Languedoc
Last year we had a French friend tell us to stay in Nimes but we went with what Rick Steves said instead and stayed in Avignon. Now after having spent a week in both Avignon and Nimes and also having been in Orange and Arles I'd ignore what some travel gurus tell you and stay in Nimes. It's a cleaner town than the others, has better amazing Roman ruins, good food and no tourists!