Can Arles be a good home base for 7 nights in Provence

Okay Anshu, I'm changing my recommendation. I was trying to stick to your public transportation idea, since I get trounced so thorougly every time I write "car".

Now, thanks to EverTactfulRandy, the grief won't be all mine.

I've never used public transit around here, but have been in and out of the area a lot -- always by car, which is really what you need. Most places are within less than an hour of a central spot (Cassis excepted). The thought of lugging two kids and their stuff on and off trains and buses gives me shivers -- just strap them in the back and go -- you'll get there a lot faster too.

If you stay in a hotel, Nimes is better since there's more to see. Avignon can get old in a couple of days. I'm not a fan or Arles, and when traveling with somebody who just has to go there, I very slyly make sure it's only a day stop.

Randy has a really great idea on staying in a cottage with kids for a long period. I use gitesdefrance.com to find similar places (for different reasons -- I ain't taking my grandkids nowheres until they get older), always with success. I'd try to pick a spot right in the middle of the whole glob.

The fast train to Avignon sounds like a good idea, but I've never done it.

Nobody has commented on you wine business. SOMEBODY HELP!

EverTactfulRandy.....

I like that! I should sign off that way from now on :-)

Seriously though, I didn't mean to mean. It's just that Provence to me means small villages (hence "provincal") with the occasional dip into a small city.

To essentially limit yourself to the opposite - hopping from city to city with the occasional dip into a village (which you will find frustrating given the limited public transport options) seems terribly wrong, particularly with children.

The public transportation experts will speak and be accurate, but to me it looks like it's packing and unpacking vs some long rides on trains and buses. I would think bigger, more central locations would have more direct shots to your places and could well be train-change stops anyway.

I'd consider two bases:

From Nimes it would be easy to hit Arles, Les Baux, and Avignon. It would also be easier to add Orange and Pont du Gard to the mix if you get to thinking about these two places.

From Aix, it would seem shorter to get to Luberon and Cassis.

Wine I know nothing about.

NO NO NO NO!

Arles is interesting with all it's Roman ruins. We enjoyed about 6 hours there last summer during our week in Provence. But it is a "gritty" city - and I would not consider it child-friendly.

More importantly, though, Arles is NOT centrally located. The heart of Provence is away from the sea, in the Luberon and Cote du Rhone. If you absolutely MUST use public transport, stay in Avignon.

But - no offence here - I think it is insane to limit yourself to public transport in Provence. The area is ideal by car and a pain in the arse any other way. Provence is RURAL. The beauty is in the little villages and these are served poorly (if at all) by public transport.

Driving in Provence is a joy.

The best way to spend 7 days in Provence is to rent a cottage in one of the many villages, make day trips (which are not far) and then come "home" each night. When we were there last summer, staying in our rental near Vaison-la-Romaine I would spend an hour each evening walking to the nearby tiny village of Crestet which had an atmosphere too lovely for words here. There were no busses to this village.

With a rental you will be able to let the children run outside and not have to shush them constantly inside. Cook a few meals and save a small fortune on food.

This was our rental: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p24021?uni_id=107040

I think Arles is fine as a base for those locations, but only if you rent a car locally. I think day-tripping by public transport would just get crazy and eat up too much of your valuable time.

Unlike Randy, I love Arles and much prefer it to Avignon, but in this case I think he is right that Avignon would be the better base if using public transportation. If you do, then you can easily do Arles by train (we did the reverse day-trip, Arles-Avignon-Arles), and --by bus--the Pont du Gard and Isle sur la Sorgue. But the little towns of the Luberon--places like Sault or roussilon--no. Definitely a car is needed.
For Nimes, Aix en provence, Orange...well, you could probably do those as day trips out of Avignon by bus or train, but I agree with the other posters that this would take forever.
My wife and I are train enthusiasts, but one has to be a realist. Visiting Provence without a car is like visiting Yellowstone without one. Theoretically possible, but far from enjoyable. Driving in provence really is easy, you won't have a hard time. I would recommend, though, that you pick up the rental car at the Avignon TGV station, where the selection is immense and you can probably get an auto transmission if you need one.

Having stayed in Sarlat in the Dordogne region, we found it very limiting without a car. We took a private tour to various sites of interest in the area. This can be fairly expensive. Couldn't access transport to small nearby towns. I should imagine Provence would be the same.

