Travelling to Provence with a Baby
Thinking of travelling to Provence with a baby? Go for it! The upside of travelling to Provence with a baby is that you don’t have to think about child-related activities until they are older as they nap so frequently. Pick a beautiful spot under the shade, use a blanket with a few toys, and bring a picnic and you’re all set!
Every year my two sisters and I try to organise an annual siblings holiday. Sometimes it would be a trip with one sister and other times it would be with both sisters. One year we overlapped in Hong Kong for 24 hours and managed to squeeze in a meal together. When my niece was younger, we’ve had our annual siblings trips in Asia to tropical places such as Phuket, Bali, and Langkawi. In 2018 we switched gears and opted for a siblings holiday in Europe to make things easier for the new parents.
Beautiful Provence
My older sister is a Francophile. She loves all things French from French perfume, French designers, French pastries, French cuisine, and French wines. High up on her bucket list was to run through the vibrant lavender fields in Provence. So it was decided: we would meet in Provence for a week-long siblings holiday. It was perfect for us as travelling to Provence with a baby was easy thanks to direct trains from London to Avignon.
With so many lovely Provençal villages to base yourself in from Aix en Provence, Avignon, and Isle Sur La Sorgue, it’s hard to pick one location. After some research, we picked Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for ease of day trips to places such as the Luberon to visit the classic hill towns of Gordes and Roussillon; Avignon and its historic Palais des Papes; and the amazing wine region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
July is high season in Provence at the peak of the lavender season. We were lucky to find a gorgeous 3BR/3.5 BA classic stonehouse villa with a separate 1BR/1BA air-conditioned annexe, a massive pool, an expansive garden filled with lavender, and BBQ area in St. Remy. The kitchen was well equipped as if it was your own home which was perfect for those who love cooking like myself. Furthermore, the villa also provided us with a baby cot, high chair, and baby bath. It was a lovely villa and happily recommend it to friends and family visiting the region.
It was very hot in Provence with temperatures well above 35C at the height of summer. We had to finish all of the sightseeing by lunchtime so we can retreat to the pool for the afternoon with a chilled bottle of rosé.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
We loved the town of St. Remy. It’s a lively Provençal town with a vibrant market on Wednesdays. Here you can find everything from chic linens, wicker baskets, artisan soaps, and more. It is also an art lover’s haven as several artists resided in St. Remy including Vincent Van Gough who painted his famous “Starry Night” as a self-admitted patient at Saint-Paul de Mausole asylum. Part of this psychiatric hospital has been converted to a museum dedicated to the life and works of Van Gough.
We didn’t get to explore the restaurant scene in St. Remy because it was too tricky with an infant in tow. Instead, we cooked together back at the villa with fresh ingredients from the local market, whipping up together some French classics such as coq au vin, salad Nicoise, ratatouille, grilled steaks, and herbed roast chicken. This was the quintessential Provençal way of life. It was just lovely, and the perfect way to spend some quality family time in this beautiful region of France.
Gordes
My family drove through the countryside to visit the gorgeous hilltop town of Gordes on market day (Tuesdays). The famous town perched high above the Luberon earned its accolade as one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is a stunning place and definitely worth visiting together with the 12th century Sénanque Abbey for that iconic Instagram photo. After meandering around the cobblestone alleyways, we enjoyed lunch alfresco in the main square in Gordes over a bottle of chilled rosé. We passed time with a sleeping baby watching the very tres chic French people enjoy the glory of summer. Here in the Luberon, one may not find the miles and miles of lavender fields like those found in Salut, but there are big batches all around the Luberon for some lovely photo opportunities.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
No trip to France is complete without visiting a famous wine region. Whilst there are vineyards all around the Provence region, you cannot miss the Châteauneuf-du-Pape nestled in the southern Rhône Valley. About 45 minutes north of St. Remy, this wine region takes its name when the Papacy relocated to Avignon in 1309. It is, of course, famous for its full-bodied Grenache-based red blends. We visited Chateau La Nerthe and then Clos des Papes where a case of the 2016 vintage came home with us.
Closer to St. Remy, there are many wineries to visit to spend a leisurely morning. My family loved Château Romanin with a cave built in the Alpilles mountain with beautiful views, friendly staff and lovely wines.
Travelling to Provence with a Baby
Eurostar Travel:
- Eurostar runs direct trains from London St. Pancras to Lyon, Avignon, and Marseille in the summer from May to September. The average train journey takes about 6h 23m whizzing past the French countryside. Kids under 3 travel for free on the Eurostar as a lap child. Although there is no baggage weight or liquid restrictions on Eurostar, however, it is advisable to pack light and bring essentials.
- Note that on the return journey to London St. Pancras, you’ll need to clear security checks later in the journey either in Lyon or Lille. This requires you to disembark the train to clear immigration. At first glance, this sounded like a hassle so we opted to fly back to London from Marseille. In hindsight, I wished we took the train home because Marseille airport was under renovation and we ended hauling our luggage to a make-shift check-in area.
- Travelling via Eurostar is definitely a hassle-free option when travelling with a baby. You can bring all your baby formula on board without any issues. There’s no pressure change on the ears. Plus at four months, infants sleep every 90 minutes after a big feed. Overall, it’s a more relaxed journey on Eurostar.
Hot Weather:
- It is very, very hot in Provence in July. For newborns under 6 months, you should not expose infants to direct sunshine due to their sensitive skin. We took extra precaution to prevent overheating: lots of 50+ SPF sunscreen, extra-wide bucket hats, umbrellas to block the sun, and lightweight muslins or flannels.
- Offer more nursing sessions or an extra bottle of formula. I didn’t offer water to Lady Yeya until she was 6 months old so it was all extra nursing sessions during warm weather months. It’s very important to keep your baby hydrated in hot weather and yourself too if you are nursing mum.
- Dress in lightweight, quick-dry baby best in hot weather. No brainer here. If you are staying in a stonehouse villa, keep the shutters and curtains closed.
- Hot weather also brings mosquitos. Bring mosquito-repellant! We bought some natural remedy such as citronella and also a bottle of Vie anti-mosquito spray which is DEET-free. We also used mosquito incenses in the evening throughout the villa.
Sightseeing:
- The cobbled stone alleyways and steep stairs are not stroller-friendly in these picturesque Provençal villages. I used the baby carrier to get around on our wine trips and sightseeing excursions. I would wring out a small muslin in cold water and apply it to Lady Yeya’s forehead to keep cool and used an umbrella to block the sun.
- Do all the sightseeing, strolls through market towns, and wine-tasting in the mornings before the heat sets in. Time your car journeys with your baby’s nap, feed or nurse before driving and your baby will be snoozing away in no time whilst you drive to your next destination.
Enjoy every moment travelling to Provence with a baby. This was one of my favourite siblings holiday in recent years. Nothing beats classic Provence, rosé for days, and the lovely aromas of lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Bon Voyage!
