Visiting Avignon in 4 Days

The next stop in our personal tour de France this summer was Avignon! If I’m being total honest, I was considering skipping Avignon up until the date we could cancel our hotel reservation. I truly went back and forth about visiting Avignon until the very end. I’m not sure why, I just wasn’t sure if it was the right place for us. When we first arrived, I still wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision. To be fair, I had meetings on the first day. Tom had the better opportunity to explore Avignon before I did.

We were in the city during the Avignon Theater Festival, which is a frantic time in Avignon. It takes place during the first few weeks of July. There there are hundreds, if not thousands of plays, happening every single week in Avignon. Personally, I thought it was really fun to be in Avignon during this time. There were actors walking the city, in costume, trying to recruit you to come see their show. All day, every day. It had such a fun ambiance. It felt similar to when we stumbled upon a medieval festival in Bayeux last summer!

By the end of our 3 nights in Avignon, it had captured part of my heart. It didn’t reveal itself easily, but it was absolutely worth visiting. While I think there are other places on our France itinerary that we will return to before we visit Avignon again, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

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Is Avignon Worth Visiting?

First, I think I need to address how we ended up in Avignon. (It might help inform your decision if you’re on the fence about visiting Avignon.) Ultimately, we knew that we wanted to visit the Cote du Rhone for wine. Initially, we were very interested in the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. (It is one of the most famous appellations of the Rhône valley.) The French Riviera is not our scene, though I have great memories of the Chagall Museum in Nice, the Barbie exhibit in Monaco, and the pebble beaches in Cannes. However, I needed to find the best place to break up our road trip in between spending 3 nights in Carcassonne and visiting Annecy. Avignon felt the most logical. Further, parts of Avignon are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so I felt like it would be a logical stop.

If you are interested in Roman history, Avignon might be the place for you. With Roman ruins (though not as many Nimes), it offers a lot of interesting history, if that’s what you’re into. It definitely has a storied path and is one of the best representations of a walled city in France. It’s completely different feel from Mont St Michel and Carcassonne, too.

Ultimately, I think Avignon is very firmly in the middle of my list of places I love in France. I’d absolutely go back for the spa hotel outside of Avignon, and I’d go back for the food and wine experiences in the area. But, as far as places that captured my heart and my imagination, I don’t think that’s Avignon for me.

Getting to Avignon

We drove to Avignon from Carcassonne, which ended up being a really easy drive. One of the best things about Avignon is that it is on the TGV train from Paris. We are always evaluating whether you can fly into Paris, take a train from CDG, and explore another area of France without having to overnight in Paris. Avignon fits this bill and there are direct trains between Paris CDG and Avignon.

Before you say it’s crazy to fly into CDG only to take a train somewhere else… we’ve done this a lot. It’s one of my favorite ways to visit Alsace for Christmas markets. (You can take a train directly to Strasbourg from CDG.) It also works well for visiting Bordeaux, though you do have to get to Montparnasse first. I remain hopeful that a train from CDG to Bordeaux will emerge though. If you do take the train into Avignon, know that the TGV station is a bit further out. You will have to take a taxi or connect further to get to the Avignon old town center. It’s not nearly as convenient as Bordeaux or Strasbourg are to the city centers, but it’s doable. You just want to do your research in advance, otherwise you might be walking an hour to your accommodation.

There are a lot of parking lots in Avignon, and they all will tell you how many spaces are available before you just circle around looking for a space.

Where to Stay in Avignon

Deciding on the best place to stay in Avignon was a bit complex for me. I started my research on Gite de France, which is one of my favorite resources for small towns in France. Most everything I found was well beyond the city walls in Avignon. I considered staying in Chateauneuf du Pape, but it seemed like it would be too quiet in the evenings. After review a lot of hotels around Avignon, I settled on a spa hotel within a short drive of Avignon. There was a significant cost differential between 5 star hotels in Avignon and similar hotels around Avignon. Looking back, I really think I thought it would be within walking distance of Avignon. (It’s not.) It ended up being the perfect place for us, though I was really anxious about it in the days leading up to our stay.

Auberge de Cassagne & Spa

The Auberge de Cassagne Hotel and Spa is a Small Luxury Hotel, which now is part of Hilton Hotels. It’s also one of the hotels that I can book with additional perks, so please reach out to me if you are interested in booking it! While the drive up to the property felt a little suburban and wasn’t quite as picturesque as I hoped, the hotel itself felt classically French to me. It a lot of ways, it reminded me of the villa rooms at the former Four Seasons Dallas. The property is quiet and comfortable, and it is easy to get around the area.

We arrived before check in, and the staff was very kind. Since our room wasn’t ready, they offered for us to go enjoy the spa or the pool. We both had a bit of work to do, so we opted to set up in a corner of the lobby. They brought us a carafe d’eau, and we were able to get a few things done. We met one of the owners and she shared more about the property and restaurant.

