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Real Provence specialises in holidays to three beautiful and distinctively different areas of southern France which together combine to offer the very best of everything in Provence - history, culture, markets, ancient villages, beautiful countryside, old towns, lavender, food and wine and much much more.
Discover with us the Parc Naturel du Luberon with its huge vistas and delightful perched villages, the Alpilles around St. Rémy, an area steeped in history and associations with Van Gogh, and the Cotes du Rhone area of the Dentelles with its peaceful wine villages and the attractive old town Vaison la Romaine.
If you have a special interest or activity which you would like us to include, or particular places you would like to visit, we can be completely flexible in making whatever arrangements suit you best.
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In addition to our recommendations of the major 'not to be missed' sights, we can propose an original choice of hotels, visits and excursions for a truly personalised holiday in this very special part of France.
For inspiration for what to do and where to go on your Real Provence holiday click on >>Our Provence then if you would like us to prepare a proposal and quotation for you just complete the on-line >>Tailor Made Quotation form or e-mail us on mail@real-provence.com or call us on 0033 4 90 05 60 52 so we can discuss your holiday plans. We will be delighted to hear from you. For more details on making a booking click >>How to Book. |
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We can plan your holiday to any duration and departure date to suit just what you'd like to do, when you'd like to do it. Maybe explore one area in depth or combine them for a taste of 'real' Provence. Choose from our personal selection of relaxing countryside auberges, interestingly different city hotels and luxury 4* with all the facilities or maybe stay in a rental cottage or villa and be really 'at home' in Provence.
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Our in depth knowledge of our specialist areas means we can design a unique trip for you. And we can even recommend and organise day trips or short excursions outside our immediate area which you can add on to or include in your Tailor Made holiday. Click on the link for >>Special Excursions.
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Self Drive touring holiday exploring one or more of our specialist areas. Your holiday can be based in any one of our three areas or tailored to combine the best of each. You can be based in one location with daily excursions or tour the area staying in two or three different locations. Our Self Drive holidays take the hassle out of planning where to go, deciding on the best places to visit and how to get there and choosing a good hotel in the right location.
We do all the planning together with you. Our itineraries are planned with plenty of time to explore the beautiful countryside and charming towns and villages with the added benefit of the complete freedom and flexibility of your own car. We don't try and cram into our holidays every 'must do' sight in Provence but instead plan our itineraries to allow you to explore the back roads and hidden corners of this beautiful region - and to do so at a leisurely pace in true provencal fashion. We give you time to unwind, to sit and relax over a glass of wine in a pretty square, to picnic under the pine trees, to feel the warmth of the sun on ancient stone. |
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| If you have time for only a short visit to Provence, staying on one of the lovely old cities and including day trips visiting some of the main sights of the region is a great way for a taste of the region. From Avignon in particular there is a wide choice of half day and day excursions by mini bus with an English speaking driver/guide. |
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| A hotel based holiday including countryside strolls or longer hikes combined with visits to some of the prettiest villages is a great way to discover the area. All three of our areas offer good walking possibilities in beautiful countryside - pine and oak forests, lavender fields and vineyards, green rolling hills and wild limestone cliffs. |
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| A 'taste of Provence' holiday based around the best restaurants and visits to local wine domaines. Gourmet restaurants and new and exciting local vignerons along side the well established domaines. Some of the Cotes du Rhone and Luberon vineyards offer comfortable accommodation for a holiday with a difference. Maybe even join in the harvest if your stay is in the early Autumn.
