where's best in Provence

We are researching the same area. I have been reading his Provence guidebook, more detailed than the overall France book. I have been to Arles, Les Baux (my daughter cried when she saw the toilet was the hole in the floor kind:) and Avignon. I am into Roman ruins so .... we want to see the Pont du Gard and the Roman arena in Nimes. Not sure how much time you have, but everything is within an hour's radius. He describes Aix en Provence as a pretty town with lots of students, wealthy people who know how to live well and dress well. Not the kind of description I'm looking for, so we plan to pass it up. Arles and Avignon are wonderful places to just walk and be present.

Just to emphasize what Trishia said: the Rick Steves Provence And The French Riviera book has much more about this area than the general France book. I didn't care for Aix, but I also was puzzled by Rick's description of it as a cross between a college town and Beverly Hills. I didn't find it snooty or exclusive, and (maybe because I was there on a weekend) I saw few students. My favorite place in the region was Nimes; the audio tour of the Roman arena was very well done. And while Orange isn't much as a town, the Roman theatre with its intact theatrical wall was thrilling. In the Arles vs Avignon sweepstakes, the winner for me was Arles. And I enjoyed my two days in Marseille, but I understand that it's not a good fit for everyone. BTW, I saw all of these places without a car. If you want to go to smaller places, and to see the "Provence" of lavender fields and rural beauty, a car is needed.

Harold, Did you do this with public transportation or did you use a local tour service?

For my wife and me, the best place in Provence is the Luberon, hands down. And that's in an area that has many great places. We like the perched villages, the architecture, the countryside, the history and, oh yes, the food and wine. You need a car to do it.

As far as I am concerned, ALL of Provence is best. I will agree with the previous poster about the Luberon and a car. However, my husband would say not to drive in Carpentras. He got so frustrated. The traffic was terrible and it seemed as if there was only one way through the town. My favorite towns are Sault, Joucas,and Coustellet. We liked the markets in Bedoin and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, even though the parking is terrible in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. OK, I really want to go back to France!

St. Remy is charming and makes a great base if you have a car. There are Roman ruins and the sanitarium where Van Gough stayed, and painted, near the end of his life. Aix is charming but there is not a lot of "sights" to see there, unless you are a serious Cezanne fan. There's his studio, I mean, not his work. I wouldn't give it high priority otherwise, but if you are interested and it fits with your itinerary for the day you should stop.

Tom, I did all of this by public transit, and it was not difficult. I stayed 2 nights in Marseille, took a train to Arles, spent 3 nights in Arles (daytrip to Nimes by bus/train combo), took a train to Avignon, spent 3 nights in Avignon (daytrip to Orange by train), took a bus to Aix, and spent 2 nights in Aix. Because the distances between all of these places are short, the logistics of these were easy. I know there is public transit to a few other places (Pont de Garde, Cassis), but for most of the rest of Provence, you need a car. Harold

Good advice here, but I would join with Adam & St. Remy. Loved hanging around the village each evening, the Wednesday market plus the great location near the Luberon, Le Baux and most anywhere else including the Camargue down by the Mediterranean. We drove.

Favorite place to stay in Provence for me is St. Remy. Great shopping, beautiful market, good restaurants and the beautiful drive into the town. It's a perfect location to see lots of other places, but you will probably want a car. I prefer small places, so Aix and Avignon are not my favorites. I did like Arles and Les Baux is over run with tourists, but if you go late it's fine.