Room 45 – Deluxe Room with Balcony

One of the nice things about Auberge de Cassagne is that our bags were in our room upon arrival. When the porter escorted us to our room, he was quick to point out all the aspects of the property. We were upgraded from a standard house room to a deluxe room with a balcony. Our room was on the first floor of one of the buildings away from the restaurant and reception area.

Our room was quite large and an interesting contrast between traditional and modern design elements. We loved having a balcony that overlooked the property. (I took several phone calls out there because it was so comfortable!) The bed was reasonably comfortable with very nice bedding. They had the traditional square pillows that you usually find in more local hotels in France. The bathroom was quite large with a soaking jacuzzi tub and a separate walk-in shower. Water pressure was strong and there was plenty of hot water. It was very comfortable.

We had plenty of storage space in the closet, as well as a mini fridge, and a nice desk. The wi-fi worked well. I was able to take zoom meetings without a problem. (The room was also well lit. This is always a challenge when you have to zoom into the late evening!) Importantly, when the days are long, there are shutters that can help ensure you get some rest. Our room also had great AC. That was much appreciated because there was a bit of a heat wave while we were there! (We’re still American in this way.)

The Spa at Auberge de Cassagne

I have to tell you, we didn’t use the spa as much as we should have at Auberge de Cassagne. It has the most extended spa hours I’ve ever seen in Europe (love this). And, we regularly saw people taking advantage of those earlier and later hours. (Can more hotels think about extending the hours??) The spa area was huge with a pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and hammam. Further, there is also an outdoor pool. The spa is generally open access, though it does have a couple hours that are available for private bookings.

Booking Auberge de CassagNe with a Travel ADvisor

We had several early mornings planned, so I did not take advantage of all the perks of booking Auberge de Cassagne as a SLH travel advisor. Not all room rates include complimentary spa access, so if that’s important to you, let me know how I can help! If you are interested in adding value to your stay, here are some additional SLH benefits at Auberge de Cassagne that I can book for you. (The on-site restaurant is very highly rated and requires reservations. It was always busy while we were there.)

• Property credit worth $50-$100 (USD) per room for F&B or spa treatments
• Daily breakfast for two people
• Room upgrade, as available
• Early check-in / late check-out, as available
• Complimentary WIFI

Things to Do in Avignon

I really think you have to book a tour of Avignon to truly appreciate its beauty and history. We would not have enjoyed Avignon as much as we did, had we not taken advantage of a tour. The old city walls are beautiful. Pont Saint-Bénezet (also known as the bridge of Avignon) is interesting to see. However, I think it’s hard to get beyond the surface without a tour. Overall, we found people in Avignon to be very kind and willing to open up once they figured out you were truly interested in learning more.

Avignon Walking Tour & Visit to Palais des Papes

On our first day in Avignon, I booked a 3-hour walking tour of the pope’s palace that included a tour of Avignon and a wine tasting. I cannot imagine visiting Avignon and not doing this tour. Emile was a fantastic guide and did a great job of explaining the history of Avignon. He did so in a way that was easily digestible, too. There is such a tremendous value-add to have a tour guide to navigate the palace of the popes, too. This is the largest gothic palace in the world (confirmed by UNESCO!). And, it is not your typical palace. Emile helped us understand what was remarkable. He also helped us to imagine what it would have been like when Avignon was a papal seat.

In addition to the papal palace, Emile provided us with a tour of the city center. We also visited the Jardin des Doms adjacent to the palace. (The Musee du Petit Palais is at the edge of the doms garden and worth a visit with its collection of French and Italian paintings and sculptures.) We were able to visit the Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms before entering the papal palace. Emile gave us a great primer on what to look for and see before we entered. Despite the wind (which Avignon is famous for!), Emile remained in good spirits. It was evident he wanted to ensure that we were able to see everything. I was really impressed at how steadfast he was making it a great tour. I appreciate that he gave us the opportunity to see and learn as much as possible.

At the end of the tour, we went to Les Halles d’Avignon, the indoor market of Avignon, for a wine tasting. We were able to taste a white wine, as well as a red wine from Cotes de Rhone. The Rhône river is expansive and there is a difference between the northern and southern Rhone valley wines. This wine tasting did not get into the details of that. However, the wine shop owner was happy to chat and make recommendations.

Try the Famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine

When the popes arrived in Avignon in the middle ages, they brought mine. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is one of the most popular Rhone valley wines and it is known as the wine of popes. A lot of people think it’s very expensive. Like most wines in France, it can be… but it also does not have to be.

While there are definitely wine bars in Avignon where you can taste Chateauneuf-du-Pape (I’ll cover that below!), one of our best mornings was spent doing a wine tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape. It’s probably easiest to take advantage of this tasting if you have a car. The drive from Avignon to Chateauneuf-du-Pape is very easy and beautiful. This tasting takes place in one of the ancient wine cellars in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and it is truly a whole vibe. Our sommelier, Mathais, has cultivated a wine tasting of small producers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape that is incredible. He was able to share so much information about what made each wine and its producer interesting or different. And, he knows so much about the vinification process of each wine that you taste.

