Getting to Bonnieux and the Luberon

The high-speed TGV makes Provence very easy from Paris. The fastest trains from Paris Gare de Lyon reach Avignon TGV in about 2 hours 40 minutes, and Aix-en-Provence TGV in just under 3 hours. Avignon TGV, 6 km south of the city centre, is the more convenient for Bonnieux, and has car hire desks at the station. Book on SNCF Connect; tickets open several months ahead and are cheapest early.

From London there is no longer a direct Eurostar to Avignon: the service to the south of France stopped in 2020. The usual route is Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, across Paris to Gare de Lyon, then the TGV south. Allow a comfortable margin for the change; a whole day door to door is realistic, and it is a lovely way to arrive.

Cavaillon, 30 minutes from the villa, has a small station on the regional line between Avignon and Marseille. It is handy for a day out by train, but there is no car hire to speak of, so we would not plan an arrival around it.

The Luberon is a landscape of small villages, vineyards and markets that move from place to place each day, and there is almost no public transport between them. A car gives you Gordes, Roussillon, Lourmarin and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, all within half an hour of the villa.

Book early for July and August, especially if you want an automatic, as they run out. A compact or mid-size car is easier in the narrow village lanes and small car parks than a large SUV. Remember child seats if you need them, and check that your licence and card are in the main driver’s name.

From Calais it is about 1,023 km to Bonnieux, around 10 hours 30 minutes of driving without stops, almost all of it on the motorway via Reims and Lyon, avoiding Paris. Most people break the journey with a night in Burgundy or around Lyon, which turns the drive into part of the holiday.

French motorways are mostly tolled. You can pay by card at the barriers, or fit a toll tag to use the fast lanes. For the final stretch, most routes leave the motorway at Cavaillon and follow the D900 along the valley, with the villages appearing on the hills either side. Before you go, check what your car needs to drive in France.

Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Parking is free, on the property behind the gate, so there is nothing to find or pay for in the village. The village is a seven-minute walk away, so you can leave the car there for the evening.

If you land early, the day unfolds nicely: on a Saturday, stop at Apt’s big morning market, 13 minutes from the villa, and stock up for the week. The Utile shop in Bonnieux covers the basics, the Super U at Coustellet is about 20 minutes away for a full shop, and our eat and shop page has the rest. Then settle in by the pool and watch the light change over the valley.

Local taxis and private drivers meet flights at Marseille and trains at Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV. Book in advance, particularly on summer Saturdays when everyone arrives at once, and mention luggage and child seats. A transfer is a relaxing way to arrive after a long journey, though you will still want a car for the week.

We love welcoming American guests. US citizens do not need a visa to visit France for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport should be valid for at least three months after the day you leave Europe, and issued within the last ten years. Since April 2026 the EU’s new Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo at passport control on your first arrival, so allow a little extra time at the airport. The separate ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet required; check the official EU website shortly before you travel in case that changes.

The simplest routes are to fly nonstop to Paris and take the TGV to Avignon, about 2 hours 40 minutes, or to fly to Nice, which has nonstop summer flights from some US airports, and drive about three hours. Marseille is the closest large airport, usually reached with one connection in Europe. Your US driving licence is valid for a holiday rental car, and an International Driving Permit is a sensible extra. We drive on the right, as at home.

A few practical things: plugs are the European two-pin type at 230 volts, so bring adapters, and many village restaurants close one or two days a week, so book ahead in summer. The whole villa is air-conditioned, and we reply to messages personally, usually within the hour.