Final-year school trip to Provence: Avignon, Arles, the Camargue and the Pont du Gard (6 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and overnight stop in Burgundy

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the time agreed with you.
• Daytime drive via Luxembourg, Lorraine and Dijon (about 600 to 700 km depending on your school, 7.5 to 8.5 hours excluding stops).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Arrival in the Mâcon area in the late afternoon: check-in at the hotel for the overnight stop, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 2: The Rhône valley and Avignon

• Departure after breakfast through the Rhône valley (about 290 km, 3.5 hours).
• Arrival in Avignon around noon and lunch at your own expense.
• Visit to the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in the world, and the Pont Saint-Bénezet, the famous ‘Pont d’Avignon’ (on request).
• Walk through the old town and up to the Rocher des Doms, the garden overlooking the Rhône.
• Check-in at the accommodation for three nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Arles and the Camargue

• Drive to Arles (about 40 km, 45 min).
• Visit to the Roman amphitheatre and the ancient theatre of Arles (on request), then a walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps, from Place du Forum to the garden of the Espace Van Gogh.
• Lunch at your own expense, then a drive through the Camargue: rice fields, lagoons, herds of bulls and white horses.
• Pont de Gau bird park and its pink flamingos (on request), then supervised free time in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, on the Mediterranean shore.
• Return to Avignon (about 1 hour 15 min) for dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: The Pont du Gard and Nîmes

• Drive to the Pont du Gard (about 25 km, 30 min).
• Visit to the Pont du Gard site, a Roman aqueduct almost 50 metres high, and its museum.
• Canoe trip down the Gardon river to beneath the arches of the bridge (on request).
• Lunch at your own expense, then Nîmes: the Maison Carrée, a remarkably well-preserved Roman temple, the Jardins de la Fontaine and a visit to the amphitheatre (on request).
• Return to Avignon (about 45 min) for dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: Orange and drive to Burgundy

• Rooms vacated after breakfast.
• Drive to Orange (about 30 km) and visit to the ancient theatre with its intact stage wall (on request), then a stop by the Roman triumphal arch.
• Lunch at your own expense, then drive to the Beaune area (about 330 km, 4 hours).
• Check-in at the hotel for the overnight stop, dinner and last supervised evening.

Day 6: Return to Belgium

• Departure after breakfast.
• Daytime drive back to Belgium (about 500 to 600 km) with regular stops.
• Lunch at your own expense during a stop on the way.
• Arrival at your school in the late afternoon or evening.