HLitner and Provence

[aunteemom]

Hi Hank,

I want to pick your brain re Provence. We have many options. We will port in Marseille at 9 am and ship sails at 5. We have quite a few options that I would like to get your opinion as I am now a bit overwhelmed. We can mix these up/ add and delete. Can you and others give us advice to make the most of our time.

1)Visit the aquaduct of Fontvielles

Wine tasting in Les Baux de Provence w Cathedral d Images

Lunch in Maussane les Alpilles

Visit of Mouries (Olive oil mill for degustation)

This way, no big city, no queue, no crowd at all and plenty of time to enjoy the "Alpilles" provencal villages.

 

 

2)City of Arles, (Avignon and/or the Pont du Gard, depending on time), then head further to the medieval city of Les Baux de Provence. In the afternoon you would continue with a visit of the beautiful village of Saint-Rémy-de Provence before return to Marseille.

 

3) Luberon Villages

Full day tour to 5/6 perched villages in the northern and southern Luberon hills including Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux and Lourmarin. Visit to a local winery (+ €8,50 wine tasting fee per person)

 

 

3)Aix-en-Provence & Luberon villages

Morning walking historical tour of Aix-en-Provence including a visit to the famous markets ( Saturday is market day)

Afternoon visit to 2/3 perched villages in the southern Luberon hills + visit to a winery and garden (+€8,50 per person)

 

4)Arles and Les Baux de Provence

Morning walking tour of Arles : Roman ruins and Van Gogh sites.

Afternoon visit to the beautiful Medeival village of Les Baux de Provence + wine tasting and visit to an olive oil mill.

 

 

5)The area of les Alpilles with les Baux de Provence and St Remy de Provence:

[cberge]

Hi Hank,

I want to pick your brain re Provence. We have many options. We will port in Marseille at 9 am and ship sails at 5. We have quite a few options that I would like to get your opinion as I am now a bit overwhelmed. We can mix these up/ add and delete. Can you and others give us advice to make the most of our time.

1)Visit the aquaduct of Fontvielles

Wine tasting in Les Baux de Provence w Cathedral d Images

Lunch in Maussane les Alpilles

Visit of Mouries (Olive oil mill for degustation)

This way, no big city, no queue, no crowd at all and plenty of time to enjoy the "Alpilles" provencal villages.

 

 

2)City of Arles, (Avignon and/or the Pont du Gard, depending on time), then head further to the medieval city of Les Baux de Provence. In the afternoon you would continue with a visit of the beautiful village of Saint-Rémy-de Provence before return to Marseille.

 

3) Luberon Villages

Full day tour to 5/6 perched villages in the northern and southern Luberon hills including Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux and Lourmarin. Visit to a local winery (+ €8,50 wine tasting fee per person)

 

 

3)Aix-en-Provence & Luberon villages

Morning walking historical tour of Aix-en-Provence including a visit to the famous markets ( Saturday is market day)

Afternoon visit to 2/3 perched villages in the southern Luberon hills + visit to a winery and garden (+€8,50 per person)

 

4)Arles and Les Baux de Provence

Morning walking tour of Arles : Roman ruins and Van Gogh sites.

Afternoon visit to the beautiful Medeival village of Les Baux de Provence + wine tasting and visit to an olive oil mill.

 

 

5)The area of les Alpilles with les Baux de Provence and St Remy de Provence:

 

I am not Hank,but it seems you are trying to do a LOT and really not enjoy what you are seeing by trying to do do much. If I were you I would do a lot of reading on the sights you really want to see,and pick just a couple so you will have time to see and enjoy. Les Baux is a great place to visit,and Avignon and Palais du Papes is a trip onto itself. Gordes is another small hilltop,but in all honesty once you have seen one they become alike if you do to many at one time. Like I said do some reading about your places and decide what you really want to see. I am sure Hank will reply.You have to reallu consider your travel time here as well.Some of your small villages can be crowded. I have been to LB when it was packed. Whatever you do...enjoy.

[aunteemom]

Thank you for your input. I would like to strike a balance. I have heard that Les Baux is wonderful and would like to combine it with another charming village. It is hard to predict crowds and time it will take in visiting these towns so I visit the board to get advice. I have been quite lucky in listening to others such as yourself.

[Hlitner]

ARGH. Funny you brought up this subject since DW and I recently rented an apartment in Avignon for a week this May. And we have been kicking around how to spend a week in this wonderful part of France. Even a week is not nearly enough for us, so trying to plan a port day (especially if this will be a once in a lifetime type visit) is a daunting task. As usual, Cberge and I see it the same way which is that its not always wise to try and cram too much into a port day. You need some time to "stop and smell the Roses" not to mention enjoying a nice lunch (a must in France). Your tour #2 did make us smile since we once rented an apartment in St Remy (1/4 of an old villa) and used to watch the tour groups quickly trek through "our town" as we were relaxing at a café with some wine or lunch.

