RAIL-DRIVE
AVIGNON AND PROVENCE BY RAIL AND CAR
8 nights / 9 days From £ 2,150 per person
Provence landscape
AVIGNON • MONT VENTOUX AREA • LUBERON • ARLES
This touring holiday of Provence includes Eurostar from London to Avignon, 2 nights in Avignon and then a tour of Provence by hire-car so that you can explore the scenery and culture of the region. You stay in Avignon, near Mont Ventoux, at Bonnieux in the Luberon, and Arles.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE London to Avignon This touring holiday of Avignon and Provence whisks you from London St Pancras to Avignon direct by Eurostar. The direct service operates from the beginning of May until mid-September, 3 or 4 times a week. At other times, the holiday can be done with a change in Paris or Lille. The train leaves London at about 07.15 and arrives in Avignon just after 14.00 hrs. You have time to explore Avignon and find a restaurant in the old town for dinner. You spend two nights in Avignon
DAY TWO In Avignon You have today at leisure to explore the city of Avignon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is set on the banks of the majestic Rhone river and was the seat of the Catholic popes for most of the 14th century, only coming under French rule in 1791. Its centre, which is surrounded by high mediaeval ramparts, houses the imposing Palais des Papes, the largest gothic palace in the world. The old town of Avignon is home to numerous other architectural gems including the 12th century cathedral, the ramparts, and the famous Pont d’ Avignon.
DAY THREE Avignon to Crillon-le-Brave Collect your hire-car today, and drive from Avignon the short distance to the foothills of Mont Ventoux and your stop in Crillon-le-Brave. Instead of going directly there, make the most of your car and perhaps head out to the magnificent Pont-du-Gard and then north to Orange before dropping back through the wine villages to Crillon-le-Brave where you spend two nights.
DAY FOUR In Crillon-le-Brave You have a full day to relax and explore this part of the Vaucluse. The base of Mont Ventoux is clustered with small market towns such as Caromb or Carpentras. Less than 45 minutes away lie the tranquil turquoise waters of beautiful Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Follow the trail of water exquisite in its clarity and colour through the pools and channels created by this subterranean spring, and water that has inspired poets for hundreds of years. Petrarch lived here in the 14th century and his now is now a museum. There is also a museum of the Resistance, a museum of Provencal‘ santons’, workshops of hand-blown crystal and a mill making paper by hand using 15th century techniques.
DAY FIVE Crillon-le-Brave to Bonnieux in the Luberon Today is a glorious, gentle drive into some of the most beautiful countryside of Provence as you enter the Luberon, a gentle landscape of vineyards, orchards, rolling hills and home to the famous lavender and sunflowers, associated greatly with Provence. Your destination in this region is the village of Bonnieux, one of the finest in the area, where you spend two nights.
DAY SIX In the Luberon From the hill-top village of Bonnieux enjoy the views of the Luberon, wander its pretty streets, taste regional specialities in its cafes and restaurants, and visit its baker museum and the famous Roman bridge in the valley below. Just 25 minutes from Bonneiux is one of the finest examples of the famous Provencal lavender fields at the Abbaye de Sénanque, just outside the village of Gordes. The former Cistercian monastery dates from 1148 and now guests can take tours of the church and cloisters and feast their eyes on beautiful fields of lavender beyond( the lavender is usually harvested by the beginning of August and is in bloom from the end of June). For a more in- depth view of the history of lavender in Provence why not visit the Musée de la Lavande in Coustellet. Gordes itself is one of the most beautiful villages in Provence and nearby is the curious Village des Bories, an openair museum of stone dwellings possibly dating as far back as the Bronze Age.
DAY SEVEN Luberon to Arles Today you should not take the most direct route between the two places but enjoy a detour through
32 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk