My wife and I will be on a bike tour in Provence from May 16 ending June 1. We then have several days to see more of Provence, until our flight home on D-Day June 6. On the Bike tour we will be staying in: Avignon, Uzes, Orange, Vaison-la-Romaine, Mazan, Gordes, Pertuis, Salon de Provence, Arles, and back to Avignon. We will have 4 more nights on our own, before we have to get back to Charles de Gaulle.
We were considering training from Avignon, to the coast and spending 1 or 2 nights at either, Cassis, Bandol or Sanary-sur-Mer. As I do not want to have to drive through Marseille, we were going to train to either Aix or Avignon to pick up a car and spend the rest of the time sight seeing the Gorges du Verdon, and the hill towns of the Luberon. We would return the car to Avignon, where our bikes are, and train to de Gaulle.
We'd love any comments, suggestions, critisms, or any help you can give us, as to whether this seems practical, and the best way we can spend the 4 days. Also any suggestions as to which coastal town(s) we should stay in, what we should plan on for the Luberon, and Gorge, which town(s) to stay in there, and specific recomendations. Also, would we be better off having a car on the coast, or does public transit work?
Thanks for your help

I just looked at the days we will be on our own, and they are Friday through Tuesday. we can see the Luberon first, and then go to the Med, if the small hill towns close up on Sun, and Mon. Please let me know if this would be an issue.

If you have four free days, I think it is a lot (and fairly spread out) to visit one of the costal towns, the Gorge de Verdon, and the Luberon... and then get back to Avignon.

I've never done a bike trip, but I've done several long distance walks, including two that have lasted two weeks or more. I wonder if you will want to do more "rapid" touring (by train and car) or perhaps just relax somewhere and not be held to so tight of a schedule.

During you day from Gordes to Pertuis, you will be right in the Luberon. Since you haev a two week bik trip and not 14 destinations, I'm assumign you stay in some of these places more than one night. Do you have two nights in Gordes? (If so, you will be able to explore the villages north of the Lubeorn then.) Where does your material say that your route from Gordes to Pertuis will take you? I just wonder if it makes sense to double back to the Luberon, depending on what you see. (Personally I would go back and spend the full four days there, but I am biased!!)

I wonder if four days based in Cassis would be a nice change of pace and scenery for you, after your two week trip. You could base there and relax, make a day trip to Bandol. The hiking around Cassis is very unique.

Also, you don't need to worry about driving through Marseille. The route from Avignon to Cassis would not require you to drive through Marseille. On www.mappy.com, it takes you on three autoroutes (passing near Aix) to Cassis... easy driving.

My husband hated the driving in the Gorge de Verdon-- very narrow road, no rails, steep and long drop offs. Gorgeous scenery, but...

I'd be happy to help with other questions. The bike trip sounds great.

Kathy

Do you have my Provence Itinerary that I've sent to hundreds of people on this Forum?? It has answers to most of your questions - Luberon drive, Lavender field drive, markets, favorite villages, etc. E-mail me at [email protected] if you want a copy.

I much prefer Cassis to Bandol. I thought Bandol was kind of a dump.

I would not take a train to Aix. The drive from the Luberon, through the Combe du Lourmarin, & then to Aix is quite scenic.

Stu Dudley

kathy,
thanks very much for the info. we will have 2 nights in Gordes. We'll probbaly be looking forward to a day off the bikes, so won't have any transportation. If we wanted to see any more of the region, do you have any suggestions how to do that?
Al

>>My husband hated the driving in the Gorge de Verdon-- very narrow road, no rails, steep and long drop offs. Gorgeous scenery, but...<<

Ahhh - the Route des Cretes - scared the s..t out of me too!!

Stu Dudley

We live high up in the Rockies, so narrow roads, without guardrails don't generally bother me. But it is a lot different when its a road untraveled before, and driving while sightseeing. We call those kinds of driver "gapers".
Al

albreck

The Luberon is laced with bike paths that are resered for bikers & walkers only. They are very well marked. There is probably a bike shop in the Luberon (Apt), that would have details on the various routes. We've walked on several of them, and we've driven in that area extensivly. Russ Collins has a very good site for Provence. It has some info on biking.
http://www.beyond.fr/

If you choose to stay in the Luberon, you might consider Kevin's B&B. He is an American & frequent contribuor to the Fodor's board. He's also an bicyclist & could give you some great advice.
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html

The following is the Luberon drive from my itinerary, which you could bike in a day (I think). It starts from Gordes.

