Originally Posted by
SanDiego1K
I'm an advocate of renting a car. Provence is a lovely area with many small delights. I can't imagine trying to rely on local transport. A bus might be fine to get between towns, but there are many things to see and do that are not in towns proper. A car is the only realistic way to access them. I've traveled with my husband in Provence and also with a friend while staying at her home in Apt. It's not only the sights, it's also the restaurants which can be tucked away in the countryside. A car simplifies planning a day tremendously.
1. The difference between an auto and public transport is like the difference between cable television and television on demand: for cable you pay for every programme transmitted, for demand only those programmes you want. An auto is 24 hours per day of both costs and care, public transport you pay only for the trip and there is no maintenance.
2. Most restaurants, probably like in the US, are not in the middle of fields in the countryside. They are in villages and towns. It makes more sense for a business to be where there are people, doesn't it?
3. If you really want to see the countryside, wouldn't you want to smell the flowers in the air, feel the breezes from the water (if there is any), feel the sun on your head? Can you do that in an auto? No, but you can do it on a bicycle or on foot.