Leeds to Avignon, France - 7 nights in Spring
Itinerary At A Glance
7 day independent itinerary for Avignon in either April or May, based on flying in and out of Leeds Bradford, and hiring a car upon arrival
Highlights include outdoor adventures on river kayaks and bikes, strolling around Provence’s historic locations in the warm spring sunshine, and cooking at home with local Provençal produce
Based on a couple travelling, with a focus on leisurely outdoor and cultural activities, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere
Honest verdict
Did I enjoy the holiday? Does the place live up to expectations? Did the itinerary work for the trip? Would I make another visit?
I love river cities full of the grandeur and confidence of a long and important history.
Capital of the Vaucluse and the Côtes du Rhône, seat of the Popes and city of art and culture, Avignon is a small city that has everything a big one has, with more beauty and grace than you can shake a stick at. The centre is walled, filled with medieval meandering streets, private mansions from the Renaissance, tiny squares, and modern cafe culture. One side of the city borders the Rhone and the countryside is not far, with beautiful regions such as the Luberon, Carmargue and Les Alpilles all within a 1 hour drive.
Top marks for location - there might not be a bad spot in the whole of Provence, but I feel like no-one talks about Avignon so it felt a bit like we were discovering a place that other Brits know nothing about. The city itself is truly beautiful - clean, historic, vibrant, atmospheric - and the surrounding countryside equally so - verdant, relaxed, elegant. This place matches the photos, the hype and the general popularity.
We found this to be a superb base for sampling both Provence’s historical sites and outdoor beauty.
Itinerary Details
TRAVEL MEANS
British Airways, from Leeds to Marseille via Heathrow
We also hired a car for the entirety of the trip, which is necessary for getting around the region for day trips
ACCOMMODATION
This Airbnb
well-located apartment right in the middle of the city.
very ‘French’ in style
high-quality kitchen and bathroom.
Included a parking space about a 5 minute walk away (parking in the city is incredibly difficult so this was vital)
ACTIVITIES
Toured around a provencal market with a local - booked in advance with Airbnb Experiences. This was wonderful – a knowledgeable insider taking you round a food market in a place with such produce can’t be beaten
River-kayaking along the Sorgue – booked in advance with Airbnb Experiences. Crystal clear, freezing cold and verdantly beautiful, this was a fabulously easy outdoor activity that offered a chance to see some of the nature of Provence. We saw kingfishers, beavers, navigated some little ‘steps’ in the river and just relaxed in the kayak – we travelled with the current so there was very little paddling involved!
Cycled up Mont Ventoux - well, my boyfriend did! Famous Tour-de-France stage, bit too serious for my tastes - I’m more of a leisure cyclist than a serious road biker. Reports from him though were that this was well worth the trip. We took his bike especially for this reason
FOOD
We mostly bought fresh produce from Les Halles Food Market and ate at home
The reason we ate at home so much was not due to a lack of places to eat, but rather how exciting it felt to shop in Les Halles! ‘Les Halles’ in French literally means ‘covered market’ and you will find a ‘Les Halles’ in the vast majority of major French cities or towns. The one in Avignon is deserving of a superb reputation (which it has!) This market is composed of about 40 stall holders selling both fresh produce and ready-to-eats - Maison Violette bread and pastries stall to the left as you go in is superb.
Opening times: Les Halles is open every morning except Mondays. It’s especially lively Sunday mornings.
As well as Les Halles, the streets in the city are full to bursting with cafes, bistros, restaurants, traditional and international alike, and we sampled some of these also.
DAY TRIPS
Drive to Les Baux-de-Provence and take the audio tour around the Chateux de Les Baux
Located on a rocky plateau in the heart of the Alpilles, the town of Les Baux-de-Provence provides a breathtaking panoramic view down over Arles and the Camargue and the drive to get there is delightfully atmospheric. The town has been patiently restored and now boasts a historical and architecture heritage consisting of 22 listed buildings. In addition, the monumental “Carrières de Lumières” host extraordinary multimedia shows.
Arles
A major Roman centre, and famous for its amphitheatre and association with Van Gogh. We had a little stroll through the narrow streets of the centre and while it was sweet, I couldn’t honestly say it was a real highlight of the trip and wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for a visit here.
Wander Avignon itself
Historical, grand, and a bit of that fabulous ‘shabby chic’ the French do so well. Don’t take a map or use your phone - just wander without a plan. Its small enough for you to not worry at all about getting lost and you will surely stumble on some adorable little cafe as you walk, where you can sit out with a coffee and a viennoiserie, while you watch people go about their business. We spent at least two blissful half-days doing this.
Road-trip through the Luberon to visit the hilltop and valley villages
The Luberon is a beautiful region of rolling green hills and home to quintessential French villages, many having remained unchanged in centuries and boasting fantastic views across the area. An absolutely brilliant day-trip option with the villages about 30-45 min from one another, you can easily hit three locations in the day with time to stop and wander around. Our favourite stop of the day was in Lourmarin, though Gordes was also lovely. We did a day trip around here in the car but the region could be a week’s destination unto itself, and a great spot for some road biking and relaxing. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Ideas for another visit
Take a tour around the Carmargue to see the flamingo and wild horses
Visit Aix-en-Provence - the city of water and the city of markets. Some kind of market — for fish, flowers, clothes, pottery, spices, jewellery, vegetables, cheese, fruit and more — is open seven mornings a week. Reputedly a beautiful city for an exploring and wandering visit on foot.
Stay for a full week in The Luberon - staying either in Lourmarin or Gordes
Lessons Learnt for me
We had such a long wait in Heathrow and arrived in Avignon quite late. It would have been much better to go direct from Manchester.
We hired a car for this trip, which was essential for many of our intended activities, and the drive between Marseille airport and Avignon is about 1 hour.
We also took the bike with us on the flight but in retrospect, it wasn’t worth it for staying in the city itself - being inside a medium-sized city meant there was a fair amount of traffic so it was only used the one day. If we had chosen a more town or rural location as our base, I think the bike would have seen a lot more use.
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