What do you do in Provence?
 

Going to Europe in September with wife. Start in Paris, drive to Beaune, Montreux, Zermatt, Portofino, Provence? and end up in Barcelona. Beaune has wine, Montreux the lake, Zermatt hiking in the mountains, Portofino the Med Sea, Barcelona beaches. What does one do in Provence? I love the mountains and love the sea, but am kind of at a loss when researching where to stop between Portofino and Barcelona. I know Provence is supposed to be great, but when reading up on it, I'm not sure what the fasination is. What am I missing? Any ideas or comments? Thanks in advance!!

In Provence you enjoy the small towns, you visit the Palais des Papes in Avignon, you delight in the markets held everywhere just about every day (Sundays in Isle Sur la Sorgue are particularly delightful...check out the waterwheels), you explore the Chateauneuf de Pape wine region, you drive (or cycle if you wish to prove you can hang in there with the Tour de France folks) up Mount Ventoux and enjoy the view and the candy sellers at the top, you head for the coast at Cassis, try the fine white wine, and take a boat ride to visit the calanques up the coast toward Marseilles, you see the Roman ruins in Vaison-le-Romaine, the fine acqueduct (Pont du Gard), and the marvelous amphitheater at Arles. Do these things and you've just scratched the surface. Our preference is to base ourselves in a hill town (such as Venasque) in the Vaucluse, but there are many other options.

Go to the link 'Our Brochures' and read on Provence.
www.provenceguide.com
Like you, I made it there without being convinced there was much to do or see. I have fallen in love and I now have a long list of the many things I plan to visit on a future trip. I love Provence almost as much as I love Rome, some days even more.

Since markets bore me ,and 'exploring" small , however charming, towns is not my thing I am probably in a very small minority here who prefers other places in Europe.

Masterphgil:


It is important to know just exactly how much time you have.

You are planning to cover one heckuva big piece of geography. Anything less than two full weeks (and even that's cramming a bit) would be uncomfortable IMO.

Stu T.

Your right danon, Provence is not for you who will not enjoy the markets food and flea,but for me, the Provençal skies, sunny and crystal clear, the perfume of the garrigue, they never fail to stir me. Listening to the chant of the cigales, seeing the knarled twisted olive trees twisted by the Mistral, the spectacular colors, makes you realize why all the great painters chose this setting.
Van Goth wrote: "Nature here is so extroadinaryly beautiful everywhere and over all the vault of the sky is marvelous blue, th sun shines and is a radience of pale sulfer that is soft and lovely."

I have to admit that for me Provence is always connected with lavender fields in summer (not in September anymore, though). During other times, it is a very nice area to visit but lacks that certain uniqueness (for me, not in general!).

On the other hand, I would have chosen another destination in Switzerland if I wanted to hike, and probably not think first of beaches when thinking of Barcelona.

If you are more focused on nature than cities and markets, you will also find impressive canyons to hike or raft in Provence, for example.

If you are still somewhat underwhelmed (which I think, is perfectly okay), other option between Portofino and Barcelona could be to stay on the Cote d'Azur (e.g. between Nice and Marseille), and just do a day trip or two to get a first taste of Provence.

What do you plan to do in Portofino? It is quite small. I stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure and day tripped to Portofino and stayed a few hours. Is it worth the effort to go there between Zermatt and Barcelona? Do you have plans to day trip from Portofino to the neighboring towns? How long is your trip? Perhaps there is better use of your time than Portofino.

For this itinerary, you need at least six weeks.

Here some comments:

- For beaches, there is no reason to drive as far as Barcelona. In fact, Barcelona has mediocre beaches. You find the prettiest beaches right in Provence, at the Cote d'Azur. Cavalaire has a fantastic beach and so is Pampelonne near St. Tropez.

- The same is true for Portofino. Why driving thus far east, when you have the Mediterranean sea including dramatic coastline, beaches, harbors, fishers villages etc. between Marseille and Menton?

- There is also no need to go to Zermatt for hiking. You can go hiking everywhere in the Alps.

