For our first trip to Europe we decided to go with a small group tour rather then try to plan the entire trip with very little knowledge of Europe and how to travel within another country. We were very glad we took that approach and what we learned gave us the confidence to go it on our own for future trips.
The original plan was to spend a month in Europe, split evenly between southern France and northern Italy. We did a lot of research in regards to air travel, train travel, car leasing, areas and towns to visit, things to do and places to stay. We created a Word document to keep track of details (lots of copying and pasting as well as links to various websites, articles and forums), an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of possible itineraries and a spreadsheet to store information related to rentals (ranging from hotels, homes and apartments to bed and breakfasts).
Resources that we have used for our planning includes the Rick Steves website (including the Travelers Helpline and Graffiti Wall), the Slow Travel trip reports and forums, forums on Fodors, and Trip Advisor for lodging info and reviews. And of course a variety of guide books from Rick Steves, Michelin and Rough Guides.
As we gathered more and more information for both the Provence region of France and northern Italy it became quite clear that we should be more "focused" for this trip and pick a country/region to reduce travel time and allow for a more relaxed, slower paced vacation. With four weeks of vacation time available it was becoming more apparent that we could easily spend the entire time in Provence and the Cote d'Azur. So in June 2010 we shifted our focus away from Italy and so far we are glad that we did.
Using the information gathered from the resources listed previously (and to a degree some specific lodgings that we discovered) we decided to stay one week in four different areas, allowing us to keep the relocation time to a minimum and keeping the driving time to a minimum as well as we explore the various regions.
Our first week will be in Vaison-la-Romaine at a B&B (http://www.vaisonchambres.info/). Our choice to stay in a B&B the first week was driven by our desire to stay where a host/hostess can provide assistance in regards to where to go and what to do. And the daily rate is very favorable as well. This B&B came highly recommended, has very good reviews and is within walking distance of the village.
The second week is in Bonnieux in an apartment (http://www.bastidemarechaldenier.com/en/index.html). Again we are within walking distance of the village, good reviews, an apartment where we can prepare some meals ourselves and other apartments so we can socialize with other travelers.
The third week is at a gite in St. Saturnin-les-Apt (http://www.vrbo.com/219467). Again great reviews and a host who is very knowledgeable of the area, the pool looks like a great place to chill out and relax, and an easy walk to the village.
Our final week is in an apartment in Antibes (http://www.vrbo.com/267745). A great location right on the beach with easy access to Antibes and other areas.
We made initial contact with each of the places to make sure that they were a good fit for us. All of the owners were very responsive and helpful, and they answered the questions and concerns that were raised. So by the middle of the summer 2010 we had decided these were the places that we wanted to stay - but one big challenge lay ahead - USING FREQUENT FLYER MILES!!!
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