 

All of your options do try to cover a lot of ground (too much ground to please me) and for those that like to do that type of tour they all have their good points. We do always love visiting Les Baux and Pont du Gard is a very interesting place for those interested in history and ruins. St Remy is just a typical Provencial town, and while we loved staying there for a week, I am not sure its worthy of a visit in a crammed port day when compared to other options.

 

Arles is a large city with some excellent Roman ruins right in the center of town. One shock we had in Arles was that when visiting their weekly market (DW and I live to drive to the various markets) nearly everyone was dressed in Muslim garb. This does not take away from the city....but it sure has an impact on the French culture which was missing from the market.

 

Aix en Provence is a wonderful city (especially on market day) although it is pretty easy to get to on your own via the train or bus from Marseille (at a fraction of the cost of a tour). We have many fond memories of enjoying lunch at one of the picturesque cafes located along the Cours Mirabeau....but most tours will not allow the time for this activity.

 

As to the Luberon, this region was pretty unknown to tourists (the way many locals would prefer it stayed) until Peter Mayle's bestseller. Even Mr. Mayle was eventually forced to flea the region that he made too famous :). DW and I enjoy driving around the Luberon and exploring the smaller villages, but we are not so sure that doing this on a large tour is a good way to see the region. Like many tourists with a car, we did venture by Mr. Mayle's old home (the subject of his popular book) and almost felt guilty even though we just drove along the country road without stopping to gawk.

 

Ok, enough of my rambling (I am getting ideas for our upcoming visit). I really cannot make a good recommendation because although we might prefer tour #2, we cannot imagine visiting Avignon (a large city), Arles, Pont du Gard and Les Baux in 2 days much less a half day the way it seems to be on that tour. If I was taking a small group we might try to do Pont du Gard, Les Baux and perhaps a quick visit to the Roman ruins in Arles in a long day...but I cannot imagine how they fit Avignon and St Remy into that same tour. I would almost like to take that tour to see how it gets done...

 

We look forward to reading a few other opinions from folks that are also familiar with the region :)

 

Hank

Edited January 14, 2014 by Hlitner

[aunteemom]

Thanks for your thoughts. We are a small tour group, just my husband and myself and our two grown children. We can adjust the tour to our liking. I sent some of the options from various guides but can mix it up, add or delete. We will see ruins in some other ports. Does Arles have the charm of a French town or are we there mostly for the ruins.

[buggins0402]

What day of the week are you in Marseille?

[aunteemom]

We will be in Marseilles on Saturday, 5/31. So if we go to Les Baux and Pont du Gard, we would like to visit one more quaint French town. I have heard that Carrieres de Lumieres is remarkable as well and not to be missed.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for your thoughts. We are a small tour group, just my husband and myself and our two grown children. We can adjust the tour to our liking. I sent some of the options from various guides but can mix it up, add or delete. We will see ruins in some other ports. Does Arles have the charm of a French town or are we there mostly for the ruins.

 

We do not think of Arles as "charming" in the way of many other Provencial towns and cities. There is certainly charm in Avignon and Aix en Provence...but not Arles. But Arles does have a lot to offer the tourist who wants to visit the most popular sites and its excellent museum. That being said, if you are not interested in the Roman ruins then you would be better off spending your time elsewhere. When we are vacationing in the area we only stop in Arles if we happen to be taking friends to Pont du Gard.

 

If I were taking cruise passengers on an area tour from Marseille we would probably take them to Pont du Gard, Avignon and Les Baux which gives a good mix of a large city, small hilltop town, and a world-class engineering feat (ruins). I guess this is why we once rented an apartment in St Remy (only 20 min from Avignon) and have rented an apartment for this spring in Avignon. We just love that part of Provence. But others would have a totally different opinion of the region...which is what makes it such a fantastic region for at least a week vacation.

 

Aix is also a great destination, but does not fit geographically with our other favorite places. But Aix is very easy (and cheap) to get to from Marseille which makes it a good port day destination.

 

Hank

[buggins0402]

We do not think of Arles as "charming" in the way of many other Provencial towns and cities. There is certainly charm in Avignon and Aix en Provence...but not Arles. But Arles does have a lot to offer the tourist who wants to visit the most popular sites and its excellent museum. That being said, if you are not interested in the Roman ruins then you would be better off spending your time elsewhere. When we are vacationing in the area we only stop in Arles if we happen to be taking friends to Pont du Gard.

 

If I were taking cruise passengers on an area tour from Marseille we would probably take them to Pont du Gard, Avignon and Les Baux which gives a good mix of a large city, small hilltop town, and a world-class engineering feat (ruins). I guess this is why we once rented an apartment in St Remy (only 20 min from Avignon) and have rented an apartment for this spring in Avignon. We just love that part of Provence. But others would have a totally different opinion of the region...which is what makes it such a fantastic region for at least a week vacation.

 

Aix is also a great destination, but does not fit geographically with our other favorite places. But Aix is very easy (and cheap) to get to from Marseille which makes it a good port day destination.

