We have six days to spare between meeting with friends in the Dordogne (Tremolat) and having to be in Paris. I would love to visit Provence - but wonder if I should wait until I have more time and can do it properly, or just have a small "taster". We would be wanting to drop a car off then TGV to Paris. What are the forum's thoughts? Any input at all would be appreciated.

I think 6 days will give you a very good tasted of Provence. Getting back to Paris from Avignon is much easier than from the Dordogne.

How had you planned to spend those 6 days if you don't visit Provence? Are you allocating enought time to the Dordogne (5-6 days min, I hope).

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

What are your options and what do you like to do?
I found Dordogne and Provence two very different areas.

Hi N,

6 days in Provence is quite nice.

How many days in the Dordogne?

We spent about 10 days in the Dordogne in July 2005 and absolutely loved it - I could easily spend the time there again but feel we should probably diversify and try something different. From reading around the forum in the past few days, good bases seem like St Remy, or perhaps Gordes, or perhaps both? The lavender trail you have recommended, Stu, really entices! Then drop the car off at Avignon and TVG back to Paris. Do you think one base, or two 3-day bases?

For 6 days or more, I usually recommend 2 bases. St Remy, & in the Luberon near Gordes. I recently posted some "reasons why 2 bases". Click on my name & see if you can find it.

Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for Provence. E-mail me at [email protected] if you don't.

Stu Dudley

Stu, thanks for the offer of the itinerary - I will email you. I can't find your "2 bases" re Provence - but there is a posting there for the Dordogne. WOuld you mind finding it and topping it for me?
Many thanks
Nerida

The "2 bases" by StuDudley...

The Luberon and St Remy seem to be the two most popular spots to stay in while exploring Provence. Many like St Remy because it's a medium sized town with easy car access, lots of retaurants & cafes, good shopping, a nice weekly market, and very tourist friendly. Others prefer the Luberon valley because it has lavender fields, vineyards, lovely rolling hills, close to some canyons & mountains, close to 'rural" provence (Sault area), small cute villages, and Peter Mayle. It's kinda like countryside vs. small city.

My third recommended area is close to Vaison la Romaine, where there are even more vineyards (it's the famous Cote du Rhone), access to the lavender fields around Sault, cute small villages, close to Mt Ventoux, mountains, remote Provence, Roman Ruins & a Medieval city in Vaison. All are close to Avignon

I would stay several days in St Remy so you can be close to the "big ticket" attractions of Arles, Nimes, les Baux, Alpillies, Pont du Gard, Uzes, and the Carmarque.

I would also stay several days in either the Luberon or Vaison areas so you can be close to the Luberon, the cute villages in the Luberon, the fabulous Sunday market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue, lavender fields & 'remote" Provence around Sault, canyons just south of Sault, Mt Ventoux, Senanque Abbey, Vaison, the Dentelles, Cote du Rhone winegrowing & the cute villages there (Seguret), Pernes & it's fountains, and Nyons. You could stay in either the Vaison area or Luberon and catch all of these big ticket items. I think most first-timers would prefer the Luberon.

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I should have summarized what I tried to explain in too many words in the prior post.

If you stay in St Remy, it's a longer drive than I would want to make to visit the Lavender fields around Sault, the canyons around Sault, "remote" Provence (Simiane la Rotunde & north of Mt Ventoux - the Baronnais), Mt. Ventoux, Pernes, Vaison, Cote du Rhone villages & vineyards, and Nyons.

If you stay in the Luberon, it's farther than I would want to drive to visit Arles, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Uzes, and the Carmarque.

St Remy has a much different "look & feel" than the countryside around either the Luberon or Vaison. I like diversity and I don't like to do needless driving if I can avoid it. That's why I recommend staying in two different places if you're visiting for more than 6 days and want to get a feel for all or Provence.

I'll cut & paste here:


The Luberon and St Remy seem to be the two most popular spots to stay in while exploring Provence. Many like St Remy because it's a medium sized town with easy car access, lots of retaurants & cafes, good shopping, a nice weekly market, and very tourist friendly. Others prefer the Luberon valley because it has lavender fields, vineyards, lovely rolling hills, close to some canyons & mountains, close to 'rural" provence (Sault area), small cute villages, and Peter Mayle.

It's kinda like countryside vs. small city.

