How to make the most of your trip to Provence France

Tours Travel

Provence is one of the most beautiful and popular regions in France with mountainous areas, a Mediterranean coastline and vast rural countryside. Provence has one of the most impressive coastlines in the country with cities like Nice, Marseille, Toulon and Cannes. The Maritime Alps on the border between France and Italy and several other smaller mountain ranges offer opportunities for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Garrigue’s landscape along the coast is covered in fragrant wild herbs, lavender and thick forests. The Camargue River Delta is a bird watcher’s paradise with lagoons, sandbars and marshes that are home to more than 400 species of birds, including the great flamingo. Provence is also crossed by several rivers, including the Rhône River, the Durance River, and the Verdon River, where visitors can enjoy boating, water sports, swimming, and fishing. Provence has a reputation for its delicious local cuisine and picturesque hilltop villages. So with so much to offer, how can a traveler plan a trip to Provence?

Driving through Provence:

Start in Marseille, where you can see the Roman docks, St. Victor’s Church, and stroll along La Canebiere Boulevard. Enjoy the beautiful blue waters by taking a boat ride or spending time on the beach. Drive to Aix en Provence, a refined university town, enjoy the tree-lined Cours Mirabeau, the outdoor cafes, the grand town houses, the former studio of artist Paul Cezanne, and the old town. Follow country lanes through vineyards and olive groves into Haute Provence, passing any of the hilltop villages along the way. You could take a look at St. Cannat, Lignane, Silvacane on the Durance River, Cadenet or Loumarin. After a stop in Bonnieux, visit Apt, where you can feast on truffles and purchase locally produced lavender perfume. Roussillon is a small town with a labyrinth of narrow streets, the houses are painted in ocher tones and the town is really beautiful. Gordes is another picturesque village where you can see the restored 17th century bories (traditional dry stone huts). Other nearby towns to visit are Senanque; Venasque surrounded by dense forest; Crillon le Brave and Cavaillon. From here, head to Avignon, where highlights include the Palais des Papes, a former papal residence (1309-1377). See also the impressive churches of the city and the Pont Saint Benezet bridge that crosses the Rover Rhone. If time permits, head to St. Remy de Provence and then to Arles and Nimes.

Building on Avignon

Alternatively, make your base in convenient Avignon and take day trips to nearby sites and cities in the region. Travel to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on the banks of the Sorgue River and then to Roussillon. Further east is the hilltop town of Moustiers Sainte-Marie, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Les Baux-de-Provence is 2 hours from Avignon and offers stunning views from the clifftop fortress. St. Remy and Arles are nearby and from Avignon you can also visit Aix-en-Provence.

Just the highlights of Provence

If you’re short on time, why not limit yourself to regional highlights like the cities of Marseille, Avignon and Cassis, as well as the villages of Moustiers Sainte-Marie? Saint-Remy-de-Provence; Worthy surrounded by lavender fields; see a bullfight in Arles; Shop the markets of L’Isle Sur-la-Sorgue and enjoy the pristine natural beauty of the Verdon Gorges and the Camargue wetlands.

Where to stay

Provence has a wide selection of places to choose from when it comes to places to stay during your visit. If you prefer five-star resorts, the Mediterranean cities of Nice, Saint Tropez, St. Raphael and Marseille offer the ultimate in luxury and beautiful accommodations found nowhere else in the world. If spas and gourmet restaurants aren’t at the top of your to-do list while in Provence, you can find a more authentic experience by choosing to stay in a vacation rental property. These can range from studios or apartments in the cities to castles or country houses that are located in the countryside. Groups such as families, reunions, and friends will find vacation rentals an affordable and fun way to vacation together. For those couples looking for a romantic getaway, what could be better than spending some quality time experiencing the beauty of France and its culture in a vacation rental property.

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