I'd like suggestions on where to base ourselves for a week in Provence next September. We'll have a car, so finding a location with great public transport options isn't that critical. To narrow things down, we much prefer smallish towns over cities, but would like something thats big enough to have a nice ion of restaurants, shops and is also hopefully a scenic destination in itself. To use an Italy example, we'd love to find something in the same realm as Montepulciano. In terms of area, we'd like something thats convenient to the hill towns of the Luberon, the Cotes du Rhone wine villages, the area west of the Rhone. Ideal would be someplace that's not too far of a drive to a suburban train station that will allow us easy access to cities such as Avignon, Nimes, Arles, etc. My wife and I are into food and photography but aren't big museum or art people; if its important, we (unfortunately) don't speak French but do speak both German and English.
Posted by
Holmdel, New Jersey, usa
30 posts
Marcus I would consider using 2 bases depending on your time. Rousillon is one in the Luberon. It is small, charming with good restaurants and shops. The views over the Luberon were spectacular. Check out Clos De La Glycine-small,affordable with terraces looking onto the 5 mountain ranges surrounding the Luberon. You can visit Gordes, Jacounas, isle sur la Sorge and some towns of the southern rhone. The other base west of the rhone could be St. Remy. From there Avignon, Uzes, Pont du Gard, Chateneuf du Pape, Les Baux, Nimes and Arles are reachable.
If you haven't figured it out I did it. The Luberon and Roussillon was my favorite with St. Remy and Uzes close behind.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
St. Remy is definitely a good choice and I have driven to all those locations from there, but two different places could work as well.