Lyon vs. Avignon

Yes, I forgot to mention that I was planning to stay at least 2 days in Avignon, possibly 3, depending on the feedback I get about Lyon here. I would rent the car when I arrive in Avignon, use it to sightsee in that area, and then spend a day driving to Nice, hopefully along the water. If anybody sees issues with this plan, please let me know!

I love Lyon and Avignon, but if it were me, I would spend the extra day in Avignon because of all the possible day trip (especially if you like Roman ruins)-Arles, Pont du Gard, Nimes, Orange. As already mentioned, Aix is also a great day place to spend a day just strolling around.

You might want to take a look at Aix-en-Provence, if it's not already on your itinerary. Sounds like you're already going to see Avignon & Lyon.

You might want to drive from Avignon through the provencal countryside and through the maritime Alps going to Nice rather than going south to marseilles and then along the coast to Nice. Another possibility is to hit Arles before turning eastward to Nice.
If I understand you correctly, you will not have a car until you hit Avignon. If you were going to spend a lot of time in Provence a car would be essential, but it sounds as though you are just using it as transport to Nice. I may of course be misunderstanding you, but given that you don't want or need a car in Nice, this seems unnecessary. You could easily train Beaune-Lyon-Avignon, do a rail day trip to Arles, a bus day trip to the Pont du Gard, then TGV 3 hrs to Nice. Once in Nice you can easily get around the coast by train and visit the hilltop villages by bus.

If you are already spending a couple of days in Avignon, and intend to drive the coast to Nice, then consider spending an overnight in one of the smaller coastal towns, like Sanary-sur-mer. That way the drive would be a leisurely one, instead of a marathon of endurance, since the coastal route can be congested or slow in spots...

If it were me, I would choose to spend time in Provence. We found Lyon to be less interesting than expected, although the cuisine is fabulous. The resistance museum was also disappointing to us -- we didn't feel that it lived up to what others had said. Sorry, that will undoubtedly get me some flack.

We also spent very little time in Avignon, but instead centered in Arles, going to Pont du Gard, Orange, and the surrounding area. Avignon and Arles are so close it doesn't really matter timewise, so you can take your pick.

After exploring that area, we drove through Aix and on to the Cote d'Azure. We actually stayed in Villefranche-sur-Mer and kept the car for a few days, before turning it in to Nice, so that we could see Eze and the rest of the area that was difficult to see without a car. If you have any interest in going to Monaco, you definitely don't need a car for that -- train is easiest.

You could also do the small towns of Provence -- it's just a matter of choice.

I'd opt for an extra day in the south. As someone mentioned, you could stay over one night on your trip to Nice. Cassis is a small town on the coast just south of Aix and east of Marseille that has spectacular cliffs, rock formations, small restaurants, hotels, shops, wine, boat sightseeing trips, local color....

Thanks for all of the helpful feedback! Now I am definitely leaning toward spending more time in the Provence area, and taking a day trip (or two) from there since I will have a car. Now I am wondering, with all there us to see in the Provence area, as well as on the coast and around Nice (where I will be ending my trip), is it feasible for me to just cut out Lyon altogether? I am already visiting Paris (3 nights, and have been there before) and Beaune (2 nights, first time) – but I had planned on stopping by Lyon for a few days because I had heard good things about it in the past (namely the food and wine), and I wanted to get a feel for that area.

If anybody has an opinion about skipping Lyon altogether, please let me know. I’m sure much of this comes down to personal preference, but I find the feedback from others to be quite helpful in deciding.

Lyon is nice and certainly worth a night - but I agree with the others - I'd spend my time in the south. The food will be just as good...

Skip Lyon. Concentrate on Provence and the area around Nice... better sights and villages, lots of good wine & food.

Avignon and nearby are def more interesting than Lyon. Lyon can be abit gritty and big cityish with all the issues of a big city.

For a different experience. Go about 60 miles south of Lyon along the Rhone, and spend a night in Valence, but first make reservations for a fabulous meal at Restaurant Pic (Anne Sophie Pic's 3 star Guide Michelin restaurant). It is one of the original stars in the Michelin galaxy. There have been 4 generations of Pic's to continue and extend the traditions of the family. Sophie Pic is (or was) the only female 3 star chef in the Guide Michelin universe. We went back in 2000 before she earned her 3rd star...we enjoyed talking with Sophie and I have enjoyed passing her name on to those who want an authentic "great French dining experience" without all the hassel normally encountered in the "big city" restaurants. http://www.pic-valence.com/index.php?lang=en#