We will be in Aix on a Sunday using only public transportion, would love to go to the market at Ilse sur la Sorgue and see Les Baux-In distance they are not that far apart but it seems that there is no direct public transportation-any suggestions? Would it be difficult/expensive to rent a car for a day?
Merci for your replys.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I think you would need to drive to fit all three destinations into a single day. Best rental rates if you reserve from the states.
Also, if you will be traveling a lot in France by rail, there is a French rail-and-drive pass that will give you a car for a day at a good rate.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
I checked autoeurope.com, but they don't allow a one-day rental. However, when I checked europcar.com, I found a one-day rental there, the cheapest rate being $134 US. This would be for picking up the car by 18:00 on Saturday and returning it by 18:00 on Sunday. The office is closed on Sundays, but after hours drop offs are allowed.
Posted by
in a train schedule...
267 posts
Hello Diana!
I lived in Aix-en-Provence last summer and visited L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Les Baux de Provence, along with many other cities in the area. However, they're extremely isolated (especially Les Baux - it was built on a giant hill so no one could attack the castle). BUT that certainly does not mean you can't enjoy them!
Aix en Provence has a great tourism office (Place Charles De Gaulle, known as La Rotunde by the locals). They regularly offer excursions by coach bus from the city to an assortment of tiny villages. When I checked the web site today, I didn't find anything on trips to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue at the moment, but I did find trips to Les Baux. Perhaps they have changed their itineraries since I was there?
As a last resort, you can always use les autocars to visit some of the many other towns covered by public transport. Just visit the Gare Routiere or send me a message for more info.
Posted by
oregon
131 posts
I was in Aix and also traveled to the places you want to go using public transportation and it would not be possible in one day. Sundays are very difficult- some trains don't run at all, or on a very limited schedule- buses are a better bet, but the schedules are still more limited. Aix was very quiet on the Sunday (in summer) when we were there, so it was nice to wander the antiques market and use Rick's great walking tour- most stores were closed. We got to l'Isle sur la Sorgue by train from Arles/Avignon using the train- which actually goes south towards Marseilles and then you transfer. But it was only about half an hour. You can also get there from Avignon. We used a bus, from Arles, to get to Les Baux, which was great because it looked like parking (this was summer) was a hassle- the bus let us off way above where some folks were parking. You might try ViaTour- I've used them several times, to see if there are day trips by motor coach as another option.