Hi !
We (2 adults and 2 kids) will be in Provence for 6 night in july. We have found a nice place witc Ac and a pool in Cheval Blanc (10 minutes from Cavaillon) . In provence we want to see Pont du Gard, Marseille (on a daytrip) Avignon, Arles and Luberon Villages.
Would it be a good base for us ? I know Cavaillon is not a charming place, but many restaurants can be a plus on the evening.
Thanks !
I imagine you've already done this, but I looked at the estimated driving times on ViaMichelin.com, and they didn't seem bad. If you want to stay in a single location, Cavaillon seems logistically reasonable. When I zoomed in on the ViaMichelin map, I saw a lot of roads in that area highlighted in green, meaning they're considered especially scenic.
Note: I've never been to that town and have never driven in Europe.
Bonjour BP,
Cavaillon grows the best melons on the planet but it also has had in the recent past, a bad rep for local crime. Its been ages since we were there, but IMHO, you could do better in choosing a location.
Maybe check out Uzes as a base? Or perhaps Lourmarin? Both have great restaurants and excellent markets.
Good luck!
I am done. The end.
If it fits the budget, Gordes is where I recommend staying. L´Ile-sur-la-Sorgue is another great place to stay with an excellent selection of restaurants and the largest Saturday Market in the region. However, Cavaillon is perfectly fine and very central to the locations you will be traveling.
My go-to source for information about driving itineraries in this region is the Michelin Green Guide to the Luberon which proposes routes and recommended highlights. Make sure you include Uzès when you go to Pont du Guard and I find the Roman structures (la Maison Carrée, amphitheatre) of Nîmes to be more compelling than anything you´ll see in Marseille.
Plan ahead if you are going near Avignon in July as the festival attracts thousands and parking can be problematic.
If you have not driven much in France you should be warned about the thousands of speed cameras, some marked, most not. Tolerances are very tight so familiarize yourself with speed limits because they at not always posted.
Thanks to all !
Finding something well located with a.pool.and not too expensive is not easy !
We found somewhere near Arles (Raphele les Arles). The most remote location frome there would be the Luberon villages. 1 hours 15 minutes...not that bad. Its not far from les Carmargues are not too far, St Remy is a 25 minutes drive....
Just be careful when figuring driving times to add about 25% to viamichelin estimates. Map distances can be very deceptive. A lot of your driving will be on hilly, winding roads.
Especially with kids along, you may want to consider a meal plan we use when traveling. We make our mid-day meal our main one. We then have something light in the evening, like a picnic at our lodgings, which also means we can avoid driving back out at night. French restaurants do not open early, 7 - 7:30? Will your kids be o.k. With not having food in their stomachs before close to 8 p.m.? Another advantage is that many restaurants have lower prices at mid-day.
I completely agree with Roslyn. The driving times can be much longer than one might think. Have you checked the website for Gites de France? You can specify things like a swimming pool or AC. In my experience, most gites rent by the week or the weekend but you might find you can book for 6 nights. A gite, which normally comes with a kitchen, and offers more room than a hotel also offers an experience closer to the ground in rural areas. I think the area around Arles is lovely. In the luberon we have stayed several times with a wonderful couple, Nancie and Raymond in their gite, les Artemes, located outside of Menerbes.
We spent time in Cavaillon in Sept 2019. Town seemed fine. Wasn’t far from sights. We stayed in St Rémy-de-Provence which we absolutely loved, far more than all the other recommended towns/cities. Quiet, charming, relaxing, fun, lots of great shops and places to eat.
We also found St-Remy-de-Provence to be a great base for 6 nights in Provence, and the location was excellent for your proposed sites.
We found St.-Remy-de-Provence to be a charming town and a good base for visiting other towns by car. I would stay there again.
Thanks to everyone who answered !
It seems that we will stay in Maillane. It's a small village at 11 minutes from St-Remy de Provence. Location should be fine and have a pool and ac...
OP BP,
You will be near Lauris. Their Sunday marche is identical to the great weekly one at Lourmarin held the day before---at more reasonable prices. The tomatoes, the lemon pie plus the stand 'Popotes du Luberon' are all worth crossing an ocean for. Enjoy!
I am done. The end.
