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Provence
Provence is all you can wish for on your vacation - sun, good food and wine, romantic towns, exquisite mountains and viewpoints, delightful markets, beaches and endless fields. You probably think 'seems wonderful but what the kids will do there', so Provence is full of vacation activities for all ages - horse riding, caves to explore, rivers for canoeing, bonbon museum, incredible Roman history.....and much more.
Provence is Disney in pure nature for all young, youth and adult.


Day 1 -Avignion

Avignion is located on the borders of three districts - Bouches du rhone, Gard and Vaucluse. You can read a lot about this amazing city but you can never imagine the filling of standing in front of Palais des Papes or walking through St-benezet bridge.
The city is known for its Festival d'Avignion in July but I think it is too crowded and with kids it is better to visit not during those three weeks of festival.
You can have a boat trip on the Rhone and ride the little sightseeing train with the kids.
Walking through the old town, do some shopping and taste the Papaline d'Avignion.

Do not miss the view from the terraces of the Palais des Papes - the Rohne, Pont St Benezet, Mont Vento, Vaucluse , Luberon and Alpilles.

Avignion is a medieval city which is surrounded with walls, giving you the filing you are hundred of centuries ago.

It nice for a little resting, shopping and absorb some culture and art.

Tips - sleeping around Avignion is a great place for star trips in Provence, close to a lot of 'must see' sites in Provence. Although, if you are not planning to spend more than one day in Avignion don't sleep in the city because it will waist you a lot of time every day get out and back .Anyplace in a radius of 15 KM is a great location.
Avignion has 2 trains stations - one is the TGV which is the train riding about 310 km per hour, that's why it is a very good location for continuing the trip in France or in other countries in Europe. If you staying long you can take it for Marseille for one day.
Must see - visiting Palais du Pappe, little train, old town and the famous bridge.
Day 2 - Camargue

This huge area (about 350,000 acres) of wetlands, pastures and salt flats formed by the delta of the Rhône river. The region has a unique ecological balance and is home to many pink flamingos, small white horses grazing, these are ridden in the area by "gardians" a traditional part of the local community. Start the they in Musee Camarguais learn about the region, then you can visit Aigues Mort which is a splendid walled town on the edge of salt marshes in the Camargue.
Do not miss the walk of over 1.5km around the town walls (open 9.30 - 7PM in the summer).
Then go to beach at Le Grau-du-Roi and of course the salt train.
Tours of the salt pans and a part of the Camargue. These all include a tour of the salt pans, the salt museum, a video and a visit to the shop, with the longer bus tour offering further insight into the flora and fauna of the Camargue.
After it visit Les Stes- Maries de la Mer - enjoy the streets, the beach and if you are on weekend you may catch a bull fight in the Arena. You can it in Michelin recommended restaurant El Campo on the main road. You won't regret the grate oysters.
This a lovely long day, you should start the day very early in the morning, if you visit in summer you can add another day spending some time on the beaches and visit one of the farms in the area, do hours riding trip or just visit one of the farms (numbers and phone in tourists information centres in Stes-Maries de la Mer.

If you love nature more the cities you can spend 2 days on Camargue instead of Avignion or st Remy.