- My suggestion would be: Paris, Beaune, maybe Montreux (but instead you can go to Lac d'Annecy in France which is at least as equally scenic). Then drive southwards on the fantastic Route des Grandes Alpes (you know the road from the Tour de France, some passes reach almost 3000 meters) to the Cote d'Azur. From there to Provence.

What has Provence to offer?

- Landscape. Expect arid, mediterranean landscape with rivers, canyons, lakes, limestone cliffs, mountains, olive trees, vineyards etc.

- Roman ruins. The Roman ruins here are even better conserved than in Rome. There is everything: Amphitheaters, Greek theaters, temples, aquaeducts, necropolices, triumphal arches, mausoleums, whole towns etc.

- The Pope's Palace in Avignon.

- Walled Medieval cities like Aigues Mortes, abbeys etc.

- The Camargue: marshes, wild horses, wild flamingos.

- Picturesque villages.

- Modern art museums.

- Food & wine.

- A relaxing lifestyle.

First I want to say thank you for your wonderful responses.

I've driven through Europe before, so the "your squeezing too much into too short a time" really doesn't apply here. The trip length is 3 weeks. 1 nt. in Beaune, 2 in Montreux, 4 in Zermatt, 3 in Portofino, then 3 nights to get over to Barcelona area. My sister "won" a week in a Spanish villa 1 hr south of Barcelona (Creixell) (that's why I need to go there, else I wouldn't). So far, my feelings are somewhat like danon's. I love the mountains, love the Med. sea, not sure about charming little towns and ruins. I love to eat so Provence certainly offers great food. I love wines from Chateauneuf-de-pape so wine tasting in that area appeals to me. The Pont du Gard looks like a good stop. I've been to Monte Carlo, Nice and Cannes before (and loved them!). I like the idea of staying on Cote d'Azur between Marseilles and Nice. Any recommendations there? Thanks again! Like I said..you folks are wonderful!

we loved watching an afternoon game of petanque in the boulodrome of a small town. Those guys were having so much fun and loved showing off for us.

Masterphil:

happy that you're planning on 3 weeks..if that's the case, you can comfortably cover the planned itinerary.
Have a great time of it...
stu t.

Masterphil, it doesn't sound like your really want to go to Provence, so maybe you should give yourself permission to skip it. Most posters here love it, including myself, but hey, we're all different and the world is certainly big enough for you to see places you will love.

Masterphil, What exactly are your interests while on vacation? Phisical activity? Photography? Wildlife? Have you read any of Peter Mayle's books: A year in Provence; Toujours Provence? I think those give a really good impression of that area. My interests in going to Provence are:
Olive mills, lavender, sunflowers, wonderful food, Cezanne, Van Gogh, and antique little hilltop vilages. However, there is horseback riding, river rafting, tons of hiking, amazing wildlife. Aix en Provence is a university town/city with loads to see and do. It is the "city of fountains." It's your choice. You will have a beautiful vacation no matter.

Avoid Provence if you don't want a slow pace, incredible light and wonderful food. Watching a French couple spend 30 minutes waiting for their bottle of wine to open up opened my eyes that my go-go, don't stop to smell the roses, life style was less than optimal. Open wine, wait, pour some in a glass, wait, swirl and sniff, wait, then drink. What a wonderful life! But if like my father-in-law, you answer "how was your vacation" with "drove 8,000 miles in five days", don't go.

The Roman ruins in Orange, Arles, the Pont du Gard, etc. are more impressive than the Popes' other palace in Avignon. Gigondas has better wine tastings than Chateauneuf dP, in fact that's about the only thing you can buy in Gigondas. Sit in a cafe in St Remy and watch market day unfold.

Detour slightly on the way to Barcelona and visit Carcassonne, a walled city destroyed during a Crusade in 1209 (yes, the northern French invaded and slaughtered the southern French at the Pope's urging), World Heritage Site and worth a visit if you are headed that way.

Sightsee, shop, and eat.

Hahaha! As long as shopping is part of the equation, my wife will be happy.

I appreciate all of the responses.

I think I am going to give Provence a shot!

