Steph in his travel pose 2026

Off to France

MISC INFO BEFORE I CONTINUE:

On this trip we used Airbnb and stayed 5 nights in 2 separate places. We rented our car through Discover Cars.

Restaurants in France:

"L'addition" is the term for the bill. Ask if you need to pay at the counter.
90% of businesses take tap cards or Apple Pay.
Service is intentionally slow. Take your time. Enjoy.
Tip for excellent service — it's not expected but it's appreciated.

Cars & Parking:

Discover Cars was significantly cheaper than booking direct, but you lose flexibility.
Check your credit cards for rental car coverage. Our Chase card covers as primary; Amex uses your personal insurance as primary and covers as secondary. We went with Chase.
Country borders matter: When you rent, confirm whether you can cross into another country. The cars have trackers and they will charge you. We paid $30 upfront to have Italy access. Had we just driven across and not asked? €500. So. Ask.
Rent the smallest car you can. The roads are SMALL. Like, genuinely scarily small.
Don't plan to drive in bigger or older cities.
Make sure your credit card coverage is primary, not secondary.
Download offline maps before you go — including points in between.

Parking:

Almost every city charges for parking. Some use a pay app, some use a machine — but take a picture of your license plate before you walk away. You'll need to type it in. Average cost was about $5.

Toll Roads:

The toll roads are the fastest. Tapping your phone with Apple Pay is the easiest method. Sometimes you take a ticket and pay on exit; sometimes you pay as you go.

More on Driving:

OMG. Tiny tiny roads with huge drop-offs. Be prepared to back up, pull over, and squeeze past buses going the other direction. Rent the smallest car possible and enjoy the ride.

Cash:

Have some when you land. Smaller businesses prefer it. We took out $300 for two weeks and that was plenty.

Credit Cards:

Most places take Visa, not Amex. And please, make sure your card has no foreign transaction fees.

Paris for a night

DAY 1 — Paris · May 31, 2026

So here's the thing about our Day 1: it wasn't supposed to be Paris at all. The French love a good strike — and an air traffic controllers' strike meant we rebooked a day early and landed ourselves an unplanned night in the city. I mean… Paris.

We booked Air France comfort seats for the flight over. Not premium economy, not business — just the slightly-more-reclined middle child of seat upgrades. My honest review: the seats recline about two extra inches and that's basically it. I was pretty miserable. Stephane put on his new sleep mask thing, and was out in ten minutes. The one upside: most people don't pay the $75–100 upgrade, so our section was nearly empty. We had an open middle seat, and on the way home we each had our own rows. The rest of the plane was packed solid. Sooo.

We landed at CDG and I'd been bracing for the new entry protocols — it was a complete non-event. Walked straight through. Since Steph and I only travel with carry-ons, we were out of the airport and on the train (€14) to central Paris fast.

Where we stayed:
Hôtel Adèle & Jules
2 Cité Rougemont, 75009 Paris

Cute, well-located, exactly what you want for a single night in the 9th. We arrived to a beautiful day — the heat wave had just broken — and since we needed to start shifting time zones anyway, we wandered the neighborhood. The restaurant I had my heart set on (Le Hide) was closed on Sundays, so we landed at Le Petit Cadet near our hotel. Perfectly lovely. No complaints. grabbed a light bite (French onion soup) and a glass of wine.

Then we passed out.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence- 5 nights

DAY 2 — Paris to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence · June 1, 2026

We had grand plans to find a charming neighborhood café for breakfast in Paris. Instead we ate at the hotel. No regrets. We.

Then an Uber to Gare de Lyon for our TGV to Avignon. A quick note on French high-speed trains, because there are three and they are not equal: TGV INOUI is the premium standard service. OUIGO is the budget option — think Spirit Airlines, but make it French. The third, Frecciarossa, is Italian and runs less frequently. We took Ouigo because the timing was perfect, we paid a little extra to choose our seats, and we brought our own sandwiches and water. For a three-hour ride with carry-ons only? It was completely fine.

We arrived in Avignon 45 minutes ahead of our car rental window. The first Europcar rep informed us we'd need to wait the full 45 minutes or pay €40 extra per day. So we sat down to wait... and she immediately left her post. Stephane walked back up, a completely different person helped us with zero issue and zero surcharge, and had absolutely no idea why the first woman was a bitch.

I will probably never rent from Europcar again. Just on principle.

The drive to Saint-Rémy was gorgeous and easy. We were met by a concierge and let into a very spacious apartment. One quirk: the toilet was in the entryway, separate from the bathroom.. ok for 2 people staying awkward for more. .

That evening we wandered into town and found dinner in a beautiful square. Saint-Rémy is the sweet spot of Provence towns — just big enough to have great restaurants and things to do, small enough that you can navigate it in five minutes.

