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Timeless Provence

8 days from only £949pp

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Provence | France | Riviera Travel | escorted tour

Timeless Provence

8 days from only £949pp

Experience more with so much included

Tour of colourful Cassis and including a boat trip to see the stunning Calanques or limestone cliffs
Guided walking tour of Aix-en-Provence, Provence’s former stylish capital
Visit to Avignon – home of the Pope’s Palace and almost mythical bridge
Walking tour of Arles, capital of Roman Gaul, with an iconic amphitheatre and immortalised by Van Gogh
Visit the Camargue, the unique wetland region famous for its black bulls, white horses and pink flamingos and enjoy a boat trip through the Carmague delta
Tour of the Luberon Hills and it’s timeless Provençal villages so vividly described in Peter Mayle’s book ‘A Year in Provence’
Visit to the Pont du Gard, one of the ancient Romans’ largest aqueducts
Escorted by one of our experienced tour managers
Seven nights at a choice of hotels rated four to five-star, with breakfast, two dinners in hotels plus two dinners in excellent restaurants experiencing the fine and typical Provençale cuisine
Return scheduled flights or standard class reserved seat on Eurostar and TGV (French high-speed train) from London St. Pancras

Selected departures from July to October 2019 & April to October 2020

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8.6 out of 10

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At a Glance

7 nights in 4 to 4-star superior accommodation

Return flights & transfers

Programme of daily tours & visits

Daily breakfast & 4 dinners

Expert tour manager

Checked Luggage

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Overview

Striking natural beauty, immortalised by Van Gogh and Cezanne, home of the Papacy and capital of Roman Gaul. Provence evokes an ambience of provincial France at its finest. Of all the regions of France, Provence is the most irresistible. The borders are defined by nature: to the west, the River Rhône; the south, the Mediterranean; the east, the Alps; and to the north, where the olive trees end. It is a land of striking natural beauty and great diversity - from sun baked plains with fields of lavender, interspaced with vineyards and olive groves, crowned in the distance by the hills of the Luberon and the azure blue sky. The deep valleys are the home of vast oak and pine forests giving that unmistakable Mediterranean aroma to the air.

The desolate wilderness of the Camargue is fascinating, with its white horses galloping across flat wetlands, herds of black bulls and striking flocks of pink flamingos, which appear to fly and land in perfect formation!

The towns are a delight and so distinctive - perhaps the most famous being Aix en Provence – its old quarter is street upon colourful street of traditional shops with quiet and hidden squares, complete with the soft murmur of ancient fountains giving an atmosphere of cool tranquillity. It has vibrant, colourful markets and crowded café terraces nestling under the shade of countless plane trees. The majestic Mont St. Victoire, so immortalised by Cézanne, towers over all: Paris-like in stature and style, yet village-like in gentility, pace and ambience.

So, for a unique blend of interesting and superb monuments, fine food, culture and most of all, some outstanding scenery, come with us and see it all.

Your Itinerary

DAY 1ARRIVAL IN AIX-EN-PROVENCE

ARRIVAL IN AIX-EN-PROVENCE

Fly to Nice, Marseille or Montpellier, or you can travel by Eurostar and TGV to Aix-en-Provence. You have a choice of hotels where we stay for seven nights including bed and breakfast, two dinners in your chosen hotel and two dinners in excellent quality restaurants giving you a real taste of the local cuisine, and an authentic insight into French life.

DAY 2TOUR OF AIX-EN-PROVENCE

TOUR OF AIX-EN-PROVENCE

Aix en Provence is a stunningly beautiful place, originally a spa town founded by the Romans. It is a labyrinth of tiny alleyways and squares and is known as the ‘city of a thousand fountains’. This is provincial France at its best. Paul Cézanne was the city’s favourite son and he painted 300 paintings here and in the surrounding area, with his workshop preserved exactly how it was when he died in 1906. This morning, you have tour of the city after which you may explore as you wish.

DAY 3THE CAMARGUE

THE CAMARGUE

After breakfast we head to the Camargue, the delta of the great Rhône River and a beguiling landscape of flat saltwater marshland teeming with around 400 species of birds – including remarkable pink flamingos. This designated national park is also home to the region’s iconic black bulls and an ancient breed of white horse, some of which you may spot being ridden by the Camargue’s famous ‘cowboys’.

