*Basic Category 3 includes a weekly rental, with unlimited miles, for an economy car with A/C and manual transmission (not automatic); and, does not include guided tours, excursions, cooking school, dinners, or meet and transfer.

** Hotel availability on the Riviera becomes very limited for Easter and for the Cannes film festival, so please inquire as early as possible. High season prices may apply on Christmas and  Christmas Eve and New Years day and New Years Eve. If you select Hotel Le Cavendish from July 15 – August 31, the tour price will increase $180.

• Meet and greet with our rep at the airport in Marseilles
• Ten nights in first class, superior, or deluxe hotels and chateaux
• Ten day rental of intermediate car with manual transmission and A/C
• Daily breakfast and one evening cooking school with dinner
• Half day guided tour of  Arles and its ancient Roman settlement
• Half day guided tour of charming Aix-en-Provence
• Half day guided tour between Nice and Monte Carlo along the Lower Corniche
• Detailed Trip Packet with maps and guidebooks
• Extensive Pre-trip consultation

U.S.A. / Paris
Day 1
Depart U.S.A. for France.  Meals Aloft

Provence (Arles, Nimes)
Day 3
The medieval town of Arles is one of the most enchanting in all of France.  When Julius Caesar conquered Marseille in 49 B.C., Arles became Gaul’s principal Roman town and later the prosperous capital of the medieval Kingdom of Arles.  Its narrow streets winding between ancient buildings were once home to van Gogh.  Here he created such masterpieces as Sunflowers, L’Arlesienne, and The Bridge at Arles.  This morning, you will take a guided walking tour of van Gogh sites in this delightful town, as well as its lively Marché des Lices and two important UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the vast Gallo-Roman amphitheatre, dating back to the first century B.C.; and the Romanesque Sainte Trophime Church, one of the finest examples of the southern Romanesque style, graced by an elaborately sculpted western façade.

 It is a short drive this afternoon to Nîmes, the first French city to be colonized by the Romans, to survey its 2,000-year-old Pont du Gard.  Representing superior Roman technology, this outstanding aqueduct once supplied Nîmes with 44 million gallons of water each day.  View the city’s superbly preserved, 24,000-seat amphitheatre and the Maison Carrée, a temple built in the first century B.C.

If you feel over-programmed by this itinerary, as an alternative you can engage in water sports, play golf or tennis, hike, bike or relax at the hotel. This evening, and each evening, we will make reservations if you wish at the type of restaurant that fits your mood and budget (extra cost). B

 En route to Avignon, observe the city’s legendary bridge of St. Bénezet, with the famous Papal Palace in the background. Avignon’s great moment in history came in the 14th century, when it was chosen to be the seat of the papacy.  During the next half-century, seven successive French popes reigned from the colossal fortified palace, built for them on the city’s most imposing site, and which you visit this afternoon. Then see the towering cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms, home of the original 12th-century bishopric.  View the ruins of the historic Pont Bénezet before returning to the hotel.

As an alternative, you can engage in any of the suggested afternoon and evening activities that were listed as options for Day 3. B

 Upon leaving Camargue, visit Aigues-Mortes and its impressive walls, departure point of the Crusades to the Holy Land in medieval times.  Return to the hotel for your last night in this part of Provence. B

Provence (Rousillon, Gordes, Aix-en-Provence)
Day 6
Check out of the hotel this morning and drive eastbound to the medieval villages of the Luberon Range, many of them clinging to rock spurs at the foot of feudal castles surrounded by cultivated patches of olive trees, vineyards, and fields of grain and lavender.  Visit the picturesque village of Roussillon, perched on a rocky site and named after the ochre color of its soil, and have lunch in Gordes amongst the ancient buildings rising in dramatic tiers over the edge of the Vaucluse Plateau. This afternoon, see the impressive Abbey of Sénanque, a fine example of Cistercian architecture, built beginning in 1148 A.D. in a desolate canyon from a type of limestone that changes color in the varying light of each day.

