Luberon Resources

Luberon Articles, Websites and Travel Resources

We love the Luberon and really enjoy helping people discover this special place. This page includes our favorite articles and websites that will help you learn more about the Luberon and Provence. We’ve also included our personal recommendations for B&Bs and vacation rentals in the Luberon, places where we’ve stayed or that we’re very familiar with. We’ve also included recommendations for other travel resources.

Kathy’s Articles

Experiencing a Village – Bonnieux: One of Kathy’s early posts on the Slow Travel Tours blog, this article describes how we first discovered Bonnieux and what the village means to us.

Enjoying the Markets of Provence and Shopping at the Markets of Provence: Kathy’s two-part series on the Slow Travel Tours blog tells you everything you need to know about the wonderful outdoor markets of Provence, including what to buy and how to shop.

Saturday at the Apt Market: Kathy’s travel essay on the Slow Travel website about a winter day at one of the most famous outdoor markets in Provence. This was written during the time we lived in Provence and offers a look at the Luberon in the off-season.

Nature’s Paintbrush – May and June in the Luberon: Kathy’s blog post about the beautiful colors of the Luberon in late spring; includes great photos.

A Picnic in Provence: Kathy’s post about our wonderful Sunday afternoon market picnic during our Luberon Experience week.

A Secret Spot in the Luberon: Kathy writes about one of her special places in the Luberon, one that tourists don’t know about.

Activities for Children and Families in Provence: We first visited Provence when our daughter was nine years old. Kathy’s article on the Slow Travel website draws from our family’s experiences and describes places and activities in Provence that families will enjoy.

Food for Children and Families in Provence: Our daughter was a selective eater. Kathy wrote this article for the Slow Travel website about food and dining options for families in Provence.

Hiking in the Luberon: We have hiked hundreds of miles in the Luberon. Kathy originally wrote this extensive guide for the Slow Travel website to help others enjoy the Luberon on foot. The article includes descriptions and photos of four hikes.

Informational Websites

These websites are useful resources if you are researching a trip to the Luberon and Provence:

Provence Web: A tourist guide to Provence and the Riviera; offers an English version. We especially like their directory of all the villages and towns in the region. See this directory for villages in the Vaucluse, where most of the Luberon area is located.

TheLuberon.com: A leading English-language website focused on the Luberon, including many resources for great vacation rentals. (Kathy wrote their section on Hiking in the Luberon.)

Provence-Hideaways: Another website with great information on the Luberon and other areas of Provence, including accommodations and restaurants.

Vaucluse Visites Virtuelle: Wonderful 360 degree photography; you can look at many of the Luberon villages here.

Provence & Beyond: An extensive English-language website covering the entire region of Provence, including the Luberon.

Luberon Markets: Where and when to find the outdoor markets in the Luberon.

Vaucluse Tourism in Provence: Official tourism website of the department of the Vaucluse, the French administrative department where much of the Luberon is located. There is an extensive English-language website.

Avignon et Provence: An extensive website (with an English-language option) focused on tourism in Avignon and surrounding areas in Provence, including the Luberon.

Books, Movies and Maps

Our Provence Store: Our Amazon store features books, movies, music and products that remind us of Provence. We’ve also included some of our favorite travel accessories and products. Take a look!

A Chateau in Provence: Charley’s first novel is now available on Amazon, in paperback and for the Kindle. Set in the Luberon and Aix-en-Provence, this is a fun read for anyone who loves Provence.

Provence Byways Luberon Guidebook: An excellent resource developed by our friends Bob and Sue Winn, including several driving tour routes in the Luberon. A must for any independent traveler to the Luberon!

Trek Tools offers an extensive selection of maps for all European countries including road maps, hiking maps, atlases, and guidebooks. We especially like the Michelin maps and guidebooks.

A Good Year: If you enjoy the movie “A Good Year,” be sure to check out our webpage about filming locations in the Luberon.

Recommended B&B’s

These are all places we know personally:

Le Mas Perreal: A charming five-room B&B owned by our friends Kevin and Elisabeth in St. Saturnin-les-Apt.

Le Clos du Buis: A comfortable and authentic guesthouse with spectacular views, right in the village of Bonnieux; owned by our good friend Pierre.

Les Trois Sources: This B&B is in a medieval building set in the vineyards and orchards beneath Bonnieux.

