Provence for 3 days in July
Jun 7th, 2013, 11:24 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Provence for 3 days in July
We fly into Charles de Gaulle on Bastille day (Sunday the 14th) and arrive about 6am local time. We would like to take the TGV to Provence. We keep reading its best to have reservations for the train but not sure how much time to allow for customs, etc. Also debating on where to stay. I've found a beautiful B&B in Vers Pont du Gard that has a vacancy. We are planning to rent a car. My husband is leaning towards staying in a hotel in Orange and not renting a car the first day. I see his point - plane, train, automobile on little sleep - but the B&B looks so delightful. Any thoughts? It's our first trip to the area. Our interests are Roman ruins, wine and food. We leave Wednesday morning for Paris where we are meeting friends. Hope this isn't too long.
Jun 7th, 2013, 11:59 AM
#2
I stayed at the Begude St Pierre in Vers Pont du Gard, and it has a VERY good restaurant. Orange doesn't offer much except the arena. Outside of St Remy is Glanum once a
Roman health resort. opposite side of the road is Les Antiques,a triumphal arch from 10BC celebrating Caesar's
conquest of the Greeks and a mausoleum from 30BC.
Arles and Nimes with their amphitheaters and religious and secular buildings, offer examples of Roman civilization.
Orange's Roman theatre is one of the best preserved.
Today they still have performances there.
Roman health resort. opposite side of the road is Les Antiques,a triumphal arch from 10BC celebrating Caesar's
conquest of the Greeks and a mausoleum from 30BC.
Arles and Nimes with their amphitheaters and religious and secular buildings, offer examples of Roman civilization.
Orange's Roman theatre is one of the best preserved.
Today they still have performances there.
Jun 7th, 2013, 12:04 PM
#3
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The first TGV that leaves for the Avignon TGV station is at 9:58 - which would give you plenty of time to get on the train. It arrives at 1:03.
Why Orange??? Not my favorite city, and you will need to change trains in Lyon to get to Orange at 2:36. I don't know where the Orange train station is located, but you may not be able to walk to your hotel Vers is only 35 mins away from the Avignon TGV station by car. I would drive there.
Depending on what time of day you plan to return the car, you may not save any $$$ by picking it up the next day. Short car rentals often cost the same for 2 days as for 3 days.
Stu Dudley
Why Orange??? Not my favorite city, and you will need to change trains in Lyon to get to Orange at 2:36. I don't know where the Orange train station is located, but you may not be able to walk to your hotel Vers is only 35 mins away from the Avignon TGV station by car. I would drive there.
Depending on what time of day you plan to return the car, you may not save any $$$ by picking it up the next day. Short car rentals often cost the same for 2 days as for 3 days.
Stu Dudley
Jun 7th, 2013, 12:29 PM
#5
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Laura
I noticed that you are new to Fodors. Welcome. If you are going to spend time in Provence, my 27 page Provence/Cote d'Azur itinerary might be informative. My wife & I have spent 18 weeks vacationing on Provence. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail. I've sent it to over 3,000 people on Fodors. Do so soon - we leave for a 5 week vacation in France on Tuesday. We'll probably cross paths at CDG on Bastille day.
Stu Dudley
I noticed that you are new to Fodors. Welcome. If you are going to spend time in Provence, my 27 page Provence/Cote d'Azur itinerary might be informative. My wife & I have spent 18 weeks vacationing on Provence. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail. I've sent it to over 3,000 people on Fodors. Do so soon - we leave for a 5 week vacation in France on Tuesday. We'll probably cross paths at CDG on Bastille day.
Stu Dudley
Jun 7th, 2013, 09:24 PM
#7
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,293
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is the beautiful B&B in Vers Pont du Gard the Bégude St-Pierre (That's not actually a B&B.) If so, please be sure to get a written reservation confirmation from the management and take it with you. We had a fully paid reservation that was "lost", had to go to a much more expensive hotel some distance away (no offer was made to pay for the difference), and needed to return the next day to see the accountant. No one on site could deal with the problem, and no rooms were available.
The next day we waited too long for the assistant manager to hunt through credit-card charges until she found our payment and finally gave us back our money. When we wrote to the hotel about the problem we were not given the courtesy of a reply.
That's bad business.
The next day we waited too long for the assistant manager to hunt through credit-card charges until she found our payment and finally gave us back our money. When we wrote to the hotel about the problem we were not given the courtesy of a reply.
That's bad business.
Jun 7th, 2013, 10:37 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Orange station is in the city itself. Orange doesnt have a TGV station since the high speed track only deserve Valence and Avignon south of Lyon. Orange is a nice city, worth staying one night and the roman theatre is surely stuning.
Vers Pont du Gard is a tiny village so it could be a nice idea to split your stay in 2 different atmostpheres.
Vers Pont du Gard is a tiny village so it could be a nice idea to split your stay in 2 different atmostpheres.
Jun 8th, 2013, 01:21 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was not Begude. I had found a Chambres d'hotes called "Au Temps des Cerises" that looked amazing but I'm having second thoughts since discovering the room does not have air conditionning. I can deal with one double bed. I could even deal with the fact that they don't accept credit cards but even though I feel like a spoiled brat, I'm not ready to deal with the heat. So it's back to square one. Since we will probably not be spending much time in the room anyway, I will sacrifice charm if I have to. I'm willing to pay more. But I need to be able to sleep.
Jun 8th, 2013, 02:08 PM
#13
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
B&Bs and Gites in France usually don't have air conditioning. We've stayed in 37 different gites in France & none have had air conditioning. We will be in 2 more starting next Saturday & no air conditioning. They usually have thick walls (2-3 feet thick) that keeps the inside moderate, and they close the shutters over windows during the day. We were in Sauternes last year in a B&B & we'll be in a B&B in the Gers on Wednesday-Sat - neither have air conditioning.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
Jun 9th, 2013, 07:04 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
StuDudley, I had begun to suspect what you confirmed. Where I live a night without a/c would be a sleepless night. If I were going any time other than mid-July, I wouldn't think twice about it. The apartment where we will be in Paris doesn't have a/c but I figure the nights will probably be cool. I keep reading how hot Provence gets, though. I really do have to make a decision soon.
Jun 9th, 2013, 07:34 AM
#15
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We've slept in Provence for 130 nights - anywhere from early June tthrough mid July, and early Sept through Mid Oct. There have only been a handful of nights (less than 6) where we wished we had AC at night - and that was during a mid-June heatwave in about '03. They don't have high humidity in Provence, so it cools down at night just like it does where we live in the San Francisco Bay Area. None of our friends & neighbors have air conditioners.
The last time we were in Provence for 2 weeks in late June '10, it was too cool to dine outside several nights.
I think you're going to have problems finding accommodations. You had better act soon.
Stu Dudley
The last time we were in Provence for 2 weeks in late June '10, it was too cool to dine outside several nights.
I think you're going to have problems finding accommodations. You had better act soon.
Stu Dudley
Jun 9th, 2013, 07:54 AM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just to add to what Stu mentioned, having lived in Paris for 3 years and Provence for 10, you are more likely to "need" A/C in Paris in July than in Provence. I say this because if it is hot in Paris, it can be tought ot sleep with the windows open due to noise. Whereas in Provence, assuming you are in the countryside or a quiet village, you can sleep with the windows wide open, which is definitely better than sleeping with A/C, IMO.
- Kevin
- Kevin
Jun 9th, 2013, 10:56 AM
#19
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just to second Kevin A/C is definitely more likely to be needed in July than most parts of Provence. I have lived in both areas. Paris can be quite humid too when it is hot-maybe not as bad as the deep south in the US but still uncomfortable.
