Roman ruins and Provence

If you are in the area don’t miss Glanum an entire Roman city south of St Remy. That town also has a small museum with some of the finds from there. Also around are the Roman museums in Arles and Nimes both very good and of course Pont du Gard near Nimes. My best tip for PDG is to go late in day. The light is wonderful then and people few. If you really want a remote and unique find we tracked down the Roman waterwheel at Barbegal. https://www.alpillesenprovence.com/en/fiches/roman-aqueducts-of-barbegal/ All those are a bit further west of Aix but driving is easy in the area. If you would like to stay in a smaller town in the area I can highly recommend Maussane les Alpilles. Just a few miles south of St Remy. But has lovely restaurants, bakeries, shops, charming central square, Thursday market and easy free parking. We had a rental house but there are a few small hotels too.

I saw impressive Roman ruins in Nimes, Arles, and Pont du Gard. I did not have a car and stayed in Arles and Uzes. With a car, you should be able to stay in any of the places you are considering. I have not been to Orange or Vaison la Romaine which are also good sites for Roman ruins.

missy_g
How lucky for you! If you don't have your heart set on Avignon, I would spend 2 nights in Arles (lots of Roman ruins there and a charming town also), and 2 nights in Nimes. Both towns have lots of well-preserved Roman ruins and each has an arena, and sometimes have performances or concerts there. From Nimes you could drive to the Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct. It is magnificent and just a half-hour from Nimes. You could even do a little swimming or canoeing in the river.
However, if your hotel points don't have options in those towns, then know that both Arles and Nimes are just about an hour from Avignon, and also an hour from Aix.

Also, if you are in the neighborhood of St. Remy de Provence, there are the Roman ruins of Glanum.
Pick up a Michelin (orange) map #527 for a good layout of Provence with all the towns and country roads. If you have time, get a guidebook from the library for other ideas of what to see in the area.

Amusez-vous bien!

If you want stunning Roman ruins, do not miss the previously mentioned Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine. The theatre in Orange is just incredible and the town itself is very enjoyable. On a recent trip to Provence and the surrounding area, which included Orange, Arles, Nimes, Uzes and the not to be missed Pont du Gard, Vaison-la-Romaine was our favourite place. There are two sites of Roman ruins within the town and when we there in late September, we basically had both places to ourselves. Vaison also has a very beautiful and atmospheric medieval area of town, across the bridge. Walking around the winding streets at night after dinner was like being transported in time.

Have a wonderful trip!

Vaison also has a small but high-quality museum of Roman artifacts, which we very much enjoyed. And there’s a much-reconstructed Roman bridge over the river Ouveze, which separates the medieval quarter atop a cliff from the modern town (where the plein air ruins are).

And Orange has, in addition to the stunning theater (which is still in use), a triumphal arch believed to have been constructed during the reign of Augustus to honor Roman military victories.

I know this isn’t really germane to your question, but I’d just like to offer as an opinion that the area around Vaison, the heart of wine country, offers stunning scenery and great dining. Vaison is a wonderful town, with a busy Tuesday market and excellent restaurants. We used to base in the Luberon, but after staying in a small village about fifteen minutes from Vaison, we never looked back. You can easily drive to the Luberon villages, but the area is less crowded and , at least to me, even more beautiful.

Alternatively, it’s not a bad drive from Aix, if you choose to base there. You could have a wonderful day poking around Vaison and maybe nearby Gigondas or Seguret.

I’d also suggest taking a look at Vaison-La-Romaine and Orange. Pont du Garde, as incredible as it is, is an isolated site that doesn’t necessarily warrant basing yourself near. Arles amphitheater should be near the top of the list, and their Roman Museum is worth making some time for. I rank Orange and Vaison pretty high among all the ruins I’ve visited.

With a car, I’d recommend staying in a smaller town that’s convenient to several sights. You’ll want to avoid traffic bottlenecks at peak times. Probably split between east and west of the Rhône. Aix is a bit too far south imo, and Avignon just stinks. St. Remy is a popular pick that’s convenient to a good chunk of the area. I think the towns around the Dentelles de Montmirail are underrated (Vaison is one of them.)

What awrzesinski said. I also cannot understand the appeal of Avignon, and I think the area around Vaison is underrated, undervisited (although this may be a blessing in some ways), and underappreciated. It gets plenty of tourists, but nothing like Peter Mayle country.

I’ll get off my soapbox now.

You might want to read through this trip report that was just posted yesterday. This is from a solo traveler who was in Provence and focused on seeing Roman ruins. It's a really nice report and well worth reading.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-speaking-french-in-provence-solo-with-public-transit

Thank you to all. Such great suggestions. I wish we were staying a month or longer

All great tips here. Vaison, Orange, Nimes, Arles, St Remy/Glanum, Pont du Gard are all great and nearby Lyon has an amazing museum adjacent to the Roman theater.

Here are my Roman ruins centric trip reports from 2019:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/lyon-and-vaison-la-romaine-ancient-ruins-tour-1-2
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/avignon-pont-du-gard-orange-st-remy-arles-ancient-ruins-tour-2-2

If you can be in Vaison for market day it is really great. If not there be sure to catch a Provencal market day sometime along your trip.

Have a great trip!
=Tod