South of France in a week

We plan on using public transportation, train, and will not be driving.

The "South of France" goes from the Spanish border on the Atlantic Ocean to the Italian border. Could you bea little bit more specific, please.

You can have a good time in the Rhone Valley, but I think you will be frustrated to some extent by the limits of the bus system in the off season. Some highlights on the rail line: Arles, Nimes, Avignon, and the Roman theater on Orange.

We will be start from Paris and then return to Paris.

A few years back, I read an article in the New York Times called Tasting France Through 5 Signature Dishes. it describe five regional dishes, available in Paris, that should be eaten in the cities in which they are native. I took the train from Paris to Strasbourg (Choucroute Garnie), Lyon (Quenelle de Brochet), Marseille (Bouillabaisse), Toulouse (Cassoulet), Dinan (Crepes). Though not all in the south of France, the trip was a foodie's delight. Though Strasbourg and Dinan are not in the south, the other three cites are and offer wonderful museums and other historic and cultural sites.

I wrote a blog about the trip. PM me if you'd like a link.

You could go to a town like Arles and then visit Avignon, Nimes and perhaps venture into the countryside, as suggested above.

Or, take a trip to Nice, Antibes or Villefranche and use it as a base to explore the museums and gardens of the Riviera/Cote d'Azur.

Menton, which is virtually on the Italian border, has two particularly interesting gardens, but they're built on slopes and would be difficult if you have any mobility issues.

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, not too far from Villefranche-sur-Mer, is known for its gardens. Really, though, there's no shortage of gardens just about anywhere you travel in southern France.

I'm not sure I'd want to try to see Provence without a car. Perhaps you can pick one place (Nimes, Arles, Avignon) and arrive by train from Paris? I'm driving and it seems like you need a car to hop around and see the sights. After that you could train to somewhere in the Riviera for a few days. In the Riviera, you can use the train to run up and down the coast, but you won't be able to see the towns high on the hills without a car.

You might consider Aix-en-Provence as the "home base" for your trip south, although as an American expat and tour guide living in Aix I admit to being a bit biased. Since you won't be renting a car, I'd suggest taking the TGV from Paris to Marseille (roughly 3hrs.) and then connecting with the train or bus to Aix (about 30-45min). The Aix bus and train station are both are centrally located to town. During your stay, you should be able to take trains from either the Aix station or from the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles in Marseille to many of the destinations you want to visit. Buses are also an option. I hope that you'll keep us informed on what you decide and that you have a wonderful vacation to the south of France!