PROVENCE by train and bike

With rail links to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and beyond, a vast network of cycle paths and quiet roads, and a plethora of historic wine estates, Provence is an ideal destination for an eco-friendly, car-free and carefree) holiday

- BEN BERNHEIM

In summer, Provence offers brilliant blue skies and Mediterranean beaches. The winters can be a bit wetter, but they are still relatively warm, especially by the sea, where pines and oaks give way to palm trees, vibrant purple bougainvillaea and citrus orchards.

Provence's southernmost tip, around Bandol and La Londe, is on roughly the same latitude as Bolgheri in southern Tuscany. The region is famous for its Grenache-based roses and beautiful beachside living, while its limestone garrigues, stunning scented lavender fields (in bloom June into August) and hilltop villages have attracted artists and tourists to the area for more than a century.

When dining in small countryside bistros, in addition to the ubiquitous rosés, expect to find a range of traditional Syrah-dominant reds and Rolle-dominant whites that aren't typically found outside of the region. Much of Provence's modern viticultural history can be traced back to the introduction of the railway. The Permian depression a low-lying area whose geology dates back to the Permian Period (299-251 million years ago) that runs from Toulon eastwards to around Fréjus, passing through Vidauban, has been a communications and transport corridor since Roman times and in the 1850s, the railway from Marseille was built through it, linking up with Nice by 1864. Many of the Côtes de Provence appellation's vineyards lie within a few kilometres of this line, with easy access to export markets a key consideration. This historic heartland is the easiest region to visit by bicycle. The hills of Coteaux Varois and the lavender fields of the Luberon are mostly out of reach without a car.