Classic Provence in Style

Trip Type:

In Style | After a day of exciting adventures and soaking up unbeatable scenery, retreat to stylish accommodations and unwind with fine food and wine. This trip type is for those who like sophisticated places to stay and are looking for active routes but still want the holiday to feel special.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Grade & Terrain

This tour has an easy to moderate grading. The trails are a combination of dirt or wooded trails, gravel tracks and tarmac country roads. This tour is suitable for walkers with reasonable physical fitness.

There are some rolling hills and, while in the Petit Luberon range, some fairly significant elevation gains and losses. It is also pertinent to note that the terrain in Provence is fairly rugged and quite rocky at times, you will need to be sure-footed in order to negotiate the terrain. Walking poles might be useful, particularly for the descents.

Water refill points may not be readily available throughout the day of walking, so you should fill up at your overnight locations before setting off each day. 

Navigation

Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost.

You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

• 6 Nights accommodation in hand-picked boutique, 4* and 5* hotels
• 6 Breakfasts
• 2 Dinners on Nights 2 & 4
• Luggage transfers
• Transfer on Day 1 to Bonnieux
• Transfer on Day 5 to L'Isle sur la Sorgue
• Detailed information pack, route notes and IGN maps
• 24/7 telephone support from our UK office

• Travel insurance (required)
• Travel to Apt
• Travel from L'Isle sur la Sorgue
• Lunches & 4 Dinners
• Drinks and snacks
• Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
• Personal equipment

• Additional nights
• Private transfers

When To Go

This trip is available to start on any day of the week from the beginning of April to the end of October. The best time of year to walk in the Provence and the Luberon is the Spring and Autumn/Fall. In the spring the wild flowers will be blooming and in the Autumn/Fall it is quieter with lovely autumnal colours, whilst still being warm and sunny in the day time. Provence boasts over 300 days of sunshine per year.

The summer months of July and August are very hot. We do not advise choosing this holiday during this time unless you are accustomed to intense heat. It must be noted that if you choose to walk in July and August there may be fire restrictions set in place by local authorities, in which case you will need to find an alternate walk or not walk at all that day.

Also please note that lavender is usually in bloom from mid-June to August.

Local Markets

Apt—Saturday

Bonnieux—Friday

Lacoste—Tuesday

Goult—Thursday

Roussillon—Thursday

Isle sur Sorgue - Thursday and Sunday

These local markets are usually open in the mornings and finish around lunchtime (12-1pm)

Getting to the Start

There are a number of different options available in order to get to Apt. If you want to fly, the closest airport is Marseille-Provence Airport. From the airport, you can take a bus/train to Apt, via either Cavaillon or Aix-en-Provence. The journey takes anywhere between 2 and 3 hours, depending on your route. For more information on local bus/train timetables, please visit Lignes Express Régionale or SNCF.

Alternately you can arrive by train into Avignon. It is possible to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Gare du Nord - Paris, then take the TVG train to Avignon (approx. 7hrs), or fly into any of the Paris Airports and take a train south to Avignon from here (a journey of just over 3 hours). From the Avignon TGV Station, you can take a bus (takes approx. 1H15) directly to Apt. Again you can check out times and schedules on the Lignes Express Régionale website.

Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

Getting from the End

From L’Isle Sur la Sorgue you can take a train to Avignon TGV Station (every hour and a 33-minute ride) and from here take a train to Paris (approx. 3.5hrs), and fly out of any of the Paris Airports. You can also take a local bus to Avignon. There are a few bus companies that operate this service, such as Lignes Express Régional. For more information on trains, you can visit the SNCF website.

There are buses from L'Isle Sur La Sorgue to Marseille airport; information and tinetables can be found here https://zou.maregionsud.fr/ 

Macs Adventure can also arrange private transfers to and from Apt and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue to local airports/train stations. Please contact your Destination & Adventure Specialist for details.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

General Information

The distances and descents / ascents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necesssary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/ cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.