Les Baux en Provence looks like a beautiful little place, so we may stay there. Pont du Gard, the amphitheatre in Arles, wine tasting, the markets, and yes ddena, the olive mills, the lavender and Cezanne! I'm going to take travel buoy's advice and slow down and enjoy the sights, the smells, the tastes and the people of Provence!
Definitely want to see Carcassonne.

Thanks to you all!

Personally, I wouldn't stay IN Les Baux. It's packed with tourists during the day, dead at night. Stay someplace like St-Rémy or Uzès from which you can easily tour the main sites, but which are good places to stroll around at night and have café and restaurant and event options.

St. Remy or Uzes it it!!

Definitely need some night strolling!

renember Uzés is not Provence but in the Gard but still the place to go. If you like horses there is a National stud farm. The Saturday Market s one of the best it spills beyond the square and pottery is much more here than other markets.

Masterphil, I was a bit worried you were going to fall off the cart - I'm relieved!

(It was I who, on Masterphil's other thread - http://tinyurl.com/2bxmu6 - first suggested Provence as a stop on his route from Portofino to Barcelona.)

Yeah, Tuck...

The more research I did on Provence the more I wasn't sure if it was for me!

I'm still not sure!

I know I can't go wrong at the beach! Being a former Jersey shore guy.

I've been to Nice twice and loved it both times! Something about strolling along the water with my wife is just awesome. Walking the main streets of Nice was also fun.

I've never been a museum guy, or "ruins guy."

I am leaning towards giving Provence a shot. I was going to stay in Les Baux (as per your suggestion) but others have said that St. Remy might have a little more night time activity.

I've never been to St. Tropez..maybe stop there on the way to St. Remy.

I'm really comfortable with the first part of my trip, but continue to struggle with the Portofino to Barcelona part.

The "tug-of-war rope" is currently favoring the stay at St. Remy and visit to Pont du Gard, Arles, Les Baux and Carcassone.

The war is not over yet! haha

Given your preferences, I now suggest the waterfront town of Cassis and a boat excursion along Les Calanques.

Also - I didn't suggest staying in Les Baux. It's the citadel on the rocky hilltop that's well worth the visit IMO.

bookmarking

Staying below Les Baux could be pleasant, but I certainly agree that staying in the village itself is not a good idea. Seeing the citadel ruins, however, is a must.

If someone hasn't already suggested this, go get yourself the Michelin Green Guide to Provence and look at the proposed itineraries and descriptions of the best sights. You'l be glad you did.

Hi Masterphil,

forgive me asking what seems like an obvious question, but have you got a map?

your idea of going to Carcassonne between Provence and BCN is so off-beam that it's making me wonder!

this seems to be your itinerary:

1 night in Beaune

2 nights in Montreux

4 in Zermatt

3 in P'fino

3 nights in transit

BCN.

if you look at your map, all your destinations are south-east of Paris, but you are trying to get to BCN - which is SOUTHWEST.

if you look at www.viamichelin.com you will find that P'fino to BCN is 8 hours driving to do nearly 900 km. that is without deviating from the coast roads and certainly without seeing anything of Provence.

as Paris and BCN are your fixed points, can i suggest forgetting about Beaune, etc. instead, head South-east, take in the Dordogne, Carcassonne, and the pyrenees. or head for St. Jean de Luz and the atlantic beaches, before Carcasssonne, and BCN.

in 13 nights you could have a great tour of these areas and see lots of mountains and beaches.

regards, ann

Doubt you would have the time, but if you are coming from the direction of Sisteron down, I would add the lovely Manosque and its sun-drenched hills in Haute Provence, lavender fields in early to mid-summer that alternate with golden wheat fields, creating the most unique purple-gold pattern on earth... scent of lavander permeating everything... and the fabulous Moustiers-Ste.-Marie along with Gorge du Verdon (Canyons)

And yes, I will second the colors of Van Gogh and Cezanne....

PS, Just noticed, no lavender in September, but grapes and olives then...

Sorry, I missed the Jersey Shore post. Though I am a regular at Sandy Hook :-), Haute Provence probably would not fit your preferences or itinerary.

annhig...

Do I own a map?!

If I drive to Narbonne and make a right and drive 39 miles up E80 I will be in Carcassone. 39 miles back and bang a right and I am back on the road to Barcelona.

