Blinded by the hues of lavender shutters. Gently numbed by a glass or two of chilled local rosé. It would be easy to overlook the hamlet of Mérindol during a visit to Provence. The Luberon region is brimming with villages laying claim to le plus beau village de France (the …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Ouch. Cannes has been voted Number 10 place in the list of 2015’s unfriendliest cities of the world as rated by a Readers’ Choice Awards survey by Condé Nast Traveler (and in 2014 they did not fare much better; they claimed Number 2 spot …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: Cannes has a love/hate relationship with the huge influx of visitors that the annual congrès events and Cannes Film Festival bring to this popular destination. Bars crammed with people, traffic jams and a visible presence of the charming motorbike cops can overwhelm visitors – …

You can almost hear the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves maneuvering their master’s carriages on the cobblestones. Glance through the majestic iron gates into the cour d’honneur at l’Hôtel de Caumont and let the elegant limestone façade transport you to another era. The grand entrance was unique even in the …

By Krista Bender Well I should be passed out or hallucinating after having been awake AND in planes and airports for the last 25 hours…. But I am not :) I am so in awe of the beauty surrounding me I have to document this. I arrived in Provence today …

Cotignac’s permanent population hovers around 2,300 people. The official count swells on a sunny Tuesday when throngs of visitors appraise market stalls on the main street — Cours Gambetta. A column of plane trees provide welcome shade to vendors watching their stands that are heaving with tempting melons from Cavaillon, …

What is there better to do on a warm Summer Sunday than visit Cassis – 27 degrees forecast today, leave early, take a walk along the calanques, ( inland waterways with high cliff faces), be seated for lunch by 12.30 at one of the many port side restaurants, Explore this …

We’ve been back home for a week and our tans are fading, so it’s time to return to my own A-Z of the Vaucluse as a way of helping to keep me going over the next few weeks until we travel down for another visit. This week I move onto …

Saorge, nestled on the border of France and Italy, just an hour northeast from Nice, was a surprise and delight. With a population of just 445, the town is cozy (and everyone knows your business). But winding staircases and ample hiking trails made it a place we will return again …

According to Phoebe Thomas, family travel is entirely possible in Provence, even young boys can be interested in cultural visits. We have always been sightseeing with our children ever since day one and have never pandered to the idea that you can’t visit cultural/historical sights with young kids.  Our boys …