Driving to Saint Remy de Provence

Posted by Marie (Zionsville, IN, USA) on 07/06/25 07:49 PM

Hello! My husband and I will be driving from Chamonix, France to Saint Remy de Provence in a couple of weeks, and it looks to be about a 4-5 hour drive. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions about places for quick stops on the drive...for lunch or a snack or to see something worth seeing...are the towns easy to get into and out of, and is it easy to park?

Also, we will be returning our car in Avignon before we train to Lyon, and would like to see Avignon a bit before the car return. Is it best to return the car first before exploring Avignon, or is it best to park elsewhere in the town, explore, and then return the car?

We will be based in Saint Remy de Provence for six days and planning to take day trips to Aix en Provence, Arles, Gordes, Rouisillon, Lourmairin and other places in the Luberon. Hoping to catch the tail end of the lavender growing somewhere along with a couple of markets. If you have any other suggestions for those areas, I'm happy to hear them!

Thanks so much!

Posted by Laurie Ann

Chicago, IL, USA

07/06/25 08:15 PM

600 posts

For St Remy I recommend the blog and books of Keith Van Sickle. They were a huge help to us for the month we spent in the area in 2022 https://keithvansickle.com/resources/secrets-of-st-remy/

Posted by Marie OP

Zionsville, IN, USA

07/06/25 08:19 PM

3 posts

That's wonderful, Laurie Ann, thank you so much for that link!

Posted by Elizabeth

L'Occitanie, France

07/07/25 05:35 AM

11278 posts

Your Avignon car return will probably be at the TGV station outside of town. So visit Avignon first. No matter what, I doubt you want to haul your luggage around while visiting Avignon.

Posted by balso

Paris

07/07/25 09:50 AM

7594 posts

Between the northern French Alps (incl Chamonix) & Avignon, my recommended stop is always Pont-en-Royans, a beautiful small town perched above the Bourne river.
It is not too far from the A49 highway, maybe 15 minutes.

Or, for a shorter detour, if you pass by it (see routes below) you can pop by Lac d'Aiguebelette and have lunch at Coté Lac (you might want to reserve). The exit is easy to miss, it is IMMEDIATELY at the end of Tunnel de l'Epine on the westbound A43. It is maybe 1 minute (yes, one) from the highway.

As for the driving route: there are two-and-a-half options:

Via the Val d'Arly and Grenoble: most scenic, but the Val d'Arly road can be annoying - twisty, busy, at the bottom of a gorge - and Grenoble is a hassle to drive around
All motorway via Annecy & La Tour du Pin: smoothest, still some nice views here and there, most expensive with tolls
Variant of 2, cutting a corner between A43 and A49: saves a bit in tolls and cuts across some very pleasant countryside. Combines well with a stop on Lac d'Aiguebelette!

Posted by Marie OP

Zionsville, IN, USA

07/09/25 08:58 PM

3 posts

Elizabeth, thank you for the "minor" detail about our luggage! Will have to think this one through a bit. I saw that there are a couple of baggage storage places near the central train and bus station, but there is no storage near the TGV station which is where we will return the car and catch our train to Lyon. I've read that car theft is an issue when parking in Avignon, and the thought of leaving our bags in the car while we toodle around doesn't sound appealing, although I'm sure many people do it.

balso, thanks so much for the stop recommendations! The Cafe Lac suggestion sounds appealing and I think we will do that.