Hi Everybody, we have done CDG, transferred to Nice, have a lot of great suggestions on what to do in our two and a half days and will pick up our rented vehicle at NCE . Now we your need help on getting to Avignon, where we'll be spending four nights. We'll be picking up our rental @ 08h15, and we would like to be in Avignon by 18h00 to book into our hotel, on Isle de la Barthelasse.

Since we are in no particular hurry to get there, we'd like to do one of the scenic routes, but there are so many options. One of the Viamichelin 'recommended' routes takes about 5 hours and 15 min and uses mainly the DN7 and D561 routes, but we do understand that we can add two hours to their time.

The other route we are interested in, is the 'discovery' route along the D952 and D900 and seems to go past the Gorges du Verdon and takes 5 hours 7 min.

Which of these is the better choice? Personally, I would love to see the GdV. I am not sure whether we can spend about an hour there, and maybe do a bit of a picnic and just chill somewhere close to it. Is there a better choice than these two?

If the Verdon route has you traveling south of the gorge - don't take that route. The Michelin Green Guide rates sites. There are about 6 "lookouts" in the gorge rated 3 stars (highest rating). Only 1 is on the south road. There is another on the north road, and the remaining 4 are on the circular one-way Route des Cretes. The gorge is not a "drive by". I'm actually not a fan of the Verdon Gorge. I much prefer the Gorges du Tarn.



Here is a scenic route that is in my Provence & Cote d'Azure itinerary. E-mail me at [email protected] if you would like the entire itinerary, and I will attach a copy to the reply e-mail.


Drive to Provence


This is a beautiful area with quaint villages, vistas, rolling countryside, & vineyards. This is mainly a “drive through the country” & you can get out & wander in a town if you like. This drive will take less than 4 hours, even with some short stops & some browsing along the way. If you decide to have lunch along the way - it will take longer.

Get on the A8 towards Cannes and get off at exit #39. It’s marked “Fayence”. When you get to the D19 from the D562 (the D562 has some ugly commerce along the way), take it toward Fayence & drive through Tourrettes, then Fayence. Explore Fayance on foot – look for the “Vieux Village” sign just past the fabric shop on the left. Old Fayance is perhaps the best place to stretch your legs and your wallet. One of my wife’s favorite Provence fabric stores is in Fayence. However, don't plan to stop in Fayance on Saturday - market day. You won't find anyplace to park your car.

Continue on to Seillans*. Seillans would be a great place to have lunch. Try to find the restaurant "La Gloire de mon Pere" http://www.lagloiredemonpere.fr/ . It has a fantastic outside dining area around a large fountain and under plane trees. The restaurant/fountain is at the top/upper part of Grand Rue (Main Street). You can park on the D19 at the foot of the village and walk up Grand Rue to get to the restaurant, or you can circle/hairpin (by car) around the village on the D19 to the upper part of the village and park just 10 meters from the restaurant (look for the restaurant's sign).

Continue on the D19 to Bargemon. As you are driving into Bargeman on the D19 from Sellians, look for a large square on your right with lots of cafes & plane trees.This would be another goodoption for a simple lunch (salad/pizza) or just coffee. The "vieux" town is an interesting 10 min stroll. On the left of the square (as you are facing it from the D19) and just past the cafes, there is a "port" (old entryway/gate) on the left. Go through this port and follow the cobblestones. Find the fountain in the vieux village.

Continue on the D25 to Callas. There are great views of Bargeman from the D25.

If it’s past 3:00 pm at this point and you plan on heading into Provence & staying in either Gordes or St Remy for the night, it’s probably best to get on the A8 and head there now. To get to “central” Provence from Callas, stay on the D25 and head south toward le Muy where you can pick up the A8. This is actually a very pretty drive with wonderful views of the Maures Mountains in front of you as you drive south.

