My husband and I are going to Provence in June for 1 week - arriving in Nice and leaving from Lyons. We need suggestions for a somewhat leisurely trip - small towns & countryside for me, an artist, and historical highlights for my husband.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"My husband and I are going to Provence in June for 1 week - arriving in Nice."
Click here for links that will help you plan your itinerary and, specifically, will help you understand the travel times involved in the various choices you'll need to make as you plan your short trip.
Nice is well east of Provence, it's in the Riviera, not Provence--and for this reason, you'll want to focus your trip research on the travel times required to get from Nice to Provence, where you'll begin the Provence part of your trip.
Few travelers choose a rental car for Nice itself and the Riviera towns along the coast--all well connected by train and a car would be a worthless headache for the Nice part of your trip.
To get from Nice to Provence, many choose to take the train.
And then, once in Provence, if they want to see the Provence countryside they usually choose a rental car for that part of the trip.
Those who want to stick to the Provence cities that are well connected by rail find it's not necessary to have a car.
Posted by
Atlanta
3252 posts
Hi Lexie,
For planning our upcoming trip to Provence we're using Rick Steves' "Provence and the French Riviera" Guidebook. It does a great job of describing all of the cities in the region. I've been to Provence in the past and Arles is one of my favorite small cities--it's a 3-4 hour train ride from Nice. There are also many Roman ruins in the region.
Posted by
Dallas, TX, United States
76 posts
Several years ago, we took the TGV from Paris to Avignon and picked up a rental car there. We drove to Arles, which we used as a home base to explore the area. I recommend the Pont du Gard (for the history lover), Isle Sur La Sorgue and a darling little town called Uzes, which ended up being my favorite place so we decided to stay there for a few nights as well. Some days we just drove leisurely through the countryside, stopping at tiny family wineries and open air markets along the way. Meals were usually fresh baguettes, olives and cheese we bought at the markets. Best trip ever!
Posted by
Reseda, CA, USA
196 posts
Hi Lexie,
My wife and I spent a month in France last September. We flew in and out of Nice. I agree (as usual) with Kent's advice. You will not need (or want) a car in Nice. We took a train to Avignon and then rented at the TGV station for a week in Provence. We used Vaison-la-Romaine as a base to explore hill top villages.(See Rick Steves Provence)
Vaison might be a good location for you as well with the small town feel, great market day and Roman ruins for your husband. Orange would be great to see as well because of the Roman Theater. It is the only Roman theater in Europe with it's stage wall intact. The leisurely pace of touring hilltop villages as you drive through the countryside will be the highlight for you. Have a great time.