Day trips from St Remy en Provence

We just returned from a trip similar to this with friends.
We drove through Nimes - had to canoe under the Pont du Gard - and stayed at Les Carmes in Le Thor - a fabulous villa one mile outside of I'sle sur la Sorgue - we went there for gas and groceries and dinner.
We spent one day on the Cotes du Rhone, driving up to Vaison and Gigondas to visit wineries.
We spent another day visiting Menerbes, Bonnieux, Gordes, and Rousillon. We loved the villages.

Take a look at les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org for the top scenic villages in France. There are many to choose from !

We planned to get to Cassis to hike and kayak the Calanques but never made it. My college roommate spends a lot of time in France and told us this is one of her favorite places in all of France. Next time !

I enjoyed the boat trip to see the Calanques. Mine originated from Marseille, where I was staying, but if you have just part of a day I think it makes sense to head for Cassis instead. It's much smaller, and you'd have time to see the town as well as take the boat trip. I can't comment on the route des Cretes.

I visited Aigues Mortes in 2017. I arrived around mid-afternoon and spent one night there. It's a walled town and quite touristy, though if you wander through the entire walled area you will sometimes find yourself alone. I believe a lot of people go there to see the flamingos, which I did not attempt to do. I think mosquito repellant is highly recommended if you go out to the marshy areas. For me A.M. was worth a few hours, especially since I was not going to Carcassonne on that trip (which I am sure is much more tourist-thronged).

I liked all of Aix-en-Provence, Arles and Avignon. L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is quite a pretty town, but most people seem to go on market day. That's fun if you're tolerant of crowded streets, but it's quite difficult to discern the beauty of the town when all the market stalls are set up.

Having been limited during my recent trip to places I could reach by bus or train, I'd recommend really making use of the car by focusing on places that are difficult to access by public transportation, like Uzes, Roussillon, the route des cretes, etc. If you run out of time, you can easily see Aix, Arles, Avignon, St.-Remy, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorge and Nimes on a later trip even if you have no car. I am not sure how easy it is to get to the Pont du Garde without a car.

How about a short trip to Les Baux, really close to St. Remy -- amazing Carrieres de Lumieres presentation (this year Gauguin and van Gogh.) And the St. Remy market on Wednesday (walk from your lodgings, parking near the marketplace is brutal.)

1. I am also considering a day in Aix-en-Provence. Is that manageable from St Remy and is the ride scenic? Would there be places along the way we may want to stop and explore? It is manageable. It's about an hour and 20-minute drive. Scenic? That depends on what you mean. It's pretty provencal countryside depending on the route but it's no Route des Crêtes. Maybe you could do an all en/de Provence day and stop in the very interesting Salon de Provence on the way to Aix or on the way back.
   

Thanks for your input. I’m still on the fence about Aigues Mortes and probably will play that by ear. We will definitely spend one day going to Cassis and the Calanques, not sure still about the routes des Cretes. Carla, years ago I also kayak to the Pont du Gard. It was spectacular!! Rounding the bend in the river and seeing the Pont du Gard for the first time is one of my favorite memories. I plan to do that again with my husband and friends. I am still hoping someone on the forum has been to Nimes during the Feria and can weigh in on the crowds / experience.

Our two centimes:

Cassis.

We enjoyed a day trip (from base in L’Isle sur la Sorgue). Try to plan your navigation so you either enter or depart Cassis on the Route des Cretes [D141} that takes you above the town for some great views and photo ops of the Mediterranean and the town/harbor. It’s accessible from Cassis and will add only 30 or so minutes, including parking/gawking, to your day.) We also enjoyed the Calanques (opting for, I believe, the “3 calanque” boat tour; about an hour.)

Camarque: Same impression as your initial; ho-hum and not worth the time investment.

Carrieres de Lumieres: What Laura B said. Hard to describe, but unique and a short drive from St. Remy. http://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en/home

Thank you. I think we will try the routes des cretes, weather permiting. The 3 Calanques boat trip is what we were looking at. We have les Baux and the Carrieres des Lumieres on our “must do” list. We will probably bypass Aigues Mortes.

