BON VOYAGE!
Set your sights on the City of Lights, dally in the Loire Valley, then head to the Med on an insouciant journey along the highways and byways of France
Nothing beats a road trip through France. Even the erratic French drivers, who toot at you for having the gall to abide by a speed limit, will add to the fun. The diverse destinations are endless here. Brave the knotted motorways into Paris one day and soar through the vineyards of the Champagne region the next. You can take the western route and have the Channel snake by beside you, or climb through the Alps to the east, swinging through Germanic enclaves like Dijon and the idyllic lake resorts of Annecy and Aix-les-Bains. Take a central path and you will undