Presenting the Villas Worldwide range of private villas with pools in Provence. Well priced self-catering properties and luxury homes all hand-picked and visited by our experts. For a perfect holiday villa in the south of France, Provence is a region blessed with a marvellous climate year round, allow us to assist you in choosing the right one for your family stay.

The nearby coast is chic and lively and many of the resorts such as Cassis and Hyeres are family holiday favourites, there is the Camargue too. Inland Provence offers quite a contrast, peace, tranquillity, lavender fields and vineyards basking in the heat, pretty stone, semi-fortified villages and monasteries, Roman sites such as Pont du Gard. Much of it still appears like a scene from Jean de Florette, Marcel Pagnol's epic film based on post-war life near Aubagne.

The region is hugely varied with the Alpes de Haute Provence and the Alpilles being particularly spectacular and mountainous with a number of large towns including Apt, Salon en Provence and Orange. The Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhone are not short of spectacle with the “Calanques” at Cassis and the Mont Saint Victoire just two examples of extravagant scenery whilst Avignon, Aix en Provence and Marseille are large, historic cities with a huge amount to see including the Palais des Papes, the Cezanne circuit and the old harbour.

There is plenty to do in Provence and the wonderful climate makes this an excellent place to holiday from Easter through to the October half term. To see what's on in Provence, holiday events and to see what to do view our more Provence information section.

Travel

There are regular direct flights to Marseilles (MRS) airport, serviced by British Airways and Easyjet, which is within two hours drive of most of our villas in Provence. Nice (NCE) which is serviced by Easyjet, Bmibaby and Jet2 and Nimes (FNI) where Ryanair operates are also options as is Montpellier (MPL) which has flights from Ryanair and Easyjet.

Weather

The climate in Provence is perfect for a holiday in the sun as it tends to be nice and warm from early May to the end of October. There is generally very little rainfall during the summer months. You do need to be careful with small children as temperatures get pretty hot in July and August. A swimming pool at your Provence villa certainly comes in handy!

Food and drink

The local Mediterranean fare is considered to be amongst the healthiest in the world, you can really enjoy eating out in Provence. Fabulous olive oil, strong cheeses, aromatic wild herbs, fresh fish and delicious meat are served in sophisticated, tasty dishes in tranquil restaurants with delightful, traditional Provencal décor. And the food you can buy in shops and markets is every bit as good. And the local wine is excellent too, particularly the Cote de Rhone reds and refreshing Rose which goes down very well on a balmy evening! You can live well on holiday in a villa in Provence.

Eating out

There are some fabulous restaurants in Provence, many in beautiful settings. Here you have everything from the sophisticated gourmet restaurants of chic cities such as Aix en Provence to idyllic establishments just perfect for a long lunch overlooking the majestic Provencal countryside.

Sports and leisure

The warm Mediterranean sea is excellent for water sports, particularly sailing and diving, which are very popular. Inland there is lovely walks and mountain biking. The geographic variety means there is a wide range of sports and outdoor activities in Provence.

Shopping

When it comes to shopping Aix en Provence and Avignon are the top spots in Provence. Both have beautiful historical centres with a myriad of small streets with boutique shops as well as mainstream shops.

Films to see before a holiday in Provence

A good year, directed by Ridley Scott, is one of the most recent films to be set in Provence. Swimming Pool is a Hitchcock-style recent thriller set in the Luberon. A huge classic is And God... Created Woman which rocketed Brigitte Bardot to stardom. Two of the most absorbing and beautiful films set in the heart of the Provence countryside are Jean de Florette with Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil and Manon des Sources starring Gerard Depardieu.

Books to read

Peter Mayle really put Provence on the literary map with the first of a series of novels, A year in Provence. Other notable novels set in Provence are Mistrals daughter by Judith Kranz, The bookseller's Daughter by Pam Rosenthal, The Fly-Truffler by Gustaf Sobin and Perfume from Provence by Winfried Fortescue.

Provence holiday homes what to expect

Our villas in Provence area of the south of France are often spectacular, with many in wonderful locations. Some are big traditional Provencal mas or converted farmhouses, quite a few are beautiful stone homes, others modern villas, all have private swimming pools. If you would like any assistance with choosing your ideal villa in Provence don’t hesitate to phone or email and use our experience.