We returned from 12 wonderful days in Provence, landing and taking off via Marseille. We did a circular route and changed 4 places to stay when we did a star trip in each of them. Here are the main recommendations and tips:
· Renting a car - I have been renting a car in Hertz through the Internet for several years. They have a Hertz Gold club and their prices and service are always excellent, I have never had a problem. They have benefits for club members such as a second driver for free and more. You should register for these clubs, it's free and you should make comparisons
· In Provence, a small, automatic car is mandatory! If you are traveling in the villages, there are many places with narrow paths that are really challenging to pass through with a large vehicle
· In most villages you can find free parking. We paid very little for parking only when there was no choice. In France there are municipal parking lots where a blue sign is paid and a white sign is free parking. If you go a little further from the center you will find streets with free parking. In most places there is also parking for an hour for free, you just have to read on the meter (click on the flag sign to switch to English) what it says because it varies from place to place
· In every village, even the smallest, there is a local tourist office. It's always in the city center, and with all due respect to Google Maps, I like to take a map from them where all the important places are marked, I think it's really convenient.
· Most French people do not speak English!!! It is much more extreme in the villages, where it is rare to find an English speaker, even at the tourist office!. This is very problematic, especially in the matter of food, and especially for those who have food restrictions and need to make sure what is on the menu. There are places that really tried and made an effort to speak with us in our language and were very nice, and there are places where they were really antipathetic - especially in the restaurants in the small villages, where it seems that time has stood still and they don't know what Instagram and social networks are, and some of them are really unfriendly to tourists who are not French.
· Because we stayed for 12 days, we combined accommodation in a furnished apartment with hotels with breakfast according to the itinerary and the markets we were in. We ate great pastries at the markets for breakfast, lunches at different restaurants, and in the evening we bought all kinds of cheeses, great vegetables in fresh bags and all kinds of delicacies and ate at the apartment and sometimes went out to eat at restaurants. I personally like the part of shopping for food in the local markets and supermarkets more than going 3 times a day to a restaurant, especially since it is a relatively long period, but each according to his preference, and this part should also be planned and thought about in advance.
· Keep in mind that restaurants close at noon and in the evening, most of them close at 9 pm. Bakeries and supermarkets also close at 7 and if you arrive a minute later they won't let you in...you just need to know and organize accordingly
· From a culinary point of view, I was a bit disappointed. Without noticing Israel has become a culinary powerhouse, and the French food in the local restaurants in the villages is nothing at all. I came with a lot of expectations, and a week before the flight I still managed to see the movie "Delicious" which actually opened my taste buds, but what I got was far from being Babet's celebration. There were a few restaurants that we really enjoyed and one of them we even went back to twice, but overall I wasn't blown away by the food at all. It should be noted that the food is relatively inexpensive and due to the low exchange rate of the Euro, the prices are cheaper than in Israel in most places
· At the same time, I booked a place in advance at La Vivier restaurant which has 2 Michelin stars and it was an amazing culinary experience. I really recommend! We took the 90 euro meal, we were there for 3 hours and it was simply excellent food and top notch service. I know there are people who raise an eyebrow and are not willing to pay so much for small portions. Everyone has their own choices and that's fine, but whoever decides to go for it - you pay not only for the food but for the whole complex, it's really works of art, each complex dish is filled with flavors and textures that blend together and it's truly an experience, and come on, you only live once and we work so hard It's hard, so why not congratulate ourselves?
· We landed in Marseille in the morning, so according to the plan we took the car and spent a day in Marseille. Maybe because the heat was threatening and maybe we were tired from the flight, but in my opinion, Marseille is a city that is really a shame to waste time on. On the other hand, at the end of the trip, we changed the route a bit and added half a day in Nice and half a day in Cannes - and both turned out to be beautiful and fun cities and we regretted not flying through Nice, and promised ourselves the opportunity to make a weekend trip to travel in them.