If you get to Callas before 3:00, then continue through the Var. This is my favorite section of this driving route. As you leave Callas, take the small road that heads southwest and ends at the D54 at Figanieres. Take the D54 northwest toward Chateaudouble. When you hit the D955 (before Chateaudouble), head south. This is the very picturesque Gorges de Chateaudouble*. Stop at the D49 junction on the D955, turn around, & retrace the route on the D955. When you get back to where the D54 hits the D955, take the D51 to Chateaudouble. This is a cute town. If it’s lunch time, try “Restaurant la Tour” with fabulous views on a square shaded by plane trees. It's the 2nd restaurant from the parking lot. Then continue on the D51 to Ampus (explore). Take the D49, D51, D77 to Aups*, which is one of my favorite towns in the area. They have a very nice farmers market on Wednesday & Saturday mornings. There are also several interesting shops for browsing. After Aups, retrace your route a little & take the D77 east to Tourtour*. Park in the parking lot just outside of town (nice view of this medieval village as you approach town). This is another pretty village. There’s a good panorama from the grassy area near the church. There are some nice outside places to have lunch under plane trees, if you’re there around lunch time. Tourtour has several hotels just outside of town (we’ve never stayed at any of them). The Bastide de Tourtour is located in a lovely setting close to town. The fixed price menu is reasonably priced, but the selections looked very un-interesting when we glanced over them. The a la carte selections were expensive.

Leave Tourtour (drive through the village) on the D51 toward Villecroze and continue on the D51 until it hits the D560 near Salernes. If you are doing this drive on a Sunday morning, there is a good outdoor market in Salernes & there are lots of outdoor cafes where you can watch the market activity. There is an interesting store featuring tiles produced in the area, at the northwest end of town on the D560 (5 min walk from the market area). After Salernes, take the D560 west to the D22 toward Cotignac. As you approach Cotignac, get the cameras ready for some great photo ops of this town, looking down on it from the cliffs above. Cotignac* is one of our favorite small towns. Get out & explore - this is a good lunch spot with a large central square lined with cafes, shops, and shaded by plane trees. Leave Cotignac on the D13 toward Carces. You will start to see a lot of vineyards now, and in May & early June there are fields of red poppies in bloom. Drive through Carces & take the D562 toward Le Val. There is a by-pass around Le Val, but instead, drive through Le Val – however, take the by-pass around le Val & enter town from the south side instead of the north side (the north entrance has an impossible acute turn that your car will have trouble with).


Stu Dudley

When will you be doing this drive?



If it is between mid June and August, on the Verdon route you will drive past the fantastic Lavender (actually, lavendin - a much more robust hybrid) fields on the Valensole plateau. These fields are stunning!!!! My itinerary has a suggested driving route to visit these fields, along with info about Moustiers, and the drive from the lavender fields through the Northern Luberon Valley via Apt. I've sent this itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors.



Stu Dudley

If I read correctly, the OP is there now. You can take the higher route if you are seeking more of the hills and mountain vistas. The Gorge is there, but there are many places along that possible route that could hold your interest. The 900 basically cuts through the Valensole plateau and through the Luberon, as Stu detailed. Is that already in your plan for the Avignon area? You can achieve the same by doing the first part of the journey in the lower lands, hitting the boring but fast A8 and then cutting north. Just note that this time of year, some of the smaller villages will have many businesses shut down. It's a different, quieter beauty.

My apologies for not giving more specific information. We are planning our trip for September this year, and we are leaving Nice on the 6th, and the Luberon will be included when I ask for advice in new threads.

Stu, the route actually goes north of the GdV and not south. I like your directions past Calles: is the cut-off time of 15h00 set in concrete, or can we push it a bit later?

Gooster, I think if we leave much later than 09h00, we'll probably be taking the A8 as a start to make up some time. We do not really want to do that.

Whilst I am busy with the trip to Avignon: how difficult is it to get to Isle de la Berthalasse from the approach/es we may be using? I have read that Avignon is not easy to drive in.

E-mail me and ask for my Cote d'Azur & Provence itinerary (I have others). We have spent 43 weeks vacationing in this region, and the itinerary is 35 pages with lots of info about our favorite villages, scenic drives, farmer's markets, restaurants, etc. There is a detailed drive from the Mousitiers, gorge area back to the Luberon via Apt. Also drives in the southern Luberon, Lavender fields around Sault, visiting the villages in the Luberon (south & north) etc.


If you do not wish to e-mail me - post so here & I will post the section about Moustiers to the Luberon.


Stu Dudley

Oh, in September that route that Stu described will be great. There are so many great little towns as well, some further off the beaten tourist track that you will be able to see. (I have a place in Nice -- Sept is a great month)

Thanks Stu and gooster. I think that Stu's drive/s will be perfect for us, and I have already received the information, thanks far that Stu.

Looking forward to the drive!