc.

2. I don't know why but I'm having a hard time answering this. I've been trying to focus in on one or two of the nicest cities and then the nicest small villages that we would enjoy hanging out in.
3. No
4. Although this would be great, we will probably pass. Maybe a "drive by".
5. We would like to visit a few of the markets mentioned in 1 for the experience and to buy some edibles and other treasures but don't want to hit a ton of these. One one hand I would rather see the town as is but also think this is a part of the Provence life style so don't want to miss it.
6. We do enjoy nice lunches but would probably mix it up some days it might be eat by the pool or quick lunch on the go, other days a special long lunch.
7. We are early birds.
8. Not big hikers. We are physical (run, golf, etc.) but don't take hiking trips. Hiking to the top of town for a view is cool, if that makes sense.
9. The coast line is an area we really want to see. We don't have great beach towns, coastal communities in northern california (my opinion anyway). We really want to enjoy the scenery and the whole ambiance. Walking, hanging out by a pool, great food, shopping, etc.
10. Will probably skip major museums this time around (what a sin;-), I know.
11. I was thinking of one place in the Cote but somewhat open. I didn't want to stay in a big city like Nice but do want to be close to shopping, restaurants, etc.

aggghhhhhHope you enjoyed the exposition.

OK - you mentioned that your husband wanted to go to Hawaii & relax, and you persuaded him to visit Provence instead & relax there, plus the good food, ambience, etc. You also mentioned hanging out by the pool, but didn't include the Pont du Gard, Camarque, drives in the pretty countryside, Palace of the Popes, Roman Sites, or large cities in the "must sees" or "want to sees".

Sound's like you're looking for a Hawaii or Palm Springs in the South of France. That's "doable" but I must warn you that the Riveria is quite different from Hawaii. There are no Grand Waileas there that are directly on the beach, with expansive lawns, multiple swimming pools, "theme" restaurants, slides in the pools, etc - at least I've never visited them. There are some very exclusive (and expensive) luxury resorts - but they are not as prevelent as they are in Hawaii. Also, they tend to be a little isolated & the few I have seen are not that close to towns. I've passed some in Beauleau sur Mer & St Jean Cap Ferrat & there may be some more hidden in this area. One town which might fit the bill for the Riveria portin of your trip is St Tropez, where there are some high-end resorts close to town - and there are scads of restaurants & shops within walking distance. The downside to St Tropez is that it's kinda isolated if you don't have a car & far from Cannes, Monte Carlo, & Nice if you want to visit these places.

You will find some nice resort-type places in Provence - the Marie that you mentioned in an earlier post would be great. There are some just outside of Gordes, and some close to St Remy also.

Based on what you've mentioned, a perfect day for you would be to spend the morning at an outdoor market, then return to the hotel, have lunch there, & "veg out" by the pool in the afternoon. Next day you would visit a few small villages in the morning, have a long lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant in on of these towns, then snooze by the pool & recover from the long lunch & the pink wine in the afternoon. No big cities (maybe 1). No long scenic drives through the pretty countryside, mountains, gorges, etc.

Is this a pretty good description of what you are looking for??? Let me know, and tomorrow I'll try to put some suggestions together for an itinerary that fits your objectives (Hawaii/Palm Springs in the South of France).

Is 2 1/2 weeks (including travel time) what you have allocated.

I wold make reservations for Paris ASAP - early/mid Sept is a very popular time in Paris. Perhaps if you can't get a nice place to stay, visit the south first & then visit Paris in late Sept.

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu:

You are a "Saint", truly:-). I think you've got it! I'm trying to strike a good balance. I don't want to miss out on the special sites of Provence but don't want to try and do it all either. When we go to the wine country, we usually stay at a nice resort hotel where we can enjoy the surroundings there if we want, hang out by the pool but can go wine tasting, visit the other towns, shop, eat..rest....eat...and did I say drink!!