My third recommended area is close to Vaison la Romaine, where there are even more vineyards (it's the famous Cote du Rhone), access to the lavender fields around Sault, cute small villages, close to Mt Ventoux, mountains, remote Provence, Roman Ruins & a Medieval city in Vaison. All are close to Avignon

I would stay several days in St Remy so you can be close to the "big ticket" attractions of Arles, Nimes, les Baux, Alpillies, Pont du Gard, Uzes, and the Carmarque.

I would also stay several days in either the Luberon or Vaison areas so you can be close to the Luberon, the cute villages in the Luberon, the fabulous Sunday market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue, lavender fields & 'remote" Provence around Sault, canyons just south of Sault, Mt Ventoux, Senanque Abbey, Vaison, the Dentelles, Cote du Rhone winegrowing & the cute villages there (Seguret), Pernes & it's fountains, and Nyons. You could stay in either the Vaison area or Luberon and catch all of these big ticket items. I think most first-timers would prefer the Luberon.

Stu Dudley

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Author: StuDudley
Date: 02/02/2007, 06:53 pm
I should have summarized what I tried to explain in too many words in the prior post.

If you stay in St Remy, it's a longer drive than I would want to make to visit the Lavender fields around Sault, the canyons around Sault, "remote" Provence (Simiane la Rotunde & north of Mt Ventoux - the Baronnais), Mt. Ventoux, Pernes, Vaison, Cote du Rhone villages & vineyards, and Nyons.

If you stay in the Luberon, it's farther than I would want to drive to visit Arles, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Uzes, and the Carmarque.

St Remy has a much different "look & feel" than the countryside around either the Luberon or Vaison. I like diversity and I don't like to do needless driving if I can avoid it. That's why I recommend staying in two different places if you're visiting for more than 6 days and want to get a feel for all of Provence.

Stu Dudley



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Yes, six days in Provence would be perfectly lovely. My husband & I have done a similiar itinerary: Dordogne, Provence & Paris. During our first trip to Provence, we stayed in Arles. Since then, we have stayed in St Remy twice. It is a comfortable town to stay in with a variety of restaurants & a wonderful market day! Its proximity to the key sights & villages makes St Remy a perfect home base. Our stays have only been a week each time ... and we always yearn to return! In July 2006, we dropped our rental car at the new TGV station near Avignon and rode the train into Paris. Once in Paris, it was a short cab ride from Gare Lyon to our hotel in the 6th arr.

Thank you all for your input - at least I'm not agonising now over where we'll be. I'll run my itinerary past the forum when I finalise it in a few days' time. One more thng - if we want to catch the TGV to Paris, say from Avignon, mid-morning on a Monday, where would you suggest overnighting beforehand (that night is one of the '6 nights' we have to spend in the area).

Both St Remy & Gordes are 40 mins or less from the Avignon TGV station. Unless you plan to take a very early train, I would not change hotels just to be closer to the TGV station. I would NOT stay in Avignon Sunday. Sunday, & Monday morning are not the best time to visit Avignon.

Stu Dudley

We stayed here a couple of years ago:
http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Puglia/.../index.uk.html
Very nice and in the middle of the town rather tha on the big beach outside the city centre.
Good luck - Vieste is a really charming town, and Otranto, your other choice is also very, very nice. We spent a week there last fall and loved it!

Ooops, sorry.
Posted an answer to the wrong message - sorry

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Try to make one or more of the following market days in: Apt, Roussillon or Gordes. I think Apt was my favorite. Sur la Sorgue market day on Sunday is awesome - a different atmosphere as it has lots of antiques and flea market items as well.

The Avignon TGV station is south of the town. There are a lot of car rental offices there for easy drop-off. And the station is less than 30 minutes from St. Remy -- according to www.viamichelin.com.

Do go to Isle sur la Sorgue. Not just for the market; they subdivided the river, originally to run a lot of water wheels for power. All this bits and pieces of river permeate the town.

You haven't said what time of year you'll be in Provence?

Why not in Avignon, close to the TGV? The other days you will be visiting Perché villages perhaps. Wherever you decide to stay, you will like. Each has its own personality. One year we dropped the car off at the Avignon airport and flew from there to Paris. You didn't say when you will be there to suggest seeing the lavender fields. Harvesting usually starts mid August.

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