DAY 3 — Saint-Rémy · June 2, 2026

We finally felt human again. We slept in, explored slowly, and found what would become our daily stop:

☕ Colette Café
39 Rue Carnot, 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Perfect coffee, perfect spot. We came back every single morning.

That night we had what turned out to be my favorite dinner of the entire trip:

🍽️ La Cuisine des Anges
4 Rue du 8 Mai 1945, 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Incredible. Book it.

In between, there were pastries that should probably be illegal, and we did the famous Van Gogh walk — a lovely route out to the old ruins just outside town. If you're a fan of the paintings, seeing the actual landscape he was looking is cool… Some I didn’t get :). Even if you're not, the ruins are cool. AND we passed an amazing bakery and deli - more about that later.

DAY 4 — Market Day · June 3, 2026

Wednesday is market day in Saint-Rémy, YUMMMMM —

We grabbed our coffees at Colette first (obviously), then headed straight into the chaos. Olives. Fruit. Cheese. Salami. Textiles. More olives. We bought tomatoes, bread, salami, and ate lunch back at the apartment.

Then we drove to some nearby places:

We stopped at a famous Le Château des Alpilles in St. Rémy — home to a Michelin-starred restaurant that was, of course, closed when we got there.

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue — a charming town famous for its antique market, which we missed entirely. ha You could skip this town there are so many more beautiful stops

From there: lavender fields and the Abbaye de Sénanque near Gordes. The abbey is one of those views you've seen on every Provence Pinterest board and it still stops you cold in person. And then Gordes itself — tiny, perched, dramatic. I find it most beautiful from the overlook across the valley, where the whole stone village stacks up against the hill like a painting.

Inside town, we wandered into what appeared to be a random cave. The man there was wonderful — gave us the full tour and let us explore for free. France, sorry we didnt find any assholes.

That evening we drove out to Fontvieille for a dinner we'd booked in advance:

🍽️ Le Relais du Castelet
Calade de Castelet, 13990 Fontvieille

It was a lovely evening but we hated the food. HAHAHA In the restaurant's defense, it's a small place with a fixed menu, and we just happened to land on an all-seafood night. Mussels, shrimp, octopus. The alternative was pigeon — which isn't what you're picturing, it's more like squab, but still. The appetizers and dessert were genuinely amazing. The middle was a hard pass for us.

DAY 5 — St Remy- Lazy Day · June 4, 2026

Sometimes you just need a do-nothing day in Provence, and this was ours.

We slept in and attempted to make breakfast in the Airbnb. The plan: soft-boiled eggs on croissants. The execution: the local bakery was nearly sold out by the time Stephane got there, so he heroically came back with one single croissant. We then spent a truly impressive amount of time figuring out the stove and the toaster, and emerged victorious — with one partially burned croissant and two eggs that were fine. Progress.

After that adventure, we drove about 30 minutes south to Les Baux-de-Provence. Yes, it's touristy. Yes, it's worth it anyway. Steep alleys, incredible views, cute shops. We had a coffee, wandered without any agenda, and headed back to Saint-Rémy for crepes at Lou Planet.

Low effort. Very charming. Beautiful light. Exactly what a lazy Provence day should be..

DAY 6 — The Luberon · June 5, 2026

Today we explored the Luberon, and it did not disappoint.

First stop: the Gordes overlook for the best morning light. Even on our second visit, that view was still as magical. The town itself was quiet — half-closed — so we drove through its tiny stone roads and moved on.

Goult was next, and honestly became my favorite discovery of the trip. Stone walls. A windmill. Quiet lanes. And then, completely out of nowhere, a peacock flew in and landed in the middle of the street wtf. We also noticed little hiking trail markers threading between the villages — there's apparently a whole network of trails winding through the vineyards between towns. We are absolutely coming back to do that.

Ménerbes followed — another winding, beautiful hilltop town that didn't disappoint. Beautiful and not too many people :)

Then Roussillon, which is famous for its ochre cliffs and striking red-and-orange buildings. We had a good lunch at La Grappe de Raisin — the food was solid but it is slow food. Plan to linger. The town is beautiful and winding. Also on the tourist radar

I still preferred Goult.

Dinner back in Saint-Rémy. We were craving burgers and had a great one at Restaurant L'Estival.. No apologies.

DAY 7 — Drive to Saint-Paul-de-Vence · June 6, 2026

Today was our big driving day, and we did it the long, beautiful, absolutely worth-it way.

We stopped at a small café in the morning to put together a picnic — sandwiches, pastries, the works — and set off north through the Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon.

We passed through the lavender fields near Valensole. They weren't in full bloom yet, but the sage was extraordinary.

