Hi, we are going to coming to spend one week in Provence after one busy week in Paris. Party is my husband, 4 year old daughter and myself. We want to do some relaxing and my husband would love to get away without renting a car and driving every day.
Is it possible to stay in one location for the week where we could stay at the property/local vicinity to relax a couple of the days and then take either public transport or tours to see some of the best places? I know we can%26#39;t possibly see everything this way, but with a young family, I wouldn%26#39;t want to try anyway. We just want a good taste for our first trip to France and a pleasant way to introduce our daughter to some of the world. Thanks for any and all help.
|||
Hello,
Are you already set on where you are arriving: Marseille?, Nice? Other? Can make a difference for suggestions.
|||
I should encourage you in the strongest of terms to rent a car during your stay in Provence. Public transportation is good (rail travel) among the following locations: Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, and Nimes. However while bus service is available to many of the best locations in Provence, there may be no more than one bus a day making tourism by bus impractical, particularly with young children in tow.
Check for rental car information here:
www.autoeurope.com
|||
No, we haven%26#39;t booked anything. I assumed we%26#39;d arrive at Avignon train station, since we%26#39;re coming from Paris, but right now anything is possible.
Yes, I know we should really be renting a car, but I just want to see what our options are without one. Is it outrageously expensive to hire a car and driver for a day to see a couple of the least-accessible %26quot;must-sees%26quot;?
Thanks much!
|||
%26lt;%26lt;Is it outrageously expensive to hire a car and driver for a day%26gt;%26gt;
Check here:
__________
Gaillard Limousines
12, place du Château
84270 Vedène (11km from Avignon)
+ 33 (0)4 32 40 98 66
+ 33 (0)6 08 76 07 06
rogaillard@orange.fr
www.multimania.com/gaillardautos
__________
Vip Service Provence
Zone aéroportuaire - 141 allée de la Chartreuse
84140 Montfavet
tel.+ 33 (0)6 83 76 01 70
fax + 33 (0)4 90 72 44 73
infos@vipserviceprovence.com
www.vipserviceprovence.com
__________
Minicars Michel
25 bis, avenue de la Synagogue
84000 Avignon
tel. + 33 (0)6 03 83 34 33
fax + 33 (0)4 90 40 44 10
www.taximichel.com
__________
Avignon Limousine 4WD
9 rue Joan Miro
84130 Le Pontet
tel. + 33 (0)4 90 31 34 06
+ 33 (0)6 10 10 00 12
fax + 33 (0)4 90 31 34 06
contact@avignonlimousine4wd.com
www.avignonlimousine4wd.com
__________
Autocars Lieutaud
36 bd, St Roch
84000 Avignon
tel. + 33 (0)4 90 86 36 75
fax + 33 (0)4 90 85 57 07
contact@cars-lieutaud.fr
www.cars-lieutaud.fr
__________
Provence Panorama
37, avenue Pierre Sémard
84000 Avignon
tel. + 33 (0)4 90 29 76 05
fax + 33 (0)4 90 69 57 25
contact@provence-panorama.com
www.provence-panorama.com
__________
Provence Réservation
Self Voyages
61, rue Grande Fusterie BP 11
84000 Avignon
tel. + 33 (0)4 90 14 70 00
fax + 33 (0)4 90 14 70 08
contact@provence-reservation.com
www.provence-reservation.com
|||
Wow, thank you!!
By the way, I live just a little up the tollway from Dallas! :)
|||
Hi LinaHeart,
I really urge you to consider renting a car for the entire period of your stay in Provence. Using Public transportation to get around will not only severely limit the places that you will be able to visit ( because you will be getting about on %26quot;their schedules), but will not be at all user friendly for a family with a 4 year old.
Keep in mind that Western Provence is relatively compact, so any given day%26#39;s journey will not be that arduous a trip and establishing a base for the week is the way to go.
Trust me - you will have a much better %26quot;taste for your first trip to France and a better way to introduce (y)our daughter%26quot; to this part of the world if you get a car. Remember, driving in France is pretty much like driivng in the US, only many of the roads are in better condition.