From Websters:

Provence: a region of southeastern France

Provencal: of or from a region of southeastern France

Provincial: adj -- belonging to some particluar province

noun -- a person who lacks urban sophistication; e.g. Randy

direct quotation, so help me

Sorry there's no consensus here, but for the destinations you name there's no great public-transportation advantage to Avignon versus Nimes versus Arles.

You might want to draw a little rail diagram: a triangle with Avignon at the top, Arles at the bottom, and Nimes off to the left (west) side. It's about 20 - 25 minutes between any of them by rail.

Draw a line to the east from Arles to Marseilles. Cassis and Aix are north and south, respectively, off of Marseilles.

Avignon offers some advantages, such as the TGV line that also goes to Aix and Marseilles. This is a faster train. However, the Aix and Avignon TGV stations are on the outskirts of town, served by shuttle buses, so your actual trip times may not be much faster than the regular train from Arles.

(The TGV stops at the regular station in Marseilles, so the advantage traveling to Casis might be better.)

Some of your other destinations may be accessible by bus, in season (when are you going?). Les Baux is closest to Arles, and Avignon to the Luberon area (possibly having to transfer in Cavillon). I really don't know about those wineries.

I happen to think that Arles makes a great base. However, maybe you'd like to rethink your preference for mass transit on this trip. A car would extend your reach and solve a lot of logistical difficulties. It also gives you a lot more flexibility should things go south two bus trips away from home.

If you decide to rent a car, you can base yourself in an apartment or gite (with a kitchen and space to spread out) in or near any number of small towns--St. Remy gets mentioned here a lot.

Whatever you decide, have a blast!

A car will be so much easier to see all the lovely towns. My teenage son and I stayed just outside Arles in a former Relais du Silence hotel with a pool. There was room to run and a pizza truck @ night nearby for a long days. If you are traveling in the summer, a pool is a great way to "take a vacation from your vacation" as RS recommends. You'll enjoy the freedom of a car.

Traveling with young kids in Provence, as others have mentioned a gite rental works very well. One with a pool is nice...in the evening the kids can play in the pool and you can bbq some stuff you picked up at the grocery store on the way home (another don't-miss French experience.) Combined with a rental car you have a lot of freedom when and where to go...a necessity with children that young. I can recommend a most excellent gite with pool in Montmoiron at the base of Mt. Ventoux run by the nicest people.

Thank you all for the wonderful comments, and the insight that you have provided. I am really amazed at the quality of the feedback that I have received, and all within 2 days of my post.

I will definitely look into the several options that you have pointed out, and will make a decision soon.

Thank you,
Anshu

I agree with the others who have encouraged you to rent a car so that you can wind your way through the back roads of Provence. In 2007, my wife and I spent 5 nights (far too short) with our teenaged kids (13 and 15 at the time)Provence. We based ourselves in the charming town of Lourmarin. From there we made day trips all within an easy drive. One day we went to Ilse-sur-la-Sorgue where we enjoyed their amazing market and a gentle canoe trip down the river. Another day to Avignon and Pont du Gard, another to St. Remy (also with a great market), another to Buoux and Cucuron, and a day just in Lourmarin. You can also visit Gordes, Bonnieux, and Roussillon. We rented a fabulous apartment (owned by an French-American dual citizen with a background in interior design)and it was a highlight in our month-long sojourn. I would return to the area in a heartbeat.

A car would enable you to see the most while in this area -- and there's lots to see.

We used Arles as our home base for 3-4 days, and we thought it was great. Or, maybe you could do one place for half the week and another for the other half.

Using buses/trains will about cut in half what you'll be able to take in.

Rent a car! By the time you take the long train rides with the kids you will be wondering why you did it. We we terrified to drive in France and found it really convenient and easy. You will be glad you did.

My husband and I have been to Arles 3 times in the recent past. We have stayed at Le Regence Hotel right on the water...Le Regence is family owned and operated. The couple that run it have 3 small children. We rented a car in Arles at the Hertz rental there. We did not take any public transport, just used our car. Arles makes a nice home base for traveling to the other towns that you want to see. With a car, we find you and go where and when you want, plus we make it a traveling grocery store, too. Lider Price is a great place to stock up on food/drink. Pack it in your trunk and you can eat anywhere you want. Good luck!

KOL