Provence -Where should we stay?
 

I am having a hard time deciding where to stay during my stay in Provence. I wanted to stay away from a big city. Please help me narrow down the choices between:
1) St. Remy
2) Les Baux De Provence
3) Aix En Provence
4) Gordes / Roussillon

No one can do that but you. Read a guide book or google those places to see what is most likely to fit what you think you want. Les Baux is small, a perche village, mostly stone. Aix is a lively university town. Gordes is another perche but larger than Les Baux. St Remy is a town and a good location to see those clices. Roussillon is worth a vist too, with it's houses colored in the local reds of its ochre quarries. Though it's also a must see on the tourists list, you must read Laurence Wylies VILLAGE IN THE VAUCLUCE to find its impoverished heritage.

We enjoyed St. Remy when we stayed there but we absolutely loved Aix and would stay there next time. It's a bigger town, though, so it depends on what you want.

Aix is my favorite small city in the <i>world</i>. I also love the Luberon, although Gordes IMO is overrated and wouldn't be my choice to stay.

The one on your list I wouldn't choose is Les Baux, because it's very, very touristy and less of a community than the others.

Hi sher,

Of your choices: 1 and 3.

((I))

I would say either Aix-en-Provence or St Remy for ease of getting out and into most of the Bouches du Rhone villages as well as for varied choices of restaurants, shops & boutiques and markets.

But if you want to visit mainly the Luberon, then l'isle sur la Sorgue is big enough and quaint enough to meet your needs.

St-Rémy or Aix, but Aix IS a city, so if you don't want a city, then St-Rémy. Definitely not Les Baux.

ditto

Hi sherisp,
We stayed in St Remy earlier this year and loved it. If you are there for market day be sure to go. It was one of our favorite markets in all of our three month trip.

It was very easy to get to everything we wanted to see from St. Remy: Avignon, Les Baux, Pont du Gard, the Camargue, Arles.

We stayed at the Hotel du Soleil and loved it.

Happy planning,
Michele

We've vacationd for 16 weeks in that region.

I would not stay in Aix for 2 reasons:
a. You stated that you did not want to stay in a big city. Aix is a big city & traffic in & out is tough. Visit it on a day trip if you like
b. It is in a corner of Provence - not centrally located. Use www.viamichelin.com to see how far away it is from the Pont du Gard & Uzes.

I would probably not stay in Les Baux because it is a little touristy, but some hotels are quite nice & "romantic"

I would choose St Remy if you want to stay in a small town with lots of restaurants, cafes, shops, other tourists.

I would choose Gordes, Roussillon, or Bonnieux of you want to stay in a pretty area with rolling hills, lavender fields (late June, July), vineyards. I prefer the Luberon countryside over the St Remy area. Gordes & Roussilln have lots of tourists mid-day - but in the morning & evening it is a lot less tourist infested. There are actually several nice hotels just outside of Gordes with nice views & within easy walking distance of Gordes.

Stu Dudley

How much time do you have? You could stay in St. Remy for a few days, with daytrips to Pont du Gard, Nimes, Avignon, Les Baux, Arles. Then pick up and drive through the Luberon to Aix, and stay there a few days. Aix is a city, sure, but so beautiful and lively.

I really enjoy driving, but agree that driving in Aix is a nightmare.

Stu,
Your experience of Provence is way greater than mine but I don't know if I agree with your comment about traffic (and robertino's).

We hadn't planned to visit Aix and just made a last minute decision to do so, so last minute in fact that we called hotels from the car on the way.

I can't remember the name of our (modest) hotel but it was on the main street. We drove our car from the highway and up that street to the hotel with no problems at all. My SO turned the car around and parked out front while I went in to get a hotel staff member who guided us into the parking lot behind the hotel. We didn't move our car again until we left Aix a few days later -- we just walked everywhere.

Aix didn't feel like a big city to us, just a bigger town, but that may be because we live in a big city. It may also be bigger than the OP would like but it was our favourite stop (among many wonderful stops!) in Provence.

We stayed at the Manoir in Aix, they have their own car park and had no problem getting in or out of the city.

That's funny, cigale, because we stayed the Manoir too, and while parking was not a problem, getting in and out was scary. Just a diferent personal experience.

I enjoyed staying in Lourmarin. But I have only visited the area once for 2 weeks.

Thank you all for your replies, very helpful! I am afraid to say we are only staying 3 days in provence. Seems St. Remy is the most central frpom everyone's opinions.

Don't miss market day there -- it's great! I envy you your trip.

Only you can decide what you want in a place to stay..a city or village to wander around in..a nice place to stay and dine with car for sight seeing and whatever.

A very favorite spot of mine is:

http://www.riboto-de-taven.fr/

It is NOT touristy at all. You do not even know the tourist area of Les Baux is there!

Joan

le Riboto is indeed not touristy. That's the "romantic" spot I referred to. My wife celebrated her 50th birthday dinner there with 8 other friends.

Stu Dudley

I have been on vacation several times in the area with my family and have stayed around each town. I would pick St Remy, although the others are very nice as well. While there do not miss the chocolatier Joel Durand. That's a favorite stop of my wife and daughters.