 Later this afternoon drive to your hotel at Aix-en-Provence, made famous by the book A Year in Provence and your home for two nights. If you so desire, we will arrange a winery excursion, with “designated” driver an extra cost. B/D

Aix-en-Provence
Day 7
This morning,  there is a half day walking tour “in the steps of Cézanne”, the Impressionist master who lived and worked here until his death in 1906. You will visit the artist’s atelier, the Granet Museum, former priory of the Knights of Malta, where Flemish and Italian paintings and Avignon Primitives are displayed, as well as works by Cézanne and contemporary artists. (If today is market day, we will defer the tour until afternoon so that you can participate in the food and flower market at Place des Precheurs).

 The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to walk Aix-en-Provence’s narrow, cobble stone streets and browse in its charming boutiques.  This evening you attend a cooking class and then consume the product of your labor.

 Return to the hotel in Aix this evening. B/D

 The roughly  90 miles from San Rafael to  Menton  is perhaps the most exciting stretch of coastline in the world ... the French (and Monaco) Riviera.  The steep, rocky coast is a sun-drenched land where cactus, eucalyptus, oranges, roses, and almonds grow in abundance.  Dominating the landscape are ancient villages and chậteaux, and well-known cities such as Nice, Antibes and Monte-Carlo.  Nestled in the hills sloping down to the sea are some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found anywhere, many housing spectacular repositories of contemporary art that rank among the best  in the world.

 This evening, check into the hotel  that you have selected from our list. If you are traveling in May, you likely will be arriving on the Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival or during the festivities surrounding the Gran Prix. Give us sufficient lead time to arrange tickets for these events and we will do so.  You may have time this afternoon for to explore the fashionable resort town of Cannes and browse in its elegant boutiques.    B

 This afternoon, drive to Chateau Grimaldi in the ancient port town of Antibes.  Picasso lived and worked at the Chậteau Grimaldi in the mid-1940’s and he permanently loaned to the Chậteau’s museum all of the work completed during his stay:  24 paintings, nearly 80 ceramic pieces, 35 drawings, 27 lithographs, two sculptures, and a tapestry.  Also on display are works by Léger, Calder, and other artists. 

 There is time later this afternoon for a swim, bike ride, hiking, or perhaps take the short drive to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world.   Return to your Riviera hotel this evening. B

 The most beautiful section of the French Riviera, which stretches from Nice to the Italian border, is best seen from one of its three major corniches (coastal roads). Since your guide showed you the Lower Corniche this morning, this afternoon you will drive to Monaco along the spectacular Middle Corniche, with splendid panoramas of the coastline below.  The Principality of Monaco, property of the Grimaldi family since 1297, remains staunchly independent to this day.  The town of Monaco, capital of the Principality, sits on a rock 200 feet above the sea and is home to the Royal Palace, government buildings, the Tropical Gardens and the Oceanographic Museum. A look at the opulence and size of the yachts in the harbor below will provide an indication of the popularity of this area among the rich and famous.  High above the port stands one of the most famous cities in the world, Monte Carlo, a playground for European royalty.  For years, life in Monaco has been centered on Monte Carlo and its famous Grand Casino, which you should visit one evening if only to gawk.  B

 Depart Eze and drive to St. Paul du Vence, perched on a limestone spur with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean. Browse and have lunch in this delightful artists’ mecca (and famous tourist attraction) before driving to the picturesque market town of Vence to discover the Rosary Chapel, designed by Henri Matisse.  Reflected lemon yellow, emerald green and ultramarine blue stained glass windows create visual harmony that floods the minimalist white chapel with different colors depending on the season and hour of the day.  Matisse said, “This chapel is for me the accomplishment of a lifetime, the realization of an enormous work, difficult and sincere.” 

 From Vence it is a ten minute drive to explore Tourettes-sur-Loup, a fortified 13^th century perched village overlooking the beautiful Loup Valley.  Houses form the town’s ramparts creating a unique structure that protected the medieval village from invasions.

 Return to the hotel for your last night on the French Riviera. Choose the type of dining/night life you prefer for your last night and we will make the reservations if you wish.