During one leg of our 2+ week "intro" tour of France, we will be traveling by car from Beaune to Nice. Since it's a bit of drive, husband and I are considering an overnight somewhere in between. Would love to find a charming town in Provence since we did not include the area in our itinerary. Any ideas? Our budget is flexible -- $150 to $300/night for this short stay. Thanks!

Well, you will get about a jillion suggestions. Many will tell you that you MUST visit: Lyon, Avignon, the Luberon, St Remy.

Yeah, well.

If I were looking for somewhere of consummate beauty close to the motorway, I would go back to the Drome.

We normally stay just E of Montelimar, in a flat plain, edged by magnificent mountains. Nearby towns of note are: Marsanne, Bourdeau, Saou, Dieulefit, Nyons, Poet-Laval, Chateauneuf-de-Mazenc, La Garde-Adhemar.

We stay with friends who run a B&B called La Roche-Colombe.

I would choose a location that is different from Beaune and Nice. That would eliminate St Remy, Arles, Avignon, Aix, Nimes, and the Cote du Rhone wine area, IMO. Perhaps stay in the Luberon countryside near Gordes or Roussillon. This region is somewhat close to the freeway, so you won't loose a lot of time. Visit the hill villages of Gordes, Oppede les Vieux, Roussillon, and Bonnieux. We didn't find many villages in Burgundy as interesting as these villages in the Luberon. Can't help with specific hotels or B&Bs - we stay in Gites almost all of the time we are in France.

Stu Dudley

Both suggestions look great. I noticed an interesting place to stay -- La Ferme de la Huppe in Gordes. This is appealing in that it's reasonable, charming and unique. Has anyone stayed here? (old reviews note the restaruant being great, grounds being rustic and charming -- their website says they are under new management.)

The beautiful Chateau de Rochegude about 7-8 miles northeast of Orange is one of the nicer places I've stayed in that area. However, it might be a bit pricey. For a lower cost I would suggest Vaison-la-Romaine or Font-de-Vaucluse.

Despite all the great comments on TripAdvisor, we did not care for de la Huppe at all. The rooms are poorly lit and you feel like you're in a cave. The restaurant is VERY expensive. We stayed at Mas des Carrasins in St. Remy and loved it. They have a sister property in Gordes called Mas des Romarin (or something like that). Check out the website. IMO, St. Remy is MUCH more enjoyable (and easier to get into and out of) than Gordes, Rousillon, etc. You can still do a day trip to these villages from St. Remy. Bon chance.

I drove this route a few years back. I opted to stay in St Remy - I was also stopping off to visit a friend who lived in nearby Maussane but I wanted to see a little more of St Remy too. One spur of the moment thing I did was to go horseback riding while there. It was a beautiful ride in the Alpilles and ended by passing Glanum and the asylum where Van Gogh spent part of his last year.

IMO, Gordes, Roussillon are MUCH more enjoyable (and easier to get into and out of) than St Remy.

Mas des Romarins is on the road to Senasque - not in the center of Gordes. This is really a plus. Very easy access.

I prefer the Luberon because I like the countryside there more than I like the countryside around St Remy. I've been in several real/live traffic jams on the D99 going to Cavaillon from St Remy.

Stu Dudley