Last year we stayed at the foot of Les Baux at the awesome Mas d'Aigret and enjoyed time in Arles and Aix. But we had more fun in Sarlat (yes, different region) where there were street performers in the evening. This year we are bringing my husband's parents with us and are looking for a good base for maybe 3 days to taste Rhone wines and just take in the ambience. We'll be taking the TGV down from Paris and renting a car. (I stayed in Avignon in '92 and haven't really wanted to go back there--I've much preferred everywhere else I've been in the region, though I'm open to being convinced otherwise.)
We also need affordable accomodations for 5, so somewhere we could stay multiple nights in an airbnb would be preferable, or else we need a hotel that has a large family room or at least one triple room.