The 20 best campsites in France
France does campsites well. You can camp in the most unexpected of places, like central Paris, or a stone's throw from Disneyland, just as you can pitch up in the middle of the mountains, or on the banks of Lake Annecy. Camping doesn't necessarily mean under canvas though: glamping has become increasingly luxurious, with giant structures and five-star facilities. Many campsites come with ready-erected tents, static caravans and mobile homes. If you love the outdoors, but hate the faff that comes with it, you're covered in France.
Brands like Eurocamp, Yelloh! and Huttopia have sites all over the country. Eurocamp caters largely to families with packed daily activity schedules, Yelloh!'s'villages generally have all the home comforts you could want, and Huttopia is all about barefoot luxury. CampingFrance.com is a good way to find smaller, independent campsites, with 9,000 listings.
Paris
Northeast
Northwest
Central France
Southwest
The Alps
The Mediterranean
Corsica
Paris
Capfun Freland
Best for Disneyland
Just 30 minutes by road from Disneyland Paris, Capfun Freland is a little like a theme park itself, with several swimming pools, water slides, ping-pong tables and a football pitch – plus a kids' club four days a week. Book the Mad Magician's house (sleeps four), a topsy-turvy house bigger on the first floor than the ground floor. It's also an hour's drive from Parc Asterix. From £236 a week for two
Camping de Paris
Best for a city break
In the Fifties, my dad pitched his tent in a bombed-out cemetery near the Arc de Triomphe. These days, wild camping in central Paris wouldn't be tolerated. Fortunately, Camping de Paris, on the edge of Bois de Boulogne, is open year-round. It's a bit of a faff for the metro (bus 244 to Porte Maillot station; 10 minutes), but where else could you stay in Paris and pay less than an Eiffel Tower entry ticket? Fom £27 for two per night
Northeast
Domaine d'Haulmé
Best for a short journey
Green, laid-back and with a gorgeous mix of Flemish and French architecture, the Ardennes is made for peaceful and cheap family camping trips, easy to reach from the UK by ferry or Le Shuttle. Haulmé has all the regular accommodation choices — tent pitches and chalets — plus bell tents, tiny houses, vintage caravans and geometric domes. Hire kayaks on-site to cruise down the River Semois. From £9 per night
Northwest
Camping Sandaya l'Anse du Brick
Best for outdoor activities
A stone's throw from the Cotentin Peninsula's beaches, choose from sea view villas, light wood chalets or two-floor safari-style lodges with canvas roofs at Camping Sandaya. The pull is the outdoors. There's no nightlife, but plenty of hiking, cycling and water sports. Direct UK ferries arrive in Cherbourg. From £45 for two nights (minimum stay)
Yelloh ! Village Camping les Mouettes
Best for spa treatments
Half-campsite, half-spa, Les Mouettes has a balneotherapy pool (using natural mineral waters and mud), massage rooms, and a restaurant that wouldn't look out of place at Soho Farmhouse. The splintered and dramatic Breton coast that greets you when you unzip the awning. Tent pitches come with private bathrooms. From £69 for two nights (minimum stay)
Lodg'ing Nature Camp Crozon
Best for small-site charm
A tiny campsite with just 19 festival-style bell tents and panoramic, sunset-facing sea views. Lodg'ing is a sociable little place, with breakfast served in the open-sided gazebo. Tents are very spacious and dazzlingly white, and there's a little beach and lido at the bottom of the hill. From £114 for two nights (minimum stay)
Un Lit au Pré, La Ferme de Penquelen Huella
Best for farm vibes
There's no Wi-Fi, but there are cows, chickens, goats, sheep, geese, ducks, pigs, dogs and… guinea pigs. The cosy lodges with canvas roofs at Un Lit au Pré look like little farmhouses, and you can play at being a farmer too by mucking in with feeding the farm animals, and eating produce straight from the farm shop. From £292 for two nights (minimum stay)
Central France
Huttopia Senonches
Best for upgraded activities
This couldn't feel further for Paris, yet it's only 90 minutes away. Forested, on the banks of a lake, and with wood-fired hot tubs and activities like basketry, going to Huttopia Senonches is like going to a middle-class festival rather than camping. Just beware extortionate cleaning fees; £76 for as little as a two-night stay, unless you do your own end-of-tenancy deep clean. From £120 per night
