Provence routes. What to see in Pont du Guar and Nimes
- Vaison la Romaine- Built along the river bank, Vasio Vocontiorum flourished during the Roman era. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and several years of floods, all traces of the ancient Roman civilization were buried under a layer of sand. It was not until 1907 that the Roman ruins were rediscovered. Before this, Vason was a small village with a Romanesque cathedral from the 11th century and a cloister from the 12th - 13th centuries. The upper town is surrounded by a 14th-century fortification wall, built from stones left over from Roman buildings. Complementing this is a dramatic looking 12th century castle.
- - the beauty, aroma and tranquility of this abbey, located in, will forever remain in the memory. This Cistercian monastery is surrounded by one of the most famous. The cloister of the cathedral (12th century) is distinguished by fine stone carvings.
- - one of the most boasts a Renaissance castle from the 12th century. Steep streets - calades— framed by ancient houses. And just below Gordes is the Village des Bories, an ensemble of characteristic dry stone buildings, some of which date back to the Bronze Age.
- - , is famous for its monumental - evidence of the power of the papacy in the 14th century.
- - in that ancient city monuments of the Gallo-Roman era have been preserved, among which is the one preserved in better condition than the Roman Colosseum, as well as
- a magnificent ancient Roman temple with a panoramic platform. Porta Augusta is the best preserved Roman gate in the city. The Domitian Road led from Rome to Spain, passing through Nîmes, so the gate had to be large enough for a horse-drawn carriage to pass through. - Aigues-Morges- south of Nîmes, the city, located in the center of the Camargue nature reserve, is one of the best preserved fortified cities in France. The fortress walls (1272-1300) still completely surrounding the city are pierced by 10 gates.
- - Known as the "little Rome of the Gauls", Arles boasts some of the best preserved Gallo-Roman monuments: , and the Roman necropolis complements it.
- — - the streets of Saint-Rémy, lined with houses from the 15th - 16th centuries, contrast with Glanum, located 2 km from the center, where an impressive building has been preserved.
- Ile d'If ()- on this small island Francis I built a fortress (1524-28) designed to protect Marseille. Later, bastions were added, but the fortress was never attacked. But it became a prison where Huguenots and political prisoners were imprisoned. This fortress was used by Alexandre Dumas in his work “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Among the most famous prisoners of the prison is the Man in the Iron Mask.
- - this one is popular beach resort in the past it was a thriving Roman settlement. IN port city, the Fréjus amphitheater was more likely intended for soldiers rather than for a wealthy public, which is why it is much inferior in sophistication to the amphitheaters of Nîmes and Arles.
- La Turbie— here are the ruins of a monument (Trophée des Alpes), built by the Roman emperor Augustus in the 6th century BC. to commemorate his conquest of what is now France by Rome. Only the pedestal has survived, but a miniature copy can be seen in the Musée du Trophée d’Auguste.
- is a popular ocean-themed adventure park.
- — in addition to ancient Roman monuments, you can visit Parc Zoölogique, as well as the Aqualand water park.
- Ile de Porquerolles - many children will delight in a boat trip to this island, with its beaches, forests and bike paths.
- Village des Tortues (Gonfaron) - 2,500 species of turtles are collected here, including the Hermann species, which has almost disappeared in France.
- Aoubre (Flassans) - in this forest you can feel like primates, flying from tree to tree between installed platforms. There is a “Mowgli path” - at a height of 1 m above the ground.
- La Barben - in this park at the foot of the castle over 600 animals (120 species) live together
- - picturesque old bridge Avignon, ancient houses with various knocking handles. And you can take a ride on a tourist mini-train.
- — here you can see many birds and animals, and “French cowboys” driving herds of snow-white Camargue horses.
In the footsteps of the greats who captured on their canvases:
- - adored by Jean Cocteau, to whom the local museum is now dedicated.
- - The 5th largest city in France attracted many artists and painters in the 19th and 20th centuries, including Henri Matisse. A small but interesting collection of paintings in , and an outstanding collection of modern art in .
- — Marc Chagall lived here for a long time. A museum is dedicated to him, located, however, in Nice. Amadeo Modigliani, Pierre Bonnard and Paul Signac also visited here in the 1920s.
