Car Rental in Provence

We returned a rental car in Avignon and it was very easy so I would imagine picking one up there would be easy also. You will need a car for places like St Remy, Les Baux, etc. Driving was the easy part-parking was another story. We really enjoyed the remote little untouristed villages.

A car will be more of a hassle in Marseille. And you can easily get from Marseille to Avignon by rail. You could rent a car for pickup at the Avignon train station. Then drive to the other places, trying to minimize driving time through larger towns. Then return the car to where you picked it up, Avignon station, and take the train back to Marseille. For an easier car pick up and return, you could train from Marseille to Arles, pick up (and return) the car at Arles train station.

This past July I rented an apartment in the village of Vaison la Romaine and from there drove to many of the places on your list. It was wonderful! Vaison la Romaine is a small town with extensive Roman ruins, and we were able to park at our apt. Train service in Provence is limited, as far as I can tell, so having a car seems to be the best way to visit a wide variety of places. If you're planning to sleep in Marseille, maybe you could rent a car on a daily basis on the edge of town. You could take a taxi to the car rental pickup, then drive on out of town to the places you want to see. The high speed train to Avignon and back is probably a good solution, too. I recommend organizing by direction so you can make the most of your time/gas $. Google maps was very helpful with very specific directions and drive times, although I'd add an extra hour onto each trip while you're planning your schedule. The French roads are very well organized, but it took my husband and I awhile to catch on to their system.

I would defintiely get a car. Those tiny provencal villages aren't readily accessible by public transportation, and a car is much more convenient. We stayed in Roussillion on our last trip to provence and day tripped around the area. Many vineyards have no public transportation access, but I can't say for sure since you didn't say which ones interest you.

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a car is important to explore some of the more quaint villages. As for vineyards, any recommendations for which vineyards I should visit? Is it better to take a tour with something like Provence Wine Tours or go off on my own?

When I toured Provence, I didn't have specific vineyards/wineries in mind. I had huge lists for Bordeaux and Burgundy, but I wasn't in Provence for the wine. We generally drove through the jaw dropping scenery and when we came upon a winery, we stopped in. One that really impressed me was Chateau La Canorgue. To be honest we were headed to Bonnieux when we passed the entrance and my wife recognized it from the movie "A Good Year". Naturally, we went in. I didn't have much expectation for the wine but I was quite surprised. Their wines offered quite a bit of complexity for a climate as warm as Provence, so I guess that I can recommend those guys if you're in the area. I can't remember the names of the countless other wineries we visited in Provence. All the tastings were free, also.