kirk707

I’m looking for some help please. My wife and I are looking to spend 4 weeks in Province. If you were to spend 4 weeks in 4 different towns in Province what would they be? We enjoy visiting the hilltop villages, outdoor markets. Spending time in the local cafes. We are planning on staying in AIRBNB’s. We are looking at September 2024. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

starrs

The absolutely best advice I can give you = read StuDudley's advice on Provence. He is amazing!

I can't help with airbnbs but I loved this place =

Mas Notre Dame -
Chambres d'hôtes en Provence et Gîtes de Luxe - Mas Notre Dame

plambers

We have been to Provence twice for a week each. Once based in Velleron and the second in Goult.. Goult was perfect. It has its own market day, several very good restaurants and well based to tour the Luberon Valley.
Yes, Stu is wonderful. We relied heavily on his information and suggestions on where to base yourself.

Michael

Arles, or its area, for itself and the Camargue




The area around Apt (Saturday market) to visit towns like Bonnieux, Roussillon, Lourmarin




and Castellane for the Haute Provence

lrice

How wonderful! My husband and I spent a month a Provence in 2021 and LOVED it! We stayed in Aix-in-Provence the entire time and took day trips around the area. I highly recommend one of your weeks in the charming pedestrian historical center of Aix. It is a dream.

I would love a week in Lourmarin. It's not perched on a hill but it is a darling Luberon village. It seemed like a very livable village.

We visited lots of the Luberon hilltop villages -- Gordes, Bonnieux and Roussillon, although we didn't stay. So difficult which one to choose! Perhaps you base it on where you find the best "French" apartment. Others on this Board will chime in ... but I know people bike or drive village to village, market to market. And, of course, Peter Mayle lived in Menerbes. Make sure read his "A Year in Provence" and watch Ridley Scott's "A Good Year" with Russell Crow based on Peter's book!!

I also would look at Saint Remy. It would give close access for day trips to Carrières de Lumières, Les Baux, Avignon, and L'Isle sur la Sourgue.

If you want a week on the Mediterranean, Cassis is a small fishing village and another place I would look.

Here is my very long and detailed Trip Report:A Month in Aix-en-Provence

Happy Planning!

mjs

It would depend highly on what sort of lodging I could get but I would probably choose St Remy
for a central location, Aix as it seems like a nice place to spend some time, someplace on the Cote like Antibes, and possibly somewhere in the Luberon.

Underhill

Irice, Sorry to disagree, but "A Very Good Year" is in no way like "A Year in Provence." Perhaps you are thinking of another film? There was in fact a film of the book, starring the actor who played Morse for many years.

starrs

I LOVE that movie. I watch it often.

Jackie44

We were in Provence in May of this year. We also relied heavily on Stu's guide. Also took KarenWoo's wonderful advice and stayed in the charming hilltop village of Bonnieux for 5 nights. Bonnieux is so beautiful, very quiet, has plenty of restaurants and its own market. It is very well placed for visiting other villages. From Bonnieux we visited Goult, Lourmarin, Roussillon and Isle sur la Sorgue.

geetika

Oooh, four weeks in Provence, bliss…😍

We spent two weeks at Sarrians in the Luberon in June 2018 and loved it. Very close to Gigondas and Mt Ventoux, it was convenient to drive to see the lavender fields near Sault, the hill villages and St Rémy de Provence. We also went to Avignon for a day and another day at Châteauneuf du Pape. Also a long day to the Camargue and back, but all the others were shorter drives.

Do you plan on staying at the same place, or move around, every week, or once in 10 days? I would choose two bases, not more. The first somewhere in the Luberon, perhaps even St Rémy, though personally it wouldn’t be my choice. Then someplace further west, maybe Uzès, ideally situated to visit the Pont du Gard, it also has a lovely market. Aix-en-Provence is often mentioned by Fodorites, but not well located to visit Provence.

Stu’s Provence itinerary is a treasure trove of information and tips, you would do well to consult it for ideas.

janetkupfer8032

I will be there gor the month of March, but no car.Week in Aix and Arles and 2 weeks on Avignon. If you want books I received about 20 or so from a Fodorite I can pass along to you. Pls PM me so I can send.

KarenWoo

As already mentioned, I would recommend St. Remy as one of your bases. It's located in a wonderful central location that is excellent for visiting Les Baux, Eygalieres, Arles, Pont du Gard, and the Petit Luberon villages. The Saint Paul Asylum where Van Gogh was a patient for a year is located in St. Remy along with the Roman Ruins of Glanum. St. Remy also has many restaurants, cafes, shops, and a market. So it's a wonderful place to come home to after sightseeing. You will have so many restaurants to choose from. I always recommend that people visit the village of Eygalieres, especially on Fridays when they have their market. It's not a touristy village at all. We visited many times and we very rarely heard any English, if any. You can walk uphill to visit the ruins of an old church with great views.

