Provence 4/5 days? Cote d'Azur 4/5 days?
Jan 18th, 2008, 09:15 PM
#1
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Provence 4/5 days? Cote d'Azur 4/5 days?
Please help me to decide. We will be traveling from Paris to Avignon on 9/17 and have 9 days until we have to return to Paris to return home. We will rent a car and then we are thinking that we will spend 4 to 5 days in a B & B in Gordes and then want to go south to the coast. Would it be best to find one base to stay and travel around or should you stay 2 nights somewhere on the west side and then 2 on the east side before flying home from NIce? We will have a car and that is a consideration. My husband says he would like to find a "fishing village experience" if that is possible. Just thinking that two stops on the coast would save some of the back and forth touring that would come from staying in only one location. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Jan 19th, 2008, 08:17 AM
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I would just stay 4 nights in 1 place - although I don't think you'll find any fishing village in a central location on the Cote d'Azur. The two best locations, IMO, are St Tropez & Nice - but 2 nights isn't really enough time to explore all the sites around Nice. Perhaps 1 evening & early morning in St Tropez, then off for 3 nights in Nice would work OK.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
Jan 19th, 2008, 09:14 AM
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Sète is "the real thing" when it comes to fishing villages, probably the last real one on the Med in France. But it's not in Provence or on the Côte d'Azur, and I doubt you'd want to hang out there for more than a day or so, precisely because it IS a real fishing village.
I'd pick just one place on the Côte rather than split it up and move around. If it were me, I'd choose Nice.
I'd pick just one place on the Côte rather than split it up and move around. If it were me, I'd choose Nice.
Jan 19th, 2008, 09:50 AM
#5
If you want a fishing village experience try Villefranche-sur-mer. Great location,beautiful town with very good small restaurants.
Also, 4-5 days in Gordes is almost too much. Much more in the south. Eze,Antibes,Nice, Monte Carlo, Cagnus-sur-mer, Beaullieu-sur-mer, and many more.
Also, 4-5 days in Gordes is almost too much. Much more in the south. Eze,Antibes,Nice, Monte Carlo, Cagnus-sur-mer, Beaullieu-sur-mer, and many more.
Jan 19th, 2008, 10:27 AM
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We used Mougins as a base for a week several years ago. It has several exceptional restaurants and good access to Nice, Cannes, Grasse and St. Paul de Vence. The relative ease of parking and quiet nights seemed to us to be better than staying in the cities.
Jan 19th, 2008, 01:08 PM
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We've spent 5 weeks near Gordes, and never got bored exploring that section of Provnece. Rhone wine country/Dentelles/Vaison 1 hr away, St Remy/Les Baux/Alpilles less than 1 hr away, Avignon 45 mins, lavender fields around Sault 30 mins away, eastern Provence (Cerest, Manosque, etc) close by, Aix not that far away, etc.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
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Jan 19th, 2008, 07:42 PM
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Thanks everyone for your thoughts and ideas. And I think I agree with Stu that the Gordes area will keep us plenty occupied for 4/5 days (not to mention travel time altogether). Thanks to Stu and his Provence report I wish we had even more time there. If we did stay a night or two near St. Tropez would we be able to drive up the coast to the Nice area for our stay there, or is it best to head back to the expressway?
Jan 19th, 2008, 10:06 PM
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We stayed in the most wonderful B&B near L'Isle Sur la Sorgue, back in June 2007 "Le Carmes", you can find it on Trip Advisor.com, great central location for Provence, took the train from Paris to Avignon, then drove to Le Carmes, Ann and Mike are wonderful host, originally from Britian. Not a fishing village, but you can't go wrong for a good base for this region. Hope this helps.
Jan 20th, 2008, 07:41 AM
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The only scenic section, IMO, is the Corniche de l'Esternel, which is (lucky for you) close to St Tropez & you won't loose much time getting to Nice. Take the road to Frejus (OK scenery), then through St Raphael, past Agay, and then past a bay east of Agay. The coast is overdeveloped up to this point. Past the bay, it becomes scenic to La Galere. Then hop on the freeway at la Napoule & head to Nice.
The scenic section of this drive seems to be getting shorter & shorter each time we visit it.
Stu Dudley
The scenic section of this drive seems to be getting shorter & shorter each time we visit it.
Stu Dudley
Jan 20th, 2008, 07:50 AM
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Thanks Annaknigge for the suggestion for Le Carmes. I think I have narrowed it down to la Huppe de Gordes or mas des Romarins. They seem to both be great and a person can make themselves absolutely crazy with too many choices! Hopefully the one base near Gordes will allow us to visit many of the great spots in that area. We'll just have to save the rest for next time!
And Stu, I ended up buying the Michelin Green guides for the French Riviera that I think you suggested on other posts. They have lots of drives in the area you recommended--but I appreciate someone who has been there who can tell you REALLY what is important.
--Kathy
And Stu, I ended up buying the Michelin Green guides for the French Riviera that I think you suggested on other posts. They have lots of drives in the area you recommended--but I appreciate someone who has been there who can tell you REALLY what is important.
--Kathy
