The South of France is famous for many things. From the cuisine to the beaches, it’s all true. This is the kind of place where you see a simple dwelling in a valley and think, “Yep, that’ll do.” Provence has a pace of life that is easygoing and laid back, to say the least.
Provence is one of those eye-opening travel destinations that captures travelers. A few years ago, I had the chance to spend some time in Provence. I’ve been dreaming of a return ever since.
As a tourist, it is far too easy to romanticize a life in a place where days consist of meandering through vineyards, sipping the world’s best wine and eating the freshest cheese and fruits.
Provence feels different. The smaller cities, towns and villages are comfortable and inviting. I don’t particularly care to refer to a place as “charming,” but that is the only word that fully encompasses the allure, attraction and, well, charm in Provence.
The people are friendly and welcoming, dispelling any notion conceived from one’s expensive time in Paris (not to detract from the awe and wonder of that magnificent city, or the fantastic Parisians I’ve met in my travels). With the exception of places like Nice and Monaco, Provence is also more affordable and backpacker-friendly than you might expect.
Provence is splendidly beautiful and can be surprisingly affordable, right? Now what can you do to enjoy it and not break the bank? Everyone is different. Every experience is unique. As for my time there, I can only speak for myself and my fantastic experience:
Wine in Provence
For wine-lovers, it won’t be hard to find tours and wineries to explore. What can be better than drinking famous wines like Cotes de Rhone or Chateauneuf-du-Pape at the source? There is no shortage of good wine in Provence.
I don’t usually encourage guided tours, but as a wine-lover with limited wine knowledge, this seemed like the best option. The guides offer knowledge and information many of us would never know. I learned that a bottle I bought the day before for less than €10 casually goes for over $80 back in the United States.
I also had the gall to inquire about the quality of the cheaper bottles seen in stores around the nearby French town. Some of the wine in a local grocery store was alarmingly cheap. How could it be any good?
The stone-cold, matter-of-fact response from my guide: “Zere eez no bad French wine.” And with my limited knowledge of wine, who am I to disagree? Over a couple of weeks, I didn’t taste a single drop that was anything short of spectacular.
History
Enough about the fancy fruit juice. What about sight-seeing and history? Local history goes back thousands of years, and there seems to be an endless amount of important historical sites. Some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins are in Provence, such as those in Orange and Arles.
It is astonishing to see such beautiful architecture that has stood the test of time. These ancient Roman ruins casually sit in the middle of cities, hardly noticed.
Avignon is also home to the Palais des Papes, once the center of Roman Catholicism. Furthermore, the natural beauty in the South of France has withstood human settlement for thousands of years. Apart from the valleys, the coast along the Mediterranean will make you feel like royalty, whether you’re taking a stroll along the promenade in Nice or sitting on an empty seaside cliff catching a sunset.
The well-preserved ruins with beautiful natural backdrops are a major reason that Provence has been a popular tourist draw for centuries. For history lovers, there are few places with the high quality of ancient history present as the South of France.
Not that Expensive
As mentioned above, Provence can be affordable for backpackers. The trick is to avoid eating out. Sure, most of us enjoy five-course meals, but that isn’t always practical.
The beautiful thing about France is that you can stuff yourself with the freshest foods for a few euros. Rather than dining out, find a market. Not only is this option more economical, many locals eat this way on a daily basis. $15 can get you a bottle of decent local wine along with fresh fruit, bread and local sausage to last a couple days. The fruit is crisp and delicious. The bread is baked fresh daily. The sausage, while I never knew exactly what I was buying (language barrier), never disappoints.
Check out Cheap Food & Travel for more on travel eating!
Eating this way, with this quality, in the US would cost 3-4 times what you pay in Provence. If you can afford the high-end dining, by all means knock yourself out! You won’t be disappointed. But if you want something local, delicious, and affordable, find a market and dine as the locals do. Provence is a paradise of sorts, and the French might be onto something.
Another way to save where most visitors to Provence err, is by avoiding tours. While I personally indulge in guided excursions from time to time, in hindsight, I could have saved myself quite a bit of money. The half-day wine tour outside of Avignon, while helpful for a wine novice like myself, cost more than an entire week in hostels plus all meals during that time. And it wasn’t the most expensive tour!
My suggestion is to search for wine tours online and find popular routes and sites. Then find a way, be it rental car, bicycle, train or taxi, and visit the vineyards on your own. It takes a little more work, but you’ll save a lot of money and see more.