Camping Le Capeyrou
Best for reliable weather
If there's anywhere perfectly geared to camping in France, it's the Dordogne. Impossibly green, but with more reliable weather than Brittany, and plenty of forests, rivers and vineyards, four walls are obsolete here. Neatly slotted between Beynac-et-Cazenac's magnificent château and the River Dordogne, at Le Capeyrou you can pretty much access your plot by kayak. From £45 for two nights (minimum stay)
Camping Huttopia Lac de la Siauve
Best for cheese lovers
Choose between the (chilly) lake and the (heated) swimming pool after a day of consuming some of France's finest cheeses in the Cantal region. There's plenty for all the family at Camping Huttopia Lac de la Siauve, including a treetop adventure park, and an activities schedule that includes fishing, guided walks and regular concerts. The chalets and trapper tents are pure glamping, there's no roughing it. From £13 per night
Southwest
Camping Marvilla Parks – Atlantic Club Montalivet
Best for beach access
Spilling directly onto the beach in Gironde, this Eurocamp site has mobile homes, chalets, and tents (including two-storey tents). Throughout summer, there's a packed activities schedule, with game nights, live music and aqua aerobics. The enormous beach on the doorstep has all manner of water sports. From £139 per person per week (three-night stays also available)
Vegan Surf Camp
Best for surfing
It's surprising that a vegan campsite exists in France. Naturally, this one in Moliets-et-Maa in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France comes with surfing or yoga packages (or both, if you're perfectly in balance). The camp also runs vegan cooking classes and gives free journaling books with yoga package sign-ups. It's a unique lifestyle, but you'll certainly feel better at the end of your stay. From £408 per week with meals, excluding activities
Camping Cabaliros
Best for mountain landscapes
The perfect hiker's hangout in the heart of the Pyrénées has a plethora of trails and mountain lakes on its doorstep. Camping Cabaliros stays open in winter (mobile homes only), and is only a two-minute drive from Cauterets ski resort. Twitchers will have a field day: frequent sightings include eagles, barn owls and kingfishers. From £12 per night
The Alps
Camping le Lac Bleu
Best for adventure
Mountain hikes, paragliding, pedalos on the lake and boat trips… Lake Annecy is nature on steroids, and allegedly has the cleanest water in Europe. If you're looking to escape the UK's sewage-ridden coast, you could do worse than camping at Camping le Lac Bleu by Lake Annecy, whose wooden jetty points right out towards the mountains. The swimming pool is a welcome alternative to the glacial lake. From £22 per night
Camping de la Meije
Best for hiking
Most people associate La Grave with skiing, but in the summer it's a great base for numerous hiking, including the 14 day Tour des Écrins, and has excellent cheese shops to fuel your hunger. At Camping de la Meije, there's a small playground, a swimming pool and a mini-golf course, but the reason you'd really stay here is for the views, the perpetually snow-covered peaks of the Écrins. From £19 per night
Camping Valbonheur
Best for cooler temperatures
Another campsite gloriously sandwiched between lake and mountain, Camping Valbonheur stays cool even in the height of summer. Their 'igloos' (domed wooden huts that look like the top half of a wooden caravan) are very picturesque, if not particularly spacious. There are also lodges, chalets and some rather spectacular safari tents, which open up right onto the ponds (pack mosquito spray). From £12 per night
The Mediterranean
Camping Domaine de la Bergerie
Best for intimacy
Between Vence and the picture-perfect artist's town, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the stone buildings of Camping Domaine de la Bergerie look like the Provence of yesteryear. It has been running for over 70 years, and its recipe for success is having the best of all worlds. It's small enough to feel intimate, but also has a shop, restaurant and swimming pool – plus the beach is just a 20-minute drive away. From £16 per night
Nova Lodges
Best for glamping
Calling anyone who hates camping, there are no tents, only lodges, begging the question, what is a campsite? When it's packaged like this, with a palm-fringed swimming pool and direct beach access, it's more upmarket than many hotels.
