Classic Provence in Style
7 Days & 6 Nights 4.5 Read 4 reviews- Relax in handpicked boutique hotels
- Perched villages, vineyards, orchards and lavender fields
- Walk in the heart of the Provence
- “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”, Gordes and Roussillon
- Indulge in gourmet food and local wines
What To Expect
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.
Ideal if you have an interest in:
Accessible by Rail
As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 12 Years
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.
Accommodation Information
On this tour you will stay in charming, characterful and hand-picked 4* and 5* hotels. These lodgings are truly special places and one of the highlights of this tour.
Alternate Accommodation
We will always try to accommodate you at the hotels and guesthouses listed. However, our In Style tours take you to unique properties, which often have a limited number of rooms. If those listed are unavailable, alternative accommodation of the same or better standard than those described will be provided where possible (in some cases, these alternatives may be in a different town) If no alternatives are available, it might be necessary to consider different dates.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you. Please note that a single room supplement is payable. A solo supplement is not available as it is it cost-prohibitive. Therefore, unless you are willing to pay substantially more to do this tour by yourself, it is not available to solo walkers.
Meals
A continental or buffet breakfast is included each morning. Lunch is not included. On most days you will be walking through small villages with cafes, restaurants and a shop or two, so you will be able to buy lunch en route. However on some of the walking days it will be essential to take a packed lunch as there are no cafes or restaurants en route.
2 Dinners are included on nights 2 and 4 at your hotel. On the nights when dinner is not included you will be able to try some excellent local cuisine in nearby local restaurants (recommendations will be in your information pack) or you can dine at your accommodation if they have a restaurant. Dinner on day 2 is at a Michelin star restaurant on the premises of your hotel.
- 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.