Visiting the villages in the Luberon
If you stay in Gordes*, start by visiting this wonderful perched village. You should park in the large lot (pay about 3E) down below the town (steep walk up). Explore this village thoroughly – not just the areas directly around the Chateau. There is an ATM in town on the side of the chateau where the outdoor café’s are located. On Tuesday morning there is an outdoor market in Gordes. It’s a little touristy, but quite good. There is a GR (walking route) that goes through this village and it passes by the lower sections of Gordes. Try to pick it up & follow it down hill. The route is marked by a red & white stripe, usually painted on the sides of buildings. As you face the Chateau with your back to the main entrance to town (the steep hill), there are several shops on your right (look for a Pharmacy) and follow one of these streets down to where it passes a church. The road turns right just past this church (there is a GR mark where it turns right). (If you go straight past the church, where is a wonderful panoramic view - look for the “Pont de Vue” sign). If you follow the GR down hill (after you have turned right past the church) you will see an old medieval washing basin and also get a close-up view of how they built these perched villages on top of rock outcroppings. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the center of Gordes down to this wash basin. There is a nice shaded area near the basins where you can relax & enjoy the surroundings. This is a very interesting walk.

After Gordes, head to Oppede le Vieux*. Leave Gordes and at Les Imberts, veer to the left just past a gas station. Then take a left opposite the “Exit” sign to Les Imberts and at a sign that says “clos de Cesar”. Go over a small bridge and past a lavender field. At an intersection, keep going straight towards the N100 and the Luberon Mountain range. At the N100, take a right and then immediately turn left & go under the railroad tracks. Follow the signs to Oppede les Vieux. There is a town of Oppede which is not “le Vieux” (old). It’s a pretty drive getting there from Gordes. Part of the drive strangely passes through a parking lot. As you approach Oppede le Vieux, get the cameras ready.

After Oppede, head towards Menerbes* (another pretty drive getting there). Explore Menerbes. If you have read Peter Mayle’s book, you’ll know that this is where he lived. Many people just drive through Menerbes – we did the first couple of times we visited. It’s actually a great town to explore on foot. Some of the most interesting areas are on back streets & even on some dirt streets. There are many artisans scattered throughout in the village.

After Menerbes, head to Lacoste. Although the “main road” to Lacoste (D109) will take you up on a plateau & directly into Lacoste from the west, I prefer the road south of Lacoste (D103 towards Bonnieux then the D3) that passes through some pretty countryside with vineyards & cherry orchards (bypassing Lacoste). As I said, there is no wrong road in this area - if you have the time, take every one. Both Lacoste & Bonnieux are perched villages – staring at each other over a valley. The setting of both is quite spectacular. The best view of Lacoste is from the D3 just west of where it intersects the D109. Take the D109 into Lacoste & drive up into the village, but turn around at the Marie parking lot & retrace your route (heading to Bonnieux). This will afford you good views of Bonnieux. One unfortunate situation is that you really can’t get good views of both Lacoste & Bonnieux at the same time of day because of the Sun’s position. We usually view Lacoste on our morning drives, and Bonnieux in the evening just prior to dinner.

Explore Bonnieux*. Walk up the narrow R Marie (see the green Michelin Guide) to the Terrasse to get a wonderful panoramic view of the area. Walk down R Voltaire & peek into the antique shop to see a very interesting interior.

Drive through Bonnieux & head toward Lourmarin on the D36 & look behind you to see another great view of Bonnieux – more picture taking. When you get to the D943, head north toward Apt.

An optional stop is at the Fort de Buoux (look for signs just after the turn onto D943) which was a refuge for the Waldensians, and then destroyed by Louis XIV. Pick up the English guide & walk around the Fort. A bit of climbing is involved, but I found the fort more interesting than I expected and the views from up on top were great. There are usually a lot of rock climbers in this area.

Find Saignon on your map & drive there on the D232 from Bonnieux. There are some pretty lavender fields on each side of the road as you approach Saignon. There is a picturesque view of the village from this road too. Explore Saignon on foot – there is an interesting lunch spot in town.

Take the D48 to Apt. There’s another lovely view of Saignon from this road and another lavender field. Notice the rock formations west of this road. This Saignon/Apt excursion will add about 45 minutes to your touring, and the outskirts of Apt and some of the urban sprawl are not what you want to experience. However, Saignon is quite lovely & it’s in a pretty setting and the lavender fields make a wonderful experience (in early Summer when the lavender is in bloom). If the lavender fields are not in bloom & you need to save some time, then skip this excursion. Instead of heading to Saignon after Bonnieux, take the D149 north to the N100. There is actually a very pretty lavender field with a view of Lacoste in the background, along this road. My wife has taken several pictures of this scene.

