Base in Provence

Arles.

Avignon

We're in the process of booking a small hotel in Avignon. We'll take the 20 minute TGV to Arles.

I was going to stay in Arles, but couldn't get a hotel due to the bull fights so ended up in St. Remy, which I really enjoyed. Pam

We used Avignon as our base for 3 weeks and either travelled by train or bus to most villages/towns. (Aix, Uzes, Orange, St Remy, Isle sur la Sorgue, Arles etc) If you have a car, all the better as you can access villages where sometimes buses only run sporadically. Avignon was very central for most places and a good transport hub. Good shopping, food, restaurants, etc and Avignon is a great place to explore.

You might consider the coastal region of Provence (Between Marseille and Toulon). Check more at www.provence-coast-travel.com

We used Avignon as a base and then did one night in Arles. I was not a fan of Avignon. I would not stay there again. It was fine, I guess but we just liked the feel of Arles better.

I can very highly recommend Mas Saint Antoine in Rognonas, France. We stayed in a two bedroom self-catering gite but they also have one bedroom. A British couple are the managers and are simply delightful. Each morning we told them where we wanted to tour that day and they made recommendations for us. We spent four days there and saw Avignon, Arles, Orange, the Cote du Rhone wine road, Pont de Gard, St. Remy, and Les Beaux--following Rick's advice in his guidebook. Rognonas lies just a little south of Avignon and is a small village with great access to main roads that lead to all these places I have mentioned. Mas Saint Antoine has a website so you can google it and see pictures. They have a free washer and dryer for guests, an herb garden, swimming pool and a boules court which we Americans had fun using! I can absolutely recommend this place with no reservations at all. It was just perfect. Have a wonderful visit to Provence--wish I was there right now!

I have stayed numerous time in St. Remy as a home base. Typical french village and easy in and out with your car. Avignon is bigger and Arles can be difficult with a car, depending on where your hotel is. St. Remy has a great market and wonderful shopping and restaurants, so it is a great place to 'come home to.'

With a vehicle, you may consider a smaller village like Lourmarin, which is in the heart of the Luberon and gives easy access to a wide range of sites, including Ile-sur-la-Sorgue and St Remy with their wonderful markets.