Streamline this itinerary
 

Just as I thought I had my itinerary all done and dusted, I post on travel forums/ask friends for feedback and with all the help and suggestions I keep chopping and changing! Go to Marseille, don't go to Marseille, too much time in the one area, go here instead etc etc! It's a given everyone has a particular taste and ultimately I just need to go and see for myself but I thought I'd have a last bash on a different forum to see if maybe I should steamline this a little.

Bit of background, I am 33, female, will be doing this solo and WON'T have a car but using trains.

Paris 2 nights
Bordeax 3 nights
Carcassonne 1 night - This first part cannot be changed due to train booking conditions, or else I woud've maybe added biarritz.

Perpignan 2 nights (only just added this in)
Montpellier 3 nights
Avignon 4 nights (to use as base to explore surrounding)
Marseille 2 nights (have reduced this down from my original)

Nice 5 nights (I don't want to reduce this)
Lyon 3 nights
Paris 4 nights.
I cannot change Nice onwards again due to train booking conditions.

Thoughts on the ones that can be changed?

If taking all those train trips check out the France Eurailpass - the more days you buy the cheaper they become - like 30 euros or so for unlimited travel day and you need not book trains weeks in advance that cannot be changed. But sounds as though you may have already booked trains in stone. anyway for lots of good info on French trains in general check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

What are you going to do in Perpignon for two days - some of the finest beaches in France are just out of town and I'd suggest taking a day trip on the Petit Train Jeune (Little Yellow Train) - a narrow-gauge train that trundles up a sweet valley in the Pyrenees - starts a short distance from Perpignan:

http://about-france.com/tourism/yell...n-pyrenees.htm

Without knowing WHY you want to see these particular places, it is difficult to comment. I will say that I adored Toulouse, but found surprisingly little to draw me to Bordeaux once I actually read up on my options. YMMV.

I agree that Bordeaux at best is a one-day thing for the average tourist - a big city with some imposing architecture and all cleaned up but still IMO better places to spend two of those days - like Biarritz perhaps and the lovely coast - some of the best beaches in Europe - surf's up if into that.

bookmarking for some future trip. Thanks again Pal

WAS

Perpignan-2
Montpellier-3
Avignon-4
Marseille-2

CHANGE TO

Perpignon-0
Montpellier-2
Avignon-5
Aix-en-Provence-2
Marseille-2

I agree on Bordeaux, but you say it can't be changed?

I spent a couple days in Bordeaux and enjoyed it, there is more you can do if you get info/read guidebooks.

I think your time frame is pretty good except almost no time in Paris, but I guess this time isn't about Paris but the south, which is fine. I did spend a couple days in Perpignan and there really isn't much to do there, that's for sure. That does take one day unless you just want to not do anything for a day.
Aix is nice and you can't easily go there by train for a day trip, unfortunately (from/to center stations, not the TGV). But if you were going to stay there, it would make more sense to have it after Marseille, you could then take the TGV to Marseille, then the TER from Marseille to Aix center (Aix TGV station is a lot farther out from town than the Avignon TGV). Or, you can go direct by TGV between AVignon and Aix TGV stations, but it's not as convenient as arriving in the center.

SO I can agree with the above schedule (I'm agnostic on Perpignan, you must have a reason, if not, it isn't really on the way for you to Montpellier. Even Narbonne has more to do, I think) except I wouldn't spend 5 days in Avignon if those are wanted elsewhere. Depends what yo uplanned to do there, you can visit Arles and Nimes easily by train for day trips, of course, but anything else will require a van tour (like those small villages). Which is fine ifyou want to do that, I'm just not sure.

Avignon is the most central location for non car visitors to Provence. 5 days is not too much.

Avignon to:

Orange: 15 min by train; 45 min by bus
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue:30 min by train;45 min by bus
Nimes: 30 min by train;30 min by bus
Uzes: 60 min by bus only
Pont du Gard:50 min by bus only
Arles: 20 min by train; 50 min by bus
St Remy-de-Provence:40 min by bus only
Vaison la Romaine:90 min by bus; faster via train to Orange, then bus, also bus to Nyons, Sablet, and Segret
Luberon area:-including Gordes-first take the bus to Cavaillon ( from there, take bus#15 for Gordes).

Avignon to Aix to Marseille to Nice works:

Avignon TGV to Aix-en-Provence TGV 20 min train

Aix-en-Provence to Marseille St Charles 30-40 min train

Marseille(30 min bus to Aix TGV) to Nice 3 hours train

Avignon itself is one sweet city - dugi has outlined all the mind-boggling day trip possibilities - check bus schedule carefully though as some services like to Les Baux are rather sketchy. Dugi did not mention Les-Beaux-de-Provence but to me it is also a riveting place to visit - the Dead City - remnants of an old hilltop fortified fortress set on a high outcropping of rock with views for miles around. Maybe Dugi did not mention because it is so difficult to reach by bus - but it's a short taxi ride from St-Remy-de-Provence.