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Travel guide
Provence
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to September
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Welcome
Provence, in a few days
Hilltop villages in the Luberon, olive groves in the Alpilles and the smell of thyme on warm stone. Walk up through Gordes at sunrise, cross the ochre quarries of Roussillon and end the day on a terrace in Lourmarin. In July, the lavender turns the Valensole plateau purple.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Gordes free · about 1 h 30The Luberon's best-known hilltop village clings to its rock above the valley, with cobbled lanes climbing between drystone houses to a Renaissance castle.
- Afternoon · Sénanque Abbey · about 1 hA 12th-century Cistercian abbey near Gordes, still home to monks, whose lavender rows in front of the Romanesque façade flower in July.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Cézanne€160 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Roussillon and the Ochre Trail · about 1 hA marked path winds through old ochre quarries whose cliffs run from yellow to orange to deep red, set against green pines.
- Afternoon · L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue market free · about 2 hEvery Sunday, producers, second-hand dealers and antique sellers spread along the canals of the Sorgue for one of the biggest markets in France.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Saint Christophe€130 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Palais des Papes, Avignon · 2 to 3 hOne of the largest Gothic palaces anywhere, built when Avignon was the seat of the popes, with state rooms, painted chapels and rooftop terraces.
- Afternoon · Les Baux-de-Provence · half a dayA fortified village on a rocky spur above the Alpilles, where the ruined castle has rebuilt trebuchets and views reaching the Camargue.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Le Calendal€115 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Arles Amphitheatre · about 1 hA 1st-century Roman arena that held around 20,000 spectators; walk the tiers, galleries and medieval towers with views over the Rhône.
- Afternoon · Lavender on the Valensole plateau free · about 1 h 30From mid-June to mid-July the plateau turns into rows of lavender between wheat fields; the D6 and D8 roads give the best views.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Cloître Saint-Louis€150 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to September
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/provence
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.