Provence on Roads Less Traveled

Winner of the Best Itinerary in the 2015 Grand Awards, our eight-day itinerary through Provence, France, hits every note.

Tranquil relaxation, scenic vistas and satisfying Provençal cuisine define Andrew Harper's off-the-beaten-path excursion into the French countryside. This itinerary can easily be attached to the end of an adventure into the bustling, glamorous City of Light.

Days 1–2

Take the TGV train from Paris to Avignon (2 hours, 40 minutes). Spend two nights at enchanting La Mirande hotel. Visit the Musée Angladon for its superb art collection, including works by Degas, Van Gogh and Cézanne.

Days 2–3

Pick up a rental car and head for Tavel, home to some of the world's best rosé. Taste wine at the Tavel wine cooperative, then lunch at Auberge de Tavel (Tel. [33] 4-66-50-03-41). Drive to Uzès, one of the most enchanting towns in the south of France, and check in to La Maison d’Uzès. Visit the nearby Pont du Gard and the pottery town of Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie.

Days 3–4

Drive to Saint-Rémy for the Wednesday street market, then lunch at Le Bistrot du Paradou (Tel. [33] 4-90-54-32-70). Afterward, head to the Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle, Alain Ducasse’s charming country hotel in the village of La Celle, near Draguignan.

Days 5–6

Enjoy a wine tasting at Château de Berne in Lorgues and visit Le Thoronet Abbey. Dine and spend the night at the charming La Bastide de Moustiers just outside of Moustiers Sainte-Marie.

Days 7–8

Stop at the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer and the glassworks in Biot on your way to the delightful Hôtel Belles Rives in the Mediterranean beach town of Juan-les-Pins, where writer F. Scott Fitzgerald penned “Tender Is the Night.”