I've tried to do some research and thought that we would like to visit St. Remy, Avignon or Aix whichever is best in terms of food, shopping, general ambiance. Maybe we don't need to see Nimes, and I was leaving Arle out. Les Baux, Luberon (Gourdes, Menerbes, Rouissilon Loumarin, Bonnieaux), I'Isle sur la Sorgue, ....would you recommend those towns? I'm interested in the art and art history which will be great to see (again, a balance though). I thought we might get our fill of scenic drives while in route to the villages and towns.

I think I'm looking for more of a Positano, Capri, Santa Margherita kind of feel. Does that help;-). Not sure if we should keep a car for the Cote or not. I guess it depends on where we stay. I thought Cannes, Antibes, St. jean Cap Ferrat, Eze, Villefranche all sounded lovely. Again, it's all kind overwhelming in a good way. That why your input is so fabulous. You can only get so much from books. I was thinking I would leave St .Tropez out for this trip and wasn't sure about Monaco. Do you think that's a mistake?

You've mentioned a lot of other great points that I will check out as well. Paris quickly, the Marie, etc.

Hope you had a great day! Thanks again Stu. I'm very anxious to get your thoughts.

Before I describe a suggested itinerary, I’ll try to answer some of your questions

Large cities – Avignon, Aix, Arles, & Nimes
You’ve indicated that you’re mostly interested in shopping, local ambience, and people watching at cafes – not major sites like the Palais of the Popes in Avignon or Romain ruins in Arles & Nimes. My wife’s favorite shopping town in Provence is Aix, and there’s no better place to have lunch & “people watch” than on the Cours Maribeau in Aix (we like the Deux Garcons restaurant – reserve ahead & ask for a table in the shade). There’s also a very nice morning market in Aix (actually 2 markets – see my itinerary for specific days for the markets). Aix has wonderful architecture & it’s a great place to wander around & sniff the Provence air. Follow the walking itineraries in the Michelin Green Guide.

Small towns – St Remy, Uzes, l’Isle sur la Sorgue, and Vaison la Romaine.
St Remy is probably the most popular small town in Provence, so don’t miss it. Great shopping & café sitting. My wife says that Uzes has the highest percent of shops she enjoys (she likes decorating/housewares – not clothes). Uzes also has a wonderful square in the middle of town with lots of outdoor cafes. It’s close to the Pont du Gard, so a day visiting these two places would be something that I would recommend. The l’Isle sur la Sorgue antique & food/craft market is not to be missed. It also has many home decorating shops that are sometimes hidden by the food stalls from the market. My wife purchased a set of plates from one of these shops in ’04, and the shop had lots of other neat & original stuff also. Vaison is mainly noted for it’s Roman Ruins on the north side of the Ouvere River (see the map in the Michelin Green Guide). There are some shops in this area, but not as many nor as good as the ones in the other three small towns. Some people find this area a little touisty & tacky. However, on the south side of the river is the medieval part of town. We actually missed this section the first few times we visited Vaison. It has some wonderful architecture, not tacky, and several shops that lured my wife. Visit Vaison in conjunction with the “Dentelles Loop” – but unless you want to visit the Roman ruins and/or the ruins museum (see the green guide), skip the section north of the river.

Small Villages – there are more than you could imagine in Provence.
You indicated that you didn’t want to drive around a lot & visit the various sections of Provence that contain these cute villages – so just stick with the ones in the Luberon area and close to Nice.

Places to stay in Provence
There are many “Palm Springs” type hotels/resorts in Provence. The Marie near Menerbes is one, and there are several on the route to Senanque near Gordes, and also near Gordes in Jucas.