In the Footsteps of van Gogh
After a fantastic day spent sipping wine and lazing by the Rhone River in Avignon, I decided to get back to wandering and take a day trip to Arles the following day. It had come to my attention that there are fantastic Roman ruins in the city.
Taking the 30-minute train from Avignon’s old station to Gare d’Arles, I quickly hopped off and began walking toward the city center. Within ten minutes, I was walking inside the most perfectly preserved Roman amphitheatre. It stood, nearly empty, as a testament to the brilliance and power of the Romans. To say that I was in awe is a gross understatement. The first-century amphitheatre also has medieval towers that make for great viewing points of Arles. Atop one of these towers, I noticed another set of Roman ruins, which turned out to be an ancient theatre.
As I wandered Arles, I began to notice “Van Gogh” printed here and there and on souvenirs shirts and trinkets of van Gogh paintings. Eventually, I found a brochure and was stunned to learn that Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles and painted hundreds of scenes in the city. (Somehow I missed this in two Art History classes.)
Walking the narrow, stone streets, I tried to imagine the scenes before me as van Gogh might have seen. In large part, Arles is not a modern city, and it feels like it could be very much the same as when ol’ Vince was there.
There is a self-guided walking tour of places and locations van Gogh painted during his time in Arles. The tour leads to settings from his art including the Rhone, the Arles hospital (where the painter recovered after severing his ear) and a certain famous cafe. The Cafe Terrace at Night is one of van Gogh’s most famous works. The very same cafe still exists today! Although I have not (yet) seen the original, I was thrilled to wander Arles and come across van Gogh’s famous cafe in real life.
As my day was winding down in Arles, I slowly made my way back to the train station and decided to take a break. I found a particularly nice bench along the Rhone River and sat in a state of utter bliss from my day’s adventure wandering this beautiful city.
As I looked out at the river, I thought the view in front of me resembled something familiar. I pulled out the van Gogh in Arles brochure and suddenly realized I was a few feet away from the very spot where Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night Over the Rhone, my personal favorite van Gogh painting (not to be confused with Starry Night). After a wonderful day, my wandering was rewarded with another surprise.
Steeped in ancient history and home to some of the most prolific scenes in art, Arles is that adorable French town of which so many people dream. Arles is the perfect place for a slice of Provence.
Marseille, Exception of Provence
Every mesmerizing destination has a flaw somewhere in the mix. In Provence, Marseille is that flaw. In my two visits to France, no other place feels less French than Marseille. After a few days of hearing more non-French languages than anything local, and honestly feeling unsafe walking at night, I desperately wanted to leave Marseille.
Images of Marseille show the good parts of the city. And there are a lot of pretty, historic nooks and crannies of Marseille. The harbor is spectacular, having been first noticed and settled by ancient Greeks over 2000 years ago. The surrounding area is interesting, too. Ile de Frioul is a really cool opportunity for island hiking. And the Calanques, just outside of town, are absolutely stunning. Isn’t it interesting that two of the best things about Marseille are not even in the city?
As a whole, this city is a dump. Away from the Old Port, everything pales in comparison to the wonders of Provence. I recall leaving the train station in a state of intense discomfort. The only worse train station experience I’ve had in Europe is the gutter that is the area around Brussels Central Station.
Apparently it’s not just me. A recent study called Marseille the most dangerous city in Europe.
I’m not a person who has issues with grimy cities that are a little “rough around the edges.” Quite the opposite is true. In my eyes, those traits usually accompany authenticity. Unfortunately, Marseilles doesn’t have any feeling of authenticity. And it certainly doesn’t feel like France.
Despite my negative opinions toward Marseille, I did have a lot of fun with friends I made in the hostel. Perhaps the city has changed in the last few years, and others may find it appealing. And I fully intend to give it another look in the future. After all, second chances make the world go round.
The Charm of Provence
The notorious charm tourists find in the South of France is no myth. Of all the places I’ve traveled, across the US and abroad, very few left me with the feeling that I could happily call the place home. It may be easy to say that as a tourist. Travel is not the real world.
A few years ago, I was not in Provence as a travel and food blogger. Backpacking, exploring and a great travel experience were the only goals in mind. The lasting impact on myself speaks volumes for the quality and charm of Provence as a travel destination.
There is something special about the South of France. Cities like Avignon, Arles and Nice more than compensate for any misgivings in Marseille. Great wine, fresh food, beautiful landscapes and sunshine are some of my favorite descriptors for any destination. Provence is a gem, and I would have zero qualms being stuck there for the rest of my life.
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