A scenic Travel route from Italy to France
Written by xoamys
‘The scenic travel route from Southern Italy to Provence’
Travelling by car is the best way to get everything out your holiday as this gives you the freedom to travel to se many different destinations. My husband and I have been exploring this way for the last nine years and it makes the holiday feel extra special as you are constantly greeted with new exciting places making the holiday feel much longer. We stayed almost three weeks and decided to fly from Italy to Provence for a change of scenery and even stayed a few nights in the French alps, just an hour away from Mount Blanc. Below you can see the travel route, we stayed in 8 destinations as a base, but visited many idyllic towns during our stay. In Provence most of the “beautiful villages” are very close to each other (20 minutes away) so visiting them makes it really easy and in Puglia the towns are a bit further, but for sure very manageable via car. If you are planning a trip to Puglia, there are so many beautiful places to stay in, but our locations were strategic this time as I had a photoshoot with Masseria Palombara hence we planned our stay around that. We wanted to visit Vieste and Lecce as it has been four years since it was the last time we were there and Tivoli as it’s relatively close to the airport as our flight left really early, but werent eager to locate in Rome. So here goes, a little introduction of each town through my lens.
Itenary from Puglia to Provence
Flight Helsinki-Rome
- Vieste
- Oria- Masseria Palombara (Cisternino, Gallipolli)
- Lecce
- Tivoli
Flight: Rome-Nice
- Lourmarin (Cucuron, Ansouis)
- Annecy
- Uzes (Saint Remy de Provence, Gordes, Menerbes)
- Malaucene- Le Pont de Lórme (Roussillon, Les Baux-de-Provence, Gigondas)
Flight Nice-Helsinki
‘ White washed Vieste’
This cozy beach town has a stunning old town that fills with limestone walls, lots of cute restaurants & the best fish soup of our entire trip. The calming narrow streets, the smell of hanging laundry & the majestic turquoise waters is what makes the south so charming.
‘Slow living in Masseria Palombara with visual stimulation ‘
This chic masseria made the perfect resting point with its all around photogenic corners, dreamy breakfast & poolside relaxation. We were fortunate enough to pick fresh vegetables from the garden at sunrise, eat amazing foods and soak up the slow lifestyle under the hot sun.
We also visited Cisternino & Gallipolli during our stay.
‘Lecce that is often refered to as the Florence of the South’
We haven’t visited Lecce in four years and it still remains the same as before. Stay at Mantatelure & enjoy the numerous wine bars in the old city and soak up the rich baroque architecture.
‘Charming Historic Tivoli’
If you are looking for the real life secret gardens, Ville d’Este it is. The hilltop Tivoli is home to 2 Unesco heritage sites filled with lavish fountains, manicured gardens & a cute medieval old town. Stay in cozy Al Palazzetto for the most relaxing sleep!
‘The chic little Lourmarin’
I felt this to be the quintessential Provence & possibly my favourite town of the region. The elegant little town has a small square where everyone gathers for day time pale rosé, boeuf tartare after a leisurely stroll around the little boutique-filled town. Watch locals compete over pe´tanque and find the little winding streets to be the most beautiful. We stayed in a cute B&B, run by the cutest elderly couple, where we woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and warm flaking croissants that were placed on our window sill.
We also visited the morning markets of Cucuron and had lunch in the town of Ansouis.
morning market
‘Annecy, the Venice of France’
Ready to indulge in cheese and then a little bit more of it? The typical alp-style chalet village fills with pubs, fondue and raclette restaurants along with stunning canals and views of the mountains. If you are skiing in Chamonix in the winter, I would definitely visit Annecy as a day trip as it is only an hour away from there. This little gingerbread town serves the best raclette for sure.
‘The market-filled dreamy Uzes’
The town of dreamy markets, decadent Michelin star restaurants with the best escargot of the trip. I loved the feeling in Uzes, place aux Herbes, the square were everyone gathered for an early-evening drink. I found great linen, lavender soaps and home sprays from the morning market along with a handmade porcelain bowl, a fossil stone paperweight and jewelry box from the antique market.
We also visited Saint Remy de Provence, Gordes & Menerbes from Uzes
The view of Gordes when driving to the town
Malaucene- Le Pont de Lórme
We stayed in chateau Le Pont de Lorme that was right on the edge of Malaucene’s old town. To be honest, we didn’t discover that much of the town as we visited many other little ones like Roussillon from here. We loved the design hotel that revolved entirely around the kitchen.
Roussillon
