Provence & Southeast France Road Trips 1
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PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE ROAD TRIPS This edition written and researched by Oliver Berry, Gregor Clark, Emilie Filou, Donna Wheeler, Nicola Williams 000-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd0-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd 1 220/02/20150/02/2015 111:23:321:23:32 AAMM HOW TO USE THIS BOOK Symbols In This Book Reviews Top Tips Food & In the Destinations section: K Drink All reviews are ordered in our authors’ Link preference, starting with their most Your Trips Outdoors preferred option. Additionally: Tips from Sights are arranged in the geographic Essential Locals Photo order that we suggest you visit them and, within this order, by author preference. Trip Walking Detour Tour Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price range (budget, midrange, top end) and, History & within these ranges, by author preference. Culture 5 Eating Family 4 Sleeping Map Legend Routes Trips Trip Route Trip 1 Sights 4 Sleeping Numbers Trip Detour 1 Beaches Eating Linked Trip #9 Trip Stop r 5 Walk Route Activities Drinking Tollway 2 Walking tour 2 6 Freeway Trip Detour Courses Entertainment Primary C 3 Secondary Route Markers Tours Shopping Tertiary T 7 E44 Lane E-road network M100 National network Festivals Information Unsealed Road z & Events 8 & Transport Plaza/Mall Hydrography Steps River/Creek Tunnel Intermittent River Pedestrian Overpass Swamp/Mangrove These symbols and abbreviations give Walk Track/Path Canal vital information for each listing: Water Boundaries Dry/Salt/ International Intermittent Lake State/Province Glacier % Telephone # Pet-friendly Cliff number Areas g Bus Wall Beach h Opening hours f Ferry Population Cemetery p Parking (Christian) j Tram Capital (National) Cemetery (Other) n Nonsmoking d Train Capital (State/Province) Park a Air-conditioning apt apartments City/Large Town Forest i Internet access Town/Village Urban Area d double rooms W Wi-fi access Transport Sportsground dm dorm beds Airport s Swimming pool q quad rooms Cable Car/ v Vegetarian selec- r rooms Funicular tion Parking s single rooms Train/Railway E English-language menu ste suites Tram tr triple rooms Underground c Family-friendly Train Station tw twin rooms 2 000-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd0-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd 2 220/02/20150/02/2015 111:23:401:23:40 AAMM CONTENTS Arles ................................................ 65 PPLANLAN YYOUROUR TTRIPRIP Camargue ........................................73 Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer ..................74 St-Rémy de Provence ................... 77 Welcome to Provence & Southeast France ............................ 5 Orange .............................................79 Provence & Vaison-la-Romaine .........................81 Southeast France Map .................... 6 Mont Ventoux & Around .............. 82 Provence & Southeast France Highlights .......... 8 The Luberon ................................... 84 Paris City Guide ..............................10 Apt .................................................. 84 Nice City Guide ...............................12 Gordes ............................................ 85 Need to Know ..................................14 Roussillon ...................................... 86 St-Saturnin-lès-Apt & Around .... 87 Northeastern Provence ................. 88 RROADOAD TTRIPSRIPS Pays de Forcalquier ...................... 88 Vallée de la Durance .................... 88 The French Riviera ........................ 89 Roman 1 Provence 7 Days 19 Nice ................................................ 89 Vence .............................................102 Lavender 2 Route 4–5 Days 27 Antibes & Juan-les-Pins .............103 Modern Art Menton ..........................................104 3 Meander 7 Days 35 The 4 Camargue 4 Days 43 RROADOAD TTRIPRIP EESSENTIALSSSENTIALS DDESTINATIONSESTINATIONS France Driving Guide ..............................................107 Nîmes & Around ........................... 52 France Travel Guide ..............................................113 Uzès ................................................ 58 Language .......................................121 Provence ........................................ 59 Aix-en-Provence ............................ 59 3 000-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd0-title-contents-rt-prosf1.indd 3 220/02/20150/02/2015 111:23:401:23:40 AAMM House in Vaucluse 4 001-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd1-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd 4 220/02/20150/02/2015 88:56:29:56:29 AAMM GERARD LABRIET/GETTY IMAGES © WELCOME TO PPROVENCEROVENCE & SOUTHEASTSOUTHEAST FFRANCERANCE With its shimmering coast and rustic Provençal heart, the Mediterranean south has a timeless allure. Driving here you’ll travel through wildly divergent landscapes: cinematic coastline, rugged hinterland and bucolic valleys. Southeastern France’s glamorous cities, deep- blue Mediterranean and chic hilltop villages always delight. Inland, weave between fragrant lavender fi elds, forested gorges and Roman ruins. Linger in art galleries or be engulfed in the lush green wetlands of the Camargue. Along the way you’ll connect with the poets, painters and writers who fl ocked here during the 20th century, chasing sun and inspiration. 