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Where to Stay - 10 Days in Provence

Hi there-

My husband and I will be traveling to the Provence area in early June and would like to stay in a central area to access the markets throughout this area. We will have 10 days total and are open to splitting this between two towns that allow us to visit most of the areas highlights (flowers, markets, wine, Roman sites, etc) We will have a car. We would like to stay in one to two locations so that we can become familiar with an area and also relax/not be rushed packing and unpacking.

Thanks for the tips!

Posted by
1230 posts

We stayed in Il sur la Sorgue for 4 nights and loved it. We were there for their weekly market, gave the kids money and let them loose for hours. They loved that. We visited Arles (among others) and I could have stayed there for a night or two. I also really liked Vaison la Romaine as a more northern spot. I also considered places further east into the Luberon. For us, Il sur was central for our 4 ½ days. We opted to not stay in a city (like Avignon or Nimes).

Posted by
4132 posts

There are many nice towns that are central to the Rhone Valley sights you describe. You could even base yourselves out of a single locations, such as St Remy or Isle sur la Sorge, for the entire 10 days.

If you want to add a second base, think about what you want to get out of shifting your beds. Maybe you'd like to spend a few nights in Arles, which is large enough to have a bit of night scene. Or maybe the ideal of waking up in a hill town in the Luberon appeals to you. You could then plan your day trips according to what is closest.

Posted by
1700 posts

We enjoyed Ile Sur la Sorgue, too. The market is wonderful, but Thursday is a better day to go than Sunday. On Sundays, the market is extremely crowded. Thursday is much less crowded.

I also recommend staying in St. Remy. There is interesting sightseeing: the asylum where Van Gogh stayed for a year and did a lot of paintings. The Roman ruins of Glanum, which I believe is where St. Remy began. St. Remy is very pretty with lots of restaurants and shops, so I think it would be a wonderful place to base yourself.

We also enjoyed staying in Aix en Provence. Our daughter lived there for a few years, so we would visit her and then take day trips to various towns and villages including the Luberon. I think at the most our day trips were no more than an hour away, some were closer, depending on where we went. From Aix, we drove to Marseille and Cassis, to Loumarin, Les Beaux, Gordes, Rousillon. Aix is very pretty with lots of fountains, some old churches, a few museums, and lots of restaurants and shops. You can visit Cezanne's studio in Aix.

Hope this helps.

Posted by
1586 posts

These 3 Provence towns are all centrally located. You would not have a problem using anyone of the 3 as a base.

Aix - en - Provence, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue or St-Remy-de-Provence.

Posted by
473 posts

We also are heading to Provence this June. We are basing our selves in Vaison la Romaine. It’s near the Cote du Rhône. Give it a look.

Posted by
1038 posts

I feel like a split stay between a town in the Luberon or Aix and something further north like Vaison-la-Romaine would serve you well. Arles is also a good option with things to do and plenty of restaurants to choose from. However, BIG vote from me for Vaison-la-Romaine. It has great Roman ruins, a very pretty old town, and an unbelievable market (Tuesday I think). I enjoyed staying there immensely.

A lot of people suggest Avignon, but with a car there is no reason to stay there. I didn’t care much for the place, and its main draws (Papal Palace and the bridge) are completely overblown and underwhelming.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you all for the great tips! Anyone have a particular hotel/AirBnB/boutique they prefer in one of these locations (St Remy, Sorgue, AIX)?

Posted by
680 posts

One of us posted a trip report about that area not that long ago. We agreed with most of the OP's opinion. If memory serves, it was titled something like 'Provencal Echo'. Bonne chance!
I am done. The end.

Posted by
466 posts

Last September, my husband and I and another couple stayed at Moulin de la Roque (near Noves) for a week and we loved it. It's a 13 acre property with a centuries-old flour mill still on site. All the buildings served the mill at one time, but they've been renovated into beautiful guest accommodations . . . cottages and apartments. The owners live in a manor home on the property. They'll suggest restaurants, make reservations for you, map out driving itineraries, guide you on where to park, etc. We loved their willingness to serve in a concierge role to their guests and found them to be a very warm, friendly couple. We stayed in a 2 BR 2 BA stone cottage that was once the home of the head miller. Moulin de la Roque has a beautiful swimming pool, a petanque court, is bordered by a pretty river, and there are wooded walking trails leading up to the top of the limestone cliffs that serve as a backdrop to the property. The tiny town of Noves is a five minute walk away. It was fun to stroll into town each a.m., leaving Moulin de la Roque via a flower-lined path, to get bread and pastries and fresh produce. These we enjoyed on the lovely shady patio of our cottage. Moulin de la Roque is central to all the places you'll want to visit in Provence! St. Remy is about a 15 minute drive away. During our week, we easily visited the towns of Isle sur la Sorgue, Venasque, St. Remy, Avignon, Arles, Les Baux, Aix en Provence, Gordes, Roussillon, and Uzes. A week wasn't enough! There were more towns to visit but some days it was hard to tear ourselves away from the property, it was so peaceful and relaxing and beautiful! So, we'll go back! Here is a link to their website:
http://www.moulindelaroque.com/

Posted by
9 posts

We are going to be staying at Moulin de la Roque in Noves in June!! We look forward to it as it seems quite central to all the beautiful places in Provence!

Posted by
1864 posts

We enjoyed our stay at Bastide in Saint Didier, a B and B that looks like a postcard painting of a Provencal farm house - warm tan stucco, blue shutters, vine sheltered breakfast area, etc. There is plenty of onsite parking and the owner speaks excellent English which we found quite helpful!

Saint Didier is a small village but has two very pleasant restaurants with outdoor dining around a fountain or fireplace. It is close to Pernes les Fontaines and Venesque which are tourist towns. Saint Didier is small enough to not have any traffic problems. It is about 15 miles from L'Isle.