My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web …
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests and preferences for things like accommodation, rental vehicle, activities, etc. and our budget. From there she took over, developed an outline of a suggested trip and after we agreed that we liked it, she developed it into a complete, and we mean complete, tour package. She booked Five Star B&B’s which lived up to their reputation; all hosts were fluent in English. She arranged an excellent rental car complete with an English GPS, first class tickets on the TGV from Avignon to Charles de Gaulle airport and overnight accommodation at CDG. Two weeks before our departure, Emilie couriered a package that included a 300 page book that contained a detailed daily itinerary of sight-seeing self-drive tours she recommended we do. This book included maps and GPS co-ordinates of every B&B, all points of interest, parking lot locations (most helpful!) and many recommended restaurants. It also contained a lot of very useful information for North Americans visiting France including material on food, wine, culture, driving and language.
Emilie knows France and will guide you to the places most tourists never get to see. Her thoroughness and attention to detail are impressive. She provided prompt responses to all our communication and was even available 24/7 while we were in France in case any problems arose. All our accommodations were top-notch. Emilie has extremely high standards and therefore, we have no hesitation recommending France Just For You.
Provence: Colors, Aromas & Sceneries
tour
Published on:
Last modified on:
Your accommodations
Pictures of the specially selected accommodations
#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.
This was one of the best trips we have taken to Europe. We have often done our own planning. It was so nice to have Laura help. We were very delighted with accommodations and friendliness of all our hosts and tour guides. As Americans that don't speak much French, we would never have been able to arrange a trip like this ourselves - and we've done …
This was one of the best trips we have taken to Europe. We have often done our own planning. It was so nice to have Laura help. We were very delighted with accommodations and friendliness of all our hosts and tour guides. As Americans that don't speak much French, we would never have been able to arrange a trip like this ourselves - and we've done lots of independent travel in the past. We loved the many small towns you recommended. Merci Laura for arranging such a wonderful experience for us.
DeLana
Emilie put together the best "bucket list" trip for my mother and myself. She listened to all of our requests and tailor made a vacation that was perfect. The attention to detail she paid our trip was mind blowing. She even had a full book made for us to guide us through our journey along with maps, tickets, etc. that were all date stamped …
Emilie put together the best "bucket list" trip for my mother and myself. She listened to all of our requests and tailor made a vacation that was perfect. The attention to detail she paid our trip was mind blowing. She even had a full book made for us to guide us through our journey along with maps, tickets, etc. that were all date stamped, highlighted and detailed. My mom and I have memories to last a lifetime! We had a birthday lunch at the Eiffel Tower, dune buggy rides through wineries, a trip to the top of Mount Blanc, and a full day with a French chef. And Jacques, our french chef instructor, was a hoot! Thank you so much for putting the perfect trip together and all of your work to make it exceptional.
Cat & Family
One would think driving in a different country where cars are on the wrong side of the road and you don’t speak the language for 11 day trip would not be a smart decision. France Just for You is definitely the travel consultant you go to. Emilie’s very quick replies to queries, personal knowledge of having been to places recommended and …
One would think driving in a different country where cars are on the wrong side of the road and you don’t speak the language for 11 day trip would not be a smart decision. France Just for You is definitely the travel consultant you go to. Emilie’s very quick replies to queries, personal knowledge of having been to places recommended and organisation skills for minute details, makes them truly reliable.
From getting us a French smartphone complete with the necessary apps to help us navigate and keep us connected , and also providing us with a personalised guidebook that dictates step-by step advice on what to look out for, GPS guide on where to go , where to park, how to use the parking machines/toll machines/even pumping gas (complete with images of where to slot in your cards) , made our travelling around and navigation practically stress-free!
Emilie crafted itineraries which allows my family of four , each with different interests ( from WWII millitary historical sites to a whole new world of Chateaus ,medieval villages ,flower gardens , immersive artworks, sunset and fantastic night sky , to cooking French cuisines) experiences to treasure and remember.
We had a half day guide in Paris, Raphaelle, who is truly knowledgeable about art , history and architecture. We visited Picasso Museum and because the artwork there were not laid out chronologically, Raphaelle made it easily understandable by showing us through her own folder of personal compilations of the Master’s progress of life encounters and artworks (which should be made into a book) that ties in to the art pieces on display, it provided us with so many aha moments.
