My husband and I will be spending 6 days in France and we are looking for suggestions - 3 days in Paris (our second visit) and then we plan to take the train down to Provence for 3 days and want to make the most of a short visit. We plna to rent a car once we reach Provence if needed. Where should we go in Provence - we want to see the countryside, eat well, and have a cozy and comfortable play to stay. Thank You!

Hi

Have you done a text search "Provence"?

yes I have (after my first posting) and my inclination after some reading is to take the train to Avignon and, rent a car and go from there. Nav les Pins sounded interesting; I just can't figure out if going to Nice or Lyon make sense. any thoughts?

Three days is not a lot of time for Provence, and a lot of your time would be used up traveling to Nice or Lyon.

Here are two ideas that should give you a taste of Provence:

1. Take the TGV to Avignon, then rent a car, and head for a village within a not-too-far drive, somewhere north of the Luberon--Rouissillon, Bonnieux, Vaison-la-Romaine, Seguret, Gordes would all fit the bill. The town of Uzes on the western side of the Rhone is particularly lovely and located near the Pont du Gard, but by some definitions would not be considered Provence (although it's still rather Provencal).

2. Take the train to Lyon, rent a car there, and set up a base in Northern Provence, ideally the Vaucluse. Again, Vaison would be a good base for exploring wine villages, Mount Ventoux, market towns, etc. And it's interesting in its own right with some Roman ruins and a lovely medieval section.

With only three days, you should find a spot relatively near to Avignon, where there is plenty to see and do nearby. I would also highly recommend the Luberon and can suggest a great place to stay. Email me if you want more details at
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I also have a suggestion for a place to stay in the Luberon, this one just below Gordes--La Ferme de la Huppe, a converted farmouse with comfortable rooms, a nice pool, and a very fine restaurant. It's within easy driving distance of the Luberon villages, such as Oppède-le-Vieux, Ménerbes, and Rousillon.