kipp

So I originally planned on taking only buses and trains for my whole trip. 3 days in Paris, 3 days in western Provence (Avignon base taking with trains to Nimes and Arles each for a day trip), 3 days in eastern Provence/Riviera (Nice base, with trains to Cannes and Monaco each for a day trip).

I've decided, at the insistence everyone, that while renting a car is quite expensive because I am under 25 (it doubles the cost), I should AT LEAST rent a car in the Avignon area if I really want to see the sights for the three full sightseeing days I am in the area.

So I have revised it. I was able to get a tiny little Renault Clio for a mere $85 U.S. for the three days ($16

NJgirl626

You did the right thing and managed to get a bargain to boot! Enjoy your trip and your tiny little(great mileage) car.

Underhill

You did very well--I'm sure having a car will let you experience Provence in a whole different way. Now, get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to Provence. It's really helpful, with suggested driving routes and excellent information on various sights.

kipp

$165 including Young Driver Surcharge)

Anyway, I will be driving around in the Avignon area for those days, then heading to the east via TGV to Nice. I'll use Nice as a base and take trains from there, as I have found that all of the towns in the area are on the train line on the coast (unlike the dispersement of cities in western provence that lie away from the train line).

Although many of you have suggested to cut the entire riviera portion of the trip, I am firmly committed to enjoying the relaxing atmosphere there, without tons of pressure to see every last sight. It seems as though I will have no problem fitting in Cannes and Antibes into a day, to the west, for example, and Monaco and (somewhere else) for a day to the east . I also think this will be a relaxing way to close out the trip.

I guess my final questions for everyone are which sights to see in western provence now that I am renting a car? Arles, Nimes, Aix, Les Baux, St. Remy, They all sound great. Does anyone have their favorites? What has worked for you folks in the past? I am an experienced traveler, so I have no problem exhausting myself and fitting a lot into a day (especially if I can relax a little more in Nice, etc.) I think I'm still going to base in Avignon. The hotel I was looking at (Clarion St. Cloitre) has free parking, and is near the train station (and car rental desk).

So I gues I'm asking, What are the "musts" in western provence?

Thanks,

Kipp

Underhill

You can do Arles and Nimes in one longish day, depending on your interests. On another you can visit Tarascon and Beaucaire, the Pont du Gard, and Uzès, finishing up back in Avignon. The next day visit Les Baux (early!), St-Rémy, and the Abbaye de Montmajour, followed by seeing more of Avignon. If you're taking the train to Nice, drive over to Aix for a look around and drop the car there. This should get you the most bang for your car bucks.

shellio

Underhill, I agree that's a good itinerary, but the Abbaye de Montmajour is only a couple of kilometers outside of Arles and could be visited on the same day.

Another possibility is to take a day to visit the area to the east of Avignon: l'Isle sur la Sorgue, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Roussillon, Gordes and the Abbaye de Senanque. I think it's probably more difficult to see this area without a car than it is to get to Arles and Nimes, and would take better advantage of the car. Or drop south a bit and see the Luberon villages of Bonnieux, Lacoste, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux.

On the other hand, there's never enough time, so you'll definitely want to come back to see what you missed this time. Enjoy the trip!

lekker

Kipp - you will enjoy your tiny little Clio! We drove with one for six days - a month ago, and I just loved the car - was really sad when I had to say goodbye to it!

Apart from all the sights mentioned, I want to support Shellio in considering the villages and small towns east of Avignon. I visited l'Isle sur La Sorgue, Fontaine de Vaclause,Lourmarin, Roussillon etc for the first time during our visit a month ago and we enjoyed it so much! We happened to be in Lourmarin and l'Isle sur la Sorgue on market day - what a nice experience! Everything the Fodorites wrote about those beautiful villages is true.

JoeG

kipp,

Now that you have a car you may want to consider a drive through Le Camargue. Also Arles has a great market day on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

JoeG

ggnga

I think you have made an excellent choice. I drove a Clio deisel for six days in Provence and only used half a tank of gas!! I did Tarascon, Pont du Gard and Uzes in one day, skipped Beaucaire because the industrial stuff (paper mill I think) bothered my asthma. It was a nice day.
I loved Uzes, Pont du Gard was beautiful but I did not spend much time there due to mosquitos. I did not have any repellent with me and there were swarms of them. The castle in Tarascon was interesting. I would not miss Arles, St. Remy and Les Baux. I think that Isle SLS, Fountaine de V, Gordes, and Roussillon would be my other choice. Have a wonderful trip.

Deirdremm

Cannot agree more...the towns east of Avignon are too good to miss! Drive to Aix, then onto
these charming villages! Nice
is not that far...turn your car in there. The train from Nice
is easy and picturesque. Local buses take you to St. Paul de Vence and Grasse. Try to get to Eze if you can! Happy relaxing!