For the second year running, my parents and I took a side trip from our late-summer stay in Cannes. We spent two glorious days in Provence, discovering Roman ruins and Van Gogh's inspiration in Arles and Saint-Rémy and visiting picture-postcard Provençal villages like Les Baux, Gordes and Roussillon.
As a teenager, I spent two summers in Provence. The first was in 1998, a scorching summer when the mercury hit 47C one day. I was grateful for the pool at our villa in Cabrières d'Avignon, even if I missed my friends and bemoaned the lack of shops! Three years later, we spent two weeks near Apt.
Although my parents have been back to Provence a few times, I hadn't returned in 25 years, so our two-day road trip was the perfect way to take a trip down memory lane and rediscover its lush landscapes, hilltop villages and Roman history — this time through adult eyes.
Two-day Provence road trip itinerary
Day 1: Cannes > Arles > Les Baux
Arles
We set off from Cannes on Sunday morning, reaching Arles at 11:30 am. The journey takes just over two hours, mostly on the speedy A8 motorway with a few scenic vistas like Montagne Sainte-Victoire along the way.
First settled around 800 BC, Arles became a Roman city in 123 BC. The Romans certainly left their mark and within ten minutes of leaving the car park, we've already spied the Théâtre Antique and the Arènes d'Arles, a UNESCO-listed Roman amphitheatre.
As our time in Arles is short, we just peer inside the Roman theatre and then head into the amphitheatre, which is still used for non-violent 'bull games' and other events. The amphitheatre is impressive: walking around it is like stepping back in time. You can buy a combo ticket for these and other key Arles attractions if you have more time.
Our lunch venues of choice — Inari, Le Constantin and Chez La Belge — are full so we head to an Italian eatery on bustling Place du Forum, where we find yet more Roman remains (the last two pillars of the titular forum) and another Van Gogh connection: the building that inspired his Yellow House painting.
Van Gogh spent a year in Arles in 1888 and the town and its surrounding countryside inspired many of his paintings. A series of stone 'easels' throughout the town allow you to see Arles through Van Gogh's eyes.
After lunch, we explore Arles' charming streets and excellent cafes, galleries and shops, like Carnet de Voyage, Moustique and Luma. After a brief visit to the cathedral and a stroll along the Rhône, it's time for us to say au revoir to Arles.
Abbaye de Montmajour
Our next stop is to Abbaye de Montmajour, a Benedictine abbey a few miles east of Arles. Founded in 948, the abbey featured as Chinon Castle, the seat of Henry II, in the 1968 film The Lion in Winter.
We spend an hour or so walking through the buildings, grateful for the respite from the afternoon heat. The tower is closed, although my aching legs don't mind too much.
Instead, we admire the verdant Provençal landscapes. Van Gogh used to walk here from Arles to paint, which explains the enigmatic 'wheat field' pin in Google Maps!
Les Baux de Provence
On the road to Les Baux de Provence, we pass a Roman aqueduct and the windmill that inspired writer Alphonse Daudet but we push on to the luxury hotel where we are staying. We stop just long enough to check in and go for a cooling dip in the swimming pool.
We take the hotel shuttle up the short, steep road to Les Baux, hurrying slightly so we're not too late for the village's main attraction, Château des Baux-de-Provence. This ruined 10th century castle is perched on top of the tiny village, itself clinging to a rocky outcrop.
The setting is magnificent, especially at golden hour when the crowds are gone and the light is perfect. Luckily, we make it with time to spare (the opening hours vary seasonally and last entrance is one hour before closing time).
The hilltop fortress reminds me a little of Sigirya in Sri Lanka. I climb onto the ramparts, where there are panoramic vistas of olive groves, vineyards and Alpilles mountains.
Les Baux's connection to the Monaco royal family dates back to the 17th century. Prince Albert II and his family visited a few days after us to receive the keys to the village. As for the name, Les Baux derives from the Occitan bauç (cliff) and gives its name to bauxite, which was first mined here. There's even a hunk of the aluminium ore in the village.
A decadent night at Baumanière
The village is quiet as we make our way back down. Our shuttle soon whisks us back to our hotel, where we shower, change for dinner and enjoy some downtime. I'll be writing a separate article about our stay, but suffice it to say that Baumanière is the epitome of understated Provençal luxury.
