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The daredevil fighters, gripping special hooks, try to snare the ribbon. And they solved the puzzle. Trip Report: Cte d'Azur and a bit in Provence (part one) All Provence Travel Forum Posts Resources Travel Tips Rail Passes MNT: Provence with Steve Smith | Rick Steves Europe Spend most of your day in Arles, then drive to Les Baux for late afternoon sightseeing and dinner (sleep in Arles), Day 12: Aix-en-Provence or Marseille. Rent a Car in France While renting a car isn't an absolute must in the French Riviera, I highly recommend it for Provence. We love all history, enjoy art, especially when there is a focus, i.e. We travelled with luggage in ours while changing towns. But you can see better Roman ruins in Arles or Nimes on the way out from the Pont du Gard.) It has the best TGV connection in the area, and is a direct 4hr ride from there. Explore Vaison-la-Romaine's upper medieval village and lower Roman city, then set sail along the Ctes du Rhne wine road and visit a winery or wine cooperative. Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are our recommended priorities: Day 1: Fly into Nice. It hits every spot you'd want to see: Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Marseille, Bormes-Les-Mimosas, Le Lavandou, St. Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Grasse, Antibes, ze, and Monaco. The water needs of Roman Nmes grew beyond the capacity of its local springs. We could alternately stay in Arles and then St. Remy which would provide opportunity to drop luggage off at hotel on way down to Marseille. This is the Caveau de Gigondas. The best Pont du Gard viewpoints are up steep hills with uneven footing bring good shoes, too. Travel Details Script Clips 5 Days in Provence - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas | kimkim Let's go inside. Steve Smith is the co-author of the Rick Steves Provence & the French Riviera guidebook. Carol, nothing against Marseilles but you can return your car at most any major train station the day of your departure from Provence. We were in the Gordes area 3 nights and near Mt. Thanks for your advice. 10/7 - Drive to Nimes for 3 night stay The palace was built stark and strong, before the popes knew how long they'd be staying. My only logistical criticism, maybe, is that you do not need to jump around between Nimes and Avignon and the Luberon. It's a cooperative. It's also fun to be in the breezy middle of the river with a sweeping city view. The Gigondas cooperative in the central square will give you an easy introduction to several different red wines to taste. The bridge itself has no mortar just ingeniously stacked stones. Provence Itinerary - Rick Steves Travel Forum Where exactly do you mean by the "coast"? 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | CST# 2086743 | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. In a side chapel was this faded painting from 1789: a triangle within a sunburst, celebrating reason rather than religion. Cours Mirabeau remains the place for tendance that's trendiness. We are going to Provence in May. He rented a small house on the north side of Place Lamartine. Towns are particularly lively on market days. That starts with ancient Rome the building itself seems to embrace an evocative old temple. The lovingly tended vines of the Ctes du Rhne grown on the ctes, or hillsides, of the Rhne River Valley make wines that are delightful on your palate, yet easy on your pocketbook. And they still proclaim the wonders of that age. Sabine: That's right, you really get really that subtlety. It's entertaining to watch especially if you understand the rules. Todays train line survives but is overgrown as the bridge over the river was destroyed in WWII. Admire its original columns and Corinthian capitals it's a textbook example of a pseudoperipteral temple (surrounded by columns, half of which support the roof over a porch, and half of which merely decorate the rest of the building) and a "six-column temple" (a standard proportion if it's six columns wide, it must be eleven columns deep). Land in Marseille, get car and drive to Arles. Provence - Page 2 - Rick Steves' Travel Blog Will have to research trains to Paris but seems Avignon should have good connections. Most villages have winemaking co-ops, offering a handy one-stop place to taste the various wines. This magnificent region is shaped like a giant wedge of quiche. I am guessing you are not renting a car for the last few days (which is perfectly OK) but if you did you could drive it to the Avignon (or Nimes) TGV from any nearby town and return it there the morning of your return. And just beyond any market you're likely to find the local gang playing boules. Man: Merci beaucoup. 