AlpillesGal
Exactly when you will be in Provence and what your interests are will/should determine where you decide to establish a base. So, I am looking foreward to hearing from you shortly regarding these issues.
AlpillesGal
|||
Thank you, AlpillesGal! We haven%26#39;t actually booked yet, but are very close to booking a not-quite-last-minute trip for this coming May and the week we would be in Provence is that of May 18.
Our interests are primarily to soak up the beauty and lifestyle as well as I think I will prefer seeing the natural beauty and my husband would probably appreciate the history of some of the old Roman architecture.
Since this has come up so late (discovering that we might can actually go away for two weeks!)we just don%26#39;t know everything about the area that we could. I just know it%26#39;s a place I%26#39;ve always wanted to see. I do appreciate your advice.
|||
Lina
Provence is a wonderful place and you can find great towns in which to base yourself. But unless you just want to visit that town and one or two major sights nearby, working without a car is difficult. There is just so much to see and so many places to visit, all of which are separated by some distance.
If you really intend to be without a car then you need a city as a base, so probably Avignon as it is a hub for transport. From there you could catch local trains and buses and I imagine, tours, and that may be the best way.
Avignon is also a town with quite a lot to see in itself, from the palace of the popes to the gardens, the river and bridge, the walls and the very lovely squares. I haven%26#39;t seen museums there but I believe there are some good ones. And good restaurants
So I guess that you start to compile a list of the places you would really like to see, group them for access, look at tour companies that might go to the more difficult to reach places and relax, enjoy and let someone else do the driving.
It is not my way, but if it suits you, it is great to do it your way.
We have visited Provence several times in the past few years. Here are some of our trips/photos/blogs to help decide where you want to visit.
…blogspot.com/2008/08/week-in-provence.html
www.nickbooth.id.au/France08/LIsle.html
www.nickbooth.id.au/NickWeb/Pages/Uzes.htm
www.nickbooth.id.au/NickWeb/Pages/Uzes3.htm
Have a wonderful holiday.
|||
I cannot urge you strongly enough to rent a car. Otherwise, you will be seeing Provence based on someone else%26#39;s schedule and not your own. We drove all over the area in early June last year. The cheery trees were dripping with ripe fruit, and it was such a treat to stop at a roadside stand to pick up a basket of them for a snack.
We went so many wonderful places, and could change our plans as we went, not being tied to a train or bus schedule. Give yourselves the freedom you will want by renting a car. It is so easy to drive in France; I fear you may really regret not having your own wheels.
|||
Last year in June we stayed for a week in Aix-en-Provence which we thought turned out to be an ideal centre for touring Provence.There is a large Tourist Information Office in the city centre which is wonderful for visitors.Through their very helpful English-speaking desk clerks you can book a variety of day or half day tours of Provence by coach or minibus that depart from the City Centre or pick up at your hotel.For instance you might like a half day short trip to the coast to Cassis and take in an hour%26#39;s boat tour of the calanques with bi lingual commentary.I think your daughter would enjoy that. Or a tour of Avignon and its sights. Or a full day trip to the Verdon Gorges or alternatively tour of the Luberon or Roussillon Villages.Nearer to Aix a tour of Cezanne related buildings. There is also a mini road train that tours the Aix sights and this helps you to get your bearings.
So you see a car isn%26#39;t vitally necessary. We did have one which we hired at Marseille Airport but we also took coach tours because we reckoned the guides knew best how to spend the time and the optimum sites and could give info to back up what we were seeing.This was my first time driving in Southern France although I had been to Normandy/Brittany before. Without my GPS which has Western Europe mapping I would have been in big trouble especially on the autoroute network around Aix.My wife can%26#39;t read a map!
So if you do decide to stay in Aix go to the Tourist Office at the earliest opportunity not only to ask about the tours but to buy discounted packs of local bus tickets which buying in bulk work out at 70cents per journey per passenger instead of E1.20.
This was our first visit to inland Provence (had been to Nice a few times) and we were most impressed.Loved it and can%26#39;t wait to return but next time in May or September as it really was stiflingly hot in June.Our hotel room and car did have aircon thankfully.We stayed at Le Mozart Hotel near city centre.(See TA reviews).
Good luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment