My husband and I are planning a trip to Provence in September. We will spend about 3 days around Nice before we travel to Provence--around Arles for about a week. We are considering not making hotel/inn reservations. We will have a car. Could I get some experiences/opinions about this idea?
Thanks
My husband and I spent a month in France from mid-September to mid-October. We were in Provence in early October and made all accommodations while we were there. We mostly Airbnb'd and found nice places. We did run into problems finding somewhere to stay while in Aix-en-Provence and needed the tourist office to help us find a place, which ended up being fine but not really what we would have preferred. In my experience I'd say you might be taking a bit of a chance of not finding exactly what you want if you don't book any accommodations for September.
After Provence we booked an Airbnb for several days in Villefranche, which we highly recommend. Beautiful old town, great beach, and although we had a car we took a bus directly to Nice. Try to be in Nice on a Monday for the incredible antique market!
Some hotels and inns will close up shop and take their own vacations - and so might a few cafes and restaurants.
I would make reservations, unless you want to sleep in your car.
You can definitely run into localized issues if you fly by the seat of your pants. Special events can drive up the cost of rooms or make them unavailable. I think winging it works best if you have some budget flexibility (I had to pay well over 100 euros per night in Avignon when my target was 50 to 70), are not picky (book ahead if you're expecting charm), do not need a parking space, and are not looking to spend too many days at any one place.
Having a car is very advantageous since it opens up lodgings located outside the towns served by rail and frequent buses.
September is still a strong season, as older travelers and Americans come and replace the hordes of other Europeans from August. The weather is still warm as is the water (on the Riviera). I would research areas and book in advance in both areas to ensure you have an optimal choice, especially since you will also have a car. Also consider a rental apartment or home/gite, especially for a week long stay.
It's a lovely time of year in Provence. Since you are staying for a week, you might investigate a rental; since you have a car this might be in a smaller city such as Cavillion or St Remy. I would not want to wing it w'out reservations that time of year unless you are very flexible, and unfussy, about where you sleep.
My French friend always uses tripadvisor to find last minute lodging. I think using that and Airbnb will probably get you what you need. Use the TI as a backup if you run out of options.
Our few visits to the area have generally been early October. Weather was beautiful (Nice was really hot the day we were there...felt like August at home) and the weather in Provence was wonderful. Except for the torrential rain and the flooding it caused one day. But I'm the type of person whole loves autumn weather, so it was perfect for me.