5 days in Provence Itinerary: Day Trips from Aix en Provence Les Baux, Rouisillion, Arles bigger but yet an imp place to base if you can. One itinerary I decided against, left me 12 mins to make a train connection, not confident that was doable.When connections are necessary are the trains on close platforms? They are both SNCF. I think you could change this slightly here. The Yellow House Easel Crossing acres of lavender and wispy vineyards, we explore the Ctes du Rhne and more wonders of the south of France. 05/13/13 01:05 PM 990 posts I would recommend driving part of the loop route that Rick's Provence book recommends and stopping at Seguret, a lovely walled village, and doing some wine tastings in Gigondas or Vacqueyras if you enjoy wine. These trains travel up to 300 km/h, and do not make frequent stops. The temple survived in part because it's been in constant use for the last thousand years. This "Street of the Dyers" is charming; its limestone car barriers are carved whimsically by amateur sculptors. And macho men still face dangerous beasts: bulls. Teaming up with my guidebook co-author, Steve Smith, every day its a different city: Lyon, Aix, Marseille, Avignon, Arles. Thanks for all your advice. For the TGV, book your tickets ahead -- not only do prices go up closer to the travel date, but they can sellout. The OUIGO goes to fewer stations, requires you to be at the voie (platform) 30 minutes before departure, and will charge for excess luggage (i.e., they are trying to adopt a model based on Euro budget airlines), and tickets can be very cheap. Visit Nmes (Roman amphitheater) in the morning and the Pont du Gard in the afternoon. On y danse tous en rond. Nimes actually makes kind of a poor base compared with other options. Rick: I was thinking oboes and you've got French horns! Settle in at your hotel, then take a walk along the Promenade des Anglais up to Castle Hill (sleep in or near Nice), Day 2: All Day in Nice. Visitors are presented with a list, and from that they can sample from an enticing selection. As a student of history, Ive long been fascinated by the fanaticism of the French Revolution (1789), which challenged every aspect of French society with the test of reason. If something wasnt logical, it was swept away. Thank you again for your help! Join tour guide and guidebook coauthor Steve Smith as he takes us through bountiful Provence markets and . This time we're in the south of France mixing Roman ruins, fine wine, a little Van Gogh, and even a French bullfight. Pont du Gard is perhaps best enjoyed on your back and in the water bring along a swimsuit and flip-flops for the rocks. Regarding the question about train connections - if your train is not late, a 12 min connection will be easy to make. Provence Itinerary - Rick Steves Travel Forum Rick: C'est dlicieux. Until next time, keep on traveling. In the spirit of "give the masses bread and circuses," admission was free. (I don't think you need to leave quite so early, though, for a, 8 o'clock flight.). Sabine: Wait until you taste those wines. Arles has a great deal of charm and many interesting antiquities. The rooms sport Provenal decor and come in random shapes and sizes. Then comes our little reward: At about 9:45 or 10:00, we sit down to eat at our favorite of all the places we visited. I'd love to go back for a week. You can still see the original stones, a thin layer of mortar that waterproofed the channel, and, after centuries of use, a thick mineral build up. Salads are popular. Orange is an easy visit, Arles reachable by car, plenty of driving options. By helping Julius Caesar defeat Marseille, the people of Arles earned the imperial nod, and their city was made an important river port. Arles also has a good archaeological museum. Romans grew wheat on these vast fields, and brought the grain here to the mega watermill. Take the train or bus to nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer, explore, and have lunch. In tumultuous medieval times, locals bricked up the arches, turning the stadium into a fortified town over a hundred humble homes were crammed within its circular defenses. Romans built upon what the Greeks started, realizing even back then that here in Provence the stony soil, mild winters, and long, hot summers were ideal for producing great wine. Loved Roussillonbe sure to do the Ochre Path walk. It features a stimulating collection of works by contemporary artists paying homage to Van Gogh through their thought-provoking interpretations of Vincent's work. Crossing acres of lavender and wispy vineyards, we explore the Ctes du Rhne and more wonders of the south of France. Ventoux for 3 nights. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | CST# 2086743 | We previously spent 9 days in Paris in a hotel in a small neighborhood close to a metro from where we explored the city. In Provence we have goat cheese, not cow's cheese. He was as inspired as he was lonely. Terms of Service | Privacy, Aix-en-Provence, France: Living Well and Looking Good, Arles, France: Ruins, Museums, and International Flavor, Avignon, France: Youthful City in Medieval Walls, Nmes, France: Bullfighting, French-Style, Provence: Legendary Light, Wind, and Wine.