I befriend four hotel cats and three goats, before discovering the vegetable garden from which our supper is sourced. Baumanière's L'Oustau restaurant has three Michelin stars, but we are just as happy to dine at La Cabro d'Or, which is also Michelin-recommended.
In an atmospheric setting next to the duck pond, we feast on six courses, each beautifully presented and bursting with Provençal flavours. My favourites are the langoustines served in the shell with a zesty salad, and the Alpilles roast lamb with petits farçis.
We return to our rooms, very tired after our busy day, but full and very happy. My room is extremely comfortable and I fall asleep almost immediately.
Day 2: Les Baux > Saint Rémy > Luberon villages
Baumanière is set in 20 hectares of countryside at the foot of Les Baux. Accommodation is spread across three different residences and there are three swimming pools. After a pre-breakfast swim at our 'local' pool, we tuck into the superb buffet at La Cabro d'Or.
We take a shuttle 900 metres up the road to the upper section, where there's another large pool at the foot of the craggy cliffs. What a magical place to swim! Afterwards we visit the chocolate factory, though I fail to heed the chocolatier's advice to keep my purchases cool (it was 33C, to be fair).
Carrières des Lumières
After reluctantly checking out of Baumanière, we drive five minutes up the road to Carrières des Lumières, an immersive digital art gallery in a disused quarry. As you wander through the cavernous space, animated exhibitions are projected on the walls.
It's the Picasso show during our visit. The artist's abstract shapes work well with the quarry's craggy interiors and it's nice to have a bit of a break from Van Gogh, much as I like his work.
The road north of Les Baux is very scenic, its hairpin bends affording sweeping views of the countryside. There are various viewpoints where you can stop to look back at Les Baux from afar. You can probably guess which artist favoured the one I chose!
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Lying six miles north of Les Baux, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence has been occupied since prehistoric times. If you approach on the D5, you can stop at the Roman archaeological site of Glanum or Saint-Paul de Mausole, where Van Gogh painted The Starry Night as a patient at the asylum.
We drive into the centre and find parking without any trouble. As it's a Monday, it's fairly quiet in picturesque, pedestrianised old town. Another enigmatic Google Map pin, 'chat qui dort', turns out to be an actual sleeping cat rather than the street art I'm expecting.
There are more Van Gogh locations, but Saint-Rémy is also the birthplace of Michel de Nostradamus. We stop by the house where he was born (there's a QR code where you can get your birth chart done — I wonder if he foresaw that!) and a fountain in his honour.
Note to my teenage self who declared Saint-Rémy "boring and with no good shopping": the shops are fab! I buy a straw hat at Les Comptoirs des Alpilles and window-shop at La Château de Ma Mère, a lifestyle boutique named for a Marcel Pagnol novel.
I sample the offering at Monsieur Praline, while my mum picks out some olive oil from L'Epicerie du Calanquet. Then, after an unremarkable lunch near Collégial Saint Martin (we're still full from our epic hotel breakfast), it's time to get back on the road.
Cabrières d'Avignon
It takes 35 minutes to drive from Saint-Rémy to Cabrières d'Avignon, a small village between Cavaillon and Gordes. We spent a month there in 1998, but I wasn't much of a travel blogger back then and my angst-filled teenage diary isn't much help when it comes to tracking down the villa we rented.
The village itself, with its stone buildings and narrow lanes, is very familiar. Like Peter Mayle, we dined at Chez Michel, which has sadly closed. It's after 4:00 pm, so we give up on our house hunt and head on to Gordes.
Gordes
The most perché of all the Luberon's villages perchés, Gordes' honeyed-stone buildings cling to the hillside, interspersed with cypress trees and olive groves. We stop at a viewpoint just outside the village (featured in the header image): Gordes is gorgeous in the afternoon light.
We park five minutes' walk from the centre of Gordes. It's is the priciest car park of the lot: you get 15 minutes free and then it's €8 for any longer. At least we can pay by card. You'll need a good pair of shoes as the village's narrow streets are, unsurprisingly, very steep.
After a stroll, we stop for ice cream (lavender and honey for me; when in Provence...) and think back on the wine festival we attended here three decades ago. My parents still have the souvenir glasses! I can't resist snapping one more photo of Gordes on the drive out.
Roussillon
During my teenage Provence trip, I only took 10 photos — five of our villa's pool. But one featured the striking ochre cliffs at Roussillon and I take the same shot this time. We must have visited at the same time of day because the photos are almost identical (give or take 28 years of camera technology).