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| For the photographers and painters amongst you, maybe a Tour of the Lavender fields in July and August when the air is heavy with scent and the countryside ablaze with colour. |
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| Maybe your holiday plans include a visit to Paris or another area in France, why not combine this with a short stay in Provence visiting the highlights of this beautiful region. Fast rail links between Paris, Avignon and Aix en Provence make this an ideal combination. Or if you wish to visit another area of Provence outside our specialist areas we can recommend great hotels in Nice and interesting suggestions for things to do and places to visit in and around the Cote d'Azur. Just let us know your plans and we will be delighted to prepare you a quotation. |
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| If you simply wish us to book hotel accommodation for you, we can do this too. Just let us know which areas you would like to visit and we will be delighted to recommend the best hotels for you and prepare a quotation for your stay. For details of just some of our recommended hotels click on >>Hotels. |
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| If you like the freedom of a car but prefer not to drive we can arrange excursions from your hotel base or rental house by private taxi for up to 6 passengers. For small groups of friends travelling together who maybe prefer not to drive, but like the freedom of a driving holiday we can arrange vehicles with driver - either comfortable 6 seater people carriers or minibuses which accommodate up to 8 passengers. We can also arrange a private minibus with a English speaking driver guide or specialist personal guides for an insight into the history and culture of the region. |
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| For self catering holidays in one of our lovely cottages or villas in the Luberon please click on the link direct to our sister website www.provenceholidayhouses.com for details of all the properties we offer. Why not think about combining some time touring the area followed by a 'stay put' week simply relaxing and soaking up the sun by your own pool.
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So whether you want to simply be 'at home' in one of our self catering houses or spend two weeks touring the delights of this region, Real Provence can help you with your planning and put together a unique holiday for you. Just decide what sort of holiday you want and your budget and let us put it all together for you.
For some more ideas of the kind of holidays we can arrange for you click on the links below and see the itineraries we have organised for our clients.
>>Lavender Self Drive Holiday
>>Highlights of southern Provence
>>Haute Provence Self Drive plus Luberon villa stay
>>Luberon & Cote d'Azur Self Drive
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For a selection of some of the hotels we recommend on our holidays click the link below. This is just a taster of the hotels we feature in our holidays to give you a flavour of the accommodation we can offer. If you have a favourite hotel that you would like to include in your holiday, just let us know.
>>Hotels
We also offer three pre-planned holidays. These can be booked as planned or altered to suit your own preferences. Click the links below for details of our pre-planned trips:
>>Discover Provence Self Drive touring holiday
>>Tour & Walk in the Parc Naturel du Luberon
>>Avingon City Stay |
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If you would like us to tailor make a holiday for you then you will be using our expert knowledge and service. Although this will cost you more than if you were to plan and book all these arrangements yourself, the benefits of booking a holiday with Real Provence are:
Our in-depth knowledge - We specialise in three specific areas of Provence which we know inside out. We have personally visited all parts of the region, the excursions, hotels and self catering properties we recommend. We know the prettiest picnic spots, the liveliest markets, the best restaurants and hotels, where to take a gentle stroll or a challenging hike and it goes without saying, also the most charming of the many beautiful towns and villages and fascinating sites of interest.
Our personal service - When you ring our office the chances are that you will speak to one of us so we can talk to you about our holidays, the areas we visit, what you can expect and make suggestions about what might be right for you. We can arrange a wide choice of holiday types to suit your needs - and our personal service will ensure that your holiday is the very best provencal holiday experience. |
Our main operations office is in Provence which means that you can be sure that everything is being taken care of on the spot and of course we are there on hand during the whole of your stay to provide any additional assistance you may need during your holiday.
Itinerary planning - While it can be fun planning your own itinerary, and most of our clients do have their own ideas, our in-depth knowledge of this region means that as well as including some of the 'must see' sights of Provence in your holiday, we can also suggest some more original visits and excursions and take you into the back roads and hidden corners of the area to get to the heart of what we call 'real' Provence.
Reservations - Making your own arrangements may save you some money but it can be very time consuming and you have no guarantee of quality. We can give you that reassurance and take all the hassle out of administration. |
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| If you would like us to prepare a proposal and quotation for your Tailor Made holiday just e-mail us at mail@real-provence.com or fax or phone us on 0033 4 90 05 60 52 with your ideas and we'll work out an itinerary which is made for you. Alternatively if you prefer, you can also complete the on-line >>Tailor Made Quotation form. It would be helpful if you could give us as many details as you can including your holiday dates, number of people, preferred type of accommodation, areas you would like to visit, any specific places you would like to include, your particular interests and of course your holiday budget. If you aren't sure about these details, that's no problem, we can make suggestions, help you to work out where to stay, what to see and when to go. We are available to discuss all the smallest details direct with you.
