My wife and I traveled in Provence and Dordogne in early April 2018. Whie the weather was mostly on the rainy/windy side, the trip was so well planned and organized, with so much …
My wife and I traveled in Provence and Dordogne in early April 2018. Whie the weather was mostly on the rainy/windy side, the trip was so well planned and organized, with so much to see, that we did not pay much attention to the weather.
All B&Bs were excellent in terms of accommodation, food (sic!) and very welcoming.
All hosts were bi-lingual and provided lots of advice about the area.
Car rental was a breeze, both pick-up and return.
And we would not miss any of the pre-booked tours, like private tour in Aix en Provence, Gourmet tour in Avignon or a fun truffle hunt.
We met so many good people on this trip. Thank you Emilie!
#1 - A typical house nestled in a lively Provençal townFrom the street you will never believe what's behind the door
#1 - A typical house nestled in a lively Provençal townenjoy a comfortable room opening on to the garden
#1 - A typical house nestled in a lively Provençal townShare a glass of wine...
#1 - A typical house nestled in a lively Provençal town...with your lovely hosts
#1 - A typical house nestled in a lively Provençal townEnjoy very typical views from the terraces garden
#2 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in ProvenceStay in wilder Provence, at the foot of Mont Ventoux
#2 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in ProvenceEnjoy a comfortable room
#2 - A Typical Mas House, in a hidden valley in Provence...and many spots in the garden, or by the swimming pool.
Step by step
Southern Provence: Between Luberon & Aix-en-Provence
This itinerary starts with 3 nights in a nice village, located in the heights of Aix en Provence. There, you will be cordially received by your delightful hosts who speak English well. You will stay in a comfortable room, opening to your private terrace with access to the terrace garden "restanques". After a day visiting relax by the swimming pool with a glass of rosé wine, enjoying the view over the typical tiles roofs.
From there, discover the beauty of Southern Provence as you visit picturesque little villages in Luberon or bigger cities such as Marseille or Aix-en-Provence. Tour the salt marshes of the Camargue, take an easy hike in the calanques near Cassis or visit the Alpilles region, where you will find beautiful Saint Remy de Provence and Van Gogh favorite landscapes…we will tell you where to buy the best olive oil or lavender products!
If you are interested in history, don’t miss the Roman ruins at Arles, Nîmes or Pont du Gard. We will also take you to smaller sites – less famous and much quieter.
One day, enjoy a fun Petanque class in one of the loveliest towns in Provence, with Jean Marc, who was born and raised there. A very Provençal experience!
Northern Provence in the vineyards
Spend the next 4 nights in a 'mas house' – a maison de Provencenear Mount Ventoux. Your lovely hosts will welcome you in the house they entirely remodeled. At night, refresh in the garden with swimming pool or cook your dinner in the guests' kitchen.
Mont Ventoux remains the most authentic part of Provence, with little villages such as Vaison la Romaine or Bedoin and dramatic landscapes like “les Dentelles de Montmirail”.
So many things to see in less than an hour's drive from your B&B: beautiful Avignon, also referred to as “the City of Popes”, where you will visit the palace of the Popes & the old city with a private guide.
Strolling hilltop villages on market day, walking on the footsteps of famous painters such as Cézanne or Picasso. We will also tell you about some hidden jewels - villages, off the beaten track – not too crowded…where you will stroll around charming streets or have a drink at a provencal café with locals. We can also recommend a farmer’s market and wine cellar for each day of the week!
If you like gastronomy, we also plan for you to meet with a local Chef at his house: cook for about 3 hours in the vineyards and then enjoy a very convivial dinner in his home. Ca, c'est la France !
A week in Provence is always full of surprises!
Activities included
Pétanque Class in Provence
Enjoy a fun Petanque class in one of the loveliest towns in Provence, with Jean Marc - who was born and raised there.
Provence Cooking Class
Spend about 3hrs cooking with Ben who has been a Chef for over 20 years and if weather allows have you cooked in the vineyards by his house. Then, you will enjoy a great dinner in his family home. A very nice experience !