Head to Roussillon* and explore this village (map in the green guide). You will have to park below the village & walk up. There are a lot of shops in Roussillon and they are open on Sunday (never been there on a Monday). This is a good place for lunch, and although the cafes might seem a little touristy, it’s a fun spot if you happen on a sunny day. Visit the ochre fields close by, but do not wear white shoes, white sox, or touch your face with your hands. The ochre color is hard to get out. Don’t try to drive through Roussillon – my wife got stuck on our last visit & she was mad at me for hours, for insisting that she drive through Roussillon.

After Roussillon, take the D104 to Goult and explore this town. Check out the restaurant I recommended (Bartavelle). Wander through this town that is a bit off the main tourist itinerary. Find the Chateau & walk the streets around it. Like Gordes, notice how the Chateau engages the rock outcropping it is sitting on. There is an area near a windmill with some wonderful views looking south. There is another great viewpoint marked “panorama” – look for the signs at the windmill end of the village, towards the chateau. If I had to live in one of these pretty towns in the Luberon, this is where it would be.

After Goult, drive through St Pentaleon, and then back to Gordes.

If you have seen pictures of an Abbey with large Lavender fields in the foreground, that’s Senanque Abbey** just outside of Gordes. This scene is actually on the cover of the green Michelin guide The drive there is beautiful and the setting is lovely.

I’m not a fan of Fountaine de Vaucluse, although it’s “rated” quite high. I’ve never seen the fountaine because I’ve never been there in the spring when the fountaine gushes. The town is way too touristy for me, but the walk along the tree shaded Sorgue river is very nice if you can do it at a time when there are not many tourists around (in the AM).

The Luberon is a great place for bicycling. There are some roads that are only open for bikers & walkers. The routes are very well marked. We have taken all-day walks on several of them. You can rent bikes in Apt & Bonnieux and take a round trip, or go from Apt toward Cavaillon, and take a bus back. A “flyer” I picked up from the tourist office says that the rental shop in Bonnieux has “free delivery” of bikes. Pick up a brochure called “The Luberon by Bike” (in English) at any tourist office. In this brochure, it indicates the route, has a relief map depicting the height & length of hills, distances, and even a bus schedule. I believe that Russ Collins has portions of this brochure on his web site, and he also has a list of rental shops in nearby towns.


Stu Dudley

Gordes has a very good tourist office and we've found the people there helpful... and they have lots of brochures. There are wonderful walks around Gordes, but it sounds like you may want to have a non-physical-exercise day.

There are several taxi services in the Luberon that could take you "out" for the day to explore the local villages. I can send you a link to a list, if you are interested.

If you do want to come back through the Luberon, Stu's recommendation of Kevin's B&B is an excellent one. One possibility would be to get your car in Avignon and drive to Le Mas Perreal in St. Saturnin. The Saturday morning market in Apt is quite an experience-- go early before the crowds. (And perhaps head to the nearby village of Saignon for a special lunch at the Auberge de Presbytere, one of our favorites.)

You could spend two nights in the Luberon and then drive to Cassis. It's about an hour and a half drive. Eventually make your way back to Avignon. Even if you're comfortable with the driving, I'm still unsure about detouring out to the Gorge de Verdon, but that may be personal preference. I'd rather have the extra time to be a bit lazy and seize the moment in the Luberon and on the coast.

(My husband's problem was aggravated by the drivers coming the other way, as well... at some time of year, tour bus drivers! He had to concentrate so hard on the road, he barely saw anything of the scenery. We were not able to make the whole loop I had hoped to make of the gorge.)

Al, you and your wife might enjoy these photos of the Luberon and some of the absolutely beautiful countryside you'll see there. http://www.luberonexperience.com/photos/index.htm There are some photos of St. Saturnin and also Le Mas Perreal in one of the albums.

Kathy

Hi

I'm a fairly regular visitor to Cassis.

I can't talk about hotels as I go by car (day trips) or boat.

Just worth saying that although you will miss the worst of the summer crowds, weekends are very busy through the winter. It is a very popular Sunday lunch spot.

In November they were rebuilding the main car park and police blocked all traffic descending into Cassis. I guess this will be resolved by May.

Peter

Peter -

We were just in Cassis last Saturday and it was packed. Couldn't find a free table in any restaurant and ended up waiting 1/2 hour to get seated. Seemed like half of Marseille and 3/4 of Aix had the same idea as we did ! But well worth the wait as the food was great (La Poissonerie) and having lunch outdoors in a t-shirt in mid-January is well and truly La Belle Vie.

To Stu - I'll take driving the Gorge du Verdon over driving the 101 any day !

And to Charlie (via Kathy) - ditto !

-Kevin

Hi

seems I'm not the only one to get caught up with the winter weekend rush.

I only visit by boat in summer. And you have to get into the marina quite early to get a berth.

Peter

Bookmarking, thanks