Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$$ Hôtel de Provence**,
at the train station, is air-conditioned, quiet, comfortable, and
affordable. Friendly Madame Verbe runs this traditional place with grace (Db-€65-85, Tb-
€75-110,familyroomsavailable,smallrooftoppool,café,60AvenueFrédéricMistral,tel.
04 90 34 00 23,
www.hotelprovence-orange.com
,
hoteldeprovence84@orange.fr
).
$$ Hôtel Logis Le Glacier**
isasweethotelwithnicetouchesinthecenteroftown,
a few blocks from the Roman Theater. It has easy parking and very fair rates (small Db-
€56,standard Db-€76,bigger Db-€110-130,46CoursAristide Briand, tel. 0490340201,
From Orange by Train to: Avignon
(15/day, 15 minutes),
Arles
(4/day direct, 35
minutes, more frequently with transfer in Avignon),
Lyon
(16/day, 2 hours).
By Bus to: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(2/day, none Sun, 30 minutes),
Vaison la Ro-
maine
(3-5/day, 45 minutes),
Avignon
(Mon-Sat hourly, none Sun, 45 minutes—take the
train instead). Buses to Vaison la Romaine and other wine villages depart from the Gare
SNCF and from Place Pourtoules (turn right out of the Roman Theater, and right again
onto Rue Pourtoules).
ThesunnyCôtesduRhônewineroad—oneofFrance'sbest—startsatAvignon'sdoorstep.
It winds north through a mountainous landscape carpeted with vines, studded with warm
stone villages, and presided over by the Vesuvius-like Mont Ventoux. The wines of the
Côtes du Rhône (grown on the
côtes,
or hillsides, of the Rhône River Valley) are easy on
thepalateandonyourbudget.Butthishospitableplaceoffersmorethanfamouswine—its
hill-capping villages inspire travel posters, its Roman ruins inspire awe, and the people
you'llmeetarewelcoming...and,often,asexcitedabouttheirregionasyouare.Yes,you'll
have good opportunities for enjoyable wine-tasting, but there is also a soul to this area...if
you take the time to look.
Planning Your Time
Vaison la Romaine is the small hub of this region, offering limited bus connections with
Avignon and Orange, bike rental, and a mini-Pompeii in the town center. Nearby, you can