- Vence- Chapelle du Rosaire, designed by Matisse.
- Cagnes-sur-Mer— Renoir said about this town that “this is the place in which I would like to paint for the rest of my life.” The city houses the Renoir Museum.
- Biot- the town famous for its ceramics became home to Fernand Léger, who spent the last years of his life here. The Musée Nationale Fernand-Léger is dedicated to him.
- - The Grimaldi Castle is home to the first-class Picasso Museum. Picasso spent a year in 1946 working in this castle. And when leaving, he donated all his works to the city, including paintings, drawings, ceramics, lithographs...
- Vallauris- attracts lovers of ceramics and Picasso with its three museums: Musée National de Picasso, Musée Magnelli, and Musée de la Céramique. Picasso lived here from 1948 to 1955, creating about 4,000 ceramic works. He also decorated the local chapel with two magnificent contrasting paintings: La Paix (Peace) and La Guerre (War).
0 reviews
Practical information
For whom: for all
Duration: 6 days
Price per person: 910 € (37,300 rub.) or 470 € (19,300 rub.)
The cost of the Provence route includes:
- transportation costs - car rental for 6 days - on average 420 € + gasoline for the entire route about 100 €, total 520 € (21,300 rubles) or public transport - about 80 € (3,280 rubles)
- hotel accommodation - from 200 € (8200 rub.)
- food expenses - 120 € (4900 rub.)
- fee for visiting attractions (mentioned in the route) - approximately 70 € (2800 rub.)
Description of the route in Provence
Provence is strongly associated with endless lavender fields and grape valleys, an azure sea and hills dotted with small picturesque villages, where, as many years ago, you can buy hand-picked aromatic herbs and oils, ceramics, fresh fish and, of course, excellent wine.
Traveling between the cities of Provence is best done with a rented car, because not all cities and villages can be easily reached by train and/or by car. intercity bus. If renting a car is not possible, then visit only those cities on your route that can be reached by public transport.
The first day. Castellane (Verdon Nature Reserve)
Provence is first and foremost amazing nature. By visiting the small town of Castellane or the tiny villages of Aigines, Le Salles-sur-Verdon, Bauduant or many others located near the Verdon Nature Reserve, you can enjoy the incredible beauty of the Verdon Gorge and the amazing Lake Sainte-Croix. The Verdon Gorge is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful places in Provence. The beginning of the Verdon Gorge is located about 5 km from the town of Castellane. It is best, of course, to come here by rented car, because the roads along the Verdon Gorge are incredibly beautiful. The most popular road is the Cretan road. Along it there are a lot of observation platforms with dizzying views of the canyon, the Verdon River and lakes. You can also get to the gorge from Castellana by bus.
Travel time: no more than 35 minutes
Ticket price: from 2 €
The first day. Toulon
Toulon, with its narrow streets, small squares, numerous fountains and magnificent port, is one of the most attractive cities in Provence. It is small, so half a day is enough to explore it. The main attraction of the city is Cathedral St. Mary of the 11th century, located near the wonderful Avenue de la Republique. You should definitely visit the National Naval Museum, located nearby, then walk to Place Louis Blanc, admire the Church of Saint-François de Paul, marvel at the oldest defensive fortification of the city - the Royal Tower, look at the Toulon theater and stroll through the Comunal Les Oiseaux park.
Train Toulon-Marseille
Travel time: from 47 minutes
Ticket price: from 11.5 €
Second day. Marseilles
|
|
Time to visit: one day |
Most Old city France, largest sea port countries. Once here, you should definitely take a leisurely stroll through the streets and breathe in the air of Marseille, which has everything: from the smell of fresh fish and the salty sea to the aromas of a spicy thick soup mixed with oranges. Look into old port, take a walk along the beach, try a real Marseille bouillabaisse in one of the restaurants on La Canbière street. Buy a couple of marine-themed souvenirs here. Stop by the Museum of Archaeology, see the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde and the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Major, visit the famous Château d'If, which is located on the island of the same name, one and a half kilometers from Marseille, and in the evening return to the port again to see the ships and yachts against the backdrop of an incredible sunset.