Beachside accommodation facing St Tropez, each lodge has a fully-equipped kitchen, private patio with sun loungers, and two bathrooms – Nova Lodges is camping bragging rights with none of the fuss. From £500 per week
Yelloh ! Village Le Sérignan Plage
Best for extra activities
You could easily spend a week here and not leave the campsite. Le Sérignan Plage boasts gym classes, tennis and padel courts. There's nightly entertainment, and everything from fencing to baking classes for kids. Tempting though it is, make the effort to leave, the local beaches are lovely and unspoilt (although many are designated nudist beaches). From £183 per week (shorter stays also available)
Corsica
Camping L'Oso Porto-Vecchio
Best for calm atmosphere
Set back from the coast, this campsite is a haven of calm, even in the height of summer. Chalets, mobile homes and tent pitches at Camping L'Oso are well spaced, with plenty of trees for privacy. The best pitches and chalets look directly over the River Oso. Check in for as long as possible, the myriad of activities on offer nearby range from canyoning and diving to horse riding along the beach. From £153 per week
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
The mountain retreat - upholding an Italian tradition
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"I was expecting to be drip fed into it."But literally I signed, then two hours [drive] straight up to the mountains, not speaking the language - it was terrifying, but after a few days I loved it."The ritiro pre-campionato - translated as pre-season retreat - is something of an Italian have long swapped hot and humid summers for fresh mountain air and picturesque surroundings in the north of the country, spending weeks preparing for the new season at high-altitude camps."You have almost six weeks off with your family and then 17 days away," adds left-back Doig, now with Sassuolo in Serie A and speaking from his fourth such retreat, this one in the quiet Alpine village of Ronzone."When you're in the mountains it's just head down and work hard. You feel dead on your feet every day but it is good because you know you are getting something out of it."It is a shock to the system but it gets you right back in the swing of things with your fitness and the football way of mind."While many clubs, particularly those in the Premier League, now opt for lucrative global tours, the 'ritiro' remains relatively unscathed heritage in Serie A."Every player has grown up with this kind of tradition," explains Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini. "Maybe we have more mountains than other nations!"This summer, only AC Milan ventured outside Europe, playing in Hong Kong and Australia, with several clubs setting up retreats at their own training bases and 12 still making a trip to the slopes. Antonio Conte's Napoli are even doing it twice."You have better air, oxygen," says Gokhan Inler, technical director at Udinese, who have made a short hop across the border to Austria. "You are more controlled with food and sleep. It helps build the group, new players come in faster." Italian disciplinarian Fabio Capello recreated a similar retreat with England before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, grilling the squad away from friends and family in the small village of Irdning, tucked away in the Austrian Italian football journalist Daniele Verri explains, would use the remote camps to control their players' behaviour or stop them partying in pre-season."Fans wouldn't even know where their clubs would go," adds Verri. "Now you get full houses."Over time, the culture has changed - as well as open training sessions for fans, most clubs allow players' families to visit, the camps have become shorter and there are more team-building activities. Genoa's players, for example, have spent time rafting and on mountain walks."In the past it was much longer," explains Ottolini from Genoa's base at Moena, in Val di Fassa, where they spent 11 days."There were clubs that stayed in the mountains for three weeks and for me that was something that was damaging the mental health of the players. Now you have to manage the breaks, give some free time to do different activities."Training methods have evolved too, of course."When I was younger it was more mountain runs, up and downs, more physical, 1,000m runs back and forth," says former Switzerland midfielder Inler, who spent eight seasons in Serie A with Udinese and Napoli."Then slowly it changed. Some coaches, like Rafael Benitez, liked to run but on the pitch with a ball."Now on the pitch you can do everything - more people, more scientific materials, you can check more data. Before you had GPS, but basic things, now you see sprints, distance, all these things to fine-tune the body." For Patrick Vieira's Genoa, a typical day - when there are no friendlies - consists of a morning and afternoon session, around which the players can use the spa and swimming pool, or do some recovery work with the physio."Patrick has brought a lot of self-consciousness and he transmits this kind of charisma, this calmness in the right way that is good for everybody," says Ottolini."Patrick is very organised, he gives the right breaks to the players and then in that hour when there is training he wants their full concentration, their full focus."At Sassuolo's camp, it has also been daily double sessions under Italian World Cup-winning left-back Fabio Grosso."It is full on," explains Doig. "We always do running or gym in the morning and always ball work in the afternoon. The gaffer is good with that."Now it is getting more tactical. Tactics, games in the afternoon - it gives you something to look forward to after the hard session in the morning."Of course, there is still always time for golf. "There is a beautiful course, Dolomiti Golf Course, five minutes' drive away," smiles Doig. "Whenever we get an afternoon off, we're straight there for like five hours." 'It's an event' - why Napoli have two camps As well as friendlies and open training sessions, clubs lay on events for visiting fans - Genoa boss Vieira spoke in the square at nearby Alpine resort Canazei and players took part in a table football tournament."It is traditional for the supporters," adds Ottolini. "They like to come with families to watch games and training, to stay a bit closer to the team compared to what they can do during the season."So popular are the retreats among Napoli fans, they have put on two this summer."In the 1980s, all Italian teams went to the mountains - fresh air, to build team spirit. It was really just between team-mates," says Naples-based journalist Vincenzo Credendino."Now the retreat of Napoli is an event. They train during the day and then in the night there is always an event."One night cinema, another night the presentation of the team, another there is Conte with his staff answering questions from people, another with four players, a disco night - it's a holiday village, really!" But there is also an economic incentive for side spent 11 days in Dimaro Folgarida, in Trentino's Val di Sole, before heading for two weeks in Castel di Sangro, in the Apennine Mountains in Abruzzo."For the regions, it is good to have Napoli because Napoli bring a lot of fans who go to hotels, restaurants, they kayak, mountain bike," explains Credendino."It's a lot of money - it's like a real business for the regions for Trentino and Abruzzo. They pay Napoli to come but they earn much more."Verri adds: "For a mountain resort looking for visibility, it can mean a lot to host a top club's pre-season training camp. It attracts publicity and above all fans, lots of fans."That is why it can be worth attracting teams for the retreat with sponsorships, free accommodation and various benefits."It begs the question - would clubs consider ditching the traditional retreats for more lucrative overseas options in future?"For the player it is hard," says Inler of that option. "After a long season, you go to a tour and it is a big fatigue, especially mentally. Smaller clubs, you are here in Europe, then it is less fatigue."If you are higher, if you are a better player, everybody wants something from you, the club needs to promote you, needs to promote the club - the higher you go the more you have to do."
BBC News
4 hours ago
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Greece wildfires: What to do if holiday affected, according to experts
It's been a scorching summer so far in parts of Europe, and with it has come an outbreak of wildfires - and warnings of Greece, some Greek islands, Turkey, France and the Balkans have all been affected in recent weeks. This has come alongside a heatwave - with 50.5C recorded in Silopi, Turkey in late July, and 44C in both Athens and what should you do if you have a holiday booked for one of these destinations? Crucially, the Foreign Office says it's safe to travel to all of them - for now. But if you're worried your holiday might still be subject to delays or cancellations - or you're thinking of cancelling it yourself - BBC News has spoken to a range of experts to look at where you stand. If it's safe to travel but you'd prefer not to, what can you do? If you're