Hilarious adrienne. You wrote, "you could always hire a car for a day." Where in that is "Duh...the car would have a driver."???

In what country is, 'hire a car', understood to include a driver? Duhhhh.

I, for one, assumed that adrienne implied that a driver was in the "hire". Where I live (Calif), "rent" a car means a car only. Hire means something else. Usually a person is involved in a "hire" - a butler, chauffeur, waitress, shopkeeper, janitor, etc.

Stu Dudley

Yes, I'm with Stu--car and driver. Taxi!! Don't know if it is available, but worth an inquiry.

I have decided to do it and experience all I can do without a car.

I have the following questions:

Has anyone used a reliable car and driver to go to see the lavender fields? I don't want to be rushed while visiting so hiring a driver might be the way to go.

I am looking for a wine tour or cooking class - something different. Any recommendations?

We had exactly this dilemma and knew we couldn't afford to hire a driver.

We stayed in Avignon, which is a stop on the TGV and well connected with other train and bus routes. We loved being there (stayed at R. Steeves favorite B&B) and were able to use the full time we'd planned for exploring right there with a wish to linger much longer. (We had a memorable anniv. dinner courtesy DS at Christiane-Etienne near the palace -- pricey but once-in-a-life time good.)

To get to Arles, we took a train and had a great day's walkabout there, coming back after dinner. Then we signed up (at tourist ctr in Avignon, not far from train station) for a tour to Nimes, Pont de Gard, and little town Uzes. We don't normally love tours, but knew we'd never see Pont de Gard without someone driving there, and this was a very small group (about 6 of us) in a van with a very friendly, knowledgable driver-guide. It was a great day.

We could easily go back and use Avignon as base again, although next time we might get ourselves to Montpelier, Aix, etc. to expand the radius. Haven't looked into going closer to the Mediterranean, but I'm sure it can be done without a car - even sacrificing some convenience and spontaneity.

Posted when you did. The tourist info ctr. in Avignon can help with car/driver if no one here has a good referral.

We took this cooking class last year http://tessa-cooking.fr/ We met Tessa in Aix, had a quick walking tour of the city, went to the market and then drove to her home for wine and cheese and the class. We all helped cook then had a wonderful meal. If you are interested, you might ask if she could drive you and take you back to Aix as it wasn't far.

Thanks - I will be based in Avignon. I thought about Aix but people dissuaded me. I won't have a vehicle so I am a bit at a disadvantage.

Even though many recommend like reflex Provence=must drive, Tuscany=must drive, etc, renting a car is never essential if the term is used as having no other options. There are other options – sometimes at similar overall cost, sometimes it costs more, sometimes with time constraints, but options nevertheless. If I drive, I stay somewhere in Luberon where I don’t have to deal with pita traffic like Avignon. If I don’t care to drive, I would stay in Avignon being the hub of trains, buses, and small group tours. If one wants full flexibility, negotiate a fixed day/half day price with a taxi. For those from the U.S. , people do not necessarily want to say why they do not want to drive lest the statement comes back to haunt them in employment, insurance, etc.

you really need at car top see the countryside.
either find someone over there or at home to drive you around.

towns are gorgeous, but you will miss out on more than 50% of the value of the place.

Thanks for your replies - but I am not driving for the simple reason that I do NOT want to drive - I am happy to take public transportation and I have already established that I know I will miss out on some aspects. In any case, I am interested in people who have used a private driver there or have taken a day tour. I appreciate the comments but driving is not an option. I am ready to lose "50%" of fun and value...oh well....

I will start a new thread at this point to avoid confusion. I am going based on the wonderful encouragement!

Any taxi driver can be rented for a full day. Rates vary.

Thanks Kerouac.

I have been to Provence without a car and certainly did not regret going and had a great time. I have never hired a private driver, I get around by public transportation and day tours. So don't let anyone tell you it is impossible because that is absurd, or the idea that you have to pay for private drivers.

We saw a great deal from the bus, van, and train windows and were not distracted by trying to figure out where we were and how to get to the next place, or trying to avoid getting caught doing night driving.

You'll be FINE!!! Have a great trip - I'm envious.