I also agree with lrice about staying in Aix en Provence. Aix is larger than St. Remy; has wonderful restaurants and shops; Musee Granet; the historic Place d'albertas; Cezanne's studio; a cathedral or two. And there are many markets in Aix. And from Aix you can easily visit Marseille which is fascinating especially Le Panier, the oldest district of Marseille.

And I am happy to hear that Jackie44 stayed in Bonnieux, and that it was quiet in May. We visited Bonnieux for the first time last December and fell in love. Of course, in December it was practically empty.

Here is the link to my trip report (with photos) from last December.
Provence in December

And I agree with everyone's advice about contacting Stu Dudley and asking for his Provence itinerary.

Underhill

Starrs, So do I!

starrs

"If you were to spend 4 weeks in 4 different towns in Province what would they be?"
I KIND of did this in May/ June - or at least a scouting trip for what you want to do.

My first post on this thread was to point you to StuDudley because he has decades of expertise and countless suggestions - and is very generous in sharing. He will email a document to you. I'm just playing around with this idea.

On my first trip, I started with Avignon - mostly because it was an easy TGV train ride from Paris and I would not do my version of this without including a few days in Paris. But I'm not sure I'd use Avignon but something fairly Avignon adjacent. Maybe L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I did take the train to Marseilles but I have mixed feelings about Marseilles as a base. I drove around a lot, trying to find "my 4 places". Here's what I may do - when it's time for me to do what you are planning to do. I've been thinking about this for about 20 years. Surely my time is coming soon.

I think it's going to be Saint Remy for me. But I absolutely loved Eygalières and that may be my base for a week.

I expect I'll use Arles for a week or so. I liked Arles but didn't love it. I'm still not sure.

Bonnieux intrigues me and I may do a Christmas week there with a small group trip. I hope to use Saignon as a base for a week when the lavender is blooming. I've been dreaming about that for more than 20 years. I revisited Gordes and Roussillon on this trip but I'm not sure. I think I need to sort out which weeks will be driving out from a base location and which may be staying in town for the week. I think I'd like Gordes for a "stay for a week" trip, but maybe that's Bonnieux. I have more research to do.

I definitely want to stay for a week along the Med. Cassis may be that choice. I intended to visit on this last trip but didn't get there. I stayed at the Hilton in La Seyne-sur-Mer and loved the hotel but La Seyne-sur-Mer is not going to be my base for a week.

Then I want to be closer to Cannes for a week. I stayed for a week near Grasse (for a cooking class) and REALLY liked Valbonne - a lot. I'm pretty sure Valbonne will be my base for that week. (I know I "should" love Nice but I don't. I do love the market at Cannes and the limited shopping I've done there and nearby. I just don't love Nice)
New friends from the cooking class left there and spent a week in a lux rental in Antibes. THAT would be fun.

I hope to spend a week in Saignon in 2024 and that will help me narrow things down. For a month, I'll probably do Saignon or nearby, maybe Cassis, leaning toward Eygalières and then Valbonne. My month will include at least several days in Paris.

But I have no idea if those are the "best" locations. They are just enough of a mix for me and places I've liked so far. I'll definitely reference Stu's recommendations between now and then.

Important to me for my "drive weeks" are easy access in and out, which means staying somewhere on the outskirts of town. For my "in town weeks, that's less important. I'm not sure I'd be happy IN Arles for an entire week, although the parking garage is convenient for day trips.

StuDudley

Fodors finally fixed the method for attaching stuff. It has not worked for me since about January.

Attached is my updated Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary. We were in the Luberon for 4 weeks this past June - 2 in Cadenet & 2 in Goult.

Stu Dudley

lrice

Hooray! Stu, are you back from your travels? Good to see you here

StuDudley

I'm back - but depart in 2 weeks for 4 1/2 weeks in France - le Puy en Velay, and on the Lot River in Espalion. Plus a few days in Paris.

Stu Dudley

gooster

Provence itself is a pretty wide area. Is the OP referring just to western Provence? St. Remy or Arles to the South, the Luberon valley (like Bonnieux) and Aix/Lourmarin were mentioned. To that I would recommend the north end (if you like wine), like Vaison la Romaine or a small city like Orange. The character up north shifts a bit --- you do get a lot of repetition and some people manage this entire area in one or two bases.

But the boundaries are much larger -- I would recommend the coast, maybe Cassis or Sanary-sur-Mer. Or even further to Hyeres (close to Porquerolles island and St. Tropez, the borders of the Cote d'Azur). Or deeper in the inland in the Var for a less touristy experience, or Moustier St-Marie (in season) for a more nature-based experience.