Private Guided Tour to Avignon
Enjoy a half-day with a local guide to discover Avignon town and stroll the Palace of the Popes. A perfect way to be introduced to Provence history & culture.
In 2013 I had 2 big reasons to plan a trip to France: a new grand baby boy in Avignon, and I wanted to surprise my husband with a trip to Normandy. He absolutely loves anything and everything he can find to read or watch that is related to WWII. So, I started exploring online for a custom tour designer that could put together a great itinerary for …
In 2013 I had 2 big reasons to plan a trip to France: a new grand baby boy in Avignon, and I wanted to surprise my husband with a trip to Normandy. He absolutely loves anything and everything he can find to read or watch that is related to WWII. So, I started exploring online for a custom tour designer that could put together a great itinerary for these two objectives, and I found the most amazing person, Emilie from France Just For You! She listened to what I wanted to do and created the most amazing 2 week itinerary from Normandy, to the Loire Valley, to Provance. She set up stays in restored castles, grand estates, warm and inviting B &B's, arranged rental cars, train tickets, special retired military tour guides in Normandy, and too many things to list! The icing on the cake was an amazing customized bound itinerary in book-form, with tips about driving in France, tolls, roundabouts, gas stations, speed limits, traffic signs, 3-4 day trips by car for each area we visited, so we could choose how and what we wanted to see the countryside or quaint towns. Suggested out-of-the-way sights, cafes, wineries, shopping, scenic places, etc. One of the places we loved most, was staying in her parents' B&B in the Loire Valley. Their home was lovely, warm, inviting and we met such wonderful travelers there! I fell in love with her mother's homemade fresh yogurt, and she told me how to make it once I got home! I love it and make it all the time now!!
We ended our trek through France in the south, in Avignon, where we spent time with family and met our grandson for the first time! We stayed in a comfortable home there that was like being in our own home. We were able to share relaxing family time with lots of space. And don't forget the lavender fields and the natural beauty of Provance! What a way to end our trip.
I highly recommend Emilie for all of your travel in France! I will always call her for my trips there- and I'll probably call her for any trip to Europe in the hopes that she can help with other countries too!!!
Cynthia
On my second trip with France Just For You (FJFY) this October I drove through Normandy and Brittaney. It was a wonderful trip and FJFY is an amazing travel agency. Their customized and detailed guidebook covers everything you need to know about visiting France from practical information about traffic signs to insights about the French people and …
On my second trip with France Just For You (FJFY) this October I drove through Normandy and Brittaney. It was a wonderful trip and FJFY is an amazing travel agency. Their customized and detailed guidebook covers everything you need to know about visiting France from practical information about traffic signs to insights about the French people and their customs.
FJFY gives you structure but you have flexibility and can arrange your time as you please, no hurry up for the tour bus. I cannot recommend France Just For You and touring France highly enough!
Martha
Emilie did a fantastic job of planning our 13 day trip from Avignon to Bordeaux, with time spent in Provence, Cathar Country, Basque Country, and Bordeaux. Emilie is an excellent & responsive communicator. Emilie tailored our trip from reserving the rental car and the bed & breakfasts (wonderful places with wonderful hosts), setting up private …
Emilie did a fantastic job of planning our 13 day trip from Avignon to Bordeaux, with time spent in Provence, Cathar Country, Basque Country, and Bordeaux. Emilie is an excellent & responsive communicator. Emilie tailored our trip from reserving the rental car and the bed & breakfasts (wonderful places with wonderful hosts), setting up private tours (all excellent), and giving us many options\recommendations of things to do each day of our trip (from towns to visit, sights to see, & restaurants to try). The personalized and *very* detailed guide book was an irreplaceable resource during our trip (we called it our bible!), and it is now an amazing memento of the trip, as well. I could go on and on, but I will summarize by saying that our trip was amazing, and I give Emilie & France Just For You my highest recommendation!
