Hey everyone! I'm in the beginning stages of planning a 10-12 day trip to Paris and Provence for either April or September 2025. Husband and I are in our early 30s. I'm looking for some guidance on a few things from you all. Here is the general outline of my trip so far, just so you can get an idea of what I'm working with:
- Fly into CDG, 4-5 Nights minimum in Paris
- Train to Avignon, rent car, drive to Provence
- 4ish days in Provence, either based out of one villages or splitting time between two
- Drive back to Avignon, return rental car, train to Paris, fly out of CDG
Here's my short list of villages to base ourselves out of:
1. St. Remy
2. Lourmarin
3. Gorges
4. I would also consider basing ourselves out of Aix-en-Provence the entire time but I think we would enjoy the countryside feel of a hotel in a village more after coming from Paris.
Ideally I would like the Provence portion of our trip to be as relaxing as possible, with some exploring the villages, nature, shopping, and food. Sitting outside for long meals and wine, etc. With such a short time in the area, it seems the way to go is to base yourself out of one village and do day trips. I'm having trouble understanding how much of a logistical hurdle this is in terms of driving to other villages, parking, and managing crowds.
Last summer we did an Italy trip and the crowds in Positano in June were absolutely unbearable. I knew it would be bad but I didn't expect it to be as horrid as it was. Nonetheless, we managed to have a lovely time because we stayed in Positano and were able to see the town once the day trippers left, but it was generally not a relaxing experience. I would like to avoid an experience like this as much as possible and be able to enjoy whatever villages we visit during the day. I was not aware that cruise ships would drop day trippers off in Positano as well, which significantly contributed to the crowds.
Are the crowds in the villages in Provence similar to what we experienced in Positano? It's tough to gauge online since all the travel vloggers go to great lengths to cut the crowd out of their shots. If there are any really popular villages to avoid, please let me know.
If anyone has any insights into what it is like logistically to day trip to different villages, what the crowd levels are like in April or September, I would love to hear them and learn more about your experience. The most convenient travel month for us is June, of course I expect this to be a very crowded month, but if you have done a trip to this region during that time and could share any info, I'd love to hear it.
Thanks for any replies! I appreciate the time.