Of all the areas of France, Provence is the most irresistible, and Western Provence is one of the most delightful and diverse parts of the region, long popular with tourists for its stunning and colourful landscape, relaxed lifestyle and rich and varied history. Highlights of the region are the Roman cities of Orange , Vaison-la-Romaine , Carpentras and Arles , and the papal city of Avignon, with its brilliant summer festival. Aix-en-Provence is the mini-Paris of the region and was home to Cézanne, for whom the Mont Ste-Victoire was an enduring subject, while St-Rémy and Arles have strong links with Van Gogh. Around the Rhône delta, the Camargue is a unique self-contained region, as different from the rest of Provence as it is from anywhere else in France. 

This road trip, from the one of the region’s most charming old towns to the stunning flamingo-filled lagoons of the Camargue, is short in length - about 80km - but each of its stops is worthy of several days of exploration!

It begins in the heart of the Vaucluse region, in the lovely city of Avignon, home of the celebrated Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace) and the famous bridge of Pont St Bénezet (the bridge in the ditty ‘Sur le pont d'Avignon'). It continues to the Roman city of Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Arles has wonderful churches and some impressive Roman monuments, including an arena which is still used for Provencal-style bullfights today. At Arles, the Rhône divides itself in two arms, forming the unique and Camargue delta. The capital of the Camargue is the seaside resort of Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer, a town with a romantic history and a very strong Romany tradition.