Destination Provence
Provence encompasses the ancient Roman province (Provincia), established by the Romans around 100 BC, and is nestled in the heart of a vast region bordered by the Alps, the Rhône Valley, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Provence is now part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, commonly known as PACA.
Renowned for its mild and sunny climate for most of the year, it is the third most populous region in metropolitan France.
Prized for its picturesque landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant atmosphere, Provence remains a highly sought-after destination for British holidaymakers and travelers from around the world.
Despite the distance, traveling to Provence from the UK is easy thanks to a diverse transport network that provides convenient access to this enchanting region.
Below are links to the various official websites you may need.
Traveling to Provence from the UK – Air travel, car rental and transport
Nice
The Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur enjoys an ideal location, just 7 kilometres west of the city centre. With its two operational terminals, it is the second-busiest airport in France, with approximately 70% of its traffic related to tourism, welcoming visitors from all over the world.
Marseille
The Aéroport Marseille Provence is situated 25km west of the city.
Montpellier
The Aéroport Montpellier Méditerranée, on the border between Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, offers travelers an excellent alternative for traveling to Provence from the UK.
Below you will find all the useful links regarding public transport, car rental services, and other resources on their websites.
Traveling to Provence from the UK – Ferry travel information
If you are traveling by car and ferry, you will need to disembark in Normandy, Brittany or Nord-Pas-de-Calais, then drive down to the Mediterranean.
Brittany Ferries operates from:
– Portsmouth to Caen-Ouistreham, Cherbourg, Le Havre and St Malo
– Poole to Cherbourg
– Plymouth to Roscoff
– Cork to Roscoff
Condor Ferries operates a weekly ferry service from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, from late May to early September, and Catamaran services from Poole and Weymouth to Saint Malo via the Channel Islands.
P&O operates regular crossings from Dover to Calais.
DFDS Seaways operates services from Newhaven to Dieppe and Dover to Calais or Dunkirk.
Traveling to Provence from the UK – Car travel information
Here are the distances using motorways (with tolls) and/or dual-carriage ways from:
- Calais to Nice (1,225km), Marseille (1,069km), Montpellier (1,057km)
- Caen-Ouistreham to Nice (1,171km), Marseille (1,013km), Montpellier (931km)
- Cherbourg to Nice (1,282km), Marseille (1,125km), Montpellier (1,040km)
- Roscoff to Nice (1,415km), Marseille (1,258km), Montpellier (1,124km)
- Saint-Malo to Nice (1,273km), Marseille (1,114km), Montpellier (981km)
Traveling to Provence from the UK – Rail travel information
Eurotunnel-Le Shuttle connects Folkestone to Calais in 35 minutes.
Eurostar connects London St Pancras to Paris – Gare duNord in 2h20 or 2h30, with an average of 15 trains per weekday. You’ll then have to connect on a TGV (SNCF) from Gare Paris Bercy and Gare de Lyon (train stations) to your destination in Provence.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Header by JacekZmudzinsk CC BY-SA 4.0
