Any ideas of a nice town close to Aix-en-Provence to use as a base

Will you have a car?

How small a town would you tolerate? Do you want a variety of restaurants and other amenities within walking distance, or is that unimportant for you?

Hi Bob, Thank you for your prompt response. Yes, we will rent a car. We would like to find a nice hotel or B&B that we could use as our base location to visit Aix and other nice places. A nice restaurant close by would be a plus; I noticed that most hotels in Aix don’t have parking and several people complain about the service at the parking garages. A small town close from Aix will eliminate the parking problems and still allow us to enjoy Aix.

What we really want us to enjoy the French culture in the Provence Region.

Thank you again for your help! 😊
Best regards, Rodolfo

Rodolfo,

I'm sure in due time you'll see some helpful responses from folks who are more experienced with Provence than I.

That said, we met some friends from the U.S. at Auberge Bourelly (https://www.bourrelly.com/fr) between the Aix TGV station and Aix proper a few years ago for a several night's stay. It was quiet, the rooms were good, had a pretty good restaurant, good breakfast, and was very convenient to Aix en Provence and other towns in the region. Free parking too.

It's not in Aix by any means. Yes, there's a small town within a short walk (Calas) that's mostly a residential area for people working in Aix, Vitrolles, Marseille, etc., but all it has is one or two bars, a pizzeria, and that's about it.

I'm sure there are other similar places in the area. I just don't know about them.

Good luck -- I hope you have a great trip.

Thank you again Bob. Auberge Bourrelly is a nice option that I will explore; from the reviews, it looks that the restaurant is excellent!
Best regards,

How close do you want to stay to Aix? Were you thinking of day trips to the south or north and east? If to the north, an obvious choice is Lourmarin. If you want to spent time in the Luberon but still head to the south then this could work. Even closer is Ansouis or perhaps Pertuis. Or do you wish to be closer to the sea? Cassis? Sanary-sur-mer?

We loved staying in Aix! Lots of conveniences, charming, shopping, delicious food, street performers... We had an airbnb with a parking space. We met another couple with the same. Maybe check out that option if you'd like to stay there? My second choice would be Lourmarin. I do hope to stay there the next time I'm in Provence. Just has a lovely easygoing vibe, tons of art. It's the southernmost of the Louberon towns I think, not far from Aix. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks to all taking the time to help. After reviewing all the comments and reading Rick's books I decided to stay in Aix. I will share my experiences at my return. We are looking forward to our visit to beautiful Provence. Best regards!