Two weeks touring Provence and Burgundy
France
|
Sep 14 - Sep 30, 2026
Kimkim arranged our two week itinerary from Marseille north to Dijon. They arranged our rental car, and we visited many lovely towns and cities through Provence and Burgundy. Kimkim set up private or group tours for us in several places, and Liz gave us good ideas for driving and stopping to visit memorable sites we might have missed. We had visited most of the towns on this itinerary many years ago, but the suggestions that Liz made for tours were not what we had done before. Kimkim made our hotel reservations in each destination. During the planning stage, we looked at the hotels suggested and they took our feedback and made modifications based on location and price. With only couple of exceptions, the hotels were unique, in a great location, and very comfortable. The tours were outstanding. We loved visiting and swimming in the Calanques National Park. We had a beautiful day with a gregarious and knowledgeable guide in the wine region of Bandol and Cassis. Our tour guide in Aix-en-Provence was lovely and smart. We spent a day visiting the extraordinary Roman ruins of Nimes, Orange, and Pont du Gard with a terrific guide. Kimkim arranged several tasty culinary and wine tasting experiences in Avignon, Lyon, and Dijon. In sum, we were very satisfied with our experience with kimkim's planning advisor, Liz, and those who make all of their arrangements, particularly Kate. We have to add one extra thank you. We were originally scheduled to travel in June, but my husband's brother died. Kimkim kindly and quickly took all of their arrangements and rescheduled our trip for September.
Hotel Reviews
This was the perfect hotel to start the trip. It is located in the pleasant hustle and bustle of Marseilles within easy walking distance to the port area for restaurants and people watching. The room was pretty, comfortable, and decent sized, and the breakfast was a delicious start to each day. The staff was very friendly and kindly let me try out my rusty french. The other guests appeared to be young professionals and happy explorers.
The hotel is located on a quiet street not far from the Palais des Papes within the walls of Avignon. You can happily explore many untouristy areas of Avignon from here, but it is close to the highlights as well. The host is a very hospitable man who took time to explain how to get places, where to park, what to visit, etc. The room kimkim had arranged was not a good one for us since the raked ceiling beams made it impossible for my husband to stand upright, but the manager recognized this this next morning and moved us to a very comfortable room while we were out for the day. There are lots of stairs with no elevator to get to the rooms in which we stayed if that is an issue. The breakfast was quite good and there were not many other options for breakfast in the area. The Tourist Bureau is nearby which was convenient since our group and private tours started there.
We were in a very small, poorly lit room on the first floor. Some rooms opened onto a little balcony, but we had only a door and poor ventilation. The desk manager didn't even look up when we came in at night. The breakfast was good. It is about a 20 minute walk to the main area of Aix - not convenient except by car which is about 10 minutes to the underground parking next to the pedestrian area. There is a garage onsite. I believe if you call ahead, some of the parking is free. We didn't know to reserve ahead and so paid for parking. There are other hotels more conveniently located for exploring Aix, but fine if you are just traveling through.
Fascinating and tranquil historic hotel outside of Arles. You can only get there by car - it is about 15 minutes from the periphery of the main tourist areas. The large, comfortable rooms are colorfully decorated and painted, and the decor around the hotel is kind of exotic drawing from its 500 year history. There is a swimming pool and nooks for reading or relaxing. Delicious breakfast. I wish we had stayed an extra night.
A very comfortable and welcoming hotel. The room was clean, fresh and good sized, and the staff was very helpful. There is an elevator! The neighborhood is walkable and pretty, not far from the Rhone and a few blocks from the Saone. Lots of young people in the cafes at night and good restaurants nearby. We liked the hotel a lot, but the location requires either Uber or lots of walking along the beautiful Saone river to get to the old area of Lyon or other typical tourist sites. I am glad we stayed there or else we would have missed this more authentic part of Lyon. One great thing is that the hotel is minutes away from the transit system hub which will also get you all around the city.
We had a large, light filled room with a pretty view over the street toward the Palais. The hotel is minutes away from the Palais des Ducs which is the focal area of old Dijon. The friendly staff was helpful with stashing luggage and giving directions. There is an elevator. Dijon is very walkable. We had to park overnight a ways away in public parking, but the walk back was through interesting streets, past the big food market, and lovely parts of Dijon.
Activity Reviews
Needed more time. I would have liked to go into Gordes. Maybe see another town. I feel like we drove far enough from town that it would have been worth seeing other towns if they, too, are charming. I know we weren't there during lavender season, but I have read of other towns that also seemed worth a visit. This was a half- day from 9 to 2, so I understand the limits.