Train Marseille-Aix-en-Provence
Travel time: from 34 minutes
Ticket price: from 7.6 €
Day three. Aix-en-Provence
The town of Aix-en-Provence is home to famous Provençal markets, craft workshops, fountains and sweet callisons - leaves made from almond dough and candied fruit. This town is very small, so exploring it will only take half a day. It is best to start your walk from the central street - Boulevard Mirabeau, where the most famous fountains in the city are installed, one of which has thermal water. Walk to the picturesque Place d'Albert, visit the Paul Cézanne Museum, and look into the Cathedral of the Holy Savior of the 12th-15th centuries. and to the first Gothic church in Provence - Saint-Jean-de-Malt. Women will certainly enjoy the curious Tapestry Museum with its collection of the 17th-18th centuries.
Train Aix-en-Provence-Saint-Martin-de-Cros
Travel time: hour 33 minutes - hour 56 minutes
Ticket price: from 16.2 €
Bus Saint-Martin-de-Cros-Les Beau-de-Provence (No. 715)
Travel time: from 30 minutes
Ticket price: 2.2 €
Day three. Les Baux de Provence
Les Baux-de-Provence is a very small but incredibly picturesque town located on the rocks near the ruins of the Beau castle. Le Beau is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful towns in France. Built right on the rocks, it literally breathes the Middle Ages. Curved, narrow and uneven streets, houses with different slopes, numerous handicraft shops - as if everything here is made of stone. You should definitely visit the grounds of Beau Castle, located at the top of a kilometer-long mountain range. From here, from the very top, stunning views of Provence open up. At the Beau Castle there is a museum dedicated to the history of Les Baux, its Medieval and Renaissance heritage, and the olives grown in the Les Baux valleys.
Bus Les Baux-de-Provence-Arles (No. 59)
Travel time: from 20 minutes
Ticket price: 2.2 €
Day four. Arles
Vincent Van Gogh lived in this amazing city for 15 months, so be sure to take tourist center a special map of the city, which marks certain places associated with the works of the famous artist. Also in Arles you should definitely visit the 1st century Amphitheater, the ancient Roman theater, the Church of St. Trophime, Montmajour Abbey and the thermal baths of Constantine and Aliscan. From Arles it is very easy to get to the famous Camargue nature reserve, where you can see the famous Camargue horses and bullfighting bulls.
Bus Arles-Sainte-Marie-de-la-Mer
Travel time: from 46 minutes
Ticket price: 2.2 €
Day four. Camargue
Day five. Avignon
The famous "Papal City". You need to start from the old part of Avignon, you just need to walk along the quaint narrow streets, looking at the amazing buildings. The most important attraction of Avignon is the unique Papal Palace of the 14th century. Nearby is the Small Palace, inside of which there is a wonderful Museum of Art. Be sure to walk to the magnificent Pont Saint-Benedict (Avignon Bridge), explore the Carthusian Monastery, visit the Notre-Dame de Dome Cathedral, Fort Saint Andrew and the Calvet Museum.
Train Avignon-Orange
Travel time: from 13 minutes
Ticket price: 6 €
Day six. Orange
The town is very small, so it will only take half a day to see its sights. In Orange there is a superbly preserved semicircular antique theater and a nineteen-meter high Triumphal Arch. The ticket price also includes a visit to the Municipal Museum, where you can learn a little more about the former greatness of the city. Gigonda is located approximately 16 km from Orange. An alternative to a rented car is a taxi. The trip will cost approximately 25 €.
Day six. Gigonda
Our route ends in the small village of Zhigonda, famous for its wines. There are endless vineyards around it, you can wander along them for hours. Gigonda is a typical wine-growing settlement; there are no monumental historical sights here, but wine lovers and connoisseurs will find this place very fascinating. If you are traveling during the lavender blooming period, then go further, for example, to the town of Seau, famous precisely for its love of lavender and its endless lavender fields.
The coolest route around Provence by car in 1 day! July 24th, 2015
The route is quite simple, and can start not only from the city of Castellana. You can stay in any city on the Cote d'Azur: Nice, Cannes or my favorite Menton. You just need to leave early in any case, since the route is quite busy and intense. 
You can also finish not in Avignon, but in some other city. But Avignon is one of the most interesting places in Provence, the "City of the Popes" with one of the largest medieval buildings in the world - the impressively powerful Papal Palace. And for those who love more province, I highly recommend stopping in the village of Les Baux-de-Provence, instead of Avignon, and this will not affect the travel time in any way. At the end of the route, after the abbey, Les Baux-de-Provence is the same distance as Avignon, but this village is simply a stunning place and is home to the most visited castle in France.
The route is divided into two parts, the first is Verdon Gorge, Moutiers-Sainte-Marie village and lavender fields.
Here is the area with the gorge in more detail. 
The first views begin from the intersection of D925 and D955, and from the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon the Cretan road D23 begins. This is a serpentine road and you need to drive along it clockwise (as shown on the map), because... the second half is completely one-sided. The culmination is somewhere in the middle of the Cretan road (the title photo of the post), but further ones also open up interesting views, all the way to Lake Sainte-Croix. More photographs of the gorge in a separate section. 
Immediately after, we are greeted by Lake Sainte-Croix, where you can go for a swim if you wish. 
Next we will have a stop in a village Moutiers-Sainte-Marie(Moustiers-Sainte-Marie). 
Here we will have lunch and we can work up a little appetite by going upstairs (262 steps) to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Beaubourg. 
And, of course, have lunch. For lunch, I recommend Bistrot provencal La Treille Muscate (located on Place de l'eglise, Google finds it by name), a real French restaurant with local cuisine and a touchy cook if you suddenly order the meat cooked above average. Just one caveat - they only speak French there. You can reserve a table by mail [email protected], or by phone +33 4 92 74 64 31. Incredibly tasty.
Next we go to Lavender fields, on the road D8 or D6. There will also be lavender fields after Valensole along the D6, up to Manosque, but less frequently. 
I really liked the photos of lavender fields trasyy
, I give one photo.
The most important thing is not beautiful view, and the smell. But you can see and smell them only from mid-late June to early August. A best time- It's the beginning of July.
The second part of the route is beautiful road through Serest (no need to stop there) and between villages Lacoste(Lacoste) and Proud(Gordes), where on the sides of the road there will be vineyards, gardens, ancient stone walls. And at the top of Lacoste there is a castle where the Marquis De Sade once lived. 
The last section of the route is larger. 
Lacoste(Lacoste) and Proud(Gordes) are very pretty villages, representing the quintessence of an idyllic Provençal village with ancient stone streets, surrounded by flowers, and stunning panoramas of the surrounding valley. 
And the last stop, right after Gordes, is Abbey of Senank(Librairie de l'Abbaye de Sénanque), founded in 1148, where there is also a large lavender field. 
To go along the route, it will be enough to print out this post (namely, screenshots of Google maps) and go ahead. In general, the route can be divided into two days, then you will have more free time to walk. Before traveling, I recommend reading my
Hello, forum users!
We are going to Provence on June 10-14.
We plan to spend the first two days in Marseille, and 12-14 to move to the Manosque area.
The preliminary plan is:
Spend the afternoon on June 12 in the vicinity of Monosque. Is there something particularly pleasant and beautiful in the immediate vicinity that you would recommend?
On June 13, go towards the Luberon. We are planning Gord. There are also plans for a Lavender museum.
What else would you recommend from your visits there? Roussillon? Who has been to the lavender museum, please tell me, is it interesting? Worth to visit?
On June 14, go towards Verdon. We are planning Valensole, lake. A visit to Moutiers-Sainte-Marie is in doubt.
What else would you recommend in Verdon? Do you recommend Moutiers-Sainte-Marie?
I would like a leisurely inspection, beautiful views.
I would also really like to visit some of the following: workshops for the production of lavender oil (maybe there is a lavender museum?), private wine houses where you can taste and buy delicious wine (are there such in that region?), perhaps something also from places where they produce something local.
Tell me from experience, will the lavender fields bloom at this time or not?