5 001-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd1-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd 5 220/02/20150/02/2015 88:56:40:56:40 AAMM Die Parc Naturel #\ Régional du Vercors Roman Provence Lavender Route 1 Fabulous scenery and well- DRÔME 2 Fine picnic spots and picturesque preserved Roman buildings make hilltop villages are filled with the history come alive. 7 DAYS scent of lavender. 4-5 DAYS ce n a r u #\ D R Valreas hô n e PROVENCEVE Pont- #\ #]Vaison-la- St-Esprit Romaine MontR Ventoux Orange (1912m) #] VAUCLUSE #\ #\ Carpentras L GARD Pont du Sorgues #\ Forcalquier Gard #\ #] Avignon #] #\ Gordes Gard Parc Naturel V Noves #\ Régional du Luberon Nîmes #] Mourre R Ta ra sc o n Négre #\ #\ Orgon #\ (1125m) #] Caissargues Glanum #\Cadenet Salon de D St-Gilles #\ #] Arles Provence ura #\ Pelissanne nce #\ St-Chamas Aix-en- #\ #\ Provence Parc Naturel : Régional #\ de Camargue Étang:: St-Maximin- #\ de Berre la-Ste-Baume Stes- Maries- #\ Port de-la-Mer #\ St-Louis du L'Estaque Rhône Marseille #^ #\ Aubagne Golfe de Cassis #\ Beauduc #\ The Camargue Les Lecques 4 Wetlands, wildlife and a sense #] of wonder: it's all here in the T Camargue. 4 DAYS MEDITERRANEAN SEA 001-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd1-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd 6 220/02/20150/02/2015 88:56:41:56:41 AAMM Parc Parc Naturel National Regional du #\ des Écrins Queyras PPROVENCEROVESaluzzoNCE HAUTES- & SSOUTHEASTOUTHEAST ALPES #\ Embrun #\ Gap FFRANCERANCE ITALY #] Cuneo ce Seyne- #\ les-Alpes #\ Le Sauze Reserve #\ Geologique St Etienne-ennne- PaParcoarcr oN Naturaleata uru alle de Haute Provence dedellelleAA Alpilpi la-TinéeTinée Marittime #\ La Javie #\ Parc National Colmars- du Mercantour les-Alpes St-Martin- St-Sauveur- #\ Vesubie Château-Arnoux #\ #\ sur-Tinee St-Auban ALPES DE #\ ALPES- #\ HAUTE- Roquebillière Les Mées PROVENCE MARITIMES #\ Villars- sur-Var Ventimiglia Valensole Parc Naturel #] #\ Régional du Verdon #] MONACO Loup #_ Menton Vence #\ #] Nice #\ Grasse A rtuby #] Antibes #] Cannes Argens #\ Fréjus #\ St-Raphaëlph VAR St-Maxime #\ #\ St-Tropez Cuers #\ MEDITERRANEAN SEA Modern Art Meander #\ Le Lavandou 3 See works by famous artists #] #\ and the places that inspired Toulon Hyères them. 7 DAYS 48km to Corsica ‚ 040km e# 020miles 001-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd1-welcome-to-map-rt-prosf1.indd 7 220/02/20150/02/2015 88:56:42:56:42 AAMM PARIS If ever a city needed no introduction, it’s Paris – a trend setter, fashion former and style icon for centuries, CITY and still very much at the cutting edge. Whether you’re here to tick off the landmarks or seek out the GUIDE secret corners, Paris fulfi ls all your expectations, and still leaves you wanting more. Montmartre, Paris 10 004-city-guide-rt-prosf1.indd4-city-guide-rt-prosf1.indd 1100 118/02/20158/02/2015 66:52:23:52:23 PPMM TOP EXPERIENCES Getting Around Driving in Paris is a nightmare. Happily, there’s no need for a car. The metro is fast, Eiffel Tower at Twilight frequent and effi cient; tickets cost €1.70 Any time is a good time to take in the (day passes €6.70) and are valid on the city’s panorama from the top of the ‘Metal buses. Bikes can be hired from 1800 Vélib Asparagus’ (as Parisians snidely ( www.velib.paris.fr) stations; insert a credit call it) – but the twilight view is extra card, authorise a €150 deposit and pedal special (www.toureiff el.fr). away. Day passes cost €1; fi rst 30 minutes free, subsequent 30 minutes from €2. Musée du Louvre France’s greatest repository of art, sculpture and artefacts, the Louvre is Parking a must-visit – but don’t expect to see Meters don’t take coins; use a chip-enabled it all in a day (www.louvre.fr). credit card. Municipal car parks cost €2 to MATT MUNRO/LONELY PLANET © PLANET MUNRO/LONELY MATT €3.50 an hour, or €20 to €25 per 24 hours. Basilique du Sacré-Coeur Climb inside the cupola of this Montmartre landmark for one of the Discover the Taste of Paris best cross-city vistas (www.sacre Le Marais is one of the best areas for eating -coeur-montmartre.com). out, with its small restaurants and trendy Musée d’Orsay bistros. Don’t miss Paris’ street markets: Paris’ second-most-essential the Marché Bastille, rue Montorgueil and museum, with a fabulous collection rue Mouff etard are full of atmosphere. encompassing originals by Cézanne, Degas, Monet, Van Gogh and more Live Like a Local (www.musee-orsay.fr). Base yourself in Montmartre for its Parisian Cathédrale de Notre-Dame charm, if you don’t mind crowds.