TOUR PROVENCE WITH STEVE JESSEL

Thanks to Carol’s website, you have found your ideal holiday accommodation within 30km (20 miles) of Nyons. However you don’t like the idea of struggling with your limited French and want to avoid the hassle of driving yourself in Provence. Don't rent a car, rent a driver and tour guide. It'll be fun and very affordable.

Help is at hand : I can arrange to collect you from your accommodation after breakfast (around 9.30am) and take your party on some of the excursions detailed below returning you to your accommodation in time for dinner (about 6.30pm). 

About me : I am a bilingual British chauffeur/tourist guide offering to take English-speaking tourists for all-day trips around the northern part of Provence and further afield if requested.  I have lived in France for over 30 years, the last five years being in Provence which I now know very well.  Your transport will be a fully air-conditioned 7-seater Nissan 4x4 vehicle (SUV).

Minimum one adult, maximum 4 adults or 4 adults and 2 small children in the folding back seat of my vehicle is possible, but if the car is full there is very limited space for luggage, cool box, etc.

The basic tours: 

1 – the Mont Ventoux full circle if good weather (May to October only)   - 110km

2 – Vaison-la-Romaine + Château de Grignan or Nyons  - 60 or 40km

3 – Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas & other Côte du Rhône vineyards - 150km

4 – Avignon – the famous bridge, the Pope’s Palace, the ramparts  - 150km

5 – Orange Roman Theatre + the Pont du Gard - 170km

6 – Fontaine-de-Vaucluse + Gordes + Roussillon  - 200km

7 – Gorges de l’Ardèche - 200km

8 – Vultures above Rémuzat + Vieux Sahune (my home village!) - 60km

For some tours, you may take advantage of my “off-road” knowledge which can give you more exclusive access and better views than is possible on sealed roads. 

Excursions outside standard hours can also be negotiated – e.g. sunrise from the top of Mont Ventoux.  Tours can be extended beyond 6.30pm if you wish.

Price per day tour :

My basic cost is 300€ (or $400 US) per full day (9.30am – 6.30pm) no matter how many people are in the vehicle (1 to 6) for my personal expenses.

Also 20€ (or $27) per 160km (100 miles) for vehicle expenses plus all highway and parking tolls, entrance fees to museums, lunch in a restaurant or a picnic, refreshments, etc.

Nîmes (flights from London-Luton or Liverpool),

Avignon (flights from Exeter, Southampton, Leeds-Bradford or Edinburgh)

Marseille-Provence (flights from London-Gatwick, London-Stansted, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Montreal)

Lyon St Exupéry (flights from London-Heathrow, London-Stansted, Dublin, Manchester, Birmingham, New York, Montreal, Toronto) 

Coming to Provence from USA, Canada, Australia, etc does not imply that you must change planes in Paris or London.  There may be other routes via other major European cities served directly from your home town such as Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Brussels Zurich or Frankfurt from where you can continue to Lyon or Marseille.  Beware of complications at the various London and Paris airports. 

I could also collect you from Avignon TGV, Valence TGV, Orange or Montélimar railway station (fast trains from Paris Gare de Lyon or from Paris Aéroport CDG Terminal 2 or from London St Pancras via the Channel Tunnel and Lille* mainly to Avignon non-stop).

* I do not accept the London to Avignon via Paris route as this necessitates a frustrating change of stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon by Métro (Subway) with all your baggage!  Naturally, if you are visiting Paris before continuing to Provence, the above does not apply. 

Price for the airport or railway station run each way : SEND ME AN EMAIL TO DISCUSS.

If your plane or train is due to arrive (or depart) between 10am and 4pm, the same price structure as for the tours is applicable and if there is time I will include an appropriate tour before arriving at your accommodation about 6.30pm.  If your plane arrives (or departs) outside these hours, we will negotiate an acceptable rate before your arrival in France. 

If you book my services for 3 or more days per week, I will allow you a 10% discount on all tours or airport runs that week.

Lunch can be either a traditional French 3-course meal in a Restaurant (between 15€ and 25€ per person plus drinks) or a picnic supplied by ourselves.  The picnic consists of half a fresh crusty baguette filled with a selection of ham, paté, tuna, egg, cheese, tomato, lettuce, olives, etc followed by a fruit yoghurt or similar, fresh fruit salad and a soft drink all for 10€ per person.  Note vegetarians are rarely catered for in France – try our picnic stating what you do not eat.  Naturally we supply plenty of cooled mineral water for the journey free of charge.

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Contact me at least one month in advance if possible at stevejessel@free.fr .

Earlier would be better to guarantee my availability especially in July and August.

 Note – the world famous Tour de France (cycle race) will pass through Nyons and end on the top of Mont Ventoux on Saturday 25^th July 2009.  I will not be available that day!

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