Can you visit Provence without a car — and when is renting one worth it?
Provence is easy to underestimate on a map: its main cities sit on useful rail links, while many of the villages and countryside stays people picture are much harder to join together without a car. You can travel well without one if the trip is built around Avignon, Arles, Aix and one planned rail/bus day trip at a time. If the trip you picture is Luberon villages, vineyards and rural stays, a car still changes the trip. Avignon is usually the easiest western base without one; the best compromise is often to rent only for the countryside days.
Answer
A car-free Provence trip works best when you separate the well-connected cities from the rural Provence that sits between them. Avignon, Arles and Aix are all useful bases, but they solve different parts of the region. Avignon is the easiest first base for car-free western Provence. Arles is a simple rail day, and current regional buses reach Saint-Rémy and parts of the Luberon. Aix is a different, more easterly choice, with easy Marseille access and a walkable centre. Public transport can get you to individual villages; it does not turn the Luberon into a spontaneous village-hopping day. If the trip is mainly cities, markets and one planned day trip at a time, skip the car. If the reason you are going is the Luberon, vineyards, rural hotels and the freedom to stop between villages, rent one for that part of the trip. The cleanest compromise is often train first, car later: enjoy Avignon or Arles without parking, then drive for one or two countryside days when the car actually adds freedom.
Recheck before you go
Transport schedules can change. Check current timings before you book around them.