StCirq

"My mother lives in the south of France in a remote rural area and some taxi drivers are very reluctant to go out that far."

We've had the same experience living here in a remote village in the SW. It's not only getting taxi drivers to take you or pick you up from places that aren't nearby, it's that there often aren't enough taxi drivers to go around, especially in high season, so you have to wait until one is free, sometimes for a very long time. Maybe not so much of a problem in a city the size of Avignon, but once you get to that remote restaurant or site and want to go back to the city, you're probably going to have to wait a very long time. It's not high season here now, of course, but we waited for more than an hour last week for a taxi to take us 8 kms. A lot of "taxi companies" are just one guy with a car.

And now it turns out the OP isn't very comfortable on buses, which I understand, but she's not going to be able to take trains to all that many of the "gems" of Provence because those "gems" don't have train stations.

jamikins

I will throw my voice in about renting a car. It is really the best way to see the area you want to see. Trains do not run to the lovely villages and I wouldn't want to waste my vacation time waiting for a bus.

We went to Provence during lavender season in 2015 and loved it - here are our pics:

https://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]

I understand if your husband doesn't want to drive on holiday. But if that is the case I would choose a location where public transport is better and leave Provence for a time when you want to rent a car.

Happy planning!

StuDudley

The OP will be arriving from Genoa. If a car is "out" of the picture, just stay in Nice for a week. A car is not absolutely necessary there - although many of our cute little "gem" villages are in the Nice Hinterland and impossible/impractical to reach without a car.

Stu Dudley

cmstraf

Dear everyone,

Thanks again--you've all really helped. We've ended up with a compromise that I'm pretty excited about. We will stay in Avignon and
day 1 explore Avignon
day 2 Isle-sur-le-Sorgue by train with long anniversary lunch at Michelin one star restaurant, Le Vivier (open on Tuesdays)
day 3 Arles by train with or without L'Atelier restaurant for lunch or dinner. Jeep tour to Camarags in afternoon.
day 4 Luberon villages (rental car days 4 and 5 with me driving if DH doesn't want to)
day 5 Les Baux through St Remy or back to Arles or Pont du Gard and Uzes. A
day 6 Paris with dinner at Spring (one of the best and relatively moderately priced meals I've eaten). Stroll through Marais, stay near Place des Voges
day 7 Picasso museum in morning ("chiuso per restauro" our last visit) , CDG airport in afternoon and home.
day 7 Picasso museum in morning, airport in afternoon (I don't love Picasso, but do love that museum)

StuDudley

>>lunch at Michelin one star restaurant, Le Vivier (open on Tuesdays)<<

That's one of our very favorite restaurants in the region - but it is a tad of a walk or taxi from the center of town. Just be prepared!!

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Pont du Gard would be tops on my list. Most extraordinary Roman relic anywhere just about - Remoulins small town nearby is nice too.

Sberg

I have followed much of Stu's itinerary in Provence and loved it! The villages are really close and a car made it so easy. The driving is no problem as there is no traffic. It is a beautiful part of the world. Hope you have a great trip!

mdinbc

cmstraf, I think you have reached a good compromise. All the comments here have recommended driving, but I will stand up for your husband! A holiday has to consider both parties and their desires for a relaxing but interesting stay.
We did rent a car from Avignon, and were originally going to stay in St Remy but ended up changing our plans and extended our stay in Bandol (a lovely seaside town). My husband hated the drive. Granted, we are from small northern town in Canada...this was our first experience with roundabouts and toll highways (especially with instructions in French).
Once in Bandol, we parked the car and didn't use it for 5 days; a waste of money, but then we had a lovely relaxing stay in a beautiful part of the world we hadn't seen before. We can always go back, but for us public transit is the way to go.

PalenQ

Luberon villages can be done sans car with a guided excursion I would think.

StuDudley

Pal

Please be a little more specific. Provide the name and/or a link to a guide that provides this service. And your "I would think" implies that you have never done this yourself. Have you spent a day driving by car through all or many of the hill villages in the Luberon recently? I'm guessing that there are tours which visit 2-3 of these villages - usually the most popular like Gordes & Rousillon. But not to some of the gems like Goult, Saignon, Oppede le Vieux, or even Menerbes. Actually the countryside between these villages with all the vineyards, lavender fields, orchards, & views of villages in the distance is just as interesting (if not more) than walking around the villages themselves. Also, I doubt if a tour van would be allowed to stop at the rock outcropping that provides "the view" of Gordes. Plus - we always like to visit the villages & countryside at "our pace" - not the van/tour driver's pace.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

So unless you have a car and want to spend 3-4 days going thru these villages it is not possible - which applies to the person here who typically wants to spend a few days in the area sandwiched into a longer trip. You'd have to be spending a much longer time here to do those villages as well as the several di rigueur other sights

StuDudley

I only mentioned ONE day allocated to visiting the Luberon villages - not 3-4. I provided a timetable for doing that. But many/most people won't visit all 8 villages and the ocre fields in one day unless they get an early start. Those villages are very close to each other, so when it's time to head home, rest, and get ready for dinner - they can cut the trip short without driving too far to get home.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

https://www.getyourguide.com/-l14/-t...hoCdb4QAvD_BwE

Google search shows several tours from Avignon to Luberon villages - and private drivers specializing in that too. Don't need car.

