Week-Long Road Trip in Provence
Blog
August 27, 2024 • ☕️ 4 min read • 27
Provence Road Trip
Provence, here we come again! After last year’s bikepacking trip in Provence, Ann and I decided to return for a week-long road trip. Provence’s camping culture is fantastic, so we tossed the ultralight bikepacking tent into the spacious car trunk and, with minimal planning, hit the road.
After crossing the Alps, we reached the northern part of Provence at Lac de Serre-Ponçon. From there, we journeyed south-west through Provence, eventually concluding our adventure near the Mont Ventoux — a convenient starting point for our drive back home. Over the course of the week, we had the opportunity to visit:
- Provence Hautes-Alpes (Lac de Serre-Ponçon)
- Parc Naturel Regional du Verdon
- Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Vaison-la-Romaine
- Near Luberon: Roussillon, Gordes, Lacoste, Lourmarin
- Mont Ventoux
Roadtrip Itinerary
Lac de Serre-Ponçon
We arrived in France on Saturday, exhausted after a long journey. So we started figuring out our camping situation for the day. I was eager to camp within walking distance of the lake so I could take a dip in the afternoon. To our surprise, nearly all the campsites at the lake were fully booked, probably because it was the weekend. After several frustrating calls, we finally found a spot at a rather expensive campsite - Camping La Vieille Ferme. The place felt like a mini Netherlands, with the manager being Dutch and nearly all the guests. Even the staff was assuming I was Dutch as well.
The pleasant surprise was that the campsite had a strong cycling culture — almost everyone had a nice bike! At 9 AM, all you could hear was the clicking of freehubs as people prepared for their trips. ++ from me!
Parc Naturel Regional du Verdon
We stayed at Camping Saint Jean, just a short walk from the village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. The campsite is also a quick drive from Lac de Sainte-Croix, where you can relax by the water or rent a canoe to explore the canyon Verdon up close.
The stargazing in the area is phenomenal — there are even some observatories nearby, which speaks about the low light pollution in the area. The Milky Way is clearly visible to the naked eye, and I had some fun with my new Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 lens to capture it.
Aix-en-Provence
Luberon
Luberon is a massif in central Provence, and as we drove around, we had the chance to visit some nice spots like Gordes, Roussillon, and Lourmarin (great for dinner!). Lacoste (not to be confused with the brand) is an especially interesting spot. At the very top, you’ll find the château of the infamous Marquis de Sade, which adds a touch of history to the visit. Today, the town has transformed into an art village, filled with ateliers and fascinating sculptures that make it a unique and creative destination.
Avignon
Mount Ventoux
It’s a must-see for any cyclist. I was really disappointed that I didn’t bring my bike. Ironically, driving up the mountain turned out to be more challenging than cycling — it felt like there were cyclists everywhere, and navigating around them was quite the task!
