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Velomagg in Montepellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) is another of the growing number of city bike hire schemes which have blossomed throughout France - and which potentially offer a different way of visiting many of France’s cities. It has also given employment to those creative people who dream up catchy logos and names for such schemes!
It all started in Paris with the Velib’ Scheme - an amalgam of Velo (cycle) and Liberte (free), which has been a tremendous success.
Vélib’ is a Self Service “bike hire” system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Multi pick up and drop off location allows you to pick up your bike from one service point and drop off to another.
You need to subscribe, but for visitors there are 1-day and 7-day subscriptions and after the first 30 minutes you pay by the half-hour - e.g. a 90-minute hire will cost just €3 and you can pick up and drop off your bike at any of the hundreds of self-service stations across the city.
The Velib’ scheme has been based on a similar scheme VeloV in Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) France’s second city. The combination of these eco-friendly and fitness focussed schemes is now spreading throughout France:-
VeloCite in Mulhouse (68 Haut-Rhin, Alsace) and Besancon (25 Doubs, Franche-Comté)
Vhello in Aix-en-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Le Velo in Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence)
Velo in Toulouse (34 Haut Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees)
Nantes (44 Loire-Atlantique, Val de Loire)
Rouen (76 Seine Maritime, Normandy)
Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine)
Velostan in Nancy (54 Meurthe et Moselle, Lorraine)
Velo+ in Orleans (45 Loiret, Centre)
Velomagg in Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
This is clearly a popular scheme, mainly aimed at local residents but may also offer a different way of seeing some of France’s major cities from a different perspective. However, I would recommend choosing a city with good cycle lanes and paths - you do get the impression that traffic in many of France’s cities is not very forgiving with errant cyclists - so do not try cycling around the rond-point of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris!!
Inevitably there are some urban myths developing - such as the fact that there are always plenty of bikes at the bottom of the Butte de Montmartre, but none at the top - for obvious reasons. And you can get caught out in busy locations if you cannot find an empty slot in which to return your bike!
Information on domestic flights in France is not easy to come by, one reason being that Air France has such a dominant position in France and already have flights on most internal routes.
Plus the French market is not as competitive. The French Railway system between major cities is both fast and competitive, especially if starting from Paris.
I have only been able to uncover a couple of airlines which offer domestic flights in France:-
http://www.easyjet.com/ - Toulouse to Lyon, Paris, Nice to Paris; Lyon to Biarritz, Bordeaux; Biarritz to Paris
http://www.twinjet.net/
Toulouse (32 Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse, Brest; Marseille to Metz/Nancy, Mulhouse; Paris - Perigueux, Cherbourg
http://www.airlinair.fr/ Brest,(29 Finistere, Brittany) Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine), Agen (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine), Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes), Poitiers (86 Vienne, Poitou-Charentes), Brive (19 Correze, Limousin) Beziers (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) etc
http://www.ryanair.com/ now also has links from Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) to Lille (59 Nord, Nord-Pas de Calais) and Brest (29 Finistere, Brittany)
You can try sites like http://www.expedia.fr/ but even a price comparison site like http://www.baisse-de-prix.com/voyages.php seems to offer little new – it looks like Air France have cornered the market with little opportunity for discounting.
Marseille features in the Independent (22 Mar 08) as being one of the top 10 travel terminals in the World for its new airport terminal, but a brickbat for the Marseille Ferry Port as one of the grimmest.
A new-look terminal, named MP2, opened at Marseille/Provence airport at Merignane especially for low-cost flying. Uniquely the terminal is designed to eliminate many services (and the associated costs) normally provided at airports. So passangers will take bags to the scanners themselves to reduce reliance on check-in staff and people will walk across the tarmac before boarding - no buses or walkways. All very much in the “no frills” mode, but at least the airport tax will be halved for domestic flights and reduced by up to 85% on European flights. The décor inside the terminal is also be “cheap and cheerful” with a combination of pink and green, purportedly symbolising a new dawn and a new way of travelling.
I suspect that if the terminal works efficiently and processes you and your baggage quickly and easily then who can bemoan the lack of other facilities. On the other hand it could be a little more trying if there are significant delays.
Terminal One remains and will continue to be more traditional, albeit hopefully less crowded than before for those travelling with the major airlines and paying more (usually).
At the other end of the scale, the Marseille Ferry Port is far from welcoming - delapidated industrial infrastructure which is reminiscent of Marseille’s rather dubious and dangerous reputation. But it is a gateway for reaching many other parts of the western Mediterranean including Corsica, Sardinia and north Africa.
The other alternative connection for Marseille is of course with the train, with Eurostar from another of the featured top 10 terminals i.e. the new St Pancras Internation station in London. The TGV line down through France to Marseille is very fast and goes through some glorious scenery as it tracks the Rhone Valley into Provence.
Your destination is then the Gare St Charles (see picture above) with its spectacular staircase (escalier) outside - a very traditional and ornate 19th Century railway terminus in the centre of the city. In the summer you can get from London to Marseille with a change of platforms in Lille, rather than a change of stations in Paris (Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon).
You can book train tickets direct from the UK to any destination in France (via Eurostar, TGV and SNCF) through RailEurope
Book Ferry tickets from Marseille with aferry.to to destinations including Corsica, Sardinia, Ajaccio, Algiers, Bastia, Calvi, Oran, Tangier and Tunis
| ferries powered by AFerry.to |
Commission Free Euros
from the Post Office Exchange Rate as at 22 march 2008: €1.2349 = £1.00
| July 19, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 14 is on Saturday 19 July 2008 and starts from Nimes (30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon) and runs for 194.5 km through the heart of Provence to finish in the foothills of the Alps at Digne-les-Bains (04 Alpes-de-Haut Provence, Provence, Cote d’Azur) via St Remy-de-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) and Apt (84 Vaucluse, Provence)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
Tallard (05 Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) to Marseille (13 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) - a relatively easy day(!?) coming down from the Alpes to the coast - through the heart of the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AC region. The route will pass through Rians (83 Var, Provence) the home of Chateau Vignelaure one of the most respected winemakers in the region.
For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.
For a time this was the most successful foreign film in British box-office history, and deservedly so. It’s a continuation of Jean de Florette, which told how a hunchback from Paris tried to establish himself as a farmer in rural Provence, only to have his water supply blocked off by a conniving neighbour (Montand) who wanted to take his land.
See full review of Manon Des Sources from Channel 4 Film.
Two other films in the series are Le Chateau de Ma Mère (my mother’s chateau) and La Gloire de Mon Père (my father’s glory) - all set in the Provencal hills above Aubagne (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) between Marseille and Aix-en-Provence. (see map)
Aubagne is proud to be the birthplace of Pagnol and whilst it cashes in somewhat with a “miniature world of Marcel Pagnol” with hundreds of Provencal figurines based on his characters, the house where he was born is now a museum to the great man.
However, what to my mind is better (if you are fit enough) is to take one of the signposted walks which take you up in to the hills (the Massif du Garbalan) where Manon and Jean de Florette were based and filmed. Here you can capture the essence of deepest Provence, both beautiful and stark, abundant with herbs and awesome views over the “garrigue”
The local tourist office in Aubagne has details of these walks, and there are some guided tours available with a coach to take you up the hills. Alternatively there are “threatrical excursions” which involve a local theatre company’s actors recreating scenes from the films in the original locations. But be warned, some serious uphill walking is required and it can be seriously hot in mid-summer. Best to make an early start to avoid the heat of the afternoon. There can also be some restrictions in the height of summer to minimise the risk of moorland fires - again check with the Tourist Office.
LINKS:-
Aubagne Tourist Office and Pagnol walks
Manon Des Sources [1986]
Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape
The third and final day trip from Saint Remy-de-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur) takes us northwards to the western side of Avignon and includes 2 lesser known appellations and probably the most famous!
First stop is Tavel, where reputedly the “best rosé wine in the world” is produced - and this is not some light, frivolous summer salad wine, but it can be a seriously good, full-bodied dry rosé.
Although the most direct route is via Avignon, I prefer to avoid the frenetic and sometimes confusing and busy Avignon ring road, and instead head west on the D99 from St Remy to TARASCON, and then onto BEAUCAIRE. Then head north on the D986L to REMOULINS, where you turn right (north) onto the N700 signposted to Avignon. About 2 miles outside of Remoulins, take the left fork to ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD on the D976. (If you have a good map and navigator you could follow the D2 from BEAUCAIRE alongside the River Rhône to ARAMON, and then cut across country to DOMAZAN to ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD).About 2 miles beyond ROCHEFORT-DU-GARD take a left signposted to the village of TAVEL.
On the way in to the village you will pass the Co-operative (which is not one of the best), but I would head on into the village for Domaine Maby - on the northwest side of the village in rue St Vincent.
Maby has always been one of the best Tavel producers with Cuvée La Forcadière, and as a bonus they also produce Lirac (La Fermade). In recent years Richard Maby has taken over from his illustrious father, so we may see some changes in style in years to come. But for now these Grenache and Cinsault dominated rosés are the classic style being high in acidity and distinctly dry and full-bodied and should present a challenge to those who think rosé wine is for wimps. Tavel is an appellation exclusively for rosé wines, but confusingly the neighbouring Lirac appellation produces both red, white and rosé, although is better known for its reds.
Although the village of Lirac is a little to the north of Tavel, we head out of Tavel to the east back on to the D976 heading to ROQUEMAURE, where our destination is Domaines Assemat and Castel Oualou.(NB you need to book an appointment here (tel: 04 66 82 65 65) and you’ll need some directions), The landscape here is decidedly more rugged and it is this which helps to produce red wines which tend to have strong mineral character.
From Roquemaure you continue on the D976 northwards crossing to the left bank of the Rhône, followed shortly thereafter with a right turn(eastwards) on the D17 to CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is very definitely on the tourist route, being the summer home of the Avignon Popes and the birthplace of a wine that most people have heard of. As such the village can be quite crowded, and there are some obvious tourist traps - but there are plenty of winetasting shops, and those which are owned by a domaine tend to offer best value for money.
The wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are complex in part due to the fact that the appellation rules allow up to 13 grape varieties to be used: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picpoul and Terret (all red) and the following white varietals: Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picardin.These are blended with the red grapes to lighten the colour and regulate the maturation of the wine. Also in the village is an interesting wine museum (Musée du Vin Brotte) on the route d’Avignon
Although most of the old Pope’s palace is now in ruins, there is one tower which affords a great view over the region (down to the Alpilles in the south, and the Ventoux range to the east - well worth the climb.
There are many good winemakers, chateaux and domaines in the region, many with names you may find familiar. Hence choosing one or two means missing many others which are equally worth visiting. Nearby is the Domaine de Beaurenard, which is one of the domaines I would select for a visit - the Coulon family makes an excellent standard of wines, with rich bouquets and great structure - these are BIG wines, which need some ageing to be at their best (5-10 years depending on vintage). Open daily except Sunday - 10, Avenue Pierre de Luxembourg (Route d’Avignon). There is also a winemaker’s museum here (Musée du Vigneron) at their other domaine at Rasteau in the Côtes du Rhône (see www.beaurenard.fr/)
The other recommended visit would be to Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, a personal favourite as this was one of the first Chateauneuf wines I tasted.The domaine has a particularly hot microclimate, which enables them to pick their ripe grapes up to a week earlier than neighbouring domaines.
