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Recommendation for a village in the South of France to stay for one week

Thanks in advance for wanting to help. It will be me, my husband and teenage daughter. This might be every village in Southern France... :) but we are looking for an old world experience, where we can walk everywhere, where there is beautiful architecture and fountains, markets, beautiful views, and nature nearby. We are painters so there is that connection, but I don't feel like I have to stay where Van Gogh lived, etc. I guess what I'm looking for is a place that is the right size where being there for a week makes sense. I don't really have a sense of how big these villages are. It would be good for it to be both safe and interesting for my daughter to roam. I am overwhelmed by how every village on my computer looks as beautiful as the next I have no idea how to choose. Thanks again!

Posted by
9420 posts

We loved St Rémy-de-Provence (there are more than one St Rémys in France) more than any other town we visited. Super charming and wonderful. It ticks all your boxes. We stayed at Hotel du Soleil and really like it.

Posted by
10196 posts

Uzès. Has everything you ask. And we had five bakeries and three butchers within a 3- minute walk. Fabulous market twice a week. We stayed four months.

Posted by
10226 posts

I agree with Susan about making St Remy-de-Provence your base. We rented an apartment with a washer, which is very convenient if you plan to pack lightly. Where else are you going on the trip?

Posted by
4 posts

Thank you all for the recommendations! We will also be spending time in Paris. I wish I had more time to go more places, but I also know that having a slow pace is part of what I will enjoy.

Posted by
5213 posts

@Bets

Uzès has been on my wish list for quite some time.
Please share your favorite restaurants & bakeries!

You probably stayed in an apartment but do you have any hotel or B&B recommendations?

Did you have a car when you lived there?
Wow! You should write a book!

Thanks!

Posted by
954 posts

I have not been to Uzes or St. Remy but went to many towns in Luberon. LOVE Lourmarin and could easily stay a week there. Of the places mentioned here, I believe L' Isle sur la Sorgue is the only one with a train station. We found the buses in Provence quite easy to use.

We were in Aix-en-Provence for a month, but it is not a village.

Posted by
41 posts

Another vote for St Remy! It is a great base with many options for day trips ( L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Arles, Avignon, Les Baux, etc) but it is also a charming walkable town with a variety of restaurants and shops

Posted by
1321 posts

My choice would be Nice. St Remy I find is to stark - like no greenery anywhere I can remember in the main town.

Posted by
9420 posts

St Rémy is not stark at all, it is full of trees and greenery, could you be thinking of another town?

When we were deciding which town to base ourselves in Provence we watched lots of YouTube travel shows on each town which helped us a lot.