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Southern France & Spain Family Walking & Hiking Tour – Older Teens & 20s

Southern France & Spain Family Walking & Hiking Tour – Older Teens & 20s

From Provence to Costa Brava & Barcelona

From $3,699 pp dbl. occ. | 6 days / 5 nights

(+$680 for sgl. occ.)

Special Kids Prices

"Slowly in the morning and not too fast in the afternoon" is a saying in the south of France and a way of life on Spain's Costa Brava. When you and your family are never far from sublime scenery, a delicious meal and charming hotels, they're easy words to live by. So feel free to stop, sample and savor. And enjoy the magic of two sun-soaked lands. Slowly and not too fast.

Highlights

Venture into the wild and beautiful Luberon Valley, a region renowned for its perched villages
Sip wine or un café with the locals in Roussillon, Bonnieux and St-Rémy-de-Provence
Explore an unforgettable and camera-ready landscape of limestone hills, olive orchards and endless vineyards
Hike from one secluded cove to another on the Spanish Costa Brava’s ancient Camí de Ronda

France & Spain

Start Avignon / End Barcelona

Itinerary

Day 1 From Lacoste, walk through a land of honey, lavender and cherries | Take in spectacular scenery with views of Mont Ventoux | Looking at the gorgeous landscape, it doesn't take long to understand the region's deep connection to the art world | Relax at a stone villa in the hilltop village of Ménerbes.

Day 2 Explore the picturesque hilltop village of Bonnieux with a local guide | Hike the wooded rolling hills and craggy cliffs of the Grand Luberon range | The fascinating ruins of medieval Fort de Buoux invite discovery | An extraordinary gastronomic experience awaits at Mas Tourteron, which shares ties with California's own Chez Panisse.

Day 3 Wander through a landscape of limestone hills, olive orchards and vineyards | Cross a Roman-built bridge to Roussillon | Follow Grand Randonnée trails past oak forests and a truffle farm | A hearty climb to the village perché (perched village) of Gordes reveals spectacular views | Join a private tasting of the best local vintages.

Day 4 Discover the charming artists’ haven of St-Rémy-de-Provence | Art comes to life in St-Paul de Mausole, van Gogh's home for a year and the inspiration behind many of his most famous works | Feast your eyes on seasonal and local specialties at le marché | Travel to Spain’s dazzling Costa Brava by private coach.

Days 5-6 Walk Spain's ancient Camí de Ronda, which connects the Costa Brava's hidden coves | Behold plunging cliffs and white-sand beaches | Ascend to a promontory offering glorious views of the sea | Admire exotic flora at the Cap Roig Botanical Garden.

Next: Dates & Prices

The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy.

Cancellation fees may vary based upon departure date. Please review the grid below:

Number of Days Prior to Trip Start	Cancellation Fees (per person)	Departure Dates
96+ days	$200	2019 6/2, 6/28
61-95 days	30%
31-60 days	60%
0-30 days	100%

For information on our trip transfers see here.

Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.

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Private Trip
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F Family Dates - Older Teens & 20s

2019 June

6/2–6/7

6/28–7/3

Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from a large selection of dates for your group of 8 or more. Call us for date availability. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or if your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you.

2019 Private Trip Pricing

10 or more guests: from $3,699 pp dbl occ
8 - 9 guests: from $4,299 pp dbl occ
6 - 7 guests: from $4,499 pp dbl occ
4 - 5 guests: from $6,099 pp dbl occ
2 - 3 guests: from $7,699 pp dbl occ

Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date

View Scheduled Dates

The sky’s the limit! Tell us what your dream trip would be and we'll make it happen! Whether you're looking for a honeymoon trip for 2, a 30-person family reunion or a 100-person corporate trip, we can do it all. A dedicated Custom Trip Consultant will work closely with you to bring your dreams to reality. Call us at 800-462-2848 to speak with your Custom Trip Consultant or click on the button below.

REQUEST YOUR CUSTOM TRIP NOW

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Dates

View Scheduled Dates
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Prices

From $3,699 pp dbl. occ.
6 days / 5 nights

(+$680 for sgl. occ.)