Where is the best place to find lavender at this time? Near the Senac Abbey?
Thank you all in advance for your advice, opinions and recommendations!
it will begin to bloom in the Luberon, near Bonnier.
Moustiers Saint Marie is a must, amazing town.
But Manosk...what do you need it for?
Valensole he did not stand next to Verdon,
they are just hoping for lavender, and then passing from Moustiers to the Luberon.
The city itself is no good.
and what about your reservation?
Actually, the championship is just starting there and everything is very bad
and tickets and hotel reservations, and it’s a shame the prices are on the ceiling.
What I mean is that from Marseille your wishes are not feasible,
only sequential route with hotel reservations
to Moustiers, Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, back to Marseille or Cassy
Pug, thanks!
Manosque because housing is planned there and because it was chosen as such a midpoint between Luberon and Verdon.
In your opinion, is it better to go to Gordes early in the day and then to Bonniere (hoping to catch lavender :))? If Bonnier is set in the navigator, will we not miss the lavender fields?
Have you been to the Lavender Museum?
Do you think you can skip visiting Valensole? Straight to Verdon, then to the lake and then to Moustiers-Saint-Marie?
Tell me, where is the best place to drive up to the lake in order to go down to it?
Or maybe there is the best viewing place near the lake?
We are going to visit the Luberon and Verdon from Manosque.
I understand that it’s a long way from Marseille.
From Marseille we would like to visit the calanques from the Cassi side and walk to D'en-vo.
It's like 1 hour walk from the port of Cassi? Right?
I think parking there will be difficult. Maybe tell me where it is better parking search?
Vasilisa.
Firstly, there are developed minute-by-minute routes around Provence,
don't be lazy, take a look
I have three different ones.
I would go from Marseille to Verdon through Draguignan to Castellane,
capturing part of the Road of Eagles
from Castellane to Moustiers, along the northern route.
But if you are staying overnight in Manosque, then your driver will have a hard time.
You first go to the Ritz, then to Valensole - this is a drive through lavender fields.
Then to Manosque, and late in the evening you will be in Manosque.
This is a very inconvenient base, better than Moustier, then you will have time everywhere.
From Manosque you can reach the Luberon
Ask Roussion, Gordes, Lacoste, Bonnier and back.
But the route is very strenuous.
In Bonnier, the lavender is right at the BONNIER sign, below, not on the mountain.
At least last year there was a field.
But I also saw Gu, if anything.
There is always a problem with parking in Cassi.
There is one near the port, for a limited time, I think for an hour or two.
There are a lot of parking lots, just drive around everything and you'll get lucky somewhere.
I wouldn’t waste time on the calanques, on a hiking trip.
Take a boat, take a ride and you will understand that you need it on foot.
Stressful and hard for the driver why?
Is the road itself so difficult?
Even if one day from Manosque to Gordes and back, and on another from Manosque to Verdon and back?
You have me puzzled. I thought that this should be tolerable and not stressful.
These are narrow roads, narrower than ours, and on Verdon there are serpentine roads and about 20 stops on it..
You can go from Marseille to Manosque by expressway,
although why is it needed, nothing is visible on it.
One route north or south of Verdon takes half a day,
and it is impossible to jump from it to the expressway in your case.
Yes, and there are no expressways there.
Alas, I’m running out of time; on Monday we’ll come up with a route based on your realities.
Let's put together a run through the Luberon:
165 km =3h25 min
57 km =1h04 min
Manosque - ROUSSILLON 84220 Roussillon
- 8 km =0h11 min
GORD 84220 Gordes
- 11 km =0h17 min
Menerbes
- 7 km =0h10 min
LACOSTE 84480 Lacoste
- 7 km =0h10 min
Bonnier
- 56 km =1h00 min
FORCALIER 04300 Forcalquier
- 22 km =0h26 min
Manosque
All this is very interesting places.
In Gorda there is a parking lot in the city center, a circle next to the cathedral, 100 meters up.
In Lacoste, stop at the bottom and climb up on foot to the chateau of the Marquis de Sade.
In Forcaglia you need to climb the mountain, there is a path there.