We spend about 40 minutes walking around Roussillon, whose red, orange and yellow buildings look especially gorgeous in the early evening light. The influencers in town seem to agree!
Pont Julien and Bonnieux
We press on south through the Luberon hills. Despite the summer heatwaves, the rich green hues of the olive groves and vineyards feel like a stark contrast to the parched parks back in London.
We make a pit stop at Pont Julien, a 2,000-year-old Roman bridge. Built without mortar, it was still in use until 2005 when an alternative was built. The statue-like niches aren't decorative — they're designed to let floodwater pass through, though the River Calavon was barely more than a trickle during our visit.
There isn't time to visit Bonnieux, but I do manage a nice photo of the church while waiting at a red light in the tiny village's one-way system. Even after two days of spectacular scenery, the beauty of the Luberon still stops me in my tracks.
Lourmarin
We pull into Lourmarin just after 7:30 pm and park next to the Renaissance castle. Our first mission is to find somewhere for a quick bite to eat before the sun goes down.
La Recréation, a family-run restaurant that has been going for over 40 years, very much fits the bill. We get a table on the delightful terrace (we're lucky; everyone else has booked) and savour the Provençal comfort food: roast chicken and creamed potato.
In summer 2001, I slogged through Albert Camus' La Peste as preparation for my Cambridge interview and made a pilgrimage to the writer's grave. It's getting late by the time we've finished dinner and we need to get on the road, so I'm not able to return. (I got my place at Cambridge but they I wasn't even asked about Camus in my interview.)
The drive back to Cannes takes 2.5 hours. The winding roads of the first 30 minutes make for slow progress but we are treated to the end of a lovely sunset: the dark Luberon mountains silhouetted against the rosé-tinted sky. Then we reach the A8, and it's plain sailing all the way home.
Provence road trip planning tips
Itinerary thoughts
We did this road trip from Cannes but that meant two very long days, lots of driving (huge thanks to my dad!) and not much downtime. This itinerary would be better as a two-day side trip from Aix-en-Provence. You could spend more time in Arles on day one and in Saint-Rémy or the Luberon on day two.
If you have more time in the area, I would add a day in Aix-en-Provence, a day in Avignon (with a side trip to Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct) and a day visiting Cassis and the stunning calanques. We've done all of these on previous trips.
When to visit Provence
July and August can be extremely hot and most of the places on this itinerary get very crowded. June and September are the sweet spot (June to see the lavender fields in bloom): it's usually warm and sunny, most places are open, it's less busy and accommodation is cheaper. Spring and autumn are lovely times to visit, but not everywhere is open.
Getting there and around
If you're flying in, Marseille Provence Airport is the closest airport. You can also take the high-speed TGV train from Paris to Aix or Avignon.
I'm a big advocate for using public transport when possible, but you really benefit from having a car in Provence, especially if you're limited on time. But there are also plenty of small-group tours from Aix, including Luberon village tours and wine tours.
Money
France uses the euro and at the time of my visit, the exchange rate was 1 GBP = €1.16, or 1 USD = €0.86. We were able to pay by credit card everywhere, including at small car parks where the ticket machines had card readers. But I would keep a small amount of cash, including coins, on hand just in case.
In France, service is included at most restaurants and bars, indicated as service compris on menus and bills. This means there's no need to leave a tip, but you can leave a few coins for particularly good service. Some tourist venues may try to blur the lines by telling you that the tip (pourboire) isn't included even though service is.
Wifi/mobile data
If you do drive, do make sure you have a good data package on your phone so you can access GPS directions — crucial for the countryside lanes and narrow village roads — as well as locating places to eat and points of interest.
I stayed connected on this trip with an Airalo eSIM, paying £8 for a 5GB 7-day eSIM. Airalo's eSIMs are easy to set up and I had great connectivity throughout my time in Provence and Cannes. Want to try Airalo on your next trip? Sign up with my referral code — REBECC3024 — and we both get $3 Airalo credit.
Planning a trip to the South of France? Explore my other guides and resources:
My complete Cannes travel guide
15 fun things to do in Cannes
How to spend a day in Cannes on a budget
Best Cannes beach restaurants
Cannes specialty coffee guide
Antibes one-day itinerary
Nice one-day itinerary
Making perfume in Grasse
Two days in the Gorges du Verdon
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