Places to stay on the Riveria
This will be tougher. The “Hawaii Style” grand hotels with expansive grounds running down to the private beach with several large swimming pools and several restaurants is not the “European Style’ Some exist in Santa Margherita (like you noted), but I have not found many on the French Riveria. It’s also not the type of hotel I frequent, so I have not searched to find them. There are a few in St Tropez, but you’ve indicated that you’re not interested in this town. Villefranche is kinda similar to Positano, but not nearly as cute, IMO, and the small section of beach in Villefranche didn’t seem to have a private beach section where you could rent back rests, etc. It’s also a large pebble beach (I believe) – like Positano & Nice. Villefranche is pretty small & vertical (like Positano). If you don’t think you would like Nice, you might also not like Cannes either. It’s also a large city with congestion, traffic, etc. The beach is sandy, but I actually much prefer the private sections of the beach in Nice to the private sections of the beach in Cannes. I also find Nice to have a larger variety of things to do, & it’s much more interesting than Cannes, IMO.. There is no place like “old Nice” and the Cours Saleya in Nice where you can spend an entire evening dining & people watching. There is a street winding up the hill in Cannes that has lots of outdoor restaurants, but I don’t find it to be nearly as entertaining as the Cours in Nice. However, I’ve probably spent 25 nights in Nice and only about 3 in Cannes, so I may not have found the neat stuff in Cannes yet. Monte Carlo kinda turns me off – too much congestion & concrete. I would not stay in Eze – it’s isolated and I don’t think there is much to do there at night if you want to walk around & soak up the Riveria atmosphere in the evening & people watch. Probably not much going on in the morning either, but when the day-trippers arrive it’s a zoo. I have not stayed overnight in Eze. Cap Ferrat only has one 2-star hotel listed in my Michelin Guide. Beaulieu sur Mer has a 5 star hotel & a 4 star hotel with pools, views of the Med, and are on the shore, but the 5 star is about $500 to $1,400 for a room, and the 4 star $250/$900. The 5 star has a 2 star Michelin restaurant (only 6 2-stars, & 1 3-star restaurants on the Riveria). Like I’ve stated – I’m definitely not the 5 star resort expert – so see if others on Fodors can offer some suggestions. We stay at the Windsor in Nice, le Hammau in St Paul, & rent Gites (4 weeks worth) close to Vence. We’ve stayed in 2 different hotels multiple times in St Tropez, and we’ve rented an apt there for 3 weeks (2 trips)

Here is a suggested itinerary

Sat – Leave the US
Sun – arrive in Paris
Mon – Paris
Tues – Paris
Wed – Paris

Thurs – take the morning TGV to the Avignon TGV station, rent a car, drive to the Luberon & check into the hotel. Relax at the pool after the madness of Paris. Visit Senanque Abbey in the late afternoon

Fri – Head over the Combe de Lourmarin & visit Lourmarin & the Chateau. Visit Bonnieux, & Saignon. Have a nice leisurely lunch at the 1 star Auberge de Fenerie (excellent) in Lourmarin, or Auberge de Presbytre in Saignon, or under the white umbrellas at le Fornil in Bonnieux. Do not do this excursion on Saturday – the market in Apt will congest things a bit around Saignon. Do not do this on a Sunday or Monday – the stores will be closed. You may have some pool time this afternoon.

Sat – head north through l’isle la Sorgue and do the “Dentelles Loop” through Malaucene, Crestet, Vaison, Seguret, Sablet, Gigondas, Vacqueras, Beaumes de Venice – than back to the Luberon. If you are so inclined, stop in Pernes, go to the tourist office, pick up a walking itinerary of the fountains, and do the walk. There is a long version & a short version. We liked this walk. Do not do this on a Sunday or Monday – because shops will be closed in Vaison & Pernes?

Sunday – market in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Get there at 8:30, have a coffee & croissant by the square in front of the church & next to the bookstore. Watch the market set-up & then do the market. See http://antiquite-islesursorgue.com/ for a map of town. Have lunch in l’Isle sur la Sorgue or in Roussillon. Crash at the pool in the afternoon.

