Please

First and foremost, I need to thank everyone on this board who, even though you don%26#39;t know it, helped guide me while planning for this trip.

We leave in 4 days and I have finally settled on a tentative plan, knowing and welcoming the fact that plans can change at any time...

Any advice/suggestions I can get on my itinerary will be greatly appreciated. Here it goes....

5/25-5/29--4 nights in Cheval Blanc

Arrive the evening of 5/25 from a long trek from NYC, catch a quick bite and get some much needed shut eye.

Saturday 5/26--drive to Arles, go to the market, see the sights, and stop at Les Baux on the way home.

Sunday 5/27-- Isle de la Sorgue market with the rest of the day open for anything...

Monday 5/28--early to St. Remy for the Fete De La Transumance, shopping and Glanum. Then onto Oppede le viuex, Menerbes , and Lacoste

5/29-5/31-- 2 nights in Cabriers D%26#39;Aigues

Tuesday 5/29--Aix en Provence, possibly drive to small coastal town (any suggestions.) Should we be worried to keep our luggage in the trunk?

Wednesday 5/30--Cucuron, Ansouis, Lourmarin, Bonniuex, Saignon (thinking of doing this day via bicycle--can this work?)

5/31-6/2-- 2 nights in Malaucene

Thursday 5/31-- Roussillion, Joucas, Gordes, Fontaine de Vaucluse... on our way to Malaucene

Friday--6/1--Carpentras (for the market,) Vaison la Romaine, Bedoin

Saturday 6/2--Gigondas,Sablet, Seguret (some wine tasting--any suggestion where)

Leave for Paris from Avignon at 6:41PM. Any suggestions as to when we should get to Avignon to drop off our car?

Thanks so much for any advice you may share--it is greatly appreciated.

All my best!!!

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Okay, I%26#39;ll try to reply as you don%26#39;t seem to be getting much help here.

Day 5/26 - sounds fine

Day 5/27 - also good easy day

Day 5/28 - lots of driving, but certainly do-able

5/29 - you can easily spend the entire day in Aix - it is a big city. Sorry, no specific recommendations for a close by coastal town. If you keep your luggage in the car, make sure it is well hidden by a trunk cover or in a trunk. Never leave anything of value within sight inside the car. Remember that rental cars in France have specific types of tags. We can all spot them, so they often get broken into just because of that.

Day 5/30 - Lots of driving and you%26#39;re considering doing it all via bike. Gee, I hope you are really good long distance bikers.

Day 5/31 - Yes, you can do these Luberon villages and then head over to Malaucene. You should allow the majority of the day as many people don%26#39;t do this many villages in one day, on their way to a distant village.

Day 6/1 - Carpentras is 30 minutes drive from Vaison. It is 15 minutes drive from Bedoin. So, you might want to do the market in Carpentras, then Bedoin (which won%26#39;t take that long and you can go up the top of Mt. Ventoux and come down on the other side in Malaucene, then head to Vaison la Romaine. Quite do-able.

Day 6/2 - Very enjoyable day. There are so many domaines / caves in this area, just take your pick. Many are exceptional.

As to dropping off the car. I would allow myself an hour before the departure of my train. You most likely won%26#39;t need an hour, but if there is a line or if there are any problems with the car, you might. Often, you can just pop in, give them the keys, tell them where you left the car and be done with it. Sometimes it isn%26#39;t that simple.

Hope that helps a little bit.

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thanks so much toutou...great advice--i am getting nervous about the weather forecast...hope it doesn%26#39;t rain that much. i will be sure to post when i return

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Don%26#39;t worry. The 3 day forecast calls for 19 or 20 C in the mornings with afternoons up to 32 degrees Celsius.

There is rain in the weekend forecast. Saturday is supposed to be the worst, with clouds on Sunday. We%26#39;ll see if they%26#39;re right or not.

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