Most scenic route from Nice to Avignon

Everything is always a possibility but is it easy to do. NON! NON! NON!

First, it doesn't look so far on the map but it takes longer than you might think. Are you getting the car at the airport or in a more central location? You will still have to get out of the city. We have always used the E80 route. It should be easy to find. You can use Google or Mapquest to find the actual number of miles from Nice to Avignon. I have always thought that the autoroute traveled along a very scenic route but others might call me crazy.

If you want to stop for an early lunch, you could get off the autoroute and use the D559 and go along the coast to Saint Raphael or Frejus but then return to the autoroute. Otherwise, I would continue on the autoroute to Aix and then go into the city. The center area has beautiful plazas, fountains and of course, restaurants.

If you really want to go to the Luberon area, I would go north from Aix on D556 to Pertuis. Please understand that going to Apt, Roussillon and Gordes means you are driving on small, narrow roads. If you plan to stop anyplace, it will be difficult to reach Avignon by 6 p.m.. My suggestion would be to save that area for day trips from Avignon. I absolutely love the Luberon but it is possible to get tied up in the small towns just trying to find a parking place and then you have lost that time needed for lunch or sightseeing.

Since I don't know how many days you have in Avignon or the general area, I can only suggest to go there first and then do day trips.

I use the France map made by Borch Maps that I purchased at Barnes and Noble. It is laminated and easy to use.

I can make additional suggestions for "great spots" if you wish. Whatever route, just have fun. .

Bev

As mentioned on an earlier version of this question, http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes gives you the option to request "Discovery" routes for tourists. The two that they offer from Nice to Apt both look great, though each one takes 5 hours. If you zoom into the online maps, or if you get the printed version of Michelin map for Provence/Alpes/Cote d'Azur, then you'll see a green line running alongside the most scenic roads, which is most of them in that region. Once you make it there, Apt, Rousillon, and Gordes are all very close together.

Bev and Laura,

We are picking up our car at the train station in Nice at 9 am on a Thursday. We will have that day to travel to Avignon. We are spending Thursday night, Friday and Saturday night in Avignon. Then we drive to Lourdes. I have read so many great places to visit. Definitely want to see Arles, St. Remy and Les Baux. Also want to go to the Luberon and see Gordes ,Roussillion and L'Isle-s-la-Sorgue. I also saw that we shouldn't miss Pont du Gard, Nimes, and Uzes. There is just so much to see and not enough time. Any suggestions to how to see the most in that amount of time?

Mary,
With a rental car and sleeping in Avignon, you may want to avoid lodging in the center of the city.
With a car, a big plus for a hotel in Avignon would be one that provides secure overnight parking and is relatively easily accessible from the road on which you'll be entering Avignon.
Other cities in Provence where the historic centers of the city are not car friendly are Nimes and Arle.
A car is excellent for reaching the destinations on your list that are in the country.

Looks like you really only have 2 full days in the area.
In those 2 days, you want to see 10 locations:
Avignon
Nimes
Arles
St. Remy
Les Baux
Gordes
Roussillion
L'Isle-s-la-Sorgue
Pont du Gard
Uzes

You'll probably want to prioritize your list by putting your favorites at the top of the list, because it may be that you can't do everything on your list in 2 days.

Aix can be a hard city to maneuver with a car... lots of traffic and not lots of parking and a much bigger city than I expected. Avignon is also a rather large city and can be congested at times. If you don't intend to spend a lot of time there and it looks like you want to be traveling by car maybe you should check out a smaller village like St. Remy. It is lots easier to get on the road and all the places you want to see are well within reach. As for the drive from Nice the highway is rather scenic and of course exciting, because it is France. If you want to go along the coast I would jump off at one of the smaller towns, perhaps St, Maxime (beautiful beach town) and have lunch, see how the traffic is, and then decide which road to take. As stated above, lots of the villages you want to visit will take longer to drive to than you expect.

I agree about staying in the city centers of Aix, Avignon and Arles. The traffic will make it difficult with a car. Do you know if your hotel has dedicated parking for guests? On the flip side, being in the city center makes it easier for walking to sites to see or taking public transportation.

I know there is underground parking at the Mercure Hotel in Avignon because we have used it several times for parking purposes. If you are over age 60, two stay for the price of one at Mercures and the same deal is applicable for breakfast. That was the case when we used Mercures in 2013 but things may have changed. We have also stayed at the Mercure just across the freeway from the city center This Mercure did need a little refurbishing but as long as the room is clean, I can overlook a carpet that could be replaced.

You have a really long list of things to see in this area. For me, I would be sure to see the Pont du Gard. Just thinking of how it was built and been used over the ages makes it unbelievable. I would have also included the Camargue in the list that had been suggested. When I was young, I saw a movie about two teenagers in the Camargue. I k new I would have to go there if I was ever in southern France.

Others really like St. Remy but there were so many other places that I have liked better. Maybe I have missed the cultural significance but it just seemed like a place to shop. I would like to know if there is really something I have missed.

For me, the Luberon has held a special place for me. I think it is the best place in France...ok, Paris ranks up there also. I love the small towns and the landscapes. It can be busy with traffic but there are some very quiet areas. I could go on and on.

See as much as you can but don't make yourself crazy. Just plan on returning.