Vieux Télégraphe’s blend is a typical one, with Grenache accounting for around two thirds, the rest being made up of Syrah and Mourvèdre in roughly equal proportions, and a tiny bit of Cinsault. When I first visited, unannouced I was lucky enough to be shown around by the redoubtable Henri Brunier who did so much to make this wine one of the flagship wines of the appellation.But since the 1980s, it has been his 2 sons who have managed the vineyard, (classy website at www.vignoblesbrunier.fr/)
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe is at BEDARRIDES - head east out of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the Chemin de Bedarrides (only about 2-3 miles). You will need to phone ahead to check they are open to visitors - Tel: 04 90 33 00 31.
From here your options are to head north and visit the town of ORANGE with its Roman remains, or south to AVIGNON.
The direct route back to St Remy-de-Provence is about 25 miles, and the whole day involves no more than about 60 miles travelling.
These 3 itineraries will provide you with an excellent understanding of the wealth of wines available in the Southern Rhône. Real enthusiasts may choose to spend a little more time exploring some of the Côtes du Rhône Villages such as Sablet, Vinsobres, Roaix, Rochegude,Seguret, Valreas and Visan to name but some.
Other extensions to the trip would be west to the Costières de Nimes, or east to the vineyards of Provence. This is probably the best area in France to explore many different styles of wine, as you are spoilt for choice.
Contact Details:-
Domaine Maby rue St Vincent, 30126 Tavel;
T:04 66 50 03 40 F: 04 66 50 43 12
Domaine de Castel Oualou Vignobles Assemat, 30150 Roquemaure
T:04 66 82 65 65 F: 04 66 82 86 76
Domaine de Beaurenard Paul Coulon et fils, avenue Pierre-de-Luxembourg, 84231 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
T: 04 90 83 71 79 F: 04 90 83 78 06 E:paul-coulon@beaurenard.fr
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Vignobles Brunier, BP5, 84370 Bedarrides T:04 90 33 00 31 F:04 90 33 18 47
Recommended Reading:-
Rhone (Touring Wine Country)
Wines of Cotes Du Rhone Reg F
See the other 3 parts of this wine tour:-
Introduction
Tour 1 - Les Baux de Provence
Tour 2 - Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne and the Côtes-du-Rhône
or download an Acrobat Reader version of the itinerary HERE
For some Canadian friends we put together some ideas from our experience to demonstrate how best to do a few days wine touring in the southern Rhône Valley. This is such a rich area to visit - scenically, historically and from a wine (and food) perspective.
We chose to base the tour in St Remy de Provence (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) a few miles south of Avignon for easy access to Les Baux de Provence, Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cairanne, Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Others will choose different start points and other vineyards - importantly we think wine tours need to be paced, as an over-indulgence can dull the senses and diminish the enjoyment. And there are so many other things to do in the region, as well as just relax in the delightful climate and atmosphere of Provence.
For more info see www.frenchduck.co.uk
The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.
| Destination | From | airline |
Now that most of the grape harvest is over, except for late harvest-style dessert wines, the attention now moves to that other vine - the olive.
In Provence in particular many wine domaines will also grow olive vines (e.g. Mas Sainte Berthe at les Baux de Provence (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence)). So for a different take on a late autumn break you could always get the TGV down to Avignon and make your way out to a neat B&B near Beaumes-de-Venise (84 Vaucluse, Provence) where you can indulge in an olive-themed weekend - stroll around the olive groves, take part in the harvest, and enjoy the olive-dominated cuisine of yout hosts.
The Mas de l’Evajade is a farmhouse in the midst of the vineyards and the olive groves where you can enjoy the view over the Dentelles de Montmirail.. “Take part in gathering the olives with your host. Visit the olive mill and taste your hosts’ cuisine, based on olive oil of course.”
It is a delightful corner of Provence, close to Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And of course, although the sweet white Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is well-known in the UK, Beaumes-de-Venise is an important Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellation making seriously good red, rosé and dry white wines. There is a good co-operative in the village.
Our favourite recommendation would be the Domaine la Fourmone in nearby Vacqueyras/
