Few places in the world are as reliably charming and consistently surprising as the south of France. Even after dozens of trips, whenever I return to Provence and the Riviera I never fail to find a new hotel, a previously unknown village, a little restaurant, an atmospheric church, several wines to add to my cellar or maybe a new olive oil.
What we’ve learned, though, is that the best of the south of France is often found off the beaten path. And this doesn’t mean simply taking quiet country roads instead of highways, but tracking down those lesser-known places that the locals understandably keep to themselves.
Our itineraries are for your inspiration. Please contact a travel advisor to customize this itinerary to fit your needs.
Take the TGV train from Paris to Avignon (2 hours, 40 minutes). Spend two nights at enchanting La Mirande. Visit the Musée Angladon for its superb art collection, including works by Degas, Van Gogh and Cézanne.
Pick up a rental car and head for Tavel. Taste wine at the Tavel wine cooperative, then lunch at Auberge de Tavel. Drive to Uzès, one of the most enchanting towns in the south of France, and check in at La Maison d’Uzès. Visit the nearby Pont du Gard and the pottery town of Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie.
Drive to Saint-Rémy for the Wednesday street market, then lunch Le Bistrot du Paradou. 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.
Enjoy a wine tasting at Château de Berne in Lorgues and visit Le Thoronet Abbey. Dine and spend the night at the charming Domaine de la Baume in Tourtour.
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.”
Depart from Nice Côte d'Azur International Airport.
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