Christina

There are plenty of guided tours to Luberon villages, why wouldn't there be, it's a big tourist draw and not everyone in the world can rent a car.Tourist offices have brochures, they are mainly run out of the bigger cities, Avignon or Aix. Sure, they go to the main draws, not podunk places like Goult, but Pal never said they went to all of them. I've been to Goult, I wouldn't put it as a must-see on any tour, either. I haven't taken one either, but I know they exist and have seen their info and itineraries. Menerbes was made popular by the British guy, I think, so some go there, of course. I know some go to Oppede le Vieux.

Here is just one example, it goes to 4 in fact, including Menerbes and also Senanque Abbey.
Orange tour - My dream Provence | ProVans Tours

HEre is one that does go to Oppede, there are others
Sightseeing and Private Provence Tours-villages of Luberon-Gordes, Roussillon

mjs

Just wondering if your husband would recommend exploring the state of California without a car

tomboy

Echoing MJS on that. Imagine touring the Sonoma wine country by train. Or the California Redwoods. By refusing to rent a car for PLEASANT drives, your DH is virtually guaranteeing a D+ experience in an A environment.

PARTICULARLY if one had a two hour commute, one would SURELY discover that driving COULD be enjoyable. in Provence at least.

My money's on StuDudley's advice, not Pal's.

PalenQ

You completely misrepresent what I've said. Cars are great if you have a lot of time in area - in fact vital. But if you are the typical tourist just wanting to hit a few main sights from say Avignon and Arles - two of the most pleasant cities in France, it is possible to take trains between ivignon and Arles and Nimes (city with unique look and stellar Roman ruins Provence 'experts' rarely even mention here) and buses or tours to Pont du Gard and St-Remy or Les Baux. And do one of many guided tours to Liberon towns Stu tours. So folks who do not want to drive can easily see all these wonders - quite unlike the pathetic California Wine Country example.

Provence 'experts' here seem to think that villages and small towns are the highlights of this part of Provence and even disdain places like Avignon, constantly mentioning the horrible traffic and tacky development around the city and rarely mention why cities like Avignon and Arles and Nimes are such gems - saying even to avoid them and base in smaller towns nearby.

The Luberon village are a neat aspect to this are but should not be its focal point as some here seem to advocate. For folks with several days like OP yes at least do a guided tour or drive around a few days but don't neglect Avignon and Arles and Nimes and the Pont du Gard, Les Baux and St Remy, all of which are easy to recach by public transit - no car needed for folks who are not keen on driving.

StuDudley

Pal

When were you in Provence recently???

We were there for 2 weeks in Bedoin last year, 2 weeks in the Ardeche/Drome (northern Provence) in 2016, 2 weeks in the Luberon in Gordes in 2014, and 19 weeks in other areas in Provence from 1999 till 2012.

And don't tell me about the "pathetic" wine country example - the "comparison" was very accurate. I've lived in California all my life (70 years) - last 43 years near the wine country & I have 10 redwood trees surrounding our house.

>>Pont du Gard, Les Baux and St Remy, all of which are easy to recach by public transit<<

No trains between these places and buses are infrequent. If you want to sit in a van or take a taxi - fine. But, IMO, taxis & vans are "downers". Visiting mainly Nimes, Avignon, & Arles is like Bill Murry in "Goundhog Day". Repeats. We love all these cities (Nimes not so much, but Aix is our favorite). Get out and visit some vineyards, gorges, mountains, lavender fields, hill villages, lavoires, abbeys, castles. Don't just big city "hop" & a mid-day van/group tour to les Baux and the Pont.

These people live near San Francisco (like us) and driving is not a new adventure for them. I've limited our driving in the Bay Area in the last 5 years because of the increasing congestion. But I welcome our 2 months in France each year so that we can get away from tjhis congestion.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

First Stu you say there were no excursions to the Luberon towns and there are several - now you say virtually impossible to get to Les Baux and St-Remy by bus - again not true:

Access to Les Baux-de-Provence by bus

Regular lines by Cartreize (all year round)

- Line 18 Arles >Aix-en-Provence par Raphaèle les Arles, Saint-Martin-de-Crau and Salon-de-Provence
- Line 29 Arles >Salon-de-Provence par Fontvieille, Le Paradou, Maussane, Mouriès, Aureille and Eyguières
- Line 54 Arles >Cavaillon par Tarascon, St Etienne du grès, Mas Blanc les Alpilles, St Rémy-de-Provence , Mollège and Plan d’Orgon
- Line 57 St Rémy-de-Provence > Eyragues > Chateaurenard > Rognonas > Avignon

Download the schedule on this link


The summer line 57 by Cartreize (From 2nd May to 29th September)

Summer line 57 Arles >Avignon by Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Remy-de-Provence

I stand by my take - don't need car for a few days hitting highlights - cars are great for several days or more.

Luberon villages are great - but not unique for France - lots all over. Pont du Gard, Les Baux, St-Remy's van Gogh asylum, Avginon (especially Palace of Popes - one of most historic and impressive edifices anywhere - Arles all are uniquen sites and this is why lots of folks come here. And for the casual tourist on say a train trip it is a great place to stop off at for a few days just to see these things that can easily be reached by public transporation.

You again completely miss my point - and please quit giving out misinformation.

ca y'est.

PalenQ

Getting to the Pont du Gard - Travel and Tourism in Provence

And for regular buses Arles and Avignon to Pont-du-Gard.

And again if you look I always tell folks a car would be nice but also say it is not needed to reach the blockbuster sights.