Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Les Baux, St. Remy, or other: your opinions?

Arles is the best single location for Roman sights, on the itinerary you've described.
Les Baux and Pont du Gard are in the country, easily reached by car.
Some of the most notable Roman sites in Provence are the arenas at Arles and Nimes.
The RS Provence book, which you've already read, describes many of the Roman sites. For more technical descriptions of these, you could buy the Michelin Green guide for Provence.
Nimes is a city. Of course in March there will be fewer tourists than in May - October, but how many, or whether there would be "crowds," I think it's difficult to generalize.

We stayed two nights in Nimes in May 2013. It almost felt as if we were the only tourists there. It was nice to be in a very untouristy place but as we were travelling around by train I'd hoped there'd be some minivan tours available. I asked at the T I but they said there were none, so we had to get a local train to Aigues Mortes and a bus back.

We also bought a ticket to see all the Roman sights in town. I thought Nimes was very interesting and found it strange that it seems to be off the tourist radar.

Nimes was my favorite of all the places I saw in that region (Arles was second). The above posts are correct - whether or not there are tourists in Nimes (and it's not very visited compared to Arles and Avignon), there will be local residents. It's a small city, not a village, so it won't feel "deserted" or "dead" at any time.

However, I didn't have a car, so I can't comment on good bases with a car (driving and parking in the cities is completely different from using trains and buses).

Thanks everyone. There are many sites to consider! pont du gard, Nimes arena and maison carre, and possibly les baux. I am leaning toward Nimes, because it might be nice to unwind at night in an untouristy area in the middle of my trip... Bt then again, Arles is central to more places and has more sites... I will check the other guidebooks and see if they help me make up my mind. Really I just wish I had an extra week!

Further up the Rhone valley, the Roman ampitheatre at Orange is impressive and still operating, as the site of a summer opera festival. Photos here: https://ca.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEV2k9rvlU8BkA.bPrFAx.;_ylu=X3oDMTBsa3ZzMnBvBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-699&va=%2Borange+and+%2Broman
In the vicinity is the famous wine area of Chateauneuf du pape. There is not much left of the ruined papal summer palace itself, but the district is very scenic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape

The other posters on this list have hit all the Roman biggies.

Les Baux is not Roman, but still worthwhile.

St. Remy has some interesting antiquities, though not in the same league.

These would all be admirable bases from which tour this area with a car.

Another vote for Nimes. It has a great transportation hub for trains and buses, I visited Arles, Orange, Pont du Gard and Avignon by public transportation, but having a car will be even more convenient. Nimes itself is a great place to unwind at the end of a day. Haven't been to St-Remy yet.

You mention that you prefer hills/mountains and lively little towns--not crowds or heavy traffic. That being the case, I would not stay in Nimes or Arles or Avignon. St. Remy is a town in between the size of a city, like Nimes, and a small hilltown like Bonnieux. Last September, we stayed outside of Bonnieux to enjoy the hilltowns.

For us, we spent the morning in Nimes, stopped quickly that afternoon in Arles and then set off to the hilltowns for 6 nights. On our way to Orange, we did a day in Avignon, stayed overnight in Orange and then toured the Theatre the next day (this Roman Theatre should not be missed) after which we were on our way north. For Pont du Gard, we stayed at the Best Western in Uzes.

St. Remy has a wonderful pedestrian only zone with lots of shops, restaurants and lovely quaint streets. Their Saturday morning market is huge and loads of fun. On the outskirts of St. Remy is the St. Paul de Mausolee where Van Gogh spent a year of his life. Site Archéologique de Glanum is right across the road.

You are packing in lots to see in a short amount of time. If you want more info on my trip, send me a personal message. Have a great trip!

The theater in Orange is going on my list! With the roman sites in Nimes and Arles, that will probably be more than we have time to see but I still have unrealistically high hopes that we can find the energy to squeeze in Pont Du Gard too (realistically, we only ever make it to a quarter of the places I decide are 'must see', but planning is half the fun for me...).

Denise, I was starting to talk myself into St Remy and your comments helped push me over the edge! Looking at the terrain & satellite map it is hilly and green in that area, and sounds like a lovely place to unwind after a day of sightseeing. Finding the 'food lovers guide to St Remy' on page 121 of the RS Provence book helped too.

I think we will do 2 nights in St Remy, 1 in Nimes, and skip the night in Carcassonne (Les Baux seems like it will be a fun enough medieval site without the extra driving).

So, if anyone has specific hotel recommendations in St Remy or Nimes that would be great! We are trying to stay under $90 USD/night. Less is better, but I'm willing to pay more for cleanliness & quiet.

I spent two nights at the Hotel Cesar in Nimes in 2011. I loved the location and friendly people.

A little tidbit, a goute to whet your Roman appetite: most people are aware that our own Thomas Jefferson was a francophile and spent a lot of time there on both official and personal business, but did you know that he considered the Maison Carree the love of his life ( at least among buildings ) ?
He based the design of the Virginia state house on the Maison Carree -- the contractors and committees corrupted his intended design, but the result still served as the basis for American governmental architectural style for about 200 years.
You can arrange a small group walking tour that includes the Maison Carree, and if you luck out with a very small group, the guide will let you inside the fence line. (Don't tell anyone you heard this.)
There's a PBS short educational documentary on the 10 or so most important buildings in America, and it mentions this French background for Jefferson's development of a style that moved us beyond the English architecture of colonial Phila. and Boston.

There's also some commemorative plaques about Jefferson well-hidden in the market in Nice.

Hille, thank you for the recommendation, I will look into Hotel Cesar.

Avirose, thank you for the great trivia. My fiance is a Virginian. He will love seeing the original in Nimes, and then visiting the replica in Richmond later this summer.

In St Remy, has anyone stayed at Hotel Le Chalet Fleuri? The recommendations seem good and the price is very reasonable.