Monday – Take the drive in the Luberon that’s outlined in my itinerary. Shops in Gordes & Roussillon will be open on Sun & Mon. In Bonnieux they won’t (that’s why I had you visiting it on Friday) & the other cute little villages don’t have many/any shops. Relax by the pool inn the afternoon.

Tuesday – have a leisurely breakfast & bid adieu to the Luberon. Head over towards St Remy & visit St Remy. Visit les Baux in the early evening, or relax by the pool.

Wednesday – Market in St Remy in the morning. After the market, do the Alpillies drive that’s described in my itinerary. If you didn’t visit Les Baux on Tuesday, do it in the early evening. You may get some pool time.

Thursday – head out towards the Pont du Gard & Uzes. Remember about shops closed for 2 to 2 ½ hrs at lunch. I would perhaps visit Uzes first, and have lunch there in the wonderful Place aux Herbes, then head out to visit the Pont du Gard. UNLESS it’s a hot day – then visit the Pont, lunch in Uzes, then visit Uzes. Like I stated earlier, we loved the museum at the Pont. There is a cafeteria style place for lunch at the Pont. The museum is open during lunch. Make a quick visit to Castillion du Gard – just north of the Pont. Don’t do this day-trip on Wed – it’s Uzes’ small market day & the Place aux Herbes is messed up.

Friday – Leave Provence somewhat early. Drive to Aix, park, shop, have lunch, shop, etc. Drive to the Riveria/Cote d’Azur & check into hotel/resort. Keep the car.

The following sites could be seen on any day – except where noted.

Sat – take the train/car to Nice & explore. Get there early (8:30) and follow the walking itinerary in the Michelin Green Guide. Visit art museums. Don’t do this on a Sunday or Monday (Old Nice is “closed” & it will look like a ghetto).

Sun. Drive to St Paul early in the morning (get there by 9:30) & visit. If it’s after 11:00, visit Foundation Maeght during lunch (if this museum interests you). Then drive to Vence & visit (be careful to get there before or after lunch closing). Take the scenic Vallee du Loup drive visiting Tourrettes, and Gourdon. See my itinerary for details. Shops in Vence & Tourrettes will be closed on Sun & Mon, but open in St Paul & Gourdon. Return the car after this excursion if you’re staying near a train station.

Mon – visit Eze. Relax by the pool/beach.

Tues – take the train to Antibes & visit. Relax by the pool in the afternoon. Don’t do on a Sun or Mon (shops closed)

Wed – take the train to Cannes & visit. Relax by the pool in the afternoon. Don’t do on a Sun or Mon

Thurs – Fly home from Nice.

Stu Dudley

Stu...You are the man!!! I honestly can't thank you enough for all your time, input and expertise. I'm in an all day mtg but was able to sneak a peak at what you put together. I will review carefully tonight. I'm also going to read up on Nice. Based on your comments and others on this post, I think I may have formed the wrong opinion and what to give it a second look. You mentioned staying at Le Hammeau (somewhere). I've have a vague memory of looking at that property and thinking "how lovely" but wasn't sure of the location. I will check it out again as well. Merci Merci Merci. Talk with you later.

Le Hammeau is just outside of St Paul. Nice pool area with views of St Paul. Some rooms are better than others. It is quite popular. Not a 4 or 5 star hotel.

Stu Dudley

Jazzy1,

Stu's suggestions all sound great, but IMO you should not overlook the Royal Riviera Hotel in St. Jean Cap Ferrat. Check out the website at www.royal-riviera.com. It is not nearly a 2 star, but a 4 star. Excellent service, private beach, great location between Villefranche and Beaulieu Sur Mer, where there is a casino. There are many restaurant choices between these three towns. Just a thought, as I think Nice is too big and congested with lots of traffic and road construction still, from what I understand. This might be a nice ending to your trip. Check out the website, I do not think you will be disappointed.

Oops - my mistake. jazzy posted St Jean Cap Ferret. When I printed out her post, St Jean & Cap Ferret were on different lines of the test & all I read was Cap Ferret - which is what I looked up in my Michelin Guide. Unfortunatly, Cap Ferret is in the Gironde - on the other side of France near Bordeaux.

