ozgirl

Hi all, have posted a few times planning this trip but now have a little more substance together and would appreciate comments on viability of route, locations and accommodations where possible please.
June 2006, starting in Annecy
(3 nights accom booked Hôtel du Palais de l'Isle)
then setting off toward Provence.
Have investigated a few b&bs in what I think is the Drome region(!)to stay 3-4 nights en route...

Manoir du Domaine Le Roure (Chateauneuf du Rhone)
La Maison du Moulin near Grignan
Le Moulinage de Saint Thome - Chemin des Carmes

then perhaps a few nights in St.Remy area -
Le Presbytere en Provence (? )
followed by Le Luberon which is the only area I am familiar with (stayed one week last June)maybe at
Le Mas Perreal or Mas des Baussiers and then finally somewhere on coast prior to business in Toulon.
Looking at:
La Villa Port Sud - Cavalaire Sur Mer
La Bergerie near St Tropez.

We currently plan 3-4 nights in each stop. Should we include Moustiers (Bastide du Paradou?) and/or somewhere closer to Nice end of coast?

Not over keen on lots of museums, big cities, love countryside, scenic vistas, small villages etc.
Any comments on too long, not long enough bad location etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks as always.

cigalechanta

Don't know most of the places you mentioned but I am familiar with le Mas
Perreal, As I know on line at another forum, the nice Gentleman Kevin who with his wife own that and I think give French lessons on demand.
Grignon, I love thoiugh crowded like Gordes. It's famous for being the home of the most famous French woman of letters, Madame de Sévigné. She was not a beauty, history says but she was so much more. Annecy, I love Stayed three times, twice on the lake. St Remy, don't know your selection but have stayed in other places and visited many times. Moustiers, we stayed at the Bastide de Moustiers as a birthday present for me one year.

cigalechanta

P.S. Where on the Cote D'Azur?

ozgirl

Thanks cigalechanta. Originally thinking Cassis but haven't really found anything and then started to wonder whether that was too far away to base ourselves if wanting to visit Nice etc? B&Bs I've mentioned are nearer St. Tropez?

cigalechanta

Cassis is lovely and the shoreline drive is so different from the real Provence to visit Nice.

Underhill

Cassis isn't actually on the Côte d'Azur--that begins about at St-Tropez. Cassis is definitely too far away if you want to spend some time in the Nice area--for that you'd want to be somewhere east of St-Tropez, as getting into and out of that town can be a bit of a pain because of horrendous traffic.

By all means visit Moustiers! It's a picturesque little village in a magnificent mountain setting; from there it's about a two-hour drive to Grasse, from which you would head south toward Cannes. Since you like small towns rather than large cities, you might think about staying at La Bastide de Valbonne, just outside the town of Valbonne--it's not on the tourist path but has much to offer.

cigalechanta

I disagree, Jean, we visit nice to Eygalieres where we usually stay, in two hours. And the beauty you see does not make that long.

ozgirl

Thanks Jean, La Bastide de Valbonne looks lovely - in June its the upper end of my budget though. Can you comment on the rooms with balcony & pool view versus the rooms with 'patio' and standard rooms?

ozgirl

Topping and...
would two nights in Moustiers be too much?

Underhill

Possibly. It's only a very small village, and you can see everything in one day--mostly it's shops with beautiful faience for sale. But with two days you could drive down to the Gorge du Verdon and/or the Lac de St-Croix.

Underhill

Re the Bastide de Valbonne: I don't think the rooms vary much. They're a reasonable size, but the bathrooms (at least ours) are quite small. But it's all fairly new, and the pool area is gorgeous. Each room has a real refrigerator, not just a mini-bar.

A less expensive place is in the nearby town of Mouan-Sartoux: the Relais de la Pinède, done in chalet style. Mouan is one of our favorite stops; there's a large supermarket with an excellent cafeteria for inexpensive eating, and a branch of Botanica, a wonderful nursery/gift shop.

Underhill

A less-pricey alternative to the Bastide de Valbonne is Les Armoires, a pleasant hotel right on the main square in Valbonne.

Powell

My wife and I have traveled to St. Remy in each of the last 13 years. The hotel we stayed in was just sold.

We plan to return to St. Remy in the Fall. You did not indicate your budget.

For a moderate rate you could stay in town at Sous Les Figues. Its propietors are artists. We know one of them Denise Kuppers, a painter and a lovely person. Mention Anthony from NYC if you go here.

On the higher end you might consider Chateau des Alpilles just on the outskirts of town.

Note it has gotten very hot the last few summers in Provence and A/C is a must in Provence June-August. Both places I recommended are air conditioned.

Do not miss the outdoor market on Wednesday mornings.

Lavender blooms usually in mid to late June. I hope you are there in its season. If so take a 50km drive to the Abbey Senanque to see wondrous fields of lavender.

Glad to help with more information.

Anthony

ozgirl

Thank you Anthony, for your comments re St.Remy I have looked at those you mention. We did visit St. Remy last trip (for the Wed market)but I thought a visit NOT on market day might allow us to see the town. Also were lucky enough to see quite good lavender displays last time and did include the Abbaye despite my husband having heart failure driving there! I am a little concerned re the drive to Moustiers and around the Cote d'Azur roads for that reason!

cigalechanta

If you want to stay right in St Remy, we loved L'Hotel. You'd never think you were smack in town once inside where the Alpilles look down on you . They have their own car parc much to my husbands delight.
www.hotelphoto.com

Lavande

A question for Powell, please: you mention that a hotel in St. Remy closed recently. As a great fan of St. Remy, I would be most interested in knowing which hotel that was. Can you share that info, please? Thanks!

cigalechanta

Not the Mas des Figues????

Underhill

The drive from the Lubéron to Moustiers isn't at all bad, and I am not one who is fond of mountain driving. It's the rest of the Route Napoléon over to Grasse from Moustiers (and certainly the Gorge du Verdon!) that is, shall we say, interesting. You can avoid all that by heading due south from Moustiers to pick up one of the east-west main roads to the Nice area, visiting the Abbey du Thoronet on the way. It's something not to miss.

ozgirl

Thanks Jean for the comment re mountainous driving - is there any way to see the Gorges du Verdon without the hazardous drive and is it a sight not to miss if we are that close?

cigalechanta

Do not miss it. It's so beautiful. Here's a shot of the deepest point.

http://www.beyond.fr/sites/verdon.html