Day 3 -;Luberon
You can stay 3 nights in Luberon, feel the slow rhythm of ilfe, enjoy the endless green fields, visit all markets and villages, walk through medieval villages . I like this trip which let you explore the Luberon with the kids.
If you are staying a week in Provence spend at list one day here.
We will start the day in the ";Village des Bories" which is 4 km before Gordes. Your kids feel like they are adam & eve, walking through the twenty or so buildings, houses, sheepfolds and barns of various shapes and sizes, two to five centuries old and built with materials found on site (mainly flagstone) and all arranged about a baker's oven.
Leaving Village des Bories on road D2 you arrive Gordes. It is one of the most painted villages in France and you will sure understand why. It is a small village, very nice to watch it when you drive, but it is small and not much to do so plan to stop on the day of market. After a short stop go back to the car leaving the way to Roussillon-The Luberon ochre hills. It is a very interesting village and expect of the Ochre footpath(allow about 2 hours
) your children's enjoy walking around the red houses. You can find the magic of this place -; the neighbouring ochre sites and the grand landscape were your children's can play and get dirty….it is all just fun, fun and fun.
If you still have time and energy you can visit Lacoste and Menerbes.
If you visit on July you must drive to see the blue Lavander fields on D113 -; read more about the Lavender road.
Day 4 -; Gorges de l'Ardeche
Probably you heard about Gorge des Verdon but you did not hear about Gorges de l'Ardeche. I must say I don't know why. I think that the people who visit Aviginion for couples of days and travel 6 hours go and back to see des Verdon are making a mistake, gorges de l'Ardeche is at least beautiful as Verdon is and is only one hour drive from Avignion.
Driving with car, bicycle riding or kayaking down the river ,you will fill the spectacular views and air. You should allow a full day, especially in summer when traffic can be hard if you travel with young kids I would do it by car, oldest then five - you can rent a kayak at Pont d'arc .
You start at Pont st-esprit on D290, overlooks the gorge, and stops on view points .There a lot of them, do not miss Belvedere du serre de Tourre, Belvedere de Gaud, Belvederes de Gournier ,La haute Cornice and Belvedere de la Cathedrale.
After all that view you will have energy for a full year.
Lots of caves on the way, I prefer Aven d'Orgnac even though it is not on D290 and you need to drive there .It is the biggest and most interesting cave in the south of France.
It is a big cave, 120 meters underground, you get down by 700 hundred steps, go up by elevator, my kids, even did not understand the language, enjoyed it very much.
Day 5 -; Pont du Gard, Uzes and Musee the bonbon Haribo
This is a great they if you had no luck and in the 300 days of sun in a year , you get rain on one day of your trip.
Start the day on Pont du Gard, visit the bridge, the museum, the Ludo the beach or just walk around the gardens…. You can also enjoy here a trip by canoe down the Gardon for a couple of hours.
Leave the bridge towards the Haribo museum, the kids will learn about sweet manufacturing and most of those little bear jelly candies, win a candy on the machine and enjoy the big store with the low prices .Smelling and tasting, believe me you will get mood like after drinking couples of wine bottles…
If you have more time you can visit Uzes national stud and Uzes old town .

Day 6-Les Baux de Provence and st Remy de Provence
This day is appropriate for that day on the trip when you fill tired, like to slow a little bit, sleep a bit more in the morning or finish the day early.
Just in the heart of Provence between Avignion and Arles the region of Les Alpilles . You can spend about two days exploring the region, but on this trip, which you taste a little bit of every district in Provence, this is a nice glance to the spectacular site in Provence.
Les Baux is one of the most picturesque French villages and just before reaching to the top of the hill driving on D 27, you will surely understand why.
You can just walk through the streets, visit the castle, the Cathedrale d'Images, on weekends on the season from April- October there are shows on Friday night. Allow about 2-3 hours visiting the village.
Leaving Les Baux towards ST- Remy de Provence -; this is for sure not ' must see' village but remember what I wrote in the about - being in a place is not just visiting the most popular touristic places, it is also watching the life, watching people playing Petanque on the way, doing their groceries in a typical grocery store .Try to get there on Wednesday which is the market day , enjoy walking through the collared streets, seating in a little café watching the orchestra playing. Enjoy yhe boulevards, the fountains and the festive atmosphere. Van Gogh got his inspiration from this lovely village- go to see it in muse Estrine Centre d'art Presence Van Gogh. If you like and interested in antiques -; don't miss Plateau des Antique.
If you like museums you can find a lots of them around ST Remy and it is also a good place to sleep around and explore the surrounding area.
It is a small village, walking in the little streets and on the main road you will see it all. Get into the Provence rhythm, it is slow ….quiet and calm.
From here, you can visit 'Musee des Santons animes' where you can learn about the evolution of santons .It is not a long day, if you are from the rushers you can visit on the same day Tracson or Beacaire .
If you have more time -; you can spend some time in Arles and try not to miss Le train des A-Alpilles-04-90188131 April-September-an amazing 40 minutes' drive through the rice fields.
 You can also have one day trip to Aix en Provence and Marseille.