We did a bit of off-road adventuring to find the right angle for Stephane's shots. And, fine, also because I needed to find somewhere to pee. 💁🏼‍♀️

Next stop: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, where we hiked partway up toward the church for a stunning panoramic view and ate our picnic.. It was a classic beautiful French village, very much on the tourist trail — but still gorgeous. The light was very bright, which was hard for photography but great for just sitting there eating a sandwich.

I did try one of the self-cleaning public toilets and did not get locked inside. Personal victory.

Then: Gorges du Verdon. If you are even slightly afraid of heights, the drive along the gorge is going to test you. It is dramatic and spectacular and the drop-offs are very real. We loved every terrifying second.

And then, finally, we rolled into Saint-Paul-de-Vence and our new Airbnb. The owners had left snacks and rosé waiting for us. The view from the terrace was incredible. We had dinner at the Vietnamese restaurant they recommended and it was perfect after a long drive.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence- 5 nights

Saint-Paul-de-Vence & The Riviera

A quick note before we continue:

It is noticeably more expensive on the Riviera than in Provence. Wine jumps from €5 to €10 or more. Dinner goes from €16 to €26. And parking — oh, parking. We ended up buying a monthly pass in Saint-Paul for €95 instead of paying the €35/day charge. Best decision we made. We always had a spot.

For Saint-Paul specifically: it gets absolutely packed with tour groups between 10am and 3pm. Before or after those hours, the town is magic. Plan accordingly.

DAY 8 — Saint-Paul-de-Vence · June 7, 2026

After a comfortable sleep in our Airbnb, for first full day in Saint-Paul and we kept it easy. Morning run to the grocery just outside of town, then back to wander the tiny lanes at our own pace.

That evening we had dinner at Le Tilleul, recommended by our Airbnb hosts. I had a great nicoise salad. Then on our nighttime wander, Stephane acquired a cat. A little guy who spotted him, and proceeded to follow him every time he went out to take pictures. Don't worry — we saw him getting fed. The cat had a whole life.

DAY 9 — Riviera Towns · June 8, 2026

Today we did a run of small towns along the coast, and it was a great day.

First stop: Èze. We got there early — by 10am it was a zoo, with a 30-minute wait just to get into the botanical garden. Thankfully we missed the crowds. Go early. Seriously. It's an incredible town perched impossibly high above the sea, but the window before the tour buses arrive is everything. On and Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton were there. We only saw the cars.

From there we did something purely for the joy of it: we drove into Ventimiglia, Italy, parked, and put our feet in the water. We didn't stay. We just wanted to cross the border and say we did. Totally worth it. 🇮🇹

Then Menton — and we both fell a little bit in love. It's colorful and bright and relaxed in a way the rest of the Riviera isn't always. Beautiful beach, beautiful buildings. We stopped for lunch and just... stayed for hours. The food was meh, but the setting more than made up for it.

Dinner that night was a simple, perfect tomato, peach, and cheese salad with a baguette. Sometimes that's all you need.

DAY 10 — Cannes & Antibes · June 9, 2026

We had a sailing trip booked for today. We showed up. The engine was broken. Trip canceled.

So we pivoted — wandered around Cannes for a bit, then headed to the beach in Antibes to swim. Honestly? A great day. Sometimes the universe cancels your sailing trip and gives you a beach afternoon instead, and that's fine.

That evening we drove five minutes to the nearby town of Vence for dinner, which turned out to be a total gem — super pretty, not overrun, just a lovely little place to end the day.

🍽️ Les Petits Tabliers
7 Avenue Marcellin Maurel, 06140 Vence

Loved it.

DAY 11 — Our Anniversary · June 10, 2026

We decided not to venture far today. Anniversary rules: go somewhere beautiful, don't overthink it.

We headed to Tourrettes-sur-Loup, about 15 minutes away, and it was exactly right. One of those towns that feels genuinely undiscovered — stone streets, incredible views, zero tour buses. If you're basing yourself in this area, stay there. I loved it..

For dinner, Stephane had made reservations in Villefranche-sur-Mer — a town we'd visited together something like 20 years ago. We couldn't remember 2002? 2003?.

Villefranche was still gorgeous. That deep natural harbor, the pastel buildings stacked along the hillside, the way the light hits the water in the evening — it hadn't lost a thing.

And dinner at La Belle Étoile was so much fun.. A perfect anniversary. Stephane done good. 🍷

🍽️ La Belle Étoile — Villefranche-sur-Mer

DAY 12 — Home · June 11, 2026

And just like that, it was time to go home.

France, you were wonderful. Provence, we will absolutely be back — especially for those hiking trails through the vineyards between Goult and Ménerbes. And Riviera, we barely scratched the surface.

Until next time. 🥂

Provence & The Riviera 2026