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Once we have your details, the first thing we do is put together a basic outline proposal for your holiday. Once this is agreed we prepare a quotation for you with an estimate of your holiday price. Once we have agreed on the itinerary and estimated price we will ask you to make a booking. For more information on our booking procedure click >>How to Book.
We can plan for any length of holiday period you choose and any time of the year. If you are planning a touring or walking holiday our advice would be to plan a holiday in the spring, early summer or autumn when the climate is ideal. In the peak summer months of July and August, both hotel and self catering accommodation is much in demand and we would recommend planning a holiday in these months up to 12 months ahead. |
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Apart from our 3 pre-planned trips, all our holidays are tailor made and so the cost varies according to each itinerary we put together. The hotels we use are mainly small individual establishments and we do not hold hotel allocations at the beginning of the season but book on an ad hoc basis the accommodation we require. This means that hotel availability and prices vary on each holiday. The prices shown on the tailor made holidays we have included to help you with ideas for your holiday should be taken as a guide only.
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Please note where accommodation is hotel based, personal expenditure on parking, telephone and drinks in the hotels are not included and must be paid direct to the hotel on departure. Our hotel prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin or double room. Single room supplements are applicable and subject to final choice of hotel and availability.
Prices for self catering houses and villas are inclusive prices per week irrespective of the number of people. |
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| We make bookings for and pre-pay all your hotel accommodation, which will include breakfast and usually dinner. We plan and pre-book special restaurants for lunch and dinner according to your holiday itinerary. We plan, book and, where appropriate, pre-pay for the visits and excursions included in your holiday including specialist guides where applicable. |
On Self Drive & Walk holidays we discuss with you the type of walking you would like to do - short strolls in the countryside or longer and more challenging hikes - and provide full self guided walking notes. We provide you with a Route Book which includes all the the detail you need for your holiday - and, should you have any need of additional assistance during your stay, our local office is just a phone call away. |
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| For this type of holiday we put together a proposal depending on the length of your stay allowing plenty of time to explore your destination city and as many excursions as you choose. We make bookings for and pre-pay your hotel accommodation and daily excursions. |
Your accommodation can be on a bed & breakfast basis only if you prefer to dine in the wide choice of good restaurants or we can include dinner bookings for you at the hotel. We include background information on your city stay location and local maps.
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Your personal Route Book is a key element of our Tailor made holidays and is included in all holidays with the exception of Hotel only bookings and Self catering holidays.
Your Route Book will be at your first night hotel for your arrival and it includes all the detail you need for your holiday.
Your hotel and meal arrangements
Restaurant recommendations for lunch and dinner for days when you choose not to dine in the hotel
A detailed day by day route planner with road directions
Tickets for the pre-booked visits with times of opening
City and town plans for the places you will visit en route
Maps of the local area and information on the nearest banks, pharmacies and shops
Background information on the areas you will visit
and, where walks are included in your holiday, a full set of walking routes and maps with detailed descriptions of the self guided walks. |
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| We make the booking for your cottage or villa and provide you with details of suggested visits and excursions during your stay together with restaurants you might like to try for lunch and dinner. |
Our local office is on the spot and just a phone call away to help you with any queries during your holiday. |
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| We propose your hotel accommodation, make the bookings and pre-pay for your stay. Our quotation for this option will include an arrangement fee of £10 per person per night for the hotel bookings. |
Our minimum stay for hotel only bookings is 3 nights. |
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| We book and pre-pay for the driver and vehicle hire including the cost of any driver meals on all day excursions, parking and motorway tolls where applicable. |
Our quotation for this option will include an arrangement fee of 10% of the total hire cost which will be added to your hotel or self-catering holiday cost. |
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| With the wide choice of options for travel to France from the UK, especially with the convenience and value of low cost flights, we have found that our clients prefer to make their own arrangements according to the type of holiday and region from which they are travelling.
This also suits our clients who are travelling to France from outside the UK and are often |
combining a visit to Provence with a trip to other parts of Europe. Wherever you are travelling from we will of course be delighted to give you all the advice and help you need in making your travel arrangements. For more details about travel to Provence click on the link
>>Travel from the UK or >>Travel from outside the UK. |