concerned your planned getaway may be prone to wildfires and you no longer want to go - say because a wildfire has happened near your resort, even if it hasn't directly damaged it - you may have travel insurance providers do allow you to buy additional coverage in the event of natural catastrophes like wildfires, should they occur near your holiday destination - such as within a 20km if you have not paid for this additional cover and decided that you no longer want to travel, or wish to come home early, and the Foreign Office says it is safe to travel, then you likely won't be able to claim for the costs of cancellation via insurance. "There needs to be reasonable evidence as to why you can't go [or need to leave]," explains Rhys Jones. "I think uneasiness or unhappiness about the country [isn't enough]."During the Rhodes wildfires in 2023, Jet2 and Tui cancelled a raft of flights but Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways largely continued running. Some airlines cancelled their package holidays, but not their this case - and with any similar situations this summer - the usual advice is to chat to your airline and hotel, as applicable, because bespoke solutions may be offered for your circumstances. Claiming on travel insurance According to European Commission data, there has been a 13% increase since last week in the total area burnt by wildfires, with more than 290,000 hectacres burnt so far this year in Europe - more than double the figure at the same time last you have travel insurance then most disruption to your trip caused by wildfires should be covered under your standard policy, says Rhys Jones, a travel insurance specialist at GoCompare."Any sort of curtailment or cancellation of your trip as as a result of wildfires - whether that be you can't travel to your destination or you have to come home early - should be covered."Costs imposed due to other emergency measures such as evacuation, relocation or medical expenses should also be included, he adds. In Crete early last month, 5,000 people, many tourists, were temporarily evacuated during a standard policy, Mr Jones says there usually needs to be official advice not to travel from the Foreign Office or another authority, to make a successful insurance claim for a some travel insurance providers will cover you if you decide against embarking on your trip before the Foreign Office issues such advice, explains Jo Rhodes, a travel specialist at Which?"For example, if travel has been disrupted or the specific area you're staying in is being affected, the best thing to do is to contact the insurer to check where you stand - and make sure you do this before cancelling any bookings." What if you don't have travel insurance? Around one in four Britons who went on an overseas holiday in the last 12 months did so without travel insurance, according to research published by The Travel Association (ABTA), in May."If you have no insurance but your holiday provider or airline has cancelled bookings, you may still be eligible for a refund from these companies," Jo Rhodes often look out for package holidays which are Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) protected - but this is not a form of travel insurance.The Atol scheme only protects you if the company providing your holiday goes bust. They will help you get home if you're already aboard a flight, or make a claim for a refund if you are yet to travel.The scheme does not allow you to claim compensation for a cancelled trip or flight, or delays, caused by wildfires. Where you stand with your airline You're covered by UK law if you're departing from a UK airport on any airline, or arriving in the EU on a UK airline, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) means airlines must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is delayed by two or three hours depending on the distance - including supplying food and drink vouchers and a refund on phone call costs, if the CAA explains, if your flight is cancelled and rescheduled to another day, your airline must provide accommodation and transport to you're unlikely to get compensation for wildfire or extreme heat-related disruption, because that would probably be considered an "extraordinary circumstance" so would not be classed as the airline's fault. If you're delayed by more than five hours and you no longer wish to travel, you may be able to get a refund from your airline though, according to the CAA. The body makes clear that if your flight is cancelled, you might have to wait a while but your airline is required to get you to your destination.
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
The 38 coolest places in Provence — the expert's très chic guide
I've been going to the south of France for more than 20 years now, and in that time I've gathered together all the places, people and things I wished I'd known about before I arrived. They look hilarious but are also weirdly cool. Sure, they won't get you very far but that's not the point. Throw a couple of dogs in the back and you'll be the envy of every tourist in town. Hire from Yes Provence, the most universal car hire company in Provence. 914 CD 29 Route de Cavaillon, Saint Andiol; The Saturday fruit and veg market on Place Richelme is a total vibe and it sells the best strawberries from every part of Provence. Carpentras strawberries have the sweetest perfume and are best eaten on a bench in the sun. Place Richelme, Aix‑en-Provence Lovely little town in the far north of the region, close to Mont Ventoux. We stay at an excellent hotel called Le Clair de la Plume. Very dog friendly and there's a perfect courtyard where you can have dinner. 2 Place du Mail, Grignan; Equal parts cold beer to cold lemonade with a dash of grenadine. My favourites, in no particular order, are Ansouis, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, Saignon, Goult and Forcalquier. I order from the same company, Sun-e-bike, every year, but there are lots of options in Provence. Completely changed my experience of the place. I discovered so many fields of sunflowers completely devoid of the TikTok crowds. Best price per use ever. 2 Rue Camille Pelletan, St-Rémy-de-Provence; • More travel inspiration, news, advice and guides Great vibe. Fabulous art. A Roman amphitheatre that will take your breath away. Arles amphitheatre, 1 Rond-point des Arènes, Arles; The best are in Aix-en-Provence on a Saturday morning, when the entire town is in market mode, with a brocante near the bus station, clothes near the giant fountain and the aforementioned fruit/veg/flower market in Place Richelme. Also: Marché de Forcalquier — very arty (Place du Bourguet); Banon — very hip; Coustellet — good organic produce; Marché de Lourmarin — really busy, but worth seeing once as it's so pretty; Carpentras — fabulous, low-key Sunday brocante with cheap prices; Apt — the Saturday market is good for everything, but there's also a giant one on the second Sunday in July every year (Place Gabriel Péri). Didn't think I'd find this on a list of suggestions, but I took a Zou! bus from Cavaillon to Aix this summer and, well, I was blown away. Big comfy seats, air conditioning, gets you to a lot of those fiddly places that are hard to reach unless you drive. So much better than the buses back home. Provençal lavender honey is incredibly floral and sweet. There's always a local seller at one of the many markets, so stock up. Veggie soup made with pesto and seasonal vegetables/beans. Incredible. If you see it on a menu, just order it. Not unique to Provence — maybe more of a French thing — but this fizzy, slightly fruity soft drink is the one thing we bring home every year. Track it down in the local supermarket. Everyone knows Cannes. Most people have an opinion on St Tropez (too flash in the summer, too quiet in the winter, bliss in the spring); while Nice, Antibes and Cap-Ferrat are all well-worn stops on the Riviera tour. But Hyères is the new place to rest your head. Once famous with the British aristocracy — and the Twenties literary crowd (Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald famously partied here) — this seaside town is now having a moment. Last year Lilou Hotel opened its stylish doors — 37 cool rooms across 4 floors. There's also the magical island of Porquerolles, which is a few minutes away by boat and perfect for an afternoon of cycling. The beautiful Villa Noailles is a short cab ride away, and as well as having one of the best gardens in all of France, it was where everyone from Picasso to Salvador Dalí partied the night away. Lilou Hotel, 7 Boulevard Pasteur; Villa Noailles, 47 Montée Noailles; The best place in the south of France to buy vintage sheets, pillow cases, quilts and fabric, some dating back to the 18th century, which the owners have been collecting for more than 50 years. You'll find it in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and it's only open Saturday/Sunday. (Although forget lunchtime, which is usually 1pm-3pm. In fact, this is the case for almost everywhere in Provence.) 20 Avenue Julien Guigue, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; Such a good shop, with a few different locations in Provence overseen by three generations of the Jouvaud family. It sells great homewares, linen napkins, lovely teacups, but also beautiful chocolates to take back home, especially the little muettes, which come in multiple flavours. 5 Avenue des Quatre Otages, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; It's easy to miss the beautiful home of the surrealist photographer and Picasso muse, who spent every summer here before her death in 1997. It is now a residential centre for artists and writers, but on Tuesdays and Saturdays you can tour the interior and garden. 