Provence is the ancient province of the Romans and criss-crossed by footsteps since those times and earlier of soldiers, pilgrims, peasants and artists. The Via Domitia was the first Roman road to be built in Gaul and linked Italy with Hispania. Provence proffers a rich tapestry of landscapes, culture and traditions. Its countryside of sunflower fields, lavender beds, olive groves, vineyards and wooded rolling hills, interspersed with mountains and plateaus is hauntingly familiar. Its paths still cross this landscape and are there for the hiker to enjoy along with the colourful markets in the hill-top villages of blond stone, the shady squares with their stone fountains, the hearty local produce with its sun-ripened fruit, oil and wine. As you walk the countryside offers you a feast for your senses from the deep blue skies, the undulating hills to the perfumes of lavender, thyme, rosemary and pine. Walking here offers a mix of terrain, some easy-going, some more rugged. Provence has a good share of the Grandes Randonnées too, with the GR4 featuring about 166 kms in the Vaucluse and Mont Ventoux, the GR6 has 103 kms in the Vaucluse covering Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Gordes, Roussillon, Rustrel and Viens (all featured in our Luberon tour), and the GR9 has 163 kms in the Vaucluse. The GR9 crosses Provence from south to north over a distance of 100 km and traverses from the coast at Saint-Raphael to the north of the Gorges du Verdon.
Our walking holidays offer
● Self-guided with luggage transfer● Have extra nights added before, during and after
● Full route notes and maps
Additional special interests catered for
● Wine and food● Culture
● Cycling
● Golf
● Families
Included in all our walking holidays
● Concierge service● Route notes describing the trail
● Maps
Call us on 01392 441266
Provence travel information
Provence is accessed with several flights a day into Marseille and Nice. In the summer months there has been a Eurostar service to Avignon, otherwise it's a fast journey in one day from London to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence by Eurostar to Paris or Lille and then TGV. If you leave London St Pancras at about 7am, you arrive in Avignon mid to late afternoon. You can drive to Provence comfortably from Calais with just one overnight stop.By air
Marseille is the closest airport for much of Provence, although Nice may be preferable to regions in the east or for frequency of flights.Self-drive
From Calais to Provence, the most direct route is along the motorway via Rheims, Dijon and Lyon. We advise at least one, if not two, overnight stops each way to cover the distance in comfort. We recommend stops in Picardy, Champagne, Burgundy, Lyon and the Rhone Valley.By train
Eurostar to Lille or Paris and then TGV to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. A comfortable day's journey leaving early morning and arriving mid to late afternoon.Our walking holidays offer
● Self-guided with luggage transfer● Have extra nights added before, during and after
● Full route notes and maps
Additional special interests catered for
● Wine and food● Culture
● Cycling
● Golf
● Families
Included in all our walking holidays
● Concierge service● Route notes describing the trail
● Maps
Call us on 01392 441266
Our walking holidays offer
● Self-guided with luggage transfer● Have extra nights added before, during and after
● Full route notes and maps
Additional special interests catered for
● Wine and food● Culture
● Cycling
● Golf
● Families
Included in all our walking holidays
● Concierge service● Route notes describing the trail
● Maps
