What I’d Do Differently: South of France Edition

Updated April 2026 | 6 min read

I had an incredible time in Provence. But I also made mistakes that cost me time, money, and a few experiences I will never get back. Every trip teaches you something, and the South of France taught me plenty. Here are the specific things I would change if I could do it over.

1. I Would Have Booked the TGV Two Months Earlier

I booked my TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon about three weeks before departure and paid 78 euros each way. A friend who booked the same route two months out paid 29 euros. Same train, same seats, same three-hour ride through the Rhone Valley. The difference was just timing.

SNCF releases tickets roughly 90 days before departure and the cheapest fares go fast. The Ouigo budget TGV is even cheaper, sometimes as low as 19 euros, but it departs from Paris Marne-la-Vallee instead of Gare de Lyon, which adds a 45-minute RER ride.

The fix: Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your travel date. Go to the SNCF Connect app the day tickets drop. Book immediately.

2. I Should Have Rented a Smaller Car

I rented a Peugeot 3008, which is a compact SUV by French standards but felt enormous on Provencal village roads. In Gordes, I had to fold in my mirrors to squeeze through a passage between two stone buildings. In Roussillon, I circled the village three times because I could not fit into any of the open parallel spots.

The rental cost about $380 for the week from Avignon TGV station. A Peugeot 208 or Renault Clio would have been $40-50 cheaper and infinitely easier to park.

The fix: Book the smallest car available. In Provence, small is not a compromise. It is an advantage.

3. Visit the Lavender Fields at Sunrise, Not Midday

I arrived at the Senanque Abbey lavender fields around 1 PM on a July afternoon. The parking lot was overflowing. A line of cars snaked down the single-lane road for half a kilometer. The lavender itself was gorgeous, but the light was flat, harsh, and directly overhead, which killed the purple tones in every photo I took.

A photographer I met at dinner that night showed me his shots from 6:30 AM the same morning. The lavender rows were glowing in golden sidelight, the abbey was draped in shadow, and there were maybe four other people in sight.

The fix: Get to Senanque Abbey by 6:30 AM in peak lavender season (mid-June through late July). The Valensole plateau is even better at sunrise because the fields are larger and you can find a row with nobody in it.

4. Skip Marseille’s Vieux-Port Tourist Zone

I spent half a day walking around Marseille’s Vieux-Port area because every guide said it was essential. The port itself is beautiful from a distance, but up close it was aggressive souvenir shops, mediocre bouillabaisse restaurants charging 35 euros a bowl, and a general atmosphere of being in the wrong place.

What I should have done was go directly to the Panier neighborhood, which is the old quarter just north of the port. It has street art, actual local bakeries, and views over the Mediterranean without the hustle.

The fix: If you want to see Marseille, go to the Panier, MuCEM, and Notre-Dame de la Garde. Skip the Vieux-Port restaurant strip entirely. If time is limited, drive to Cassis instead.

5. Eat Where the Locals Eat, Even When It Is Inconvenient

The best meal I had in Provence was at a tiny restaurant in Apt called Le Platane. No English menu. No TripAdvisor sticker in the window. I had a lamb shoulder braised in local wine with gratin dauphinois, and it cost 22 euros. It was one of the top five meals of my life.

The worst meal I had was at a restaurant in Avignon within sight of the Palais des Papes. It had an English menu, photos of the food on a sandwich board out front, and a guy standing in the doorway trying to wave us in. I paid 31 euros for a rubbery duck confit that I could not finish.

The fix: Ask your hotel or chambre d’hotes owner where they eat on their day off. Not where they send tourists. Where they personally go.

6. Build in One Do-Nothing Day

My itinerary was packed. Avignon on day one, lavender fields on day two, Luberon villages on day three, Calanques on day four, Aix-en-Provence on day five, then TGV to Paris. I saw everything I planned to see and I was exhausted by day four.

The irony of Provence is that its greatest quality is the pace of life, and I completely ignored it. I should have built in a day with nothing planned. Sleep late, walk to a bakery, sit in a plaza with a coffee.

The fix: Block one full day on your itinerary with the word NOTHING. Protect it like you would protect a flight.

7. Budget More for Wine and Markets

I budgeted about $40 a day for food and came in under budget most days. What I did not budget for was the markets and wine. Aix-en-Provence’s Saturday market alone cost me 65 euros because I could not stop buying things. Lavender honey. Olive oil from a guy who grew the olives on his own farm near Nyons. Three bottles of rose from the Luberon cooperative in Bonnieux.

The fix: Add a dedicated market and wine budget of $100-150 for the trip. You will spend it. And unlike a meal that is gone in an hour, these things extend the trip for weeks after you get home.

The Bottom Line

None of these mistakes ruined the trip. Provence is too beautiful and too delicious for that. But every one of them would have made a great trip even better. The South of France rewards people who slow down, plan the logistics early, and leave room for the unplanned.

For the full itinerary, read my complete South of France travel guide. For a deep dive into the hill towns, check out my guide to Gordes, Roussillon, and the Luberon Valley.

Travel Tools We Actually Use

• eSIM Data: Airalo eSIM for Provence France — Skip the airport SIM card line. Buy before you land, activate when you arrive. We use this every trip now.
• Car Rental: Compare car rental prices for Provence France — We compare across all major rental companies here. Book early for shoulder season.
• Travel Insurance: — Comprehensive coverage for trip cancellation, medical, and baggage. We learned the hard way that skipping insurance is not worth it.
• VPN: — Public wifi at hotels and airports is sketchy. This keeps your banking apps and passwords safe.
• Money Transfer: — Best exchange rates, no hidden fees. We use the multi-currency card for every trip.

Book Tours and Activities

• Provence Lavender Fields Tour
• Gordes & Roussillon Village Tour

Gear That Saved Us in Europe

• Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack – Fits in overhead bins on budget European airlines.
• Anker Nano Power Bank – Long museum and walking days drain your phone.
• Airalo eSIM – One eSIM for all of Europe.
• Universal Travel Adapter – EU, UK, and Swiss plugs are all different.
• Packing Cubes – Keeps your bag organized across multiple cities.
• Rain Jacket (Marmot Precip) – Weather changes fast in shoulder season.

Find Your Next Flight

Book on GetYourGuide:

• Lavender Fields Half-Day Tour
• French Riviera Day Trip

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Ready to book? Search flights to South of France to compare prices across airlines. And compare hotel rates in South of France to find the best deals for your dates.

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. SafetyWing, Skyscanner, Airalo, Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide.

Plan your own trip: guides I actually use

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