We will be catching a river cruise in Basel on April 24 and plan to spend about 2 weeks in the Provence and Alps region prior to the cruise. We don't drink (which impacts all of the focus on wine tasting experiences), we like quiet authentic places with opportunities for outdoor activities (hiking, beach, biking) and mingling with the locals, and have enjoyed Rick's 'backdoors' such as Salema Portugal, and other small towns such as Hallstedt and Korcula. My current plan is to fly into Marseille and head for Cassis for several days, stay in Arles for 3 days( side trips to Nimes and Avignon), go into the Alps region for several days in the Annecy or Les Praz area, then head towards Basel. At this point we are undecided about train travel or car rental, and are looking at the France Rail/Drive pass. Based on the areas that we are considering going to, any suggestions and comments tips about interesting things to see (or not see!) would be much appreciated! Also, hotel suggestions would be helpful.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
355 posts
Sherilyn, I would recommend renting a car when you arrive and keeping it until you leave France for Basel, wherever that happens to be. But take the train from France to Basel, it's expensive to rent a car in France and return it elsewhere. But it's a much more efficient way of getting around the south of France. I love the markets in Provence. It's a great way of mingling with the locals. Get there early, and you're shopping with the locals. If you go closer to midday, you'll see more tourist and fewer locals. You can google "markets in Provence" and find several websites that will give you the towns and their market days. Have a wonderful trip!
Posted by
OP
Brooklyn Park, MN, USA
5 posts
Thanks for the driving tip. Do you have a particular company that you prefer to do business with?
Sheri
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
355 posts
I've used several (Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Alamo). They were all about the same, in my limited experience. The important thing is to shop around on the internet for the best price. I believe kayak.com is a good site to use to compare all the different rental company's prices.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I also would rent a car...lots of freedom to go to the villages and stop in the countryside for picnics. I have rented from numerous companies...just call them all and get the best price. Have a wonderful time and I agree with the markets...it is exactly the picture I had in my mind before I went, and so much fun. There are so many small, quaint villages that I enjoyed so much more than Avignon.... St Remy, Le Baux, Sur de la Sur(?)In the Alps there was a wonderful town of Moustieau(sp) I need to look up these places and check my spelling. Beautiful drive. Have a wonderful time!