I would advise you to hold out until Ile sur la Sorgue, but I’m afraid it will become a bit difficult for you.
on Gord Verdon
Manosque
22 km. =0h26 VALENSOLE 04210 Valensole
- 28 km. =0h40 Moustiers 04360 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
from MOUTIERS by the southern route, cross the bridge
- 16km = 0h21 to Aegina 83630 Aiguines,
further to observation deck Col d'Illoire Col-d 'Illoire
further along the cornice of Sublim to the Mescla balcony Balcons de la Mescla.
- 34km =0h45 Trigance 83840 Trigance
further after the Point Sublime bridge turn left onto
- 21km =0h25 La Palud 04120 La Palud-sur-Verdon,
- at the intersection of Rue Moustier and Rue Castellane, enter the Cretan road D23 ROUTES DES CRETES - there the traffic is CLOCKWISE!
“...the loop of the D23 road starts from the gas station and the Aberg restaurant...”
- along the northern side of Verdon we go back to
- Moustier.
- Manosque
I don’t put down the mileage and time, it’s pointless in the mountains on serpentine roads
Time costs count half a day to Triganza, as the highest point of the route
And it takes the same amount of time to go back, time it.
Leave at dawn, the route is difficult.
Before and after Valensole there will be lavender fields.
At Gord Verdon, reach the middle and turn.
Don’t go towards Castellan, it’s not that interesting anymore.
You leave Moustiers for the second half, a very unusual town.
There's a problem with parking there; you have to park on the highway.
Lake Sainte-Croix is more interesting to look at than to take water treatments.
If you have time in the evening, set the direction from Valensole to Oraison.
There are other lavender fields on this road and a spectacular descent from the plateau.
When you come down from the plateau, set Manosque on the road along Durance.
pug, you are just super! Some kind of wizard!
I have now built your routes on Google to see what the trips will look like - super-super-super! Conveniently, what I wanted to eat and even much more! Thank you!
Tell me, but Cote d'Azur What would you recommend as a must visit for your taste? What cities/villages?
Your opinion is very interesting.
I will join the discussion))). But you say “there are developed minute-by-minute routes around Provence.” Where can I look? We are from Barcelona and want to see the lavender and the Verdon Gorge. Uv. Pug, where should we be based? I wanted more Roussillon and Grasse. The trip is planned for 4 days on June 23. Will there be any sporting events or something else at this time? And can you tell me a French website for booking private accommodation? I would like a private house (or part of it) with a separate entrance.
Solo travel- this is not necessarily a trip to Asia, or a third world country, or somewhere very, very far away. Independent travel first of all assumes that you do not use the services of tour companies. That is, in general. And you take on all the worries and troubles of organizing the event.
Undoubtedly, travel is different from travel. Some require very careful and lengthy preparation. You can go to others by purchasing a ticket yesterday. I'll tell you using my example next trip How I prepare for trips myself.
So, first things first! As I wrote, the first and most important thing is to choose the right direction.
For example, in the summer I like to travel to Europe. It's warm and sunny there. Everything blooms and smells. Overall beauty! Additional bonuses - short flights, familiar culture, European service, no need to think about vaccinations and a first aid kit. You can forget about everything and just relax!!!
So, after listening to Yolka’s song “Provence,” I really wanted to go there. I also remembered that I always wanted to admire the endless lavender fields. And also, what delicious cuisine there is. And as luck would have it, Belotserkovskaya’s latest book was on the shelf, I leafed through it, and I just couldn’t resist! Enough good reasons to go to the south of France :)
Buying flights
Opened Wikipedia. It became clear that we had to fly to Nice or Marseille.
To determine the best time to travel and fulfill another dream of mine, I asked when the fragrant lilac plant blooms. From mid-June to late July. This is the period I started asking all flight search engines. Almost no one flies directly from Helsinki to Marseille, but it was necessary to go there - to the capital of Provence. And since we decided to travel as a family, with a five-year-old child, I chose Lufthansa flights. A little more expensive, but convenient connections and proven service.
Although at first I thought about a trip of 5-6 days, the trip ended up being 8 days. The difference in ticket price would be too significant, almost twice as much, if we returned in five days. In this case, it seemed to me more reasonable to choose a cheaper flight and spend more time on vacation.