We were very impressed with all of the wines we tried. I would have purchased most of them. Unfortunately, we were a little bit too ambitious with our wine buying in Bordeaux. Very little Chateauneuf-du-Pape came home with us… sad. We will definitely be doing another Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine tasting and food pairing with Mathais when we are visiting Avignon in the future! He was very forthcoming with recommendations for pairings. I was very impressed with how much he knew about the subject. (If your new here, my goal is to better understand the art of pairing food and wine!)

Where to Eat in Avignon

One of the benefits of doing a tour when you first arrive is that you can ask questions. In our case, Tom wanted to know if any of the cafes on some of the most beautiful squares of Avignon were worth visiting. (Unequivocally, no – unless you just have a drink.) We were feeling a little overwhelmed with the number of places that seemed to cater to tourists. Eventually, we happened upon a couple of places that drastically changed our perspective of Avignon.

I dare say that the restaurants and wine bars in Avignon also served to open it up to us. They made it more approachable, more friendly, and downright memorable. If I go back to Avignon soon, it will be because of the people we met in the restaurants.

Restaurant Bar à Vin Le 46

You know a restaurant is good when we go back more than once… in one trip. Let’s talk about Le 46. First of all, the staff at Le 46 is incredible. They are so outgoing, friendly, kind, thoughtful, and EXCITED to be a part of your experience. They don’t push in any possible way. But, if you ask for recommendations, they LIGHT UP and they’re good at it.

Second, Le 46 has the most extensive wines-by-the-glass list I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. They have an extensive collection of white and red wines from Côtes du Rhône but also from Provence and other areas of France. (I had an unbelievable Bandol rose here.) With our first couple of glasses, we tried to focus on wines we wanted to try or that we knew. However, as time went on, we started asking our waiter for his recommendations. He never steered us wrong and never tried to upsell us. He would look at what we liked, what we were eating, and what would make the most sense. I tried an extraordinary number of wines here, something I never thought I would do at a restaurant!

As far as food goes, everything was incredible. The puff pastry with black olive tapenade, jambon, and sun-dried tomatoes was life changing. The flavors were so complex and delicious. It was perfectly cooked. My mouth is watering just writing about it. Make sure you try that, no matter what else you order. (I also tried to re-create this savory tart recipe at home if you can’t get to Avignon anytime soon.)

Vins-7 Avignon

Vins 7 can be classified somewhere between a tapas bar and a wine bar. However, the sommelier is VERY good. It’s not your typical wine bar. The wine list is exceptional, and it’s definitely what drew us in. However, the charcuterie plate was next level. It’s something that I thought about at every single other meal in Avignon. There is indoor and outdoor seating. What I recommend, particularly if you are visiting during the Avignon festival, is to sit outside. It’s prime people watching with the benefit of wine.

The staff was incredibly kind and willing to make recommendations on wine. If you are new to Cote du Rhone, I would try wine by the glass, rather than ordered a bottle. While their wine list not as extensive as Le 46, it’s well curated. We ended up with a bottle after trying a couple different glasses.

Le Vin Devant Soi

Last but certainly not least is Le Vin Devant Soi. This wine bar, tucked into a corner of the old town in Avignon, offers many French wines by the glass, including reds, whites, and roses. Similar to one of our favorite wine bars in Bordeaux, it uses a card system and you can choose the size of pour that works best for you. We did not order food here, but we did try several wines. It’s a great way to figure out if you like the wines of Cote du Rhone or Provence, as they offer a few from each.

The staff here is amazing. Make sure to utilize their expertise!

Final Thoughts on a Trip to Avignon

As far as destinations in France go, Avignon is very firmly in the middle for me. It’s a beautiful city, established as a papal seat in the 12th century. It is not rich with the treasures of the Vatican, but it offers an interesting look at the history of the popes. Steeped with history, Avignon is a destination in itself. Is it my first and most favorite place to visit in France? Probably not. Should you visit? Maybe so. If you love theater, the Avignon Festival is for theater what the Cannes Film Festival is for film. (You’ll probably need to have an elementary understanding of French though.) If you love wine, the Cote du Rhone should be on your list, and Chateuneuf-du-Pape isn’t enough on its own. Avignon and the surrounding area and great for exploring the most famous wine region in France. That might be enough for you. Only you know.

However, if you’re looking for a great spa hotel, interesting food and wine experiences, and a little bit of history, Avignon absolutely makes sense on your France itinerary. It’s a great gateway to Southwest France or Provence and offers a completely different feel from both. Given all the research I’ve done, I’d probably choose Avignon over Marseille every time. Ultimately, I enjoyed Avignon because of the people we met. That’s true for everywhere we’ve been in the last few years. I’ve shared the books I use for planning below.

Frommers France Day by Day, Back Roads France, LP Best Road Trips in France

All that said, you have to be honest with yourself – what are looking for – and how does a destination meet those interests? What I try to do here is identify some of the defining characteristics that can allow you to draw your own conclusions. That looks different for all of us. Personally, I find that to be the beauty of travel. I am constantly encouraging people to find the beauty of the world that resonates with you.