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Provence for 7 Nights Itinerary Help

Posted by (Idaho) on

This will be our first time in Provence and I'm looking for some advice on how to best divide our time. We will be coming from Paris where we are staying in the 5th Arrondissement and we plan to take the high speed train to Provence. I have us staying in LʼIsle-sur-la-Sorgue for the first 3 nights which will allow us to visit the Market there on Sunday before moving on. This is the last week of our month long European vacation so this will be the more relaxed portion of our trip.
Im thinking of dividing the remainder of our 4 nights between Aix en Provence and Avignon. I actually prefer smaller towns but to my understanding Avignon is a good base to access many of the recommended sites. We want to visit Pont du Gard, Gordes, Lacoste and looking for a good place to do a leisurely bike ride. We are open to renting a car as it sounds somewhat necessary in this region. We may squeeze in a museum or two but for the most part looking to enjoy the incredible scenery, the open markets, smelling the lavender and indulging in the food and wine.

Advice I'm looking for-
Itinerary and base suggestion
Train- which one is accessible from the 5th Arrondissement and which town in Provence is the best for arrival and departure.
Best location to rent a car
Hotels or B&B prefer smaller boutique style budget $150. USD/night
Restaurants
Wineries
Sightseeing
We will overnight at CDG prior to our flight back to the U.S. so plan to take as late as train as possible that afternoon/evening.

Your advice will be GREATLY appreciated.

Posted by
6902 posts

Hi,
First off, there is only one train line from Paris to Provence and this leaves from Gare de Lyon, an easy 10€ taxi ride from the 5th arrondissement - public transportation is cumbersome on that route. Avignon TGV is the most convenient destination, with all major rental car offices.

As for bases, for 7 nights I recommend no more than 2 bases. Since you are open to renting a car:
- L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a great choice for 3-4 nights and allows you easy access to Gordes, Lacoste and other Lubéron locations (Goult, Roussillon, Ménerbes...). A car is necessary to tour the Lubéron region. L'Isle sur la Sorgue also has a direct bus (LER 17) to Aix-en-Provence, so a day trip there is feasible (if you decide on 4 nights).
- For your second base for the remaining 3-4 nights, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence gets my vote. It is further west and south, so gives you good access to Arles, Pont du Gard, les Baux.
Avignon is in between, and can be visited from either base... or skipped altogether, in my opinion. Arles is far more charming.

I am unsure about wineries, and there is a famous lavender field right by Gordes (in front of Sénanque Abbey), but you have to be there between 10th June and early July, with some variation from year to year...

Posted by
57 posts

Thank you balso that is very helpful information. I actually had 4 nights booked in L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue so I will keep those and look into accommodations in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for the remaining 3 nights.

Posted by
540 posts

I was going to add that if you want a small town, consider Arles. We stayed there for three nights and it was fabulous. It is small enough to be walkable and large enough to have plenty of sights and wonderful restaurants. We went to St Remy for a day trip and that was enough for us. It isn't nearly as walkable as Arles.

Posted by
6902 posts

Arles is indeed a very charming place to stay, more interesting than Saint Rémy, but it is not super convenient if you have a car, because the city center is car-free. Hence my initial suggestion of more car-friendly Saint Rémy!
In other words: look at both, and see what works for you.

Posted by
752 posts

St Rémy and Isle sur la Sorgue will serve you well as bases. For wineries, try the Ménerbes area. I usually stop at Domaine Ruffinatto (young Christian Ruffinatto is also mayor of Ménerbes).

From your base in Isle sur la Sorgue, you will find yourself passing through Coustellet on your tour of the Luberon…consider a stop at La Maison Gustave for local wines, cheeses, charcuterie, prepared dishes and salads,etc. Renowned in the area as “Maison Gouin”, the successor is keeping up the tradition. Coustellet also has a wonderful farmers market frequented by the locals who don’t want to brave the throngs in Isle sur la Sorgue.

Have a wonderful time in Provence!

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