We arrive at the small port town of Saintes Maries de la Mer and take a guided boat trip to explore the natural splendour of this wetland environment, don’t forget to bring your binoculars!

We then make the short trip to extraordinary Arles, a prosperous Roman regional capital from the 1st century AD. You’ll marvel at the city’s impressive UNESCO-listed monuments on a fascinating walking tour, taking in the incredibly well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, the theatre built by the Emperor Augustus and the Forum, once the city’s heart. There’s free time to spend in Arles, perhaps to seek out locations associated with Vincent Van Gogh, who spent 14 months here from early 1888. It was his most prolific period and, inspired by Arles and the light and beauty of the Provençal countryside, he produced around 300 works, including The Café Terrace at Night, The Sower and, of course, Sunflowers.

DAY 4LUBERON MOUNTAINS

LUBERON MOUNTAINS

This morning you head inland to the stunning scenery of the Luberon mountains. It was here that Peter Mayle found inspiration for his book, A Year in Provence. First of all, you cross the fertile plains adorned with olive and peach groves which change to rich vineyards on the lower slopes. Then as you climb, there is row upon row of fragrant lavender, together with the mimosa and pine trees, that give the unmistakable aroma which is one of Provence’s hallmarks, it is now a much prized nature reserve.

DAY 5AVIGNON

AVIGNON

Today you visit nearby Avignon, one of Europe’s most historic cities. Its destiny changed early in the 14th century with the exile of the Pope’s court from Rome. Vast wealth poured in to build churches, convents and elegant townhouses, but most of all the incredible Papal Palace. You have time to visit this imposing building which from the outside resembles a citadel rising from living rock flanked by turrets more than 150 feet high.

Alternatively, there is the Petit Palais museum which houses an excellent collection of more than 1,000 paintings. You also visit the Pont du Gard, an amazing Roman aqueduct, wider than the Thames in London and one of the wonders of the ancient world. You then return to your hotel in Aix.

DAY 6FREE DAY

FREE DAY

Today you have a free day to spend as you wish. Probably best though is just to wander through Aix’s maze of ancient streets lined by its 17th and 18th century mansions and admire the graceful charm of its fountains, the choice is yours!

DAY 7CASSIS

CASSIS

Today we head just south to the rugged Mediterranean Coast to visit, probably Provence’s most alluring port, Cassis. An utterly charming little spot with its myriad of fishing boats riding at anchor, overlooked by a mighty medieval fortress. Explore the sights or taste some delicious local seafood before, for the finest possible vistas, we explore by boat the stunning Massif des Calanques’s dazzling white cliffs and pinnacles erupting from the sea.

DAY 8RETURN FLIGHT OR EUROSTAR

RETURN FLIGHT OR EUROSTAR

Today you return to the airport or railway station at the appropriate time to return home.

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Price Includes

The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms are subject to availability on request and subject to supplement. The price includes flights to Nice or Marseille or return standard class rail travel on Eurostar and TGV to Aix en Provence, airport departure taxes, coach transfers to the hotel, all tours as mentioned, seven nights accommodation with breakfast, two dinners in hotels, two dinners in local restaurants and the services of a Riviera tour manager.

There are only a limited number of twin rooms at the Novotel - most have one king sized bed and one convertible single bed. Room type available will be confirmed upon booking.

Not included: Entrance to Papal Palace and Bridge in Avignon €13.50, Petit Palais museum €6, approximate costs, payable locally.

Useful Information

Transfer Times

All transfer times listed here are approximate, and dependent on traffic. If you have a question regarding transfer times please don't hesitate to contact us.

Airport or train station	Hotel location	Transfer time
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport	Aix-en-Provence	2 hrs 30 mins
Marseille Airport		1 hr
Montpellier Airport		2 hrs 30 mins
Marseille Station		1 hr
Aix-en-Provence Station		45 mins

Fact File

Currency: Euro
Deposit: £100
Flight time: Approx. 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 mins
Language: French
Time zone: GMT+1
Country: France

Mobility

We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitabilty of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to call us to discuss these concerns. General information on mobility in connection with our tours can be found here.