South of France + Provence

Hello everyone...i%26#39;m new here and really need some advice!

I%26#39;ll be staying inthe south of France for 4 days from 23-26, please suggest where are the must-visit among...

Carcassonne

Gordes

Arles

Orange

St Remy de Provence

Vaison la Romain

I%26#39;m into historic ruins, castels, and villages...those that r not in Asia! Where should not i visit, and where r the must-see? how long should I stay in each place? If you know of any budget accommodation, it would be truly appreciated.

Thanking u in advance.. :D

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I%26#39;m speaking first and totally disagree with a lot of suggestions on this board. (Sorry peeps!) I just visited Provence last month. I had last been in 1988, what a difference!!!!! St Remy is now ridiculously touristy. If you like that and are okay with it, it%26#39;s a pretty place (was my favorite before). However if you are NOT into touristy stuff I can suggest some great little towns. And based on your interests, there are a lot of good places.

I stayed (in the Luberon) outside Apt (which I really liked, it%26#39;s a smaller version of what overrun Avignon used to be...). Saignon is lovely and historic and not much there but it has a FANTASTIC hotel that is not hugely expensive. Auberge du Presbytere. Graet place and fantastic restaurant.

I visited Gordes and Rousillon and agree they are very nice. But I suggest for a chateau: Ansouis. Great little village. I heard nearby Tour d%26#39;Aigues is great. Apparently its chateau is a ruin with a twist.

Where %26quot;escargot%26quot; is based - Isle sur la Sorgue is great and the market on Sunday was truely amazing, if VERY crowded and touristy. I think I%26#39;d like it on a non-market day. :o) Nearby Fontaine de Vaucluse was full of tourists too but very lovely.

I also visited the Abbaye de Senanque outside Gordes which was great. Guided tours only though. I also heard the Abbaya de Silvacane is lovely, that%26#39;s much nearer to Ansouis.

As long as you have a car, there are SO many %26quot;village perches%26quot; to visit. And many (i.e. St Michel l%26#39;Observatoire) are so NOT touristy.

Any easy little guide I used was the Knopf Mapguide %26quot;Provence%26quot;. ALso used teh Cadogan guide to Provence.

Feel free to ask me more, if I can help I will.

[Hope I didn%26#39;t offend any posters - I prefer to visit off the beaten path and avoid crowds, so I%26#39;m biased!]

Bon Voyage! :o)

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If you%26#39;re wanting the most significant, %26#39;must-visit%26#39; Roman remains, then your final four suggestions would be great (Nimes / Pont du Gard is another big one). Unfortunately, as bostonoski points out, they are %26#39;must-visits%26#39; for everyone else too. Sounds like he/she had a good approach - visit them all, then come back sometime and see some others. I%26#39;ve never been to Carcassonne, but I think it%26#39;s some way from the others and you would use up valuable time on travel. Incidentally, if you like little villages, you%26#39;d find it much easier if you had a hire car - and you can make your own scenic detours between tourist hot spots, if anywhere takes your fancy.

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If you still want to see l%26#39;Isle sur la Sorgue but don%26#39;t want so many tourists as you get on Sunday, you can always come on a Thursday which is also market day but many more locals and much less crowded. It does not have the brocante/antiques/bric a brac on a Thursday but it is much easier to walk around and you can see the whole town!

Yes I agree that if you want to see the real Provence you take a car to the smaller villages but everyone wants to Gordes so you have to put up with the crowds in Season. The best idea is not to do it between June and Sept but to come out of season when we are still open and need buisness!www.lescarmes.com !!