"Provence Adventures of a Sage " a Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Travel Page by Sagespot

My husband and I, along with four of our friends decided to spend a few weeks in France in the Spring. It was settled that the first week would be in Paris and the second week would be hopping around Provence.

Although I could start this page off with a typical photo of a famous landmark from the Cote d'Azur, instead I've chosen beach scene from near our rented villa in Les Issambres. This small community located near Saint Aygulf was a fantastic choice to begin the Provence adventures.

Traveling is all about finding things off the beaten path - and if that fails then it's about doing fun things in odd places. So that's what these tips are - the odd and off beat combined with the standards for someone's first trip to France. I know we didn't see everything in the week, but who can?? It's a huge country that abounds with amazing sights and sounds. Enjoy.

This was my first trip to France, and I had a fantastic time roaming around the southern areas of the country. I thought I'd give some examples of things you can tackle in a day and still have time for a brief afternoon nap (or a rest for your feet,) and be back out for dinner. I had a car for these adventures, so many are day trips that encompass several cities and sights.

Day 1: I recommend taking the train from Paris to Aix-en-Provence in the early morning. The ride through the French countryside is amazingly beautiful and this is a great location to start driving. Why not rent a villa along the southern coast over near Saint Aygulf ? After your arrival, make sure to stop by a local grocery to pick up some stuff for snacks and a few dinners/lunches at home. Spend the evening getting settled and dine somewhere local.

Day 2: Start your first full day in the south by taking some free tours in the region. Begin by heading over to Biot to see the glass blowers. After that swing over to Grasse for visit to the perfume factory and then go to Tourette-sur-Loup for a tour of the candy factory. This will take most of a day if you spend a bit of time getting lost in the mountains of the Loup Valley. I highly recommend taking a drive up through the hillsides. Dine again somewhere local - perhaps a nice pizza?

Day 3: This is your train day! Drive to St. Raphael and take a train over to Nice and then up through Ventimiglia, Italy and back into Tende, France. The train ride is spectacular and totally worth the visit. Spend some time in Tende sampling this fantastic restaurant. Return by train to St. Raphael and enjoy a walk along the beach before returning home. Why not eat in tonight? Or pack a picnic dinner and eat at your local stretch of beach?

Day 4: Today is about the contrasting beauty of the mountains and the shores. Begin your day by heading up to Eze and doing a bit of shopping in the beautiful sunshine. Make sure to stop in town to have lunch before heading back towards the coast as you'll need your energy...because you're headed to Monaco to perhaps see some of the Grand Prix setup or do a bit of shopping. Next you should head over to Cannes to spend some time seeing if your hands are the same size as some of your most favorite stars. Wrap up the day with a great French restaurant of your choice.

Day 5: Today is about forms of wine and religion - of a sorts. Begin with a drive to Les Arcs to view/taste some of the local vintages. You can find several wineries in this same area that offer tours. When you're done with that head over to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to visit the tomb of Mary Madeleine. This is a great trip even if you're not that religious, as the town is quite beautiful and the drive is very relaxing. Spend tonight in by dining at your rented villa or along the beach.

Day 6: At this point you should probably check out some of those world class Roman ruins in Frejus. Spend the entire day slowly strolling the streets and checking out all the great ruins you can see with the combined ticket you can purchase over at the visitor's center. Have a takeaway lunch in the town center. With takeaway in mind, pick something up for dinner on the way home and get your luggage in order for tomorrow.

Day 7: Today you'll probably be returning to the states via the airport in Nice. Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get there in the morning, traffic can often be bad in that area. Return the rental car and enjoy some of the duty-free chocolates before your flight.

I had a great time in Provence. The French people were wonderful, the cultural attractions outstanding, and the food amazing. I know I did mostly the more well known attractions of the region and I probably missed a ton of the "off the beaten path" adventures, but for me it worked.

This region of France seems to have something for everyone. Even if you're traveling with a group I highly recommend taking an afternoon to explore the nearest beach, or get lost in a mountain village. The region is built for just such things.

Enjoy your travels and enjoy the tips! Hope they help!