Never been to South of France

My suggestion would be to take the train to Avignon and rent a car there. You could easily spend two weeks exploring between Uzès and Aix-en-Provence.

I agree with Tocard. I've picked up a rental car at Avignon TGV and it's very easy -- it's a bit of an "out of town" station, so picking up a car and getting out of the station is easy.

Down here we call it southern France, y'all. Ditto on the high speed rail to Avignon to pick up the car there. But a car in that region is only useful if you're planning to explore the countryside. Based on your limited description of your interests, you may want to stick mainly to the cities and take a train or bus to the smaller towns.

We did a great loop a few years ago. Paris to Bordeaux, Bordeaux to Carcassone, then to Lyon, then Beaune, then Colmar and back to Paris. Another trip Bordeaux and then through the areas of Montpellier, Avignon, Aix areas. We really liked the first loop— every place. Good mix of large and small cities/towns and a variety of wines. We did it all by train but having a car is helpful for little towns. There are a lot of posts in more detail about all these places. I find getting out the map is helpful to start.

Can you clarify what region you are thinking of in the south of France? That could be anywhere from the Atlantic to the Italian border.

That's an excellent point. Le Midi extends across the southern regions. Do you want the Bordeaux area for a wine centric trip? Or perhaps taking the TGV as suggested to Avignon for the Southern Rhone (wine - Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, etc) and the Luberon (antiques - Isle Sur la Sorgue, rose). A car is very much beneficial for touring through this region, as the public transit or tour options can be very limiting, especially to go into the villages.

Driving in Paris is no fun so I wouldn't suggest renting in Paris.

The tolls and fuel driving from Paris to, say, Nice in the Cote d'Azur will run over €100 each way on top of the rental costs, plus an overnight on the way each way including meals will run €150 to €200, so I wouldn't suggest driving it unless you need to stop to see nougat being made on the way - plenty of nougat in the shops though....

Train doesn't get traffic jams (if you seriously consider driving please be sure you become very familiar with Crazy Buffalo - Bison Futé), and can be very inexpensive - and much much faster.

Good point on the region. I am guessing Paris to Nice or points in between? Is Lyon just another larger city or is that a must-see? Perhaps pop into the French Alps? We are so open to suggestions and have always found good suggestions on the board. Just want a different experience. Know we will miss the Lavender (which would love to see) but love red wine! We have about 12-days not including travel. Will want to spend 2-3 days back in Paris on the way back. Is Monaco worth a day trip or is it overrated?

Lyon has a lot to see, but quite a bit of it is museums. It's the gastronomic capital of France, though, and the medieval center is picturesque. I imagine it has some good antique shops, because it is a major city--more similar to Paris than to the cities you'll find farther south.

I have no idea what any part of France is like in late fall, other than that the days will be really short. I assume the food markets will still be operating, but I don't know about the antique markets. A lot of travelers really enjoy the Provencal markets.

You can do a lot along the Riviera and up in the hills immediately north of it by train and bus, so it's possible you could spend a few of your days in that area (in Nice or to the east or west of it) without a car and just rent one while you're tooling around Provence.

We took the TGV from Paris to Avignon in Sept of 2019, rented a car there, and stayed in St Rémy, which we absolutely loved. It was by far our favorite town, super charming. We explored other towns and places (Carcassone for instance, do not miss) and had a great week there.

Sounds like the train is the way to go. Susan, St. Remy looks charming. Where did you stay?

Well, you did mention Nice--though it sounds like the train to Avignon is what's happening.

My 2-centimes: from Paris to Nice, I'd take the plane. And get a window seat port side; it's one of my favorite flights. You either come over the mountains from behind Nice, or you flutter along the coast slowly passing Cannes and the islands, fly out over the water and circle back toward the city and the mountains to land. It's even better if you've left a gray, rainy Paris and arrive in sunshine and sparkle.

Thanks Bets - I did say Nice - I just don't know this region and looking for any ideas. I don't know if Avignon is easily accessible to Nice or not. Or...if Nice is worth the stop.

Nice is large and sprawling but traffic can be a bear - the reason I take trains - but is a good base to visit the surrounding area. Villefranche sur Mer is worth a bus ride over as the scenery is spectacular. Have lunch and walk through the narrow streets. Just don’t go on cruise ship day. Rothschild gardens on Cap Jean Ferrat. Ventimellia is a 45 minute train ride from Nice - great market.
In the other direction Antibes, Biot (an art community with public displays) and further afield St Paul de Vence and Cannes for a little Hollywood style.
The ideas are endless.

JR, we stayed at Hotel du Soleil in St Rémy-de-Provence, it was absolute perfection. Charming, classy, clean and very relaxing. The pool was a real treat. Their breakfast buffet was wonderful. Easy walk to the center of town, shops, cafés, restaurants. We did not want to leave.

We had the same decision to make back in 2019, where in the south of France to go. We watched many RS shows and YouTube travel shows to decide between western Provence and the Nice/Riviera area. Western Provence appealed to us much more so that’s where we went, and so glad we did. Driving on the 2 lane roads exploring all the towns, cities and countryside was really fun.

I'd think the first place if you've never been in the south would be Nice and the surrounding area--go to the beach, see the blue water. Up and down that coast between Monaco and Marseilles. That's what you should check out.

And into the hills behind. So many small towns to see...and great photography. I love Nice in itself, but it is also a great hub for travel elsewhere. Eze is one of my favorite places still...

Thank you all - so much for the research! Love the suggestions and reading about new places to go!

Take a train to Avignon.....rent a car there and use it to enjoy the beautiful drives.......we stayed in Gordes for 4 days and used our car to go to the wonderful Sunday antique market at Isle de La Sourge.......enjoyed Roussillon, Loumarin and Menerbes that week as we drove to each......moved to St. Remy for 4 days and enjoyed their fabulous market and would advise staying in Le Chateau Des Alpilles for a wonderful experience. LOVE that Provence area!......turn car back in at Avignon and train back to Paris for your flight home....

If you are in Nice on a Monday, spend the morning at the brocante/antique market. The flower market on Mondays transforms into a flea/antique market (since you mentioned this as an interest). If you are familiar with driving in France, you can rent a car in the city center for a day trip through the hill sides, to towns that aren't well serviced by public transit. However, you can reach places like Eze, Villefranche-sur-mer and St. Paul de Vence by bus (and also by train in the case of VsM), A car will let you explore the villages of the interland. Traffic can be a bear, getting back, so be warned. That part of the region isn't big on wine, but a trip to the Var or the St Tropez peninsula will access some excellent rose.

Lots to see from Lyon down the Rhone to Avignon and Arles, then the Riveria with Monaco, Nice, Cannes and more.