· The reason why we changed the route a bit is because the villages are very beautiful, but in the end you've seen one, you've seen them all...and we were missing a bit of a city. Also, in most villages, you finish the important sites and places in less than two hours (if you don't waste time), so every day we did 2-3 villages
· The villages are more than a thousand years old and some of them are from the Middle Ages. They are really beautiful! And time seems to have stopped there. We got to peek here and there into small inhabited houses and saw kitchens in the Golda Meir style of the past
· Between Grasse and Nice there is a huge mall of all the chains called Polygon, it's half a day's entertainment, and there are full of restaurants of all kinds. It's an open and really beautiful mall, and because the euro is now very low, the shopping is also really worth it!
· The central shopping street in Cannes is also a real experience and celebration, and really fun just to walk around!
· Wiz works great everywhere! Provence is beautiful, and we decided to close the option of toll roads, then we drove through amazing villages and breathtaking landscapes that are an integral part of the trip. Only on the last day did we open it back up because the time difference was very significant and we wanted to see a few more places.
· When we were in Grau-les-Bains I read everything that was written here in the group about Verdon, I consulted with people at the hotel and they sent us to a place called Evasion Verdon where you can rent a boat, there was water and we had a magical two hour cruise
· We were in a lot of villages, but the places you shouldn't miss: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Gordes, les Baux-de-Provence, Manosque Village, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Eze village
· If you are in the area of Cassis there is a great vantage point that should not be missed, look for la route des cretes road, a truly breathtaking view
· If you are in the Grass area - 10 minutes away there is a village that doesn't have too much to do, but it has a crazy observation point that is worth a visit - Cabris
· In Kfar Eaz we sat in a cafe la chevre d'or which is located in an amazing hotel. There are 2 options there and it is also 3 Michelin stars for the restaurant. We went to the cafe that is in front of a view that is worth everything. It is true that it is a bit expensive, but we had a light meal there in order to leave room for the desserts that we actually came for. The cafe opens at 12 and there is no need to reserve a place in advance, it is based on availability. We arrived already at 11:30, and talked to the manager of the cafe and he was really nice and let us sit already even though they hadn't opened yet. There was also excellent service. Beer lovers - drink the local beer, very expensive but come on, we already said you only live once, didn't we?
· The downfall of the trip: The job of planning trips at our house is mine and I spend days and nights on it and this is something that has never happened to me. In Grau-le-Bains, I booked a furnished apartment on a farm close to the town. The reviews were excellent and praised the place and the owners and described them as very kind and nice and that they gave lots of good tips. The apartment is described as equipped with access to a private terrace, and that breakfast is included and is made by the owners from the produce of their farm. Sounds very promising and the overall score was 9.2 which is very high. I booked and paid in advance. When we got there we entered a gravel path in the middle of the forest. Although we saw signs to the place, we thought that the Wiz took us on a shortcut and that there is another access from the road. In fact, we drove slowly for about 2.5 km and there was no way to turn around because of the narrow path. The path is really not suitable for a car with normal wheels and we were really afraid that it would damage the car. When we arrived we discovered that we were the only ones in the place, and that this was the only way and there was no road. The owners seemed really strange people and they didn't know a word of English which made us doubt the reviews I read. The room was far from the description on the website, there is a terrace but it is not private and does not leave the room. It is a normal house that they turned their rooms into guest rooms and the kitchen is shared. There was a terrible smell and we felt like we were in a horror movie. It was already late and we immediately made a decision that we were not staying there. Beyond the unpleasant feeling, it is a remote place and if we wanted to jump into town to buy something or just go out it would be impossible due to the lack of access. So I immediately booked another hotel and we left the place. It cost us an additional NIS 1000, but it was worth the money and at least we slept peacefully afterwards. I share it with you because if you also like staying in special places and not in a hotel - sometimes it can not be the best and you really need to do good homework before booking.
· All in all, we had a really fun trip and we really enjoyed it. In my opinion, Provence is less suitable for a trip with children, at least the route we took
Since we had an early morning flight back, we preferred to spend the night in a hotel near the airport and returned the car the night before, so as not to have to deal with it in the morning. We took a hotel that has a free shuttle to the field and it is very relaxing, and saves a lot of headache.
· Many thanks to traveler Ilanit Menachem for Summary of her trip in our group of travelers…enjoy!
· In the pictures - some of the amazing views
