Hello, I am planning a special getaway for me and my husband. Originally, we were going to NYC, but have postponed that plan as a friend in the US is getting married in the spring. Wanted to know if any of you have been to Provence in Feb? Will the weather be so dismal that we should just go to somewhere else? We know it won't be beach weather, just hoping for something a bit more pleasant than London in Feb. We are thinking of staying at the Four Seasons Terre Blanche located within the Domaine de Terre Blanche, just outside the village of Fayence. Anyone know this area? Also our visit will coincide with the first part of the Nice Carnival...anyone ever attend the festivities? Whew! Thanks!

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The abbreviated version of To The Top, meaning I've replied to your post to send it back to the beginning of the threads for attention.

Thanks for that!

First off, weather in February - you won't be swimming, as you say. Can be really hit and miss. Down along the coast, it shouldn't be too cold and on sunny days, you can expect to have lunch outdoors. Anyway, it will be almost guaranteed better weather than London (though, admittedly, that is not saying much).

I have only ever driven through Fayence. It is a bit up in the hills, if I remember correctly. Not far from Grasse, Nice and the Corniche de l'Esterel. And the Nice Carnival can be fun if you are into large parades. Get there early.

One BIG advantage of being there off-off season is that the museums along the coast won't be crowded at all. There are some amazing ones, especially if you are into modern art.

-Kevin

ttt

My first trip to Provence was in Feb. because I could get time off before starting a new position and American had Atl-CDG for $224. How could you pass on that.

The weather for most of the trip was good. Chilly and sunny. Then the last 2 days came the mistrial (sp). The winds were freezing. Of course, there were hardly any other tourists. I was able to sit outside for most of the trip. At night many fireplaces were burning and there was that wonderful smell in the air. I wandered through the Palace of the Popes in Avignon practically alone. Kind of an eerie feeling.

I would go for it. Have fun.

My husband I stayed at the new Four Seasons at Terre Blanche in September. It is a beautiful property with wonderful service, as you would expect from a Four Seasons. The hotel restaurant (the main one, we didn't eat at the bar restaurant) was very good. We also ate at a few local restaurants recommended by the Four Seasons and they were also quite good. The Four Seasons is just outside of Fayence and within an hour or so of many tourist areas: Aix-en-Provence, St. Tropez, Cannes, Grasse, Nice, etc. I can't comment as to the weather in February as we were there in September and the weather then was lovely -- warm days and cool nights and sunshine just about every day.

We really liked staying at the Four Seasons Provence and will definitely stay there again. Everyone was so warm and friendly. We only met one Four Seasons employee who didn't speak English and that was one maid who came by one evening for turn-down service. Everyone else was fluent.

Write again if you'd like more details.

Sharona! I would love more details. We live in England and I was wondering what airport you flew into (Nice or Marseille?) and how far did you have to travel from the airport to the resort? Did you require a rental car. Most importantly is Terre Blanche removed from many places?

We flew into Nice and then it's about a 45 minute drive to the Four Seasons. It is also an easy drive. You simply hop on the A8 and after you exit (you'll go through 2 toll booths; one along the highway and one at the exit. I think not quite 5 euros total) then it's about 20 minutes to the Four Seasons. But it's very easy to find. We rented a Mercedes from Avis at the airport. The Four Seasons also has limo service from the Nice Airport. You will, however, need to have a car if you want to do any exploring at all as the Four Seasons is a bit isolated.

The Four Seasons is clearly a new property with the plantings not yet mature and the spa and health club are both located in temporary quarters. We were told the new facilities wouldn't be ready for about a year and a half. But there is a golf course and of course a beautiful pool, which you probably won't get to use in February, 3 restaurants (main, bar and pool) and the rooms are spacious and well appointed. We had a large living room, separate bedroom, separate large closet area and a huge bathroom with a large shower stall (plus a shower door!) and separate tub. The toiletries are by L'Occitane.

We actually stayed at the Four Seasons twice during our visit. We stayed there for a few days before my husband had business in Nice and then after we left Nice we actually went back to the Four Seasons for the rest of our visit. We had planned to go elsewhere but we really enjoyed our stay at the FS so we went back. It felt like we were coming home.

The Four Seasons at Terre Blanche is a resort so it is itself a destination. There are a couple of interesting villages nearby and as I mentioned originally we ate at some good restaurants off the property. One was a Michelin one star and it was about a 15 minute drive from the FS. We mostly took advantage of the off-season relative lack of crowds and hit St. Tropez, Cannes, St. Paul de Vence, etc. This was not our first trip to the area so we didn't feel obligated to get up at the crack of dawn and hit the tourist trail. We would visit the health club at the FS, have a leisurely breakfast on our terrace and then venture out for a day of a little sight-seeing, long lunches and a tiny bit of shopping. It was exhausting! (kidding).

The driving directions posted on the Four Seasons website from the Nice Airport to the resort are accurate and easy to follow. It's not a stressful drive at all. We had thought about utilizing the FS limo service and then renting a car at the hotel but then ultimately decided to just rent from the airport and drive ourselves. That worked for us.