When we spent a day in Aix en Provence in September, it was a bit difficult to maneuver our way around town and appreciate its beauty, as they're in the middle of a large infrastructure project . The streets were torn up, fountains covered, and there was construction equipment and noise, block after block. I read that it's a three year project but I don't know when it started.

If you are looking for dining suggestions, consider getting a reservation for a table on the terrace at Les Ramparts in Venasque. Fabulous food in an unbelievable setting. The leisurely 3 hour lunch we had here was one of our best meals on a 2 week trip to France.

The construction in Aix-en-Provence had started by the time I got there in June 2017, and I believe I had read something about it ahead of time, so it was probably not a new thing at that point.

In addition to the places you mention, with St Remy as a base we

• Had bouillabaisse at the harbor in Marseilles
• Visited the Roman theater in orange
• Took a walk in the Forette des Cidres in the Luberon, and had a very pleasant dinner in la Coste
• Saw the source of the Sorge river, and visited the Resistance museum, in Fontaine de Vaucluse
• Visited Les Baux.

Aix is about an hour away. it has a lot of charm but there is not much specifically to see or do there. In the Camargue there is a boat ride and you can walk or ride a rental bike along the shore. There is a chapel in Sts Maries de la Mere that is significant to the Romany peoples.

We never made it to Nimes, but Arles has a great deal of charm, a wonderful open-air market, and jaw-dropping Roman antiquities.

On the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence is the relatively new memorial/museum at Camp des Milles, where many people were incarcerated during WW II before being shipped off to concentration camps. It's highly English-accessible, and it has an interesting focus on how-did-this-happen rather than just the bare facts. The site can be reached via city bus.

Thank you Adam for your suggestions. I think a walk in the Foret des Cedres sounds like a wonderful way to slow down and enjoy the scenery. We love walking/hiking and nature. I think we will pass on Aix this trip, especially in light of potential construction. Now I am wondering if we should split the Luberon into two day trips rather than try to fit it all in in one day. Any thoughts on that?

When you say Côte du Rhône I think you mean the Rhône Valley. There are several other appellations in the region, e.g. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Beaumes des Venise. Gigondas, Vacqueyras. Not trying to be a wine snob. I mention it in case you’re using the Côte-du-Rhône label to plan your day trip. I suggest you visit the towns with the above names in that order with Suzette and Vaison-la-Romaine (with Roman ruins) after Beaumes des Venise. That will make a loop around the beautiful Dentelles de Montmirail Then visit Orange with its Roman theater.

Your questions:
1) Cassis is worth the drive. Can’t speak to Route de Crette as we didn’t have time on our way along the coast to Cannes. Always regretted that decision. Note that it is east of Cassis. You could add Cassis onto your trip to Aix which many people say deserves more than a day itself. We thought not.

2) Aigues Mortes we found to be very interesting. Had a fine lunch there in a restaurant off the beaten track found with the Michelin Restaurant app. Then went to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer with it’s fine beach and very interesting little church which is an eye opener.

Arles - we enjoyed it a lot. The Roman amphitheater, Hotel du Forum, Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace” now called Le Café Van Gogh, wandering around. Well worth a visit.

I highly recommend Michelin Green Guide to Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to aid your planning.

Thank you Lee for your recommendations. You have reinforced my desire to visit Cassis and the route des cretes. I have also been to Arles but again with students. I, too, really enjoyed that city but we were rushed so I am looking forward to having the time to explore it in a leisurely fashion. I do have most of those towns in the Rhone valley on our list.

Oh. My. Goodness. The Carrieres des Lumieres looks amazing. I love Van Gogh so much. I can't wait to go there in July. This is why I love this forum. So many great ideas I would never know about if it wasn't for all of you.

Hi Kathy,
The recent trip report below may answer some of your questions. Bonne chance! I am done. The end.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-provencal-echo

Kathy, Mountanmama,

re: Carrieres des Lumieres. Glad you're interested; I doubt you'll be disappointed. A tip: we visited on a bright sunny day and couldn't see the walls and floors (that weren't illuminated with art) once inside the quarry chambers. It took several minutes for our eyes to adjust to the point where we could navigate safely. We should have stepped to the side and waited patiently, but I don't think we trampled anyone.