Hi all! As part of our honeymoon in France, we%26#39;ll be spending a few days in the south of France. Its so hard to decide where to go and I%26#39;m worried we%26#39;re trying to cram too much in. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.
Day 1: train from Paris, arrive in Avignon by 9 am, day in Avignon, staying in avignon for the night
Day 2: wine tour and/or pont du gard tour from avignon, staying in avignon for the night
**any suggestions on non-private wine tour? we%26#39;re not looking for something super advanced, we%26#39;re beginner wine tasters. :)
Day 3: pick up rental car in Avignon, driving day to bonnieux, lourmarin, aix en provence, staying in arles for the night
**How much time do we need in Bonnieux/Lourmarin?
**I%26#39;ve heard that Aix is more of a small city and we will already have plenty of city time in paris and nice (before and after our provence leg of the trip) so is aix worth spending alot of time in?
Day 4: driving day to st remy, les baux, arles, staying in arles for the night
Day 5: drive to nice, drop off rental car by mid afternoon
**can anyone recommend a nice seaside town to lunch in before driving into nice?
Are we missing any can%26#39;t-miss towns in Provence?
Does anyone recommend any guide books for the area?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
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I used Lonely Planet Guide to Provence.
Bonnieux, Lourmarin excellent villages to visit. Half a day should give you plenty of time to explore them both. Bonnieux is very hilly,built on different levels and it can be tiring especially if it is hot weather.
Re your Day 3.Aix-en-Provence is indeed like a small compact city. It is also very busy especially high-season. You haven%26#39;t said which month you are travelling. A car is a nuisance in Aix-don%26#39;t begin to think about driving through the centre unless you are going out of season. There are underground car parks.
In any event one of the best ways to see around Aix is on the road train that leaves from outside Bar Cezanne at the Rotunde end of Cours Mirabeau. Then anything you see on the ride that you want to see more of you can walk back to.
An alternative for Day 3 would be Gorge du Verdon, Bonnieux, Lourmarin and skip the crowds in Aix altogether.
Why not lunch in Nice the city by the sea? So much choice at all price levels.
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We will actually be going in September. Day 1 is a Monday, etc etc.
I contemplated a town on the way to Nice for lunch since we will be staying in Nice for another day or so.
Thanks for the tips!
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September a nice month to visit Provence.As you have obviously decided not to drive the most direct route to Nice from Arles I can recommend Cassis as a seaside town en route to stop for lunch.Good choice of restaurants overlooking the quay and town Mediterranean beach. It%26#39;s South of Aix. If you have time before lunch you can take a boat trip from the marina quay around the Calanques. You can do one that is beautiful and only takes 45 minutes.I took that trip in June this year.
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Hi, For a Rhone wine tour, I would recommend Olivier Hickman (www.wine-uncovered.com). We%26#39;ve done several fantastic tours with him - on our own and as part of group of 4. He takes you into the beautiful vineyards of the estates before tasting at the winery - the scenery is simply magical. His speciality is explaining the French idea of terroir - they label their wines by place not by grape variety. Very different to how we do things in the US.
After Arles, you should definitely stop at Aix-en-Provence which is on the way to Nice. It was the ancient capital of Provence. Beutiful town and very walkable. Park in one of the car parks on the ring road that goes round the town. Have lunch at Cafes Les Deux Garcons on Cours Mirabeau (the main street) - very traditional, great seafood
Have a great honeymoon!
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