Practical Information
Don't Worry, Eat Happy
Provence is a daily celebration of glorious food and we have sourced the best of the region: hilltop wineries, cooking classes, picnics in the vines, olive oil mills and local, friendly restaurants.
Looking Good – What to Pack
Provence fashion is all about sun dresses, casual cotton shirts and khakis. We recommend you pack outfits with fashion and comfort in mind. To make it easy we’ll send you a suggested packing list before the tour. Running shoes, non, unless you happen to run. Linen dresses, oui, for wine tastings and restaurants. Sunny is usually the forecast in Provence, so we recommend bringing a stylish hat or visor.
Shopping
In Provence, there are markets everywhere selling soaps, linens, olives and jewellery. Every day there will be time for you to shop the local markets and shops. We recommend you bring an empty duffle bag rolled up in your suitcase.
Did we mention the Côtes-du-Rhône wines?
Memorable Meals
Each day, in between wine tastings and cooking classes, we will enjoy wonderful meals together. Each morning begins with breakfast served poolside with fresh croissants, jams, fruit and hot coffee. And because we know that you’ll want a little alone time, some meals are planned to be unplanned. Of course, we can help with recommendations and reservations.
Walking – The Secret Weapon
Many people who return from Provence are surprised to find that they’ve lost a pound to two despite devouring multi-course meals with cheese and dessert and wine. The secret is walking. The Provence landscape is meant for walking. You don’t need to be an athlete but you should be able to walk a kilometre and up a few easy hills. Not all at once, but between vineyards, shopping and exploring medieval villages.Currency
Since we have so many things covered for you, there’s no need to bring scads of Euros. And forget traveller’s cheques, they’re so 20th-century. We recommend that you leave home with about 200 Euros in cash and use the convenient bank machines if you need more (assuming you have an ATM or debit card). In our experience, a credit card is the easiest way to pay for things in France, and usually gets us the best exchange rate.
Renting a Car
It’s not mandatory to rent a car, but we recommend it for independence and flexibility. All the transportation to events are included but if you’re keen to explore the area on your own a car is indispensable. We can provide you with maps and favourite driving routes.
You can easily arrange a car rental from home before you travel to France. The major car rental companies can be found at the Avignon TGV station – pick up and drop off are easy.
What's Included
Double accommodations for seven nights in a Provencal villa, all breakfasts, 5 lunches including wine, 6 dinners including wine, two cooking classes, several tours and tastings of markets and stores, fees for all events including cooking classes, tours, and tastings, transfer to and from the Avignon TGV train station. The villa has high-speed Internet access but we hope you won’t spend much time surfing the web, when you can be slurping the wines!
What's Not Included
Airline tickets or fares, train tickets or fares, personal car rental, personal shopping, insurance, additional meals.