Provence is the France most people dream about but few plan properly. Lavender fields in the Luberon. Gordes perched on its white limestone cliffs. Markets in Aix-en-Provence. The rosé-drenched streets of Marseille. This free 10-day itinerary puts it all together — with the exact route, the hidden stops, and the practical details most travel guides leave out.
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Why Drive Provence?
The real Provence — the one the painters loved and the food writers chase — is not accessible by train. The lavender villages of the Luberon. The perched hilltop towns between Apt and Forcalquier. The wine cellars of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The Roman theatre at Orange. None of these are on a rail line. A car unlocks the actual South of France.
The Route at a Glance
This 10-day itinerary follows a loop that avoids backtracking: Lyon → Orange → Avignon → Luberon → Marseille → Cassis → Aix-en-Provence → Camargue → Montpellier. Total driving: approximately 580km. You can start and end at Lyon or Marseille, both of which have major airports.
Days 1–2: Lyon to Avignon
Arrive in Lyon, collect your car, and drive south on the A7 — the old Route Nationale 7 that French families have used for holiday migrations since the 1950s. Stop at Orange (45 minutes from Lyon) to see the finest surviving Roman theatre in the world. The stage wall stands 37 metres tall and still hosts summer opera performances.
Avignon is your base for two nights. The Palais des Papes — the largest Gothic building in the world, constructed when the papacy moved here from Rome in the 14th century — takes a full morning. Cross the Pont d’Avignon (yes, it does only go halfway) and walk the fortified walls at dusk when the light turns gold.
Stay: The old town within the ramparts. Book early for July and August — Avignon’s theatre festival runs for three weeks in July and accommodation books out completely.
Days 3–5: The Luberon
The Luberon plateau is where the most famous perched villages sit — Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Ménerbes, Lacoste. Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence from Ménerbes in 1989, and the region still has the feel of a world slightly apart from modern France.
Gordes is the postcard: a white limestone village stacked vertically above the valley. Arrive early (before 9am) or late (after 5pm) to experience it before the tour buses arrive. The Abbey de Sénanque, three kilometres outside Gordes, is where the lavender-field-with-abbey photograph comes from — peak bloom is mid-June to mid-July.
Roussillon is entirely different: a village built from ochre, in 17 different shades of red, orange, and yellow. The Sentier des Ocres walking trail (1 hour, not strenuous) takes you through the old quarry landscape. Extraordinary at sunrise.
Apt is the market town: every Saturday morning, the largest market in the Luberon fills the old streets with local produce, lavender sachets, olive oil from the Pays d’Aix, and the crystallised fruits the region is famous for.
Days 6–7: Marseille and Cassis
Marseille gets an unfair reputation as industrial and rough. The reality is a city of extraordinary character — the oldest city in France (founded 600 BC by Greek sailors), the most ethnically diverse, and home to the best fish cooking in the country. Bouillabaisse, the famous saffron-and-shellfish stew, originated here. The rule: only eat it at restaurants displaying the official Charte de la Bouillabaisse certificate.
Drive the Corniche Kennedy along the coast south from the city centre to reach Les Calanques — the dramatic limestone inlets that slice into the sea between Marseille and Cassis. Hike in from Cassis (the village has parking and trail access) in the early morning. The water colour in the calanques — a specific shade of turquoise that painters specifically came here to study — is most vivid in the morning light.
Day 8: Aix-en-Provence
Cézanne was born and died in Aix and spent his life painting Montagne Sainte-Victoire — the limestone mountain that rises behind the city. The Musée Granet has the strongest collection of his work outside Paris. The Cours Mirabeau is the main boulevard: lined with plane trees planted in the 18th century, shading the fountain-side cafés where the market runs on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings.
Days 9–10: Camargue to Montpellier
The Camargue is the Rhône delta — a protected wetland of salt flats, wild flamingos, black bulls, and the distinctive white horses (Camargue horses) that have lived here since the Pleistocene era. The main road route takes you through the landscape, but a slow morning detour on the D36 north of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer gives you the best flamingo sightings (largest colony in Western Europe, 10,000–15,000 birds depending on season).
End in Montpellier — a young, energetic university city with a beautiful old town, excellent food scene, and direct flights home to the UK, Ireland, and the US. Or take the train to Lyon or Paris if you return the car in Montpellier.
Practical Information
Best time to go: Mid-June to mid-July (lavender in bloom, warm but before peak holiday crush). Late September and October are also excellent — harvest season, fewer tourists, lower prices.
Car hire: Book in advance. Automatic transmission cars are more limited in France — specify when booking. Diesel is cheaper than petrol; GPS (sat-nav) is essential in the Luberon villages.
Accommodation strategy: Book Gordes and Avignon months in advance for June–August. The smaller villages (Bonnieux, Lacoste) have chambres d’hôtes (B&Bs) that are cheaper, quieter, and offer better local knowledge than hotels.
Food rules: Never order a café before or during a meal (the French drink it after). Ask for tap water (une carafe d’eau) at any restaurant — it’s always free. Local rosé from Provence (Coteaux d’Aix, Bandol, Var) costs €6–15 a bottle in a supermarket and will be the best rosé you’ve ever had.
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