Hi all, im hoping i can get some advice on what i am thinking
Im travelling to Europe for the first time in April 08 for 3 months,
im spending 5 days in Paris and 3 in Normandy then 3 in the Loire Valley before flying to spain for 2 weeks, after Barcelona i plan to
get a train to provencve then the riviera before heading over to Italy.
My ques is i have 6 days allocated to the Provence/Riviera
part of the trip, im sure 3 days is enough for Nice (i will do day trip to
Monaco and have also heard Eze is worth the visit)
but im not sure if 3 days will be ok to see some of Provence,
I am planning to rent a car there, I have seen day trips (10 hours approx) you can do from Avignon, but ide prefer to rent a car for
3 day and do it myself, i was thinking to sleep in Avignon the whole time and see Avignon for a day then other places for the other 2 days., Is 3 days realistically enough? i realise i cant see everything.
but will it be really worth it for such a short time? also which is better for some sort of nightlife Avignon or Aix Provence?
thanks so much all, im open to all resposes,
Posted by
LaGrange, Ga, USA
1178 posts
Suggest you consider Vaison La Romain rather than Avignon for your stay. I traveled in the area in October. Avignon is a great location, but I found Vaison La Romain to be smaller and more interesting in general. Stay in the "Citie Medieval" on the top of the mountain for a real experience. And, be sure to attend the Tuesday Morning Market which has been held every Tuesday since the 1500's - one of the largest around I understand.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
IMO, unless rubbing elbows with the ultra rich appeals to you, the only good reason to go to Monaco would be to visit the oceanography museum and aquarium. There are many places close to Nice that make better day trips. For ideas on what to do in and around Nice and near Avignon and Aix, see the Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera guidebook and the Lonely Planet Provence & the Cote d'Azur guidebook.
Posted by
OP
melbourne, australia
35 posts
thanks to all for the info , :)
Posted by
Mouries, Provence, France
1 posts
If you are on a budget your best bet would be to spend one week in Provence instead of 3-5 days. Also, rather than staying in hotels or bed & breakfasts, try a weekly "gite" or other government-accredited self-catering holiday rental. On the long run this will be cheaper than hotels because you can do your own cooking and prepare your picnic lunches.
Take a look at the website of "CLEVACANCES", a French organization that lists numerous rentals ranging fron 1 "key" to 5 keys (equivalent to star rating system). Do pick a place on a rail line so that you can take a train for your various day trips.
Jutta
Mouries, France