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Best Home base for Provence market shopping

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Hi, I am planning a trip in October for 6 days in Provence to mainly visit the biggest food/craft markets and then on to Paris for 5 days. Thinking I'll fly into Marseilles, rent a car, and then take a train to Paris. Planning to visit these markets - Sunday - L'Isle Sure La Sorge, Monday - Bedoin or Forcalquier Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday - Aix En Provence, Wednesday - St Remy; Friday - Lourmarin, and Saturday - Apt or Uzes

I plan to get a car. And I'd like to take a wine tour one afternoon, eat at a few great restaurants, maybe visit Van Gogh's sanitarium, walk around town where I'm staying.

Any advice on the town or towns for my home base? I've thought of St Remy or Aix En Provence.

Thank you!!!!
Julie

Posted by
3354 posts

You will love St.Remy de Provence. I believe you will be a bit early for truffle season (usually Nov-Mar), but hopefully you will find something to savor and buy at one of the markets. Perhaps this unusually hot summer will move the season up to October. Qui sait? Enjoy!

Posted by
11884 posts

For L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Bédouin stay in
L’Isle-sur-La-Sorgue. Forcalquier is the furthest of all of them, but may have some different items. It’s known for special gardens and the Ganagobie Abbey that requires driving up a narrow mountain road, but shouldn’t be missed.

For the others, stay further south. It’s possible that you’ll see some of the same vendors at these different markets the closer they are to each other. Uzès is officially in Occitanie, being west of the Rhône, but the Saturday market takes over the whole town. There are some English-language market tours.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you, all for your advice. Which of these are the best provencal markets in October for beautiful lavender products, baskets, linens, delicious Provence candies, scarves, and maybe santons? Sunday - L'Isle Sure La Sorge, Monday - Bedoin or Forcalquier Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday - Aix En Provence, Wednesday - St Remy; Friday - Lourmarin, and Saturday - Apt or Uzes.

Debating going to Aix En Provence. Is it overrated for its market, restaurants, and activiities? It looks like it's the most northern Provence village for a selection of wine tasting tours or food tasting tours. I'm trying to avoid having to move hotels 2-3 times or travel to the next hotel each night to get to the market early.

Thank you again for your help!!

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