If you’re planning your first road trip in France and you’re not sure where to start, we’re going to take you to a region that gives you the whole quintessential French experience in one place: hilltop villages, local markets, Roman ruins, lavender fields, the Mediterranean coast, you name it, all without spending hours and hours on the road. Welcome to PROVENCE.
Why should I choose Provence as my first French road trip?
Provence is a region in the south of France, stretching from the Rhône River across to the Mediterranean coast, just north of the French Riviera.
If you’re planning a trip to France and you’re not really sure where to start, Provence is a really good option for first-time visitors. The thing about France is that every region feels quite different. The architecture changes, the landscapes change, the food, the history, even the pace of life all feel unique depending on where you are. But Provence is one of the few places where you get a mix of a lot of what people imagine when they think of France in one region. You’ve got Roman ruins, the Mediterranean coast, lavender fields, small hilltop villages, local food and flea markets, colourful shutters, and those open countryside views.
So instead of trying to figure out several very different regions on a first trip, Provence gives you a bit of everything in one place. That’s why we think it’s such a good starting point, and then you can always explore other, more unique regions on future trips once you’ve had that first overall France experience.
Where to stay and why
A place we really recommend using as a base in Provence is Avignon.
The reason is simple: it’s quite central, so you can reach most of the places we talk about in this video without long driving days. For a road trip like this, we usually prefer staying in one main location rather than changing hotels every couple of nights. You can absolutely travel that way if you like moving around, but for us it just keeps things simpler. No constant packing and unpacking, and more time actually exploring.
From Avignon, most drives are around two hours or less, which makes it a really practical base for seeing a lot of the region without feeling rushed.
To make things easier, we’ve grouped these destinations into four categories based on what they’re known for and the type of experience they offer. Whether you’re looking for classic Provençal villages, Roman history, lavender fields, or coastal towns, this should help you find the places that best match your trip.
Best places to add to your Provence road trip itinerary
CLASSIC PROVENÇAL VILLAGES
Gordes
Gordes is about a 45 mins drive away from Avignon. A stunning hilltop village in the Luberon area of Provence.
When we were here, we went to Airelles Gordes Hotel for a drink with an incredible view of the town. We had a citrusy lavender gin & tonic, which felt very appropriate for Provence, but you can get whatever you like. It’s more about the view anyway.
If you want an even better spot to see Gordes, check out the Town View Point.
Aix-en-Provence
About 1 hour from Avignon. Known for beautiful streets, fountains, markets, and its connection to painter Paul Cézanne.
It’s nicknamed the city of the fountains, because it has more than 50 water fountains all over the town. We also suggest visiting the famous painter Cezanne’s studio. The studio reopens its doors in the summer, from July 4 to October 31 each year, welcomes visitors daily, including Sundays and costs around 10 euros for a standard ticket.
Moustiers
Moustiers was one of our favourite towns we visited on our Provence road trip. It’s a small village in the Verdon region, and only about a 35 min drive from the Verdon Gorge, which we’ll talk more about later, and about a 2 hour 15 minutes drive from Avignon. One of the main sights here is the Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel, which you reach by climbing a long stone stairway up from the village. Above the rooftops, you’ll spot a star suspended between two cliffs. According to local legend, a Crusader knight placed it there as a thank-you to the Virgin Mary after returning home safely.
We talk more about everything to see and do here in our Verdon Gorge post.
Tourtour
Toutour is a tiny village in the Var department of eastern Provence, about 2 hours from Avignon. Often called the “Village in the Sky” known for its stunning sunset views from the church on the hill, cute cafés and restaurants, and peaceful village vibe. We actually got to stay here on a Provence trip we did and enjoyed our time here tremendously. Our favourite things to do were to buy fresh produce at the food markets and to cook our meals in the beautiful old kitchen with a view of the countryside.
We have an entire post talking about our experience in Tourtour.
Cotignac
Cotignac may be small, but it’s easily one of the prettiest towns we visited while we stayed in Tourtour. The streets are lined with charming buildings, colorful shutters, and little boutiques.
One of the best things to do here is wander through the narrow lanes and then stop for a drink at Cr. Gambetta, a lively square filled with cafés, bars, and restaurants. We chose Paulette Café, where we ordered two toasted brioche buns filled with lavender ice cream. One topped with Nutella and the other with salted caramel. Both were amazing.
We also tried Schweppes Agrumes, a citrus soda with orange, grapefruit, lime, and mandarin flavors that we hadn’t seen anywhere else in Europe. We loved it so much we even bought a six-pack to bring home.
Sillans-la-Cascade
Just 10 minutes by car from Cotignac, you’ll find a beautiful waterfall called Sillans-la-Cascade. You can park at Place du 8 Mai 1945. Then walk past the food trucks, where we couldn’t resist grabbing something refreshing on such a hot day. After that, you see the signboard that points you to the forest trail marked by wooden fences. It’s a short and easy walk down (though a bit tougher on the way back up) as they’ve built a proper path to walk on, no need for any special shoes, and at the end, you’re rewarded with a stunning waterfall cascading down a tree-covered cliff. It’s free and absolutely worth the stop.
