We will be in Provence arriving May 13 and departing May 24. Would love some ideas on a day trip with a car from Avignon. We will be in Avignon 5 nights with three days to explore the usual sites by train/bus: Arles, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Uzes. We will have our car one day while we are in Avignon and after leaving Avignon will have the car for 7 days in the countryside. We plan on seeing Chateauneuf-du Pape on our way to our 3 night stay in Crillon le brave. Will be visiting Vaison-la Romaine and other wine areas while we are staying in Crillon le brave for the three 3 nights and will be in St. Remy three nights. Are there any "must see" to the West or Southwest of Avignon or further north that we should see? We also hike and road cycle. Thank-you in advance.
Posted by
Chicago
7808 posts
Roussillon
Gordes
Les Baux
Posted by
OP
NC
105 posts
Thank-you Jazz. Those great locations are already on our itinerary while we are staying over in St. Remy.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
381 posts
You asked about west and southwest of Avignon. You might consider some or all of the following that we have enjoyed:
Tarascon and its castle https://www.beyond.fr/villages/tarascon.html
Montmajour Abbey https://www.abbaye-montmajour.fr/
Barbegal aquaduct https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aar3620
You might also look into various local tourism websites for any festivals or other local events in the small towns around. https://www.avignon-et-provence.com/en/tourism-provence/avignon-and-surroundings
Enjoy the planning!
Posted by
OP
NC
105 posts
Thank-you Laurie Ann. We will definitely check your suggestions out since they are not on our "radar".
Posted by
Paris
6876 posts
Are you staying at the Hotel Crillon Le Brave? It's quite a treat, lucky you!
Otherwise, I can't think of anywhere that hasn't been mentioned by you or in the list above, without going too far afield.
By the way, Chateauneuf du Pape has great wine but is an underwhelming village. Consider Seguret as a scenic wine village.
Posted by
OP
NC
105 posts
Balso yes that is where we are staying! Very excited. Love your suggestion for a wine village! We would love to rent road bikes for a day but don't know if we can fit it in.
Posted by
874 posts
The Roman Theatre in Orange is pretty spectacular. It’s the most complete example I’ve ever seen for sure.
My other must see Provence sights are the markets. They are worth a special trip. Arles’ market is big, but basically one long street. I loved the market in Vaison. It takes over the entirety of the “new town” with all sorts of things for sale. Really feels like an event. Hopefully you’re already scheduled to be there on a market day. If you are, check ahead with your hotel about parking around there. I have not been, but Isle-Sur-La-Sorge’s market is also a popular one.