I'm trying to book the smartest way to see the south of France from 6/26 to 7/2 2023. We are driving from Barcelona & have interest in Avignon bc of the Pope History & Cannes bc of family history. But with so many towns to choose from I'd like to know which other destinations truly would oblige the likes of these two grand daughters! We will end our trip in Nice when we come home on July 3rd!
Any help with this is very appreciated!
So many! Narbonne and nearby beaches, Nimes with Roman ruins, Aigues Mortes in the Camargue, beautiful region with flamingoes and white horses...Avignon is more inland but if you're around there the smaller villages in the Luberon are beautiful e.g. Gordes, Rousillon, Menerbes, Bonnieux...hope that helps!
Look up the Mayle Trail - wonderful towns. Gordes, Rousillon, Menerbes, Bonnieux - all wonderful!
Since you are driving, if you are near Avignon and Nimes, add the Pont du Gard. The augmented reality headsets really take the plain (stripped) papal palace and show you what it may have looked like at its peak. You should be in time for early lavender in the Luberon as well, as towns like Gordes and Rousillon may appeal. There are some lovely broad sand beaches as well, some less crowded than the ones in Cannes.
At Cannes, the girls may enjoy the ferry ride to St. Honorat, where there is a large monastery and tower. Or you can take a coastal tour by boat from Cannes or Nice. A perched village like Eze may appeal, as will the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. It really depends on the child and their interests.
Arles is a short train ride from Avignon and you can climb all over a couple of Roman structures relatively uncrowded.
Driving through the Dordoge spend a couple of days and take a day to canoe on the Dordogne in the stretch above roque Gageac ---- the vendors will drive you to a put in place with the length of time you choose and you paddle back down to the canoe/kayak rental site. We spend most of a day and had lunch at a cafe along the way and it was one of the most pleasant days we have spent in France -- so many chateaux and charming towns in this stretch -- two canoe, each with one of the kids. You basically drift with the river so easy paddling. You can rent a plastic barrel to stow purses or other values you want to protect from water.
FWIW we found Arles a lot more interesting than Avignon.
