Hi,

I am planning a trip to the South of France this coming October; for 3 weeks now to book accommodations! We are thinking St Remy would be a good home base, could be just as happy in Avignon, Aix Provence or ????. we prefer either AIRBNB, BNB, or a Boutique hotel walking distance to town and sites. Any recommendations that are moderately priced or a place that is a must stay, your input is greatly appreciated.
thank you so much
LVR

Welcome to Fodors.

" . . . that are moderately priced" Please tell us what your actual budget is - preferably in €. One person's 'moderate' could be another's dirt cheap - or really expensive.

Unlike you, I don't look for a base, nor do I opt for AirBnBs. BUT I stayed at a number of lovely boutique hotels and BnBs during my month in the area, and my comments about each are included in my trip report:
A stellar month in southeastern France

A few years ago we stayed for a week in October in St. Remy at La Maison de Lines. It is about a 5-7 minute walk into St. Remy and offered free parking with the room/apartment. We liked it very much and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

home - La Maison de Line. Charming bedrooms and cottages in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Provence offers such a wide variety of experiences that it will be helpful for you to tell us what is drawing you there. Hilltop or otherwise pretty villages? Wine? Roman ruins? Later history? Natural scenery? Smart shops and souvenirs? Markets? Art? Mediterranean views? Your interests will determine where else you might want to stay during the three weeks.

Are you looking to rent a car some or most of the time, or to experience some of the lovely walkable towns/cities where a car is unnecessary?

Why do you think St Remy would be a good base? English speakers love it, but it has no train station and is a different area than near the Lubeon, which a lot of people want. Which is the BIG question, will you have a rental car or not? If not, Avignon has the best connections. Otherwise St Remy might be easier to drive to/from places. Of course you can book accommodations more on the outskirts of Avignon or Aix. But if you have to be within walking distance of stuff, that makes it difficult with the car. Still St Remy probably easier in that regard, except it is a zoo on market days. I just drove there for that and couldn't park less than maybe 1 mile or two from the center.

Three weeks is a long time, you don't intend to stay in one place for 3 weeks, do you? If so, you'll do a lot of driving but that depends what you want to see. St Remy isn't as central, if you ask me, but again, that depends where you want to go or visit.

We loved our stay in St. Remy, and found it fine to explore Avignon, Arles & Aix, Fontaine Vacluse, L'isle Sorgue, Gordes. We were there on market day and it was not overly crowded, given my close-up pictures of the glorious fruits and vegetables, olives, cheeses. We stayed at a lovely, quiet hotel a block from the 'gates' with ample parking, and the tourist office just across the street. Presume for the three weeks you'll have a car to explore. Hotel du Soleil was EXCELLENT, very reasonable, secure, quiet, were there about 7-8 years ago. You need to check it out.

With a car and plans to visit many different areas in Provence on daytrips, we have stayed a total of around 30 days in or near Saint-Rémy. We have easily visited Vaison-la-Romaine, the Pont du Gard, Uzès, the Gorge de l'Ardèche, Nîmes, the Camargue, Aix-en-Provence and Cassis from our base there as well as many other closer places of interest. We have actually spent very little time in the town of S-R and have only stayed in apartments where we self-cater most of the time. It's the central location with easy access to major roads that appeals to us, although I'm sure there are lovely hotels and restaurants there as well. It's also very convenient to the Avignon TGV station and the car rental offerings there.

Boy, do I love Provence. I visted there years ago during lavender season and drove a lavender road and it was, indeed heaven. You base should depend on what you are looking for. Some of the smaller towns (St Remy, Gordes, Roussillon and Les Baux de Provence are located quite near each other. I loved each one of those towns and would recommend them. If you are looking for something a bit bigger, our base was Aix en Provence (quite a bit larger but utterly charming). But that is an hour away by car. I would also guess it is much more expensive. I mean, really, how can you go wrong? Enjoy!

Your OP makes it seem like you are looking for a home base for 3 weeks, is that the case?

If I had that much time I would sty in at least three distinct areas