Special Kids Prices

Traveling with Kids

Reviews

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Casual & Casual Plus Hotels*

Le Roy Soleil

Ménerbes (2 nights)

Hotel Gounod, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

Hôtel Gounod

St-Rémy-de-Provence (1 night)

Hotel Sant Roc

Calella de Palafrugell (2 nights)

* Casual Plus

See Lodging Details

Activity Level

This trip is rated Levels 2-4

See Daily Route Options

What's Included

Services and equipment are included.

See how we include more

Why Backroads

Why Travel with Backroads in Provence and Costa Brava

Find out What sets us apart

More On This Trip

Backroads Provence to Costa Brava Family Walking and Hiking Tour

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Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip

Reviews by Power Reviews ®

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Next: Lodging

Casual & Casual Plus Hotels*

Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.

Le Roy Soleil

Ménerbes (2 nights)

You are sure to feel connected to nature at this lovely hotel nestled in the valley of the Luberon mountain range. (pool)

Hôtel Gounod

St-Rémy-de-Provence (1 night)

This cheery hotel set in the heart of town has hosted artists such as van Gogh, Frédéric Mistral and Charles Gounod, who composed the opera Mireille during his stay. (pool)

Hotel Sant Roc

Calella de Palafrugell (2 nights)

* Casual Plus

Splendid views are yours to admire at this hotel, perched magnificently above the Mediterranean in the heart of Costa Brava.

Previous: Reviews

Next: Activity Level

This Trip Is Rated Levels 2-4

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Daily Route Options (drag to see full )

Day	EASYGOING				ACTIVE				AVID
Daily Route Options
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Level 4		Level 5
	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain
1			4*	200	6*	300	8	500
2	2*	400	4*	700	5*	800	6*	600
3	4*	600	5*	600	7*	600	10	1100
4	2	200
4	Provençal Market Visit in St-Rémy
5			4*	500	6*	1000	9*	1100
6	3	300

Note: The terrain on this trip includes a mix of level to rolling rocky mountain trails, village walkways, paved country roads and seaside paths with short sections of stone steps and sand, and some steep climbs and descents.

* Includes shuttle.

Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.

Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.

Previous: Lodging

Next: What's Included

Meals

All breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Also Included

Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
Snacks and beverages between meals
Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
Park and other entry fees
Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
Select coach transfers
Baggage transfers and porterage

Previous: Activity Level

Next: Why Backroads

Get the Straight Talk about This Trip

We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.

Previous: What's Included

Next: Why Backroads

Why Travel with Backroads in Provence and Costa Brava

More Leaders to Support You

On our Provence and Costa Brava trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.

Everyone at Their Own Pace

We design and support our Provence and Costa Brava trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.

A Second Van When You Need It

Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in Provence and Costa Brava—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.

A Variety of Routes Each Day

In Provence and Costa Brava you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.

The Value of Casual Hotels

In addition to the ideal balance of comfort and hospitality in our choice of lodgings, this trip featuring Casual Hotels includes nearly all of your meals, plus everything from cocktail receptions to the best snacks along the road. So there's rarely a need to reach for your wallet – we've got you covered.

Your Trip Will Run. Period.

Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for a single family of three or four people, subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.

Quality You Can Measure

Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.

We've Set the Standard

For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by

We Speak the Language

If we told you many companies' leaders can't actually speak the language where they lead trips, you'd say incroyable... ridicolo... không the tha thú. At Backroads, fluency in the local language is a given. Find out more on the best leader recruitment, training and development in the business. (And by the way, that was "unforgivable" in Vietnamese.)

We Live in the Neighborhood

Our Trip Leaders in Provence and Costa Brava live in the area and are deeply engaged in their communities, giving them unique inside knowledge they're happy to share in making your experience that much richer. They'll introduce you to people, customs and parts of town you'd likely never encounter on your own—and teach you a few local phrases to help break the ice.

Experts with Secrets to Share

In choosing the ideal experts to enrich your travel experience, we look for people with a wealth of local knowledge, but also the ability to convey their insights in English. Too often travelers find themselves smiling politely, not quite understanding what they're being told. Our experts share intriguing facts, anecdotes and inside stories that stay with you forever.

The Right Local Pairings

Our Trip Leaders combine deep local expertise with a firm grasp of North American expectations around quality of service. By the same token, we pair experienced Backroads leaders with local guides who know how to cater to your needs while cracking open the culture or natural history in ways that are meaningful, memorable and often magical.

The Best Leaders in Provence and Costa Brava

Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Provence and Costa Brava, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.

Previous: What's Included

Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip