South France Overnights

hey hey oswaltben
you will need to get an IDP (aaa.com/IDP) that is mandatory in italy and maybe in france, (internationaltravelpermits.com)
be very careful about renting in one country and returning to another country, (large drop-off fee) return near border, taxi/train/bus over border to nearest rental car shop and continue into france. read about the laws and rules driving in france, signs/language, do's and dont's, insurance/cancellation, tolls, etc
when is this trip and how many people, where will you be flying out of and returning car? have a great and fun time, enjoy
aloha

Thank you for your input, but I’ve rented many cars over season aware of the signage, etc., and the international driving permit in the rules. I appreciate your input thank you.

I think one of the important points princess pupule makes is that the cost of dropping a car in a different country is quite large. In the 500 to 1,000 euro range, over and above your renral fee. That is worth considering no matter how much experience one has with driving in Europe.
Re. an overnight in Albi (I take it that is what you are referring to, not Alba), it is a beautiful rose-colored city with a wonderful cathedral and the small but nice mueeum of Toulouse Lautrec works. A great stop-off on your journey. I have been there three times now and it is definitely worth a day!
Between Arles and Avignon I prefer Arles. There is a lot of discussion on this forum re the two. Enter Arles vs Avignon in the search bar above and you will find some interesting discussions which might help you in your planning.
Happy travels!

I believe the OP does mean Alba, a beautiful town in Piemonte/Barolo wine region, since they are coming from Bologna.

I would pick Arles overr Avignon as well, but you might consider an earlier stop. That is getting over your four hour between destinations, and be sure to allocate time for traffic (there have been some works along the Italian Riviera on that stretch of road, I don't know if they are finished). You could consider stopping in Aix-En-Provence, where you will encounter some traffic anyways. Or perhaps more significantly, ending the route earlier somewhere near Cannes or into the Var. On thing to consider is your route along the autoroute will be generally pretty far off the sea, except at the border and one or two points (like Cagnes sur Mer). After you get past the Esterel, you will being staying pretty deeply inland.

Your itinerary is ambitious! Alba is tiny. I think Torino offers much more, not to mention Genoa. Likewise with Avignon and Arles. Aix en Provence might be a better destination unless there’s a specific reason you want smaller towns. Nor do you indicate time of year. I would avoid Provence before late September.

Thank you for the reply. Will be traveling in mid September… And we want to stay in smaller towns. We’ve been to Genoa etc. so I think we’re looking at an overnight in Alba and maybe a couple in Arles and then on to Narbonne. Thanks

For what it's worth, I just returned from a three-night stay in Narbonne at the beginning of May. Can't say enough positive things about the town and its proximity to Sète and Carcassonne. I can highly recommend a 2-bdrm VRBO rental if you haven't already committed yourself. Its listing title is "Stylist loft in the center of Narbonne. View of the cathedral." it had an elevator, great terrace was near ample parking on the outskirts of the historic district, and the host's name was Henri Alengry.

Thank you for the recommendation! Will look into it!! Any other recs for our stay?? Thanks again!!!

Check out Mirepoix for a small village stay. Lots of restaurants, a huge square and cathedral, and the square is completely surrounded by medieval covered arcades. It is in the vicinity of Albi and Carcassonne and near Cathar sites. Market day is Monday.

Check out Mirepoix for a small village stay

While Mirepoix is indeed a nice place, it’s not on the route from Bologna to Narbonne, it’s actually located way past Narbonne (and is nowhere near Albi)