Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Week in Avignon
Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 28/01/2022 16:17
Just booked a week in a house in Avignon in September - any recommendations - not been to the area at all. Will hire a car for a couple of days if worth it as going by train.
gorseinon28 · 28/01/2022 18:45
Aix en Provence is beautiful and worth a visit. In Avignon you should cross the bridge made famous by the song.
Snowywintersundays123 · 28/01/2022 18:48
It’s a beautiful area, musts for me;
- isle sur la sorgue
- vaison la romaine
- the dentelles
- mount ventoux
- Avignon itself is really pretty
Gladioli23 · 28/01/2022 18:51
Avignon is super! We did everything by train from there but a car would have been handy (but driving in the city would have been awful if you are staying inside the city walls).
We went to a Roman theatre, at Orange - which is one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the world. And also to the amphitheatre at Nimes, which again is one of the best preserved in the world. We also visited the old papal palace in Avignon itself which was super, and a beautiful town I think called l'Isle sur la Sorgue. It was a super town which has an excellent market but I can't remember which day, and it had any amazing pancake restaurant and lots of waterways running through the town.
There's also meant to be a cool waterfall or spring somewhere round there but the bus to it charged you 5x the price if you were a tourist so we didn't go.
Gladioli23 · 28/01/2022 18:52
Also make sure you visit the perfume shop in town called Fragonard if you like perfume/other lovely fragranced things - it's a small French chain.
Snowywintersundays123 · 28/01/2022 18:52
Ooh yes I forgot about nimes and orange! Both lovey as wel
stringbean · 28/01/2022 19:10
The Pont du Gard is well worth a visit and not far away. If you feel adventurous you can hire canoes at Collias and paddle down the river underneath it. While you're there, Uzes is a lovely town a little further on: fabulous market on a Saturday morning but it's rammed and parking can be a challenge. Go on another day to wander around and have lunch in the Place des Herbes. Nimes also worth a visit: the Roman amphitheatre is one of the best preserved anywhere, and still in regular use (well, pre-COVID anyway). Avignon itself is a lovely city - you should visit the Palais des Papes as a minimum and stroll round the streets surrounding it. Can you tell I'm a fan of that part of France 
gogohm · 28/01/2022 19:17
The luberon hills are beautiful, drive up mount ventose to ogle the cyclists 
musee du vin at chateauneuf du pape.
Must see in Avignon is the popes palace.
Train to Marseilles is a nice day out
notimagain · 28/01/2022 19:18
@Snowywintersundays123
- isle sur la sorgue
- vaison la romaine
- the dentelles
- mount ventoux
- Avignon itself is really pretty
Agreed, lovely part of the world…
You rightly mention Ventoux - I’m surprised doing that by bike hasn’t been suggested yet
…lovely day out 
BingleDiBing · 28/01/2022 19:23
Love that area! We stayed in a small village called Flassan.
Between there and Avignon somewhere is something called the Jarditrain - incredible miniature train set up. Well worth a look.
Definitely go up Mont Ventoux. Watch out for the logging trucks, some hairy corners but great fun.
The fairy caves (Grottes de Thouzan) are stunning, stalactites and mites - absolutely beautiful.
And there was a butterfly farm near there somewhere too.
Enjoy!
MrsPnut · 28/01/2022 19:33
I shall save this, we had an impromptu overnight in Avignon when our car broke down travelling to Clermont Ferrand from Vias.
We needed to collect a hire car and that was the nearest place.
We really loved the city and are determined to return.
pantherrose · 28/01/2022 19:54
Dont miss L’Isle sur la Sorgue ´La Venice Provençale ´ It’s a renowned antiques centre and the Sunday market is well worth a visit followed by lunch by the river. Gordes is a must too and will take your breath away!
Nomorefuckstogive · 28/01/2022 20:02
Gordes (the village in much of ‘A Beautiful Mind’), is lovely, we loved Fontaine de la Vaucluse and Roussillon too. There’s also a lovely monastery, with beautiful lavender (as in all of Provence!) but I can’t remember its name. Such a stunning region, I’d like to join you!
Nomorefuckstogive · 28/01/2022 20:04
Sorry, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse - pretty and with beautiful, clear springs.
notimagain · 28/01/2022 20:12
Gordes (the village in much of ‘A Beautiful Mind’)
Stone the Crowes that has confused me….don’t you mean “A Good year”?
Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 29/01/2022 09:45
Agghh we could do with two weeks now!
Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 29/01/2022 09:47
Might take my E bike and go up Ventoux 😬
notimagain · 29/01/2022 10:07
@Allfurcoatandnoknickers
Enjoy……I’ve done it the hard way once…..if there’s ever a next time it’ll be battery assisted..(worth the effort however you do it..it’s very much a special place..)
road.cc/content/news/102778-video-boris-bike-vs-mont-ventoux
Allfurcoatandnoknickers · 29/01/2022 13:07
Thanks for sharing that - fantastic 😂
garlictwist · 29/01/2022 13:27
I cycled up Ventoux when I went and it was really not that bad - it's long but not very steep until the top But I am used to Yorkshire hills . I also loved Nimes. A very beautiful part of the world.
Ankylosaur · 29/01/2022 13:45
For Roman remains, the Pont du Gard aqueduct and the theatre at Orange are fabulous. We also enjoyed the hill top village of Les Baux (with winding steps to climb through the rocky cliffs and wonderful medieval castle ruins; they were firing a replica trebuchet the day we visited, much to DH's delight!).
Just opposite Avignon, on the other bank of the river, is the medieval Villeneuve-les-Avignon, which we actually preferred as a town to explore on foot - it has a great hill fort with plenty of battlements to walk, and lovely cafes.
Enjoy!
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