I have booked 2 nights in St-Remy in late September. Will have a car and be arriving from Nice on a Tuesday evening. Planned it so we can visit the Wed. market followed by an afternoon visit to Les Baux and the Van Gogh sanitarium.
I noted that several people mentioned that Les Baux has great restaurants? Any recommendations in case we decide to eat there that evening before heading back to St-Remy?
Also, any recommendations for my 2nd day visit in that area? I am thinking of Arles and/or Aigues Mortes? Is the combination too much for a morning/afternoon?
We will be heading to Gordes at the end of that afternoon for a 7-night base stay in that area so do not necessarily want to head back to visit places west/south of St-Remy.
Note: I will be planning a day trip to Cassis from Gordes and of course, many of the vineyards and smaller villages (my preference) as well as Pont de Gard combined with a stop to visit Le Châteaux des Papes in Avignon during the latter part of the trip.
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There are michelin starred restaurants in Les Baux. I%26#39;ve never tried any as they are way beyond my pocket but here%26#39;s one of them. www.oustaudebaumaniere.com/
If you%26#39;re in St Remy and want to go to Arles you could take in Tarascon on the way, it has a brilliant castle. You could also take much mozzie repellant and go across the Camargue down to Ste Marie de la Mer. Arles is at least half a day on its own, though.
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Chic is right, Oustau de Baumaniere is %26quot;that%26quot; restaurant that everybody thinks about when the think about eating in Les Baux. It is a wonderful, make that fabulous, place to really celebrate but it is super expensive and there is a very fine alternative nearby. It is La Cabo d%26#39;Or, and is the restaurant affiliated with the Relais %26amp; Chateau Hotel of the same name. While it isn%26#39;t inexpensive, both the food and the ambiance are wonderful.
There are also several very good restaurants in the center of Maussane-les-Alpilles which is about a 6-8 minute drive from Les Baux and, if you are willing to drive about another 8-10 minutes there are two well regarded places in Paradou - Bistrot La Petit France and Bistrot du Paradou.
As for day two in the Bouches-du-Rhone - my recommendation would, to some extent, depend upon which the day of the week day 2 falls on. Arles has a number of wonderful museaums and Roman ruins that are absolutely worth seeing - but you probably do not want to try to do this on a Saturday which is the day that much of the Boulevard des Lices is taken over with a really great Market. And you could easily spend a whole day exploring Arles and doing lunch.
In the Camargue there are several interesting places worth a visit - Les Stes. Maries is the site where the three Marys landed along with their servant Sarah (patron Saint of the Gypsies) after the left the Holy Land following the crucifiction of Jusus. Also of interest is Aigues-Mortes, the port from which the Crusaders departed on their way to the Holy Land. There are also museums devoted to the Cowboys of the Camargue (known as gardians) and the rice culture. Unlike Chic, I have never had any problems with mosquitos in the Camargue - but I am always there in September (as you will be) and, just in case, I always bring along a small bottle of Deep Woods Off. The Camarge is a place of awsome beauty and while you might be able to do both Arles and the Camargue in one day I think that you might find it to be quite exhausting especially since you intend to drive to Gordes at the end of the day.
Have you considered spending another day in St. Remy so you can visit Cassis without having to drive there all the way from Gordes? It just seems to me that that would be a more efficient use of your time and efforts.
Hope this input will be of some use as you continue to plan your trip and that you%26#39;ll let me know if you want some other restaurant recs or suggestions re places worth visiting. I have already started the countdown to our departure on 5, September.
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Thank you both for the information. Day 2 will fall on a Thursday.
For restaurants in Les Baux, I will probably opt for something not overly expensive that evening.
I am curious about Cassis though. Is it really that much further to drive there from ST-Remy than Gordes? When I look on the map, they both appear relatively equal in distance and I was under the impression it will be approx.a 90 minute drive, one way. Perhaps the difference though is that St-Remy is closer to a main highway and more direct?
One option would have been to consider going there on Day 2 instead of Arles/Aigue Mortes and then simply returning to Gordes at the end of the afternoon for check-in. My only concern there is that our luggage would be left in the car while visiting Les Calanques and is the reason why I am not considering stopping in Cassis from Nice to Gordes.
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Couple of other things. When you refer to Camargue...is that a region or the river? I read something about boat rides (day trips?) from Arles but with a car, it may not make sense for us.
Also, would it be quicker/easier to drive down to Cassis from Isle de la Sorgue instead of Gordes? I will also be staying there for 3 nights.
Thanks again.
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As I count it you have 12 nights in Provence. There are several things that you may want to consider in order to better concentrate your dialy travels.
Try to visit those areas at or near the coast (the Camargue, Cassis, etc.) while you are closest to the coast - ie. in St. Remy.
Regarding leaving baggage in your car on the day that you are relocating - remember it is just NOT A GOOD IDEA regardless of the town or village to leave ANYTHING in your vehicle, especially anything visible. Instead, It would be a better idea to travel to your next destination and drop off your luggage at the new place even if you cannot have access to your room that early in the day and then spend the rest of that day touring in that area.
With regard to the relative distances/time for travel between Gordes or St. Remy and Cassis, I would say that from St Remy you will probably save about 45 minutes each way - and you are talking about a minimum of 3 hours round trip on that day if everything is perfect.
The Camargue is the delta where the Rhone enters the Mediterranean and a car is absolutely the best/only way to really really explore it.
Again, hope this info is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.
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I hope you noticed me recommending the Camargue there AlpillesG!
Would you know if there%26#39;s a local bus service from St Remy to Maussane les Alpilles? I am staying in St R for a week in June (and please let the bus to Les Baux be running, it may be close but it%26#39;s still a long walk) and looking for nearby day trips.
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Thanks! I agree about luggage left in the vehicle.
How about the option of going to Cassis while I%26#39;m in Isle de la Sorgue? Would it be a shorter distance than from Gordes?
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Hi Rockport
Regarding travelling from Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to Cassis, I would have to say that it%26#39;s probably a little bit of a shorter drive because of quicker access to the A-7, but not really enough of a shorter trip to make a real difference. Your best bet is still visiting Cassis either when you are on the way to St. Remy or while you are staying there. The bottom line may be whether you want to spend that much time just driving to Cassis when you are only going to be In Provence for 12 nights.
September is a wonderful time to visit Provence and you can see alot of really wonderful sites during your stay.
Hi Chic
Sorry, but I really don%26#39;t know about the bus service anywhere in Provence. However, Les Baux is really close to Maussane and is such an important tourist site that I%26#39;m sure that there must be some sort of regular service, especially during the warmer months.
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Have noticed your questions re travel times and distances.
Are you familiar with www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.com ? Either is great for showing best routes,clear directions,travel times, etc. We have used both when planning our trips ( slight preference to former )and found them invaluable.
Another point. Have dined at several restaurants in the Les Baux area and our favorite ( and very affordable ) was a Logis de France hotel/ restaurant in nearby Fontvieille--the Hostellerie de la Tour. Type of place where the %26quot; locals%26quot; tend to dine--we found the cuisine excellent---classic French fare perfectly prepared-- and the service and welcome most friendly.
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