Getting Around
Whether arriving in Provence by air, by sea or by rail it is still advisable to rent a car. Provence is a large region and the public transport system does not cater for tourists unless you are with a group and on an arranged tour. Taxis are not readily or easily available and the distances between cities and villages is great. Having your own transport is essential, unless you are happy to stay in one specific place and explore by foot. Most friends who visit Provence usually have an itinerary that takes in a selection of towns and villages.
Hiring cars is easy in France and most of that can be done over the internet before you arrive. All the major companies have representatives at the airports and train stations. There are a few little tricks to renting cars in France…
Most cars are manual so unless automatic is specified be prepared to shift the gears. (Boîte de vitesse… very handy words when wishing to discuss the gearbox…)
Be prepared that the car you select on the internet may not be the one waiting for you in the car park. This has happened time and time again to my friends so I urge confirmation upon confirmation to avoid disappointment. The French seem very adept with these car hire contracts and once you arrive hot and bothered after a long journey, the will to argue in a foreign language is almost nil… and more often than not round one goes to them.
Do not presume that the car will be air conditioned… unbelievable, but true. It is not a given that the vehicle will be fitted with ‘climatisation‘… If your travels bring you to southern France in the summer it is a non-negotiable. Make sure to specify before your arrival.
Satellite navigation is not integrated into most rental vehicles… ( that’s an easy one… satellite de navigation) Who wants to drive without a talking ‘assistant’ when travelling in unknown territory? It is an optional extra and must be pre-ordered… What you will be given is a TomTom to plug into the car… My advice is to save your money and bring one from home that is familiar, making sure that it works as required.
The maps (les cartes) that the car hire companies include are generally not very detailed and if the satellite navigation is non existent or unfamiliar, leaving the station or the airport can be very stressful. I’ve lost count of the tense holiday starts we have had because we don’t know exactly where we are going… Bring your own maps and plot out your first destination. Via Michelin is also a useful site for line by line directions.
** It might be me but I seem to find hire care offices very slow to deal with customers and oftentimes inefficient… When we hire a car (for many years we hired cars in Marseille and Avignon) we have a system… One waits for the luggage and one heads straight to arrange the car hire. The queues in these places can be phenomenal because everyone is arriving at the same time… playing it this way means the waiting time is less.
How to Pack
The simple answer is… always less than you think.
Provence is a casual and relaxed part of France and unless you are specifically invited to something formal, what to wear is pretty easy.
In the summer I wear mostly dresses or capri pants and tee shirts. Linen is cool and comfortable although not brilliant for travelling. I like wrap dresses which are easy to pack and can take me anywhere… dressed up with a necklace, dressed down with a pair of flip flops… I also include long sleeve shirts to protect against the sun and a pliable sunhat… A lightweight jacket or cardigan is useful if the temperature drops.
Footwear is easy… ballet flats or the flip flops… Heels are for special occasions and they usually stay home when I am on tour… In the winter I am a jeans, cargo style pants, Converse and cashmere sweater girl all the way. An all weather puffer jacket is what I wear when I am travelling. Add a few changes of scarves, a flash of jewellery and a pair of boots and the evenings are taken care of… For mid season travelling, a mix of the two with the addition of a trench coat is perfect for Provence.
When you are on the move, it doesn’t matter if you duplicate clothing and wear similar outfits each day… mostly you will be somewhere new and with different people. The same goes for shoes… Be strict… one pair for comfort and mobility and one pair for the evening.
The essential ingredient when travelling is to be comfortable. Leave behind those clothing items that require loads of breathing in or are high maintenance care. Pack clothes that work together and that you love. Think of a travel wardrobe like a uniform… as functional and as one that requires little thought each day… Comfort doesn’t mean you won’t look fabulous, comfort means ease. Moving around, however enjoyable, is tiring both physically and mentally; comfort is a priority.
Take time and plan what to pack… Time spent preparing at home will save hours of indecision on the road. Be strategic.
Remember to leave space in your suitcase for all the fabulous finds that will tempt you in Provence. If the bags do runneth over the best place to buy luggage is in the large supermarket chains… Auchan and Géant Casino in particular.
These stores are usually on the outskirts of the big towns and cities. It is unlikely that you will find luggage shops in the small village areas of Provence so do come prepared with extra fold ups in your suitcase if possible.
Pharmacies are in every village and always a temptation in themselves. There will be everything that you need and more so forgetting toiletries is not a big problem. Supermarkets also stock a full pharmacy…
As for adapters, chargers, cords and all that… try to pack those… they are not so easy to find.
Tickets, passport, CC’s and a few euros are the real party starters…
Happy travelling, xv.
In The Luggage
Longchamp Pliage Travel Bag
