Vintage Road Trip Touring Provence
Exploring the Luberon in a classic Citroën 2CV
Touring Provence by car is a must, exploring the scenic villages of the Luberon in a topdown vintage Citroen 2CV is a dream!
Fortunately this dream is a reality thanks to Vintage Road Trips, who offer a range of vintage vehicles, from charming Citroen 2CV's to punchy Porches', for hire in Provence.
We met with the friendly team in a little village just west of Aix en Provence early morning to take first pick of their range of vintage vehicles - wanting something indiscreet we went with a roll top, kermit coloured, flat twin Citroen 2CV. Armed with a camera, road map and a very detailed guide book provided by the owners we set off in search of a vintage Provence to match the car that can easily be found in the nearby Luberon.
Vintage Road Trips provide a number of suggested itineraries to best explore Provence (Cote d'Azur, Luberon or the Mont Saint Victoire) which they have gone to great efforts to produce; the guides provide all the details of the road ahead, the history of the villages and even offer some honest advice on where to stop en route.
After coffee and a croissant in Lambesc admiring our fine new motor (and we were not alone - these things are a smile-magnet) we headed north for our first vintage village stop in Lourmarin, a chic little village with boutique-lined little streets now very popular thanks to it's proximity to the Avignon TGV station.
The Chateau de Lourmarin should be the first stop on a sightseeing trip but if you prefer browsing the boutiques then the village has lots to offer. After a leisurely lunch we decided to press on, with a number of villages still yet to visit, next up was Bonnieux.
Bonnieux is 'another' hill top village with 'another' fantastic view and more pretty lanes to get lost upon, the village itself looks as if it has unravelled down the hillside. Soon we were winding up the quiet alleys towards the Lacoste chateau, former home to the infamous Marquis de Sade and now owned by Lacoste like fashion designer Pierre Cardin. Needless to say the rich heritage of this chateau makes it well worth a visit - particularly during the opera festival in July.
Following the itinerary round our 2CV takes us through the villages of Vaugines, Cucuron & Ansouis for more sights but this time we don't stop as the sun is getting low in the sky signalling aperitif o'clock...