 

Hank

 

We have the same opinion of Arles - actually ours is probably less kind than yours - we dislike Arles. Was hoping that she was there on a Sunday...which would have led to another recommendation.....the Holy Grail of French markets:)

[Hlitner]

We have the same opinion of Arles - actually ours is probably less kind than yours - we dislike Arles. Was hoping that she was there on a Sunday...which would have led to another recommendation.....the Holy Grail of French markets:)

 

I like being accused of being kind :) As to Sunday's, that is an entirely different topic. On any Sunday, when we are staying in the area, you will always find us at L'Isle sur la Sorgue which has one of the best markets in France (outside of Paris). We assume that is what you are referring to as the "Holy Grail." One problem for those in Marseille on a Sunday is how to even get to this market...and do it early in the day (it closes up a little after 12 pm)...which is why we seldom discuss or recommend it here for cruisers.

 

Hank

[LondonTowner]

I have to totally disagree about Arles. I think it is a lovely town with a very 'Mediterranean' atmosphere. I actually preferred it to Avignon, although Avignon is nice.

 

We visited the market that HLitner mentions. The area is very nice and it is a lovely little town. However, the day we were there it rained so much we didn't see very much of the market. I think that Les Baux is also worth a visit.

[buggins0402]

I like being accused of being kind :) As to Sunday's, that is an entirely different topic. On any Sunday, when we are staying in the area, you will always find us at L'Isle sur la Sorgue which has one of the best markets in France (outside of Paris). We assume that is what you are referring to as the "Holy Grail." One problem for those in Marseille on a Sunday is how to even get to this market...and do it early in the day (it closes up a little after 12 pm)...which is why we seldom discuss or recommend it here for cruisers.

 

Hank

 

It would be tough - but it looked like they had a private tour planned. Was thinking that #3 reversed with L'Isle substituted for Luberon villages and combined with a few hours in Aix would be a really nice way to spend a Sunday in port.

[Hlitner]

It would be tough - but it looked like they had a private tour planned. Was thinking that #3 reversed with L'Isle substituted for Luberon villages and combined with a few hours in Aix would be a really nice way to spend a Sunday in port.

 

Yeah, that would work. Going to L'Isle and seeing some of the Luberon does make sense (geographically) and a private tour is definitely the way to do this on a Sunday since it can be difficult to get a rental car on that day. The thing about that market at L'Isle is that it gets in one's blood. DW and I recently booked an apartment rental for a week in Avignon (Saturday to Saturday) and the first thing DW mentioned is that she looks forward to going to L'Isle de la Sorque on Sunday and prays it does not rain since we are only in the area for a single Sunday. But not so sure many cruise passengers would love the Luberon area on a Sunday. Yes, it is a picturesque part of rural Provence, but we have found many of the smaller villages are pretty much closed-up on Sundays. It is a great area for those that love driving around and taking in the countryside vistas...but it cannot compare to cities like Avignon or Aix for those that want to do some shopping (or browsing).

 

Hank

[buggins0402]

Yeah, that would work. Going to L'Isle and seeing some of the Luberon does make sense (geographically) and a private tour is definitely the way to do this on a Sunday since it can be difficult to get a rental car on that day. The thing about that market at L'Isle is that it gets in one's blood. DW and I recently booked an apartment rental for a week in Avignon (Saturday to Saturday) and the first thing DW mentioned is that she looks forward to going to L'Isle de la Sorque on Sunday and prays it does not rain since we are only in the area for a single Sunday. But not so sure many cruise passengers would love the Luberon area on a Sunday. Yes, it is a picturesque part of rural Provence, but we have found many of the smaller villages are pretty much closed-up on Sundays. It is a great area for those that love driving around and taking in the countryside vistas...but it cannot compare to cities like Avignon or Aix for those that want to do some shopping (or browsing).

 

Hank

 

LOL! We're kindred spirits on that market. :). Yes everything is closed up on Sunday....and we did our Provence land in November so it was more so. Probably why we disliked Arles so much - so I shouldn't be so hard on that city.

 

Can't wait to retire in a few years and rent a place in Provence for a couple weeks - living the life.

 

Hey - it looks like you're in PA. Just posted a link on the cruise air board on some interesting flight prices on Qatar out of PHL to Asia and Middle East if you plan to head in that direction. Just flew them a few months ago and we get the promotion stuff now.

[Hlitner]

LOL! We're kindred spirits on that market. :). Yes everything is closed up on Sunday....and we did our Provence land in November so it was more so. Probably why we disliked Arles so much - so I shouldn't be so hard on that city.

 

Can't wait to retire in a few years and rent a place in Provence for a couple weeks - living the life.

 

Hey - it looks like you're in PA. Just posted a link on the cruise air board on some interesting flight prices on Qatar out of PHL to Asia and Middle East if you plan to head in that direction. Just flew them a few months ago and we get the promotion stuff now.

 

Not in PA now as we are snow birds wintering in Puerto Vallarta (gorgeous weather the last few days). Would love to grab a Qatar bargain to Asia, but our travel plans are pretty much solidified for 2014 with major lengthy trip to Europe and New Zealand....but nothing in Asia this year. There are just not enough weeks in the year to do it all...and not enough money either :)

 

Hank