Collecting information about the country
In this case, this point is smoothly spread across all the others. I read about Provence even before buying tickets and am still reading now, having already booked my accommodation. What am I looking for? Flowering schedule of lavender fields - it turns out that in different regions of Provence the plant blooms at different times.
I look for interesting places, such as the Pond du Garde or the Coliseum in Arles.
Downloading the Michelin restaurant guide to Provence. Practice shows that in Italy and France, star restaurants are often located in villages and small towns. The food in such places is no less delicious, and the price tag pleasantly surprises even for dinner with good wine!
Some information comes by itself; you should not ignore such clues from the Universe. I accidentally came across a photograph of a herd of white horses running on water. It became interesting where you can see such a miracle, it turned out to be in Provence :) So I opened the Camargue park with horses and flamingos.
How more information information about the region you will know when going on a trip, the more chances you will have to make your trip a pleasant pleasure.
Route planning
From my previous travels, and I had already been to Provence several times, I remembered that all the distances there are quite short. And the density of architectural monuments and other remarkable places is due to the centuries-old history and ancient heritage. Everywhere is interesting, every town is ancient and special in its own way.
But since the purpose of the trip was primarily recreation, and not acquaintance with historical monuments, I only added lavender fields and Camargue Park to my must-have list. And this is for a whole 8 days!!! The rest of the time we will drink rosé, snack on goat cheese and do nothing! And with this option, there is always the opportunity to arrange a pleasant unplanned surprise for yourself, going “wherever your eyes look.”
Budget calculation
Having already had some travel experience, I can roughly estimate how much the trip will cost. So I calculated how much the flight, hotel, car rental and approximately everyday expenses would cost. I added a couple hundred for souvenirs and shopping. Voila - the budget is ready.
But as a rule, I never fit into the calculated budget, because I always want more. From the very beginning, without flying anywhere yet. If you choose a place to live, then, of course, next to the chateau and definitely with a swimming pool. If you buy wine, it is the best in the region. But if you know how to restrain yourself and limit yourself, the budget will be as you calculate :)
I took almost all the money with me in cash; in France, in small towns and villages there are problems with ATMs and card terminals. It is always more convenient to pay in cash in local shops and markets.
Search and book housing and cars
This turned out to be the most difficult point on this journey.
Firstly, I was not looking for a hotel room, but housing with two rooms and a kitchen. It turned out that accommodation in a separate house is a very popular practice in France. A variety of, usually authentic, houses, which have everything for life and are intended for rent, are called “gite”. For 1000-1500 euros, for example, you can get a whole chateau for ten people for a week!!! But I was looking for something smaller.
Secondly, summer is the high season; all the housing suitable for me was already occupied by the end of August. The second point was that accommodation is usually rented out for a week and only from Saturday to Saturday. We flew to Provence on Tuesday and flew out on Wednesday. In this case, it would be useful to find out before purchasing flights...
And finally, thirdly, all booking sites live on French. Moreover, even if you write a request to the owner or agent in English, you will still receive an answer in French! It’s good that we live in the 21st century and there is a wonderful Google Translit. Thanks to him, I even managed to answer in French. True, I’m not sure that I was understood correctly;) In my opinion, of the many booking sites, Live is the most understandable and convenient
After much searching and negotiations in French, I chose two lives, each lasting four days. The first is not far from Lambesque on the territory of a chateau with beautiful name De Libran, and the second is slightly higher and closer to lavender fields near the picturesque town of Baume de Venice. In fact, I asked the owner of another house, but it was busy, and she kindly offered me a huge house with four bedrooms and a pool, but available for the dates I needed, for half the price. And of course I agreed :)
I didn't want to rent a car, France has pretty good connections public transport, and we didn’t plan to move around much. But after thinking about it, I decided that with a child it would be easier and more mobile to be on wheels at any time. Even if we only use the car for a few days out of 8. Therefore, I was looking for the simplest car without any complaints, the most profitable thing was on the website, they work with Hertz, so the service is quite decent.
The trip is ready! Let's hit the road!!!
