Hi,
My parents wish to rent an apartment or small cottage in a village in Provence for 2 weeks in June 2010, but don't want to drive themselves. We are Australian and drive on the other side of the road - swapping sides can make for an extremely stressful holiday!
All the websites advertising Provence holiday rentals that I have communicated with so far have told me that a private car is needed to access either the property or the whole village. Do you have any ideas?
They will be coming from Paris (somehow), and then fly to Madrid, I presume from Marseilles or Nice. They will have one large suitcase each. They are relatively fit, in their 60s/70s, and speak limited French.
All help appreciated.
Thanks very much,
Elena
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
The strategy has to be: learn the coverage of the Provencal rail and bus lines, then select the location of the apartment, it needs to be a location that is adequately served by the rail and bus system. Rail lines in Provence mainly connect the cities and larger towns. So this will be a planning challenge and needs to be done right, in the order given above, to avoid selecting an apartment that cannot be reached by public transport alone. Learn about the coverage of the French rail system here click here and also here click here.For the French/Provence bus system, Rick's book Provence & the French Riviera 2009 describes which locations are served by bus, you need the book for this.Remember, don't select the apartment until you've done enough research to know it can be reached by bus.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera guidebook has detailed suggestions on how to get around without a car. It also spells out the advantages of having one. See if your library has a copy. If not, you could buy the 2009 edition now or wait until the 2010 edition is published this fall.
With or without a car, I think they would benefit by packing lighter. I suggest a combination of smaller bags plus day packs. Click on the "Travel Tips" tab at the top of the page you're on now and read the articles under the "Packing" heading near the top on the left-hand side.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
The apartment is more likely (because most cottages will be out in the country), but perhaps they can locate a rental just outside, but within walking distance of, a town that is on a rail or bus line.
If that's important, it may be worth working with an agency that knows its properties well enough to propose something that meets your parents needs. Or perhaps they would really prefer to be in town and closer to things generally.
Getting from Paris should not be a big deal if they can handle their own luggage; the train is fast and easy.
Posted by
oregon
131 posts
I used both Avignon and Arles as a base for my car- less holiday- both are excellent hubs for both bus and trains for day trips. L'Isle sur la Sorgue might be an option, feeling more like a small town but still with access to the public transportation. I looked at some other options for myself but in some cases buses are really limited (like only several times a week). Which would work if they wanted to mostly stay in one place to experience the culture...I also used tour companies a couple of times to get out into the countryside and that might be an option.