Mas Pomona: A five-room B&B owned by our friends David and Marianne on the west end of the Petit Luberon.

To book hotels and many B&Bs in Provence and other parts of Europe, we recommend using Booking.com, an online booking for 60,000+ hotels in 15,000+ destinations. The easy-to-use site has low rates and no booking fees. It includes verified reviews from travelers. Your credit card used to guarantee booking but is not charged until your stay. (Owned by Priceline.com)

Recommended Vacation Rentals

These are also places we know personally.

Les Bougainvilliers: Our friend Cynthia’s village house in St. Cannat, on the south side of the Luberon.

Domaine Faverot cottages: Our good friends François and Sally Faverot rent these four lovely cottages on their wine estate near Maubec, a great location for exploring many parts of Provence.

Maison de Village: A charming two-bedroom village house at the top of Bonnieux, owned by our friend Christine.

Danielle’s gites: Four gites just off the main square in the village of Bonnieux.

Apartment in the old Remparts:  Our friends Michele and Jean-Camille rent this unique historic apartment built into the old walls of Bonnieux.

Bastide Marechal Denier (Le Gendarmerie): Seven recently-restored apartments in the old police station, with a great location in Bonnieux.

Rose Cottage and Place de la Fontaine: Two cottages in the village of Saignon owned by Australian Henrietta Taylor. We rented the Rose Cottage on our first trip to Provence.

TheLuberon.com: An extensive offering of quality rentals in Luberon villages and the countryside, managed by Paolo, who lives in the Luberon.

Wood Family Travel Blogs and Photos

Our Grand Tour of Europe: Kathy kept this detailed blog during our family’s 14 month trip to Europe in 2004/2005, including the 6-1/2 months we lived in the Luberon.

The Trail’s Our Thing: Kathy’s occasional travel blog, including lots of stories and photos from our our extended stays in the Luberon in the summers of 2006 and 2007 when we had the opportunity to housesit for friends.

Slow Travel Tours blog:  We’re affiliated with several other small group tour owners who share this blog.  Kathy posts about every two months. See all her posts here.

Wood Family Travel Photos: Photos from our European travels can be found on Slow Travel and Flickr.

Other Travel Resources

Travel Consultant: Sandy McDowell of France Journeys is a specialist in travel to France, including packages that complement a week with The Luberon Experience.

Day Guide for Provence: Marlene Boyer of Experience Provence gets very positive reviews from several of our travelers for her private day tours in other parts of Provence.

Rental cars: We highly recommend Kemwel, a US-based broker for discounted car rentals in Europe. If you find a lower price, they’ll match it.

Travel insurance: Travel insurance is important, especially if you have large financial commitments for airfare, accommodations, or tours. We recommend using Insure My Trip to learn more about travel insurance, identify plans that meet your needs, and purchase coverage.

Website Designer: Like our website? Much of the credit goes to our website designer, friend, and fellow European traveler Chris Coburn. You can see more of Chris’ work at www.european-experiences.com and www.slowtraveltours.com. She’s an excellent resource for small businesses and bloggers, especially those focused on European travel.

Other Recommended Travel Websites

Slow Travel: This website changed our life. It’s a fabulous resource for travelers to Europe, especially those who want to travel more slowly. Kathy is a former moderator on the SlowTalk message board, which is a great way to get input from other travelers. Some of our best friends are people we’ve met through Slow Travel.

Slow Europe: Pauline Kenny, founder of Slow Travel, now runs this website focused on vacation rentals in Europe. There’s lots of useful information, including Kathy’s article Alpine Adventures in the Mountains of Germany and Austria. Pauline and her husband Steve have been friends and supporters for almost ten years. They have two other European travel websites: Cotswolder and Archaeology Travel.

Fodors: The Fodors travel website has lots of information on Provence, and their France forum is very active.

French-Word-A-Day: This website offers a wonderful way to increase your French vocabulary and get a taste of the French lifestyle. It’s written by an American woman who married a Frenchman and now lives in Provence.

Patricia Wells’ French to English Food Glossary: Patricia Wells is an American food/restaurant critic, cookbook author, and cooking teacher who has a home in Provence. Her French to English food glossary is extensive, a valuable resource for any food-lover visiting France. You can buy her cookbooks at Our Provence Store.

French Food and Cook: A cookig website devoted to French food. Wonderful recipes and menu suggestions.

Terroir France: An excellent resource for information on French wine.