Provence - help planning 4 days
 

Hello Fodorites,
I need some of your expert advice. I have 4 full days (June 28 – July 1) to tour the Provence region and I am overwhelmed by the possibilities. We can rent a car and/or go by train/bus. We are interested in seeing the Lavender fields & maybe a perfume factory. We like to walk around old towns/cities but not hiking and we like views of the coast but don’t really care about going to a beach. We enjoy museums too. The trip needs to begin & end near a train station (not the same one). On 7/2 we need to catch an early train to Rome. Help please.

You'll need a car to see the stuff you want to see. The best lavender fields are around Sault and are pretty far away from the coast - so I would drop the coast option for just 4 days. The perfume factories that I know about are near Grasse & Nice - very far away from the Lavender fields.

Where are you picking up the train to Rome - and how early in the morning? Where are you arriving from??

You'll need to narrow down the list of things you want to see if you plan to accomplish much in only 4 days. You also need to define what region is "doable" in just 4 days. I would concentrate on the region around Avignon - south to St Remy & Arles, west to the Pont du Gard & Uzes, north to Vaison la Romaine, and east to Apt. Aix might be too far away for only 4 days.

My wife & I have vacationed for 16 weeks in Provence & 16 weeks in the Cote d'Azur. I've developed a 27 page itinerary which describes our favorite "things" in this reagon. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

Stu Dudley

Hi S,

My trip report might help you:
Ira Returns From 22 Loverly Days in Europe - Sep, 2009
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-europe.cfm

I agree with Stu. Provence is large and 4 days isn't a lot of time.

((I))

You can't go wrong with Stu's ideas, and guide. And concentrating around Avignon is good. AND a car is essential, as far as I am concerned!
I would omit Aix without a thought, personally. A wine tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape would be a good investment of time, and on the road into CNDP there is a chocolatier that is a fun stop.

Another vote for staying near Avignon and renting a car.

I copied this from another thread:

Since the Provence is basically Roman, you will of course see the many remnants of the Romans. IMO, Provence has the best Roman remains, even better than in Rome. You find great Roman monuments in

- Nimes (including the best-conserved amphitheater and a temple in perfect shape),
- Arles (the second-best amphitheater and many more),
- in the countryside south of St. Remy (Glanum and Les Antiques),
- Pont du Gard - a most impressive aquaeduct,
- Orange (the best Greek theatre and much more),
- Vaison-la-Romaine (a huge archeological site).

All these places are pretty close to each other in western Provence.

Avignon is a beautiful medieval city with a magnificent and historically significant Papal Palace. Les Beaux is a picturesque ruined medieval town, located in the scenic Alpilles mountain chain. Aigues-Mortes is a completely walled medieval town. The Camargue is a marshland and natural reserve with wild flamingoes which can be seen with horserides.

The upper Provence has more countryside and villages. Attractions include
- Senanque Abbey (in the middle of lavender fields),
- nearby Gordes is an interesting village, surrounded by the Bories (stone huts) in the fields,
- nearby Roussillion has a colourful ocre canyon.
- the Luberon is a harsh mountain chain with many scenic drives.

Said all this, I would base myself in region between Avignon, Carpentras, Cavaillon, Gordes, St. Remy. Geographically, this would be the best base for daytrips.

Having read Stu's & Ira's reports & the other suggestions we've changed the 4 days to 6 and are looking for a hotel for 3 in the Gordes, Carpentras, or Isle Sur le Sorgue area. We also subscribe to the sleep cheap theory and would appreciate any suggestions for hotels/ B&Bs. We will also skip the coast & both arrive & leave via the train at Avignon.
Thanks

We spent about 8 days in Provence in 2008 out of a 28 day French trip. Read StuDudley's info carefully. Then draw an oval on your map from Nimes in the West to Bonnieux in the East and Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the North to Arles in the South. We used St. Remy-de-Provence as a base. Do some research, get a car (with GPS) and hit the major things within that oval. It will be wonderful!!!! I guarantee it!!! Enjoy!!!

Look at www.lelavandinprovence.com and see if that would be a fit for you. Gorgeous property, American owner (no language issue) and we found that area to be very central to the villages/towns/markets we wanted to visit. We found it very easy to drive in the area with Georgia's mapping every morning after breakfast.

Enjoy! Provence is fabulous!

luvparee