Does your map show something different?

Come on...you need a "Can do" attitude! :)

Masterphil,

of course you are right.

some people here on the forum are clever-clever.

>>>renember Uzés is not Provence but in the Gard<<<

"Plus largement, dans un sens culturel et touristique, la Provence s'étend jusqu'à l'est du Gard (au-delà du Rhône jusqu'à Nîmes) et jusqu'au sud de l'Ardèche et de la Drôme." (wikipedia, French version)

well phil,

it is of course your trip.

But you won't have time to look at al the fabulous places others are talking about, as you wil be in the car.

if carcassonne is your wish, why go to montreux? it's not as if the south-east of france is devoid of interest - the very opposite in fact.

an alternative if you are set on Provence, is the TGV to Avignon, pick up car, work your way east. that makes more sense.

but Portofino????

regards, ann

ann - perhaps you missed this:

>> My sister "won" a week in a Spanish villa 1 hr south of Barcelona (Creixell) (that's why I need to go there, else I wouldn't). <<

Also - If you're interested, check out Phil's earlier thread...

http://tinyurl.com/2bxmu6

sorry - for east read west.

Ann

We actually did a one-way trip from Barcelona to Lugano/Milan via Fugueras and Costa Brava, Carassonne, Provence/Haute Provence and, yes, Portofino. It's almost a "straight line".

The detour to Carcassonne was not significant and well worth it to me. The itinerary worked out very nicely. We also stopped at Montpelier, one of my favorites.

But... no Montreux or Zermatt or Beaune, or Paris for that matter. That we saved for other trips. So here, I would have to agree with annhig.

If you "trained" from Paris to say, Genoa, pick up a car, you could then make this trip in reverse from Portofino to Barcelona. I think that's doable in your timeframe.

en route and Tuck..Thanks!

I know this is not an ordinary trip and to some it might seem crazy.

Just think while you are walking around a quaint little town for 3 hours, I will have covered over 200 new miles and be in another city. Not to mention having stopped and visited smaller towns in between. You will be in the same place. :)

I try to see as much as possible during my trips out of the US.

I was interested in hearing that Montreux might not be that great a stop.

I want to take a little day trip over to Gruyeres from Montreux, I heard that's a cool little town.

All hotels are booked, except for the 4 days between Portofino and Barcelona.

Right now I am leaning at driving the grand corniche from Monaco to Nice and staying in either Cannes or at that nice big hotel outside of St. Tropez. Than staying at St. Remy for one or two nights (depending on whether we like Provence or not.) Than on to Carcassonne and into Barcelona.

Any ideas for great hotels in between? I'm going to say this like some others on this website and wait for the responses they usually get... "money is no object" haha

All the best!

You guys are the best!

Mph,

you must be young, at least at heart. I did that too, before :-) :-)

I hate to tell you, but Montreux and the area is unquestionably worth a visit. :-)

We stayed in Nice. Hotel Windsor. I would definitely recommend. You can day-trip anywhere from Cannes and St.Paul-de-Vence (my fave) to Monaco and Eve (village) and visit St Tropez on your way to Barcelona, perhaps.

Then we actually stayed 1 night in Carcassonne, inside the walls - talk about surreal!! The hotel almost doesn't matter.

Enjoy!

That would be Eze village, sorry.

Thanks enroute!

I'm 48 yrs young!! Mentally I'm still 17. Very happily married, no kids, no responsibilities!! haha

Staying within the walls sounds awesome! Thanks for the recommendation.

Going to look at the hotel in Nice right now!

Thanks!

Don't forget Montpelier. It's right on the way. :-)

Based on some of your responses, I have decided to cut Zermatt from 4 to 3 nights. Instead of staying in Portofino, will stay in SML for 3 nights (possible daytrip to CT. After viewing video on Provence, will stay there 2 nights.

Thinking about staying in St. Remy. Visiting wineries in Chateauneuf-du-pape, Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Uze and Nimes on way to Carcassonne.

Anything else I shouldn't miss?

As always, thanks in advance for your responses. The info gathered on this website is invaluable!