Provence Itinerary

You can visit the Luberon in Provence to find the highest concentration of lavender fields. One of the links below has map out the best locations in the Luberon to see Lavender.

https://lelongweekend.com/best-lavender-fields-of-provence-france/

https://www.fashionedible.com/valensole-lavender-fields-lavender-season/

https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/sainte-croix-du-verdon-14856.htm

1. Nice itinerary.

2. Gordes is not that far.

3. Pick up your car after you are done w Avignon, not before lunch. At the regular train station (or environs), not the TGV. One less parking hassle.

I think your plan is solid and it sounds like you know what you want to do and see.

In general I would agree with Adam about not wanting to park but AFAIK there are no left luggage/consignee facilities in Avignon TGV or Center so you have bags to contend with. That would be both getting everyone and their bags into Avignon Center and then you still have them with you. Since you're not staying in Avignon and can't drop them at a hotel I think the TGV rental is probably your best bet.

So picking up a rental car at the TGV is easy - it's directly outside the station - gives you a way into Avignon and a place to put your bags. Parking may be a bit of a hassle and keep in mind that all your bags will be in the car so choose where you park with some care. Since your rental is so close have you considered going directly there and unpacking and then maybe back into Avignon for dinner or evening exploration? Sunset isn't until 21:30/9:30 or so you can plan for a longer day.

If you want an easy place to eat with everyone you might check out Place des Corps Saints where there are tables in the center square from about nine different restaurants that surround the area. Much more lowkey and local than the scary tourist area restaurant row that you get below the palace.

I'd plan on an hour from Pont du Gard to Les Baux and probably the same from Les Baux back to Avignon area. Last castle entry is 19:00/7:00 in July but you can stay up to an hour after that. The Atelier des Lumières is pretty cool if you think everyone might enjoy the experience. Since you haven't mentioned St Remy I doubt your big van Gogh fans but it can still be worth seeing for the effect. It is the same parking as the castle and access to both can come with a combo ticket. If you want to do both I'd plan on getting to Les Baux no later than 4:30 to see the show and then make your way through town to the castle entrance before 19:00/7:00.

Also keep in mind driving into and parking on market day - especially in smaller towns - can be a hassle since everyone has the same idea. Take a sense of humor and just watch what the locals do. In St. Remy parking on sidewalks and islands on market day seemed de rigueur but I'm not recommending that.

But sanity checkwise I think your plan is solid, have a great trip!
=Tod

We just got back from Provence. We stayed in St Remy. The big market day there is Wednesday, NOT Saturday! The Wednesday market it awesome. I was surprised at how it spread all over the town. It was lots of fun to explore. It starts at 9 and ends at 12:30. We spent pretty much that whole time exploring the market (and I did not think I was a « market person »! There is a market on Saturday in St Remy but it is MUCH smaller. I would not make a point of stopping at that one. There are better markets around. St Remy was an awesome base for our trip. I loved it there....and all the other places you have mentioned. I will second the suggestion to see the Carrieres de Lumieres. It was amazing and kids would love it too. I would suggest that you go there early in the day and buy your tickets ahead of time. We went in the afternoon and was told it was sold out. We came back early the next day and got in.

Good point, hiredman.

As of June 2017 there was a commercial luggage storage place not far from the Avignon train station. If it's still in operation, Googling should find it.

Like the first reply, if you are going to Provence in mid-July you should definitely drive into the Luberon or other areas for the lavender fields -- the areas you are staying are not the primary lavender areas. The famous fields near the Senanque Abbey near Gordes likely will be very busy. You should continue down the valley/D900 to see larger fields (you can then follow the lavender route over the hills near Bonnieux to return) or even go to Rousillon (a unique town in the area due to the red clay). The Valensole are the next fields to bloom, as they are higher up, in case you are late in the season in July. Sault will be the last.

I didn't find Les Baux to be anything special, but the kids may enjoy the room to run through the castle ruins. If you're going to be there, I suggest you check out http://www.carrieres-lumieres.com/en. It's just down the hill from les Baux, it's done in such a way that I think even kids would enjoy it. I hadn't heard of it before we went and it turned out to be one of the hilites of our trip.

The museum is well worth a couple of hours while you're at Pont du Gard. Probably more for adults than kids though.