58 Rue du Portail Neuf, Ménerbes; Quite possibly the best garden in the world. I go almost every year for a private tour with the head gardener. You will be smitten. Le Jardin de la Louve, Chemin de Saint-Gervais, Bonnieux A slightly surreal experience where, as well as a tour of the Hollywood director's vineyard (and a lovely tasting session afterwards), you get to see dozens of the original costumes and props from his many films, including Gladiator and Alien. One for the movie nerd in your life. 1575 Route du Four Neuf, Oppède; High in the hills above St Tropez, this rustic restaurant (it does big portions) was the favourite of the late, great AA Gill. You will need to book. 2 Place de l'Église, La Môle This hotel-restaurant needs no introduction. There are Picassos on the wall, lanterns in the fig trees and probably a Hollywood director lurking at one of the tables. Place du Général de Gaulle, Saint-Paul-de-Vence; The former childhood home of Paul Cézanne just opened this summer and is an absolute treat, with the remains of Cézanne's paintings on some of the walls. It's quite possibly better than his studio in nearby Lauves (see no 33) — but if you are in Aix, why not see both? 4 Rue de Valcros, Aix-en-Provence; Out in the wilds of the Camargue you'll find this superchic restaurant, which has a green Michelin star. Almost all the produce comes from the organic garden. A perfect way to spend a long, lazy Sunday lunch. Mas de la Chassagnette, D36 Route Sambuc, near Arles; Alain Ducasse bought this place in the Nineties from a local potter and it still feels like a little country house not far from the green Verdon Gorge for which this part of Provence is famous. We spent the most beautiful couple of nights here many years ago. 511 Chemin de Quinson, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie; Sort of like Soho House but smaller and with a storied past (everyone from Brigitte Bardot to Jackie O used to hang here). It was renovated a couple of years ago and is now one of the chicest places to stay just outside St Tropez. Route de l'Épi, Ramatuelle; This hotel has fabulous interiors and it's right next door to a really cool bakery. The same company also owns the Nord-Pinus round the corner, which is very romantic, especially if you can get the room with the balcony on the corner. 20 Rue du Sauvage, Arles; I've been buying simple, good-quality leather sandals from this place in St Tropez for years. The Sahariennes design is a dead ringer for The Row, but will last longer. 18 Rue Georges Clemenceau, St Tropez; If money is no object, this super-swanky medi-spa in Ramatuelle is heaven. 736 Chemin des Crêtes, Ramatuelle; It was here that poor Vincent van Gogh was carted off after severing his ear in Arles. While in residence he completed 150 paintings. You can visit the room where he lived and see the big skies and olives trees that he painted each day. Part of the hospital is still in use. Saint-Paul de Mausole, Place Saint-Paul, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Chic waterfront hotspot in Les Goudes, outside Marseille. Hard to get a reservation, so book early. Oh, and some new rooms have just opened if you'd like to stay the night. 2 Boulevard Alexandre Delabre, Marseille; In the teeny village of Villars, just outside Apt, you will find this buzzy bar/restaurant. Closed Monday and Tuesday and booking is essential. Place de la Fontaine, Villars; Every summer, the stylish couple behind the French wicker company Atelier Vime open up their incredible home in the Camargue as part of La Maison Vime boutique. Here they sell ceramics and 18th-century plates as well as the wicker products they are famous for. 24 Quai du Rhône, Vallabrègues; This café and deli is very much a vibe. Get a takeout picnic to eat on the beach. Gorgeous sandwiches and pastries. 116 Corniche Kennedy, Marseille; Aix-en-Provence celebrates its most famous resident, Paul Cézanne, with a major retrospective of his work at the Musée Granet as well as the much anticipated opening of his family home La Bastide du Jas de Bouffan (see no 21). His studio at Lauves, just outside Aix, has also undergone a major renovation. This is one of the biggest Cézanne celebrations, so book tickets in advance where possible. Musée Granet, Place Saint-Jean de Malte, Aix-en-Provence; Atelier des Lauves, 13 Avenue Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence; Charming little flower farm not far from Goult. Route de Vaugines, Lourmarin; My new favourite restaurant in Provence. Smart, hip, with a small but perfect menu. I shall dream of the gazpacho with fresh goat's cheese for many months. 1 Place de la Fraternité, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt; Pretty vineyard at the tail end of the Nesque Valley, under papal control for 800 years, offering excellent wines and lively tours. Route de Methamis, Malemort-du-Comtat; I'd never heard of this hotel group until recently but it specialises in chic boutique hotels, many of which are in Provence including Le Moulin in Lourmarin and Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël. One of the largest bookstores outside Paris, located in several Provençal houses in the gorgeous town of Banon. Get lost here for an afternoon, then go for coffee in Café Union. Rue Saint-Just, Banon; Farrah Storr's newsletter, Things Worth Knowing, is on Substack
