Sat Nav or downloadable maps on I phone in Provence?

[Mrs Miggins]

We are hiring a car in Sept for a week precruise in Provence. Does anyone have any experience of using a Sat Nav in that area. Hire costs are high so will probably buy one from EBay ? Other alternative is to download the region onto our ancient Tom Tom but we did attempt this before on a trip to California only to find that it had not worked so we had to buy a local Navman.

I know that I can use an app on my I phone ( I have one called Here) but I think that relies on an internet connection which would also prove expensive.

I know a good map is vital but sadly my husband is rubbish at map reading !

[Hlitner]

We have a lot of experience driving in Provence with a GPS. But we have our own Garmin Nuvi with European maps and it has served us well through numerous driving trips throughout Western Europe and Turkey. Your choices are pretty simple and you have posted the options. You either have your own portable GPS unit, rent one from the car company, or use your phone which will mean using cell phone data. Depending on your phone plan the cost of this does vary.

 

Several years ago we invested in a Garmin unit (here in the USA) that included both North American and European Map. It turned out to be an excellent investment since we routinely take long driving vacations on both sides of the "pond." The price of these units has become a lot less expensive in recent years so sometimes buying a new unit is the least expensive option for longer trips. In the USA, the Garmin units ending with "70", such as the 1270, include both North American and European maps. Not sure how they do this on your side of the world.

 

Hank

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks Hank,

I know you love this part of the world and we are really looking forward to our week. We have managed to borrow a Garmin Nuvi 260. Maps are a few years old but it has managed to find our second hotel in St Paul de Vence and I doubt whether the roads have changed that much. Your posts have been so helpful and we are trying to put together a week based on many of your recommendations. We have 5 nights in St Remy and we want to go into the Camargue and visit Aigues Mort, Arles, possibly Nimes ? In addition we want to go to Avignon, Les Baux and possibly revisit Aix en Provence. I also want to go to the market you recommend in L'isle sur la Sorgue but we will have to drive from Nice to St Remy on Saturday afternoon so not sure if we will be out of bed in time.

We then move to Les Messugues in St Paul de Vence. We have not been to this immediate area before - except to to Grasse on a very rainy day - do you have any suggestions for another spot to visit nearby?

[Hlitner]

Oh my! If Sunday turns out to have good weather you need to force yourselves out of bed and head to the market. You can always catch-up on sleep after you return home (when you might need a vacation). You have lots of great ideas on where to go and might not have much time to do anything else. But Antibes (around the harbor) is always nice for a couple of hours (they also have a covered market). And if you are wine lovers you might want to consider driving up to the Rhone Valley (near Orange) for a day (or partial day) of wine tasting. There are some lovely small wine villages in the area such as Gigondas and the better known Chateaunef du Pape (this village is a bit disappointing but still worth a stop).

 

Funny story about the Rhone. One day we were trying to get from point A to point B and put our destination in the Garmin GPS. It actually took us on some secondary (dirt) roads through vineyards to save a few feet. It was a lot of fun since once I got out into the vineyards we were totally lost and had to totally rely on the GPS to get us back to civilization.

 

Hank

Edited August 10, 2015 by Hlitner

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks again. You have answered one of the things I was concerned about in the original post about Sat Nav. In some areas of the UK they can create problems but being lost in a vineyard sounds like fun.

Since we have never been to St Paul I think that our time may be best spent in the immediate area. We can look at Vence itself for instance. We pick up our Star Clipper in Cannes so we can head there on Saturday morning to hand over the car at midday and lunch and people watch for the afternoon. Star Clippers don't let you on board until 4 p.m. Last time they did the actual check in on board.

Any thoughts on Nimes ? I read this board all the time but don't see it mentioned very much despite its Roman history.

My poor husband's face drops every time I show him photo's of some of the wonderful places in the area. He says they are all uphill ! He is not keen on walking (unlike me) especially if it involves steps or hills (he does have two tin knees and currently a painful heel) I think I may have to leave him in a local bar and do the walking alone. He is fluent in French whilst I struggle so he may well have the better time chatting to any locals he can find.

Pam

[Hlitner]

Hmm, Seeing as how you are English I am sure your DH would be happy to wait in a "pub" :). But as a Senior (do they call us "wrinklies" in England) we have learned there are some benefits to getting into walking shape before our long trips.

 

St Paul de Vence is a charming walled city, but you can cover the city in about half a day. We first learned about this town while on a very small cruise ship many years ago. We were going to be docked in the old port of Nice on a Sunday and asked one of the French entertainers where to go on a Sunday. He immediately said "St Paul de Vence" and it has been a favorite place of ours ever since that first visit. And this would be the perfect place to "park" your husband while you browse and shop. In fact, there is a nice cafe right outside the main entrance to the town (the locals often play boules in front of this place) where they have plenty of beer and food along with excellent People Watching (as the tourists all walk past on their way to the town).

 

Hank