Printable destination guide
For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Provence
France
- Countryside
- Scenes from Van Gogh
- Country life
- Whole lotta rosé
The south-west area of Provence is a land of light and colour, where the languid river Rhône winds its way through fruit orchards and fields of lavender before melting into the watery maze of the Camargue.
The wild dunes and marshes of the Med coast are the domain of cowboys, white horses and neon-pink flamingos. Inland, Arles, and its laidback neighbour Nîmes in Languedoc-Rousillon, are a beguiling blend of Roman amphitheatres, Provençal cuisine, café culture and sun-dappled boulevards. From the dramatic clifftop village of Les Baux, set among the olive groves, vines and craggy uplands of the Alpilles, you can look out across a land of Van Gogh, sunflowers and starry, starry nights.
Pictured: L'Hôtel Particulier
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Provence. There are more Smith hotels nearby in Languedoc-Roussillon.
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Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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Highlights the best Provence has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Provence. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…
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Here is the map of Provence; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
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Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Use a taxi rank or have your hotel order a cab. Prices are cheaper than on the Côte d’Azur, but there may be a charge for luggage.
- Tipping culture
- A 15 per cent service charge is included in French restaurant and café bills by law; it’s usual to round up the bill or leave a few euros, as well.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Businesses are normally open 09h–12h, and 14h–18h. Banks close at 16h30. Restaurants get busy after 21h and are often closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Packing tips
- Take cobble-friendly sandals rather than stilettos, and pack binoculars and mosquito repellent for the Camargue.
- Recommended reads
- The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles by Martin Gayford; Caesar's Vast Ghost: Aspects of Provence by Lawrence Durrell.
- Cuisine
- Provence’s cuisine du soleil is bursting with sun-ripened fruit and vegetables. Local specialities include bouillabaisse and red-wine stews known as daubes. There are excellent tapas in Spanish-influenced Nîmes. Seek out the refreshing rosé wines of Provence.
- Currency
- Euro (€).
- Dialing codes
- Country code for France: 33. Provence: (0)4.
- Do go/don't go
- Spring and autumn are perfect: the weather is warm and there are fewer crowds. May is a riot of flowers, and September sees the grape harvest.
Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
- Planes
- There are regular flights to Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Montpellier and Nîmes; obviously the airport you choose will depend on which part of Provence you're staying in and which entry point is most accessible from your local airport.
- Trains
- The TGV from Paris to Avignon and Nîmes takes three hours.
- Automobiles
- A car is only necessary if you want to explore the countryside. Inter-city transport is good and town centres are often pedestrianised.
Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Provence has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
Perfectly Provence
The Camargue is a coastal wilderness of marshes, dunes and flamingo-specked salt flats, with whitewashed houses and gypsy villages. gardians (cowboys) watch over the region’s famous herds of black bulls and white horses.
- Viewpoint
- There’s a wonderful view towards the Camargue from the battlements of the fortress in Les Baux-de-Provence. In summer, go early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
- Arts and culture
- The 20,000-seat Roman amphitheatre in Nîmes doubles as a bullring and theatre venue. Nîmes’ beautiful Maison Carrée temple occupies the site of the old Roman forum. Arles has an equally impressive amphitheatre, also used for hosting cultural events. Just outside Les Baux-de-Provence, Cathédrale d’Images is a huge cave in which famous artworks related to the area are projected onto its walls (www.cathedrale-images.com).
- Something for nothing
- Vincent Van Gogh painted almost 200 paintings during the year or so he spent in Arles. Many of the spots where he worked are marked by a series of panels dotted around the city.
- Shopping
- Uzès, north of Nîmes, has a Saturday market selling home-making goodies, from honey to linen quilts. Rue de la Madeleine in Nîmes is great for window-shopping. Buy slabs of nougat, almond-paste callisons and pastries from Maison Villaret and costume jewellery from Météorite. Aix-en-Provence has a wide range of design boutiques on Rue Fabrot, and a fantastic food market every day on Place Richelme.
- Daytripper
- Montpellier is one of the most energetic and prosperous cities of Mediterranean France. The vast Place de la Comédie is a good starting point for an exploration.
- Activities
- The best way to see the Camargue is gardian-style, on horseback: go to www.promenadedesrieges.com for details. Kayak down the Gardon river to the towering Roman aqueduct of Le Pont du Gard, with Kayak Vert in Collias (+33 (0)4 66 22 80 76).
Diary
- Mid-May Feria de Pentecôte celebrations in Nîmes include bullfights in the amphitheatre. 24–26 May Gypsies from all over Europe gather in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to pay their respects to St Sarah, the Black Madonna. July The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence is an opera festival that attracts world-class performers (www.festival-aix.com). Early September With paella, sangria and bull-running, the Rice Festival in Arles feels decidedly Spanish.
Eating, drinking and dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Provence. All you have to do is make sure you've packed your favourite threads…
Restaurants
La Chassagnette
Deep in the Camargue, in a building that used to be a sheepfold, this restaurant is unmissable. Sit in the kitchen garden at lunchtime and enjoy their modern organic cuisine. The restaurant even supplies diners with straw hats on sunny days.
Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles
(+33 (0)4 90 97 26 96)
Le Lisita
This restaurant next to the amphitheatre in Nîmes is a stylish option with a fine, seasonally adjusted menu based around local suppliers and ingredients.
Boulevard des Arènes, 2, 3000 Nîmes
(+33 (0)4 66 67 29 15)
Le Magister
Established over 20 years ago, Le Magister is an intimate, family-run restaurant with an extensive menu of Provençal specialities and fine wines of the Languedoc region.
rue Nationale 5, Nîmes
(+33 (0)4 66 76 11 00)
Chez Bru
Run by a Belgian couple, Chez Bru, aka Le Bistrot d’Eygalières, is a Michelin-starred place of pilgrimage for gourmets. Their salt-marsh lamb is perfection.
rue de la République, Eygalières
(+33 0(4) 90 90 60 34)
Le Petit Bru
Chez Bru’s baby sister bistro is very popular, with good reason – the food is excellent.
Avenue Jean Jaurès, Eygalières
(+33 04 90 95 98 89)
Le Cilantro
In the heart of the historic town centre of Arles, this modern, contemporary restaurant offers world cuisine with a Mediterranean influence, a wide selection of wines and a good-value fixed-price lunchtime menu.
rue Porte de Laure, 13, Arles
(+33 (0)4 90 18 25 05)
©2008 Mr & Mrs Smith
