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one week in Provence, 3rd week of the trip, would like ideas

Posted by (Mesa, AZ, USA) on

we are in the middle of our 35 day trip to europe with my family.... my older children have left, but my wife and I and 2 youngest children, aged 14 and 11, are going to spend a week in Provence, from tuesday the 19th, to the 27th

We've spent 5 days in dubrobnik(awesome), 4 days in rome(hectic), 7 days at a country farmhouse near poggibonsi(very relaxing), and the last 3 days in Parma(surprisingly awesome) Tomorrow we head to venice for the day, then catch a flight to MRS that night, rent a car and drive to our AIRBNB in St Remy at 10 pm

We are a bit tired, I run my small companies even on vacation, so I work about 3 hours a day. It hasn't been "go go go", but we are a bit fatigued. When we left on this trip, we hadn't even booked our AIRBNB in Provence or the last leg of our tour either. I just finished booking transportation to our final destination, AMS, this am. WE leave out July 1. WE haven't planned too much of the trip, mainly because we've done this before.....except Provence.

Ive spent 2 days here, though numerous times in nice, Eze, St Paul de Vence, and Antibes.... the only place I've gone is Arles, and Avignon, and I loved it. My wife has never been, and is excited, but we are also tired and want to relax at our airbnb, which looks beautiful, has a pool and an outdoor grilling area.

We would like to spend 3 half days, come back and eat at home with wine at the patio, and the rest of the time, spend the day out and eat dinner out. Right now, my priorities are:

Avignon and the papal palace
Arles, and Van Gogh
Aix, with dinner out
Les Baux
Cassis maybe?
I would like to go to Chateau la Canorgue, for obvious reasons

Any things that I must do??

Posted by
7300 posts

Hi!

First of all, what are the obvious reasons re. Château la Canorgue? Genuinely curious as I have never heard of it.

Otherwise, regarding your priorities:

  • Avignon could be done as a half day if you focus on Papal palace.
  • Arles could keep you busy longer
  • If you are going to the Luberon, where La Canorgue is located, perhaps skip visiting Les Baux and visit one or two of the Luberon villages instead? Lacoste is right by the chateau, and Menerbes is nearby. You can drive by Les Baux between Arles and Saint Rémy anyway.
  • Cassis is not that close and it is getting hot these days: I would skip. It won't be a relaxing day trip.
  • The Luberon villages are more relaxing.
  • I love Aix, you can't go wrong there
  • I would try to make time for Pont du Gard - possible as a half day if you leave early.
Posted by
416 posts

Other options are L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Rousillon, depending on how far you want to venture from St. Rémy.

Posted by
92 posts

thank you! Im going to scratch Cassis off my list

Chateau la Canorgue is where they filmed the movie " A good year" which is loosely based on Peter Mayle's book.... starred Russel Crowe. I love the movie and Ive heard the wine is great too!

Posted by
28069 posts

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is very different on market days (Thursday and Sunday, Sunday being larger) and on non-market days. Both experiences are worthwhile, it's just a matter of what you're in the mood for.

Posted by
26 posts

Roman ruins Glanum in St Rémy. And of course the mental hospital where Van Gogh stayed.

Posted by
148 posts

With our 12 and 14 year olds, we rented electric bikes for a day from Orange and went along a trail by the Rhone and on farm roads through vineyards. Bike rentals - and even tours on the weekends - were available in other cities, too.

For Pont du Gard, you could look into a canoe trip under the arch.

In Arles, we were lucky enough that there was a gladiator fighting demonstration in the arena. It was intended for the school group, but we enjoyed it too.

Posted by
543 posts

Disappointed to learn only now about the Roman ruins at Glanum, just south of St Remy de Provence. Spent 7 nights in St Remy in October 2021 and it never came up on our radar but wish it did. It looks very interesting.

Posted by
57 posts

Do you like kayaking? I highly recommend kayaking under the Pont du Gard one day. We did this with Canoe Collias. (Phenomenal customer service, by the way. My husband forgot his wallet and they let us kayak anyway and wire the money when we returned to the States!) That could be a fun activity with your family.

Also, spend a half a day driving through the hill towns. See the lavender fields in bloom. Have a picnic on the side of the road. Pick up fresh fruit at a market stand. So memorable!

Posted by
1038 posts

I think the kids will probably LOVE Les Baux. I only had a brief stop, but felt like a kid myself watching the full-size trebuchet demo and wandering the old fortifications. Arles is also solidly on your priority list. I see Les Baux as a half-day, but Arles could get a full day.

Pont du Garde is kind of a must, and a quick stop in Avignon for lunch would be a good combo. You don’t need much time in Avignon. The Papal Palace is pretty awesome from the outside, but there’s literally zilch inside. Paying to walk out onto the bridge is a costly letdown. Any charm you might wring from Avignon is more readily had in the small towns.

The only other show-stopper I’d recommend is the Roman Theatre in Orange. About an hour drive, but worth it.

You do sound like you could use a bit of a break, but you have a car and can play it by ear. Maybe just take the first two days to chill around St. Remy and recharge. Check around for a market in the area and have everyone pick out stuff for a family night feast. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Posted by
92 posts

wow, amazing ideas

thank you! definitely going to orange and now gonna try kayaking

definitely gonna rethink the papal palace!

Posted by
1321 posts

Orange would be a good choice. If I remember correctly they have a Roman theater that has performances. And kayaking at Pont du Gard! Uzes has a great market if you're going to be there on a Saturday. We also like Vaison la Romaine for a nice quieter place to stay. Great Roman ruins and access to Gigondas for great wine

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