Register | Forgot Password? | Customer Service

Some people believe that a cruise is the best way to see Europe. These folks argue that cruisers can cover more territory in the same amount of time, only have to unpack once, and feel safer at night on a ship, and that a cruise vacation is less expensive than touring on land.

Other people prefer land excursions in Europe. They argue that cruise ships don’t spend enough time in each port of call, and that passengers only get a small taste of what a region has to offer from a cultural and culinary perspective.

Fortunately, I agree with both groups, which is why I usually combine a land excursion with a cruise at one or both ends of my voyage. It’s the perfect way to get the best from both modes of travel, and a smart strategy for getting the most from your travel dollar.

As a result, I’ve done lots of pre and post-cruise land excursions in Europe, but one of my favorites is still Provence in the south of France. I first discovered the region while on a one-day shore excursion to Aix-en-Provence while docked in Sète, and then returned for a full week several years later.

Since I try to avoid North American chain hotels, I chose to spend my week in Provence with a small Canadian-based company called O! France (www.ofrance.ca).  For a fixed price, the company offers a large room with private bathroom in a “bastide” near Avignon, guided mini-bus tours to the most interesting local towns and landmarks, lots of free time to explore, complimentary wine from the best vintners in the region, dinners prepared by a chef from a local French restaurant, and doting attention from engaging owners Hélène Buisson and Jim Walker.  The  group is limited to a maximum of 12 people, and the wines are some of the best in the region since Jim is a wine importer who runs a wine club (www.arthursellers.com) and has some of the best winery connections in Provence.

The bastide is a centuries-old country mansion that once served as an abbey with its own working mill. Today the three-storey house has a lovely stream that runs directly beneath the house, a gorgeous pool, a grand country-style kitchen, and beautiful grounds that stretch along both sides of a stone road that runs through the grounds from a wrought iron gate to the front door.

We began each day with coffee and a fresh pastry from the local boulangerie before boarding the mini-bus for our daily tour. Typically, we spent the morning touring a town that was also hosting a colourful Provencal farmer’s market, followed by a leisurely lunch at a local bistro, and then toured another town or winery in the afternoon.  Then we returned to the bastide for a swim, some wine on a vine-covered terrace, and a multi-course French dinner served by our hosts.

While tour itineraries vary depending on the week, mine included visits to some of the most charming and interesting towns in Provence.

For example, during my first full day we were taken to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to enjoy its wonderful renaissance architecture and the largest antique, flea and farmers’ market outside of Paris. Then we slipped over to nearby Fontaine de Vaucluse for lunch at the foot of a waterfall in the shadow of a rocky ridge of mountains and the ruins of an ancient castle.

Throughout the week we repeated the process, with leisurely visits to spectacular towns like Gordes, Les Baux, Saint Rèmy, Nîmes, Orange, and Roussillon. And on our last day, we toured Avignon, which  was once home to Pope Clement V. The French Pope fled turmoil in Rome for Avignon during 1309 and eventually transformed the city by building magnificent convents, churches and palaces, including the extraordinary Palais des Papes.

My wonderful week in Provence served as a vivid reminder that land excursions have the ability to make a great cruise even better. And as my wife Gail likes to say, “If something is worth doing, it’s worth overdoing!”