There are several luxury resorts in my Michelin Guide for St Jean Cap Ferret - including the Royal Riveria. Rooms $450 to $1,500 per night.

Stu Dudley

Hi Dena and Stu: I'm just wrapping up and can't wait to go home and absorb all this great stuff! Dena, I think you may have mentioned the Royal Riveria in another post. I looked at this property and thought it was fabulous. A great special anniversary spot. I'm going to check out rates, etc. tonight. I'm a bit fried but hope to post again tomorrow morning. Many many thanks. Your input really makes a difference.

We have spent several of our annivery/celebrations for one or two nights through the years at the Colombre D'Or in St Paul-de-Vence for my choice of a present. This year finances make it impossible to stop[ there but everywhere at the B&Bs we stop at make the trip a beautiful memory.
In Seguret, Th Mesclun has a beautiful view should you stop for lunch.

jazzy1

The Royal Riveria looks quite nice. In my Michelin Guide it says that the buffet/grill by the pool is closed in Sept. So if you want a lunch or dinner at the hotel, plan to spend at least $175, unless you can order only a salad or something like that a la carte (waiters might not be too happy about that - but "who cares about the waiters"? . Their least expensive fixed price is about $70 for 1 person.

Dena - what did you do for lunch & dinner? How far is the walk to Villefranche & Beauleau where there are other restaurant choices? Is a car necessary to get around in this region if you stay at the Royal Riveria & plan to spend a few days there & see some other stuff?

Stu Dudley

Hi Jazzy1 and Stu,

First, let me say that the Royal Riviera offers specials on their web site. They have often upgraded our room as part of their offer upon check-in. If you chose to stay there, I would advise contacting them directly in advance and asking them for the best possible deal. They have always been very accomodating. As I said earlier, the location and service are fabulous and the rooms are beautiful as well.
As far as walking to Villefranche and Beaulieu, it is a beautiful 20 minute walk along the Med into the old town of Villefranche. This is one of my early morning rituals, stopping along the Med at the only restaurant on the beach for an espresso and just sitting and taking in the scenery before the beach is crowded. The walk is spectacular, then we proceed into town to wander and or eat. There are many good restaurants in Villefranche. The walk to Beaulieu is only about 10 minutes. I have not spent much time in Beaulieu, but what I have seen is very pretty. There are both a train station in Villefranche and Beaulieu, and I believe that the station in Beaulieu is closer to the Royal Riviera, about 10 minutes or so walk. IMO, you do not need a car if you stay there. We have stayed several times without one and it is very easy to get around the Cote. Also, the walk along the peninsula of St. Jean Cap Ferrat is absolutely beautiful as well. The pathway begins alongside of the Royal Riviera and continues along the Med. There are restaurants in the town at the harbor. So IMO, this location offers the ease of 3 different towns without hopping on the train. But as I said, the train is easily acccesible from Beaulieu or Villefranche and can take you to Cannes or Nice or Monaco, or anywhere along the Coast. Then of course, buses are easily available from Nice to other locations not served by the train.
I hope this answers any questons, please feel free to ask further. This is my favorite place and I never tire of thinking about it. My family and I will be returning to Villefranche in just 5 weeks from today for a months stay! I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Well, it seems this darn job of mine is getting in the way of my planning and daydreaming about this fantastic trip. Stu, Dena, Cigalechanta and everyone have been so generous with your time and feedback. I may drop out of sight for a few days due to other responsbilities (sigh) but I will be back with an update and hopefully not too many more questions. I did check out a few hotels. I still have to look at rates at the Royal Riveria. I may have gotten a little carried away. The rates at La Bastide de Marie are a bit out of my range;-) but it looks lovely. Looks like you have to book by the week? I will also check out Colombre D'Or. Look forward to talking with you soon. Bon weekend:-)