I have a question about van trips. If the roadside lavender field is on the "other" side of the van from where you are sitting, and there is no planned stop - do you get a good view of it?? If someone is in the front seat, I would imagine that the views are good. But what about someone 3 rows deep in the van and on the opposite side of the van from where the lavender field is best viewed. Can you see around the people in front of you and the ones next to you on the lavender field side? Same with canyons, vineyards, & perched villages without planned stops.

Stu Dudley

I would bet a good van trip stops a lot for photo opts - not just driving all the time.

This fall we spent 4 nights at a wonderful small hotel called Domaine de Fontenille situated between Avignon and Aix. It is on the edge of the Luberon area. It was a hidden gem. We rented a car from the TGV Train station in Aix but you could equally leave from Avignons. They had a wonderful special on their website. The place, service, food etc was fantastic ( Michelin 1). We also took a wonderful cooking class at the home of Jean Marc Villard ( pricey but wonderful). I highly recommend the Domaine de Fontenille and its a bit off the main touristy area but close to see many sites.

I can't speak for all trips, but our drivers always stopped for good photo ops. One time, DH and I were the only people on the trip (don't know why they didn't cancel it) and we really enjoyed it. Look for small vans!

Van tours would most certainly give folks stops at advertised places and not just drive all day?