Aups
We added Aups to our itinerary because we heard that once a month, on a Sunday, the town hosts one of the biggest brocante markets in this part of Provence.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it there on the Sunday, but we did visit on a Wednesday and found a large flea market in the market square (Marché de Aups) with clothes, cheeses, jewelry, pottery, and more. We had a great time browsing the stalls before heading to a crêperie for lunch.
Many places were packed, but we chose Crêperie Maison Cyriange, which was a little less crowded, and it turned out to be a great choice. We loved both their savory and sweet crêpes. Especially the Aupoise with goat’s cheese and honey, and the orange and sugar crêpe for dessert.
HISTORIC TOWNS
Arles
Arles, a city on the Rhône River in Provence, is about 40 minutes from Avignon. Famous for its Roman amphitheater, Roman heritage, and its connection to Vincent van Gogh. since he lived there in the late 1880s. We highly recommend doing the Van Gogh Walk to see all the locations that inspired his paintings and visiting the Roman Amphitheater, the Roman Theatre, and the Alyschamps, a tree-lined path with sarcophagi on either side leading to the Roman cemetery with a 12th century church. If you need a place to stop for lunch, check out all the restaurants along the bvd de luc and rue du president wilson.
Avignon
Avignon is a really strong base in Provence, but it’s also worth spending at least a day exploring itself since it’s very tied to French history.
The old town is walkable and surrounded by medieval walls, with narrow streets, small squares, cafés, and shops. The main highlight is the Palais des Papes, a massive Gothic palace that used to house the Popes in the 14th century, and the Pont d’Avignon, the famous broken bridge over the Rhône River that gives you great views of the city, especially at sunset.
Beyond the main sights, the local markets are a great way to experience everyday Provence life with fresh produce, cheeses, and local food. Overall, Avignon works really well as both a stop and a base, especially because it connects easily to the rest of Provence for day trips.
Les Baux
About 35 minutes from Avignon. A medieval village perched on a rocky hill, famous for its castle ruins and the immersive art exhibitions at Carrières des Lumières.
Les Baux-de-Provence is a beautiful town you shouldn’t miss in France. Wander through its streets and check out the shops selling the town’s famous pottery and lavender-scented soaps. This area is known for its steep limestone cliffs. We had lunch at a restaurant called Hostellerie de la Reine-Jeanne, with a table by the window, right on the edge of a cliff. The view was incredible, and the food was great too!
LAVENDER FIELDS
Valensole
The most popular lavender field is Valensole, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Avignon. Just keep in mind, lavender fields are only in full bloom for a short time each year, from mid-June to late August. If you visit too early, you’ll miss the most vibrant purple flowers, and if you come too late, the lavender might already be harvested.
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
About 50 minutes from Avignon and just 10 minutes from Gordes by car. This 12th-century Cistercian abbey is one of Provence’s most iconic landmarks, best known for the beautiful lavender fields that bloom in front of it during summer. It’s still an active monastery and can be visited on guided tours.
COASTAL PROVENCE
Marseille
About 1 hour from Avignon. France’s oldest city and the largest city in Provence, known for its historic Old Port, fresh seafood, and the stunning Calanques National Park with limestone cliffs and turquoise coves.
In Marseille, start at the Old Port, where you can watch the boats come and go and grab a coffee or seafood right by the water. Visit the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, the city’s iconic hilltop church with amazing views over Marseille and the sea. Then explore Le Panier, the oldest neighborhood, full of narrow streets, colorful buildings, and cool street art.
Montpellier
Technically it is not in Provence, but it’s right by it, around an hour and 15 mins drive from Avignon. It’s a beautiful place surrounded by beaches and countryside. When in Montpellier, you definitely have to take a stroll through Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, a gorgeous park lined with trees, little cafés, and restaurants. Speaking of, Montpellier has many amazing restaurants. We talk about a place we had some great French food and a bunch of other things to see and do in Montpellier in this video here to go watch it after this one.
Verdon Gorge
The Verdon Gorge is one of the most beautiful spots in Provence, known for its turquoise water and cliffs on either side. One of the best ways to experience it is by renting a self-driven electric boat, which ended up being our favorite activity of the trip. We rented ours from Nautic Verdon and spent a few hours cruising through the gorge, taking in the scenery and stopping to enjoy the views along the way.
The Verdon Gorge is also a popular hiking destination, with trails ranging from easy walks to more challenging hikes. We have an entire post where we share our full experience here, how much the boat costs and practical tips, including the different hiking trails you can choose from depending on your level and how much time you have.
So those are the destinations in Provence that we would recommend adding to your road trip itinerary.
Visit the French Riviera while you’re at it…
If you’re planning a longer trip, the French Riviera is only a couple of hours away and pairs really well with Provence. We have a full French Riviera road trip guide sharing our favorite towns and villages, so be sure to check that out next.
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