It's very easy to get here from overseas, as we are just a short journey from several main travel hubs.
Marseille airport has good links both internationally (including many low cost flights) to and from Paris and is just a 50-minute car
drive away.
Nîmes, Montpellier & Nice airports are also accessible.
Avignon TGV (High Speed Train) Station is a fast link from Paris (3 hours) and a 6 hour journey from London. Avignon station is just
30 minutes from us by road.
All of the above have good car hire facilities - starting from around 200 Euros for 6 days.
Driving from Calais (Northern France) to us takes 9 hours on the motorways.
Please click here for more info on Travel Information.
Other than the costs of lunch, every other dinner, snacks & drinks (other than at Dinner), no.
Most things are covered, apart from drinks & snacks outside of meal times, your lunches and 3 dinners, tourist sights etc…
The cash point is a 5-minute walk into the village.
French cash points generally accept foreign cash cards.
Yes there is - and this year we have reduced it from 250 Euros to 150 Euros.
To secure a booking we ask for a deposit of 200 Euros per person which is payable at the time of booking.
Once we have received your deposit we will email you a deposit receipt, a booking confirmation
receipt & the balance that is due for payment.
The balance is due for payment 8 weeks prior to the start of your holiday. We will send you a
reminder of the 8 week payment date 2 weeks before it is due.
Payments can be made by PayPal, bank transfer or by a French Euro cheque.
Of course if you prefer payment can be made in one transaction at the time of booking.
Please read about cancellation in our Terms & Conditions.
In order to make sure that you are completely covered health wise we ask that you take out adeqaute travel insurance.
We recommend that you check your travel insurance to make sure it covers you for cycling holidays, accidents & repatriation.
If it does not, you need "Sports travel insurance "or an actual "cycling holiday insurance" product - see the link below for some insurance
suppliers:
http://www.thecyclepeople.com/cycle_insurance.asp
http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/cycletouring.asp
Some insurers may ask you for the type of cycling - it is classified as cycle touring (on roads).
It is not mountain biking, down hilling nor is it extreme sports!
If you are an EU resident, we would ask that you have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has replaced the old E111 forms,
and it's free of charge.
The EHIC entitles you to medical treatment at reduced cost or sometimes free, when temporarily visiting a European Union (EU) country.
Only treatment provided under the state scheme is covered.
However, to obtain treatment you will need to take a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you.
You can apply for your card at the following link: https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do
We will do everything to make sure things move effectively.
If it's a minor illness we will take you to a local doctor to get you the necessary treatment.
If you have a minor accident on the bike we will come and get you and then get you to a doctor.
If you were to have a more serious illness or accident emergency services would be contacted.
If you are an EU resident we would ask that you have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has replaced the old E111 forms,
and it's free of charge.
The EHIC entitles you to medical treatment at reduced cost or sometimes free, when temporarily visiting a European Union (EU) country.
Only treatment provided under the state scheme is covered.
However, to obtain treatment you will need to take a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you.
You can apply for your card at the following link: https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do
You also need to make sure you have the right travel insurance - see the question above.
We will give you a list of our favourite tried and tested restaurants & cafes which should be useful for your lunches and evenings out. There are some very good restaurants for all budgets, and they are easy to get to, from a 5 minute walk to at most a 20-minute car journey.
Of course you have various choices.
There are many excellent restaurants and cafes in the Luberon villages & towns that you will visit on our rides.
Our preferred restaurant listing points you in the right direction regarding type of food and budget.
Failing that you can always get a takeaway baguette sandwich from the numerous bakeries or visit a market (scenic picnic spots are plentiful).
We can cater for vegetarians (please let us kow at the time of booking) - with a more limited choice. We can not for vegans - sorry!
We have drinks (beer, soft drinks & water), ice creams and snacks available at any time (at reasonable prices) from the "Honesty Fridge" - you just help yourself...
Every evening at 7pm we do a washing run.
Wi-Fi is available throughout the house and on the terrace.
Some vineyards will ship a case(s) to you at a cost.
Lavender is harvested whilst it flowers anywhere from the end of June to August.
Yes you can - as you can many of the fresh water fountains (when it's marked "Eau Potable") dotted around the valley and hills.
You can try the following link - which is a map of the Luberon Regional Park:
http://loisirs.ign.fr/documentArticle.do?idDoc=5278718&siteId=5059600
The following link is for the Departement of the Vaucluse (a larger area than the above Luberon Regional Park - it's the French
equivalent of a County or State):
http://loisirs.ign.fr/documentArticle.do?idDoc=5279165&siteId=5059600
"Rough guide to Provence & the Cote d'Azur"- an excellent tourist guide to the Luberon and wider Provence.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_3_14?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=rough+guide+provence&x=0&y=0&sprefix=rough+guide+pr
"A year in Provence", Peter Mayle, Penguin. Set in the Luberon Valley, its a good read about the French & Provence. To be taken with
a pinch of salt:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=year+in+provence+mayle&x=10&y=17
"Michelin guide to Provence":
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/2060000297/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
If you can't find the question that you want to ask here - please email or call us.
Neil & Natalène COWELL- Provence Cycling Holidays - 536 Chemin du Sarret - 84220 Coustellet - France.
Tel: 00 33 (0)4 90 75 03 95 - Mob: 00 33 (0)6 66 99 98 02 - Email: neil_cowell@yahoo.fr
© Provence Cycling Holidays 2010 - All contents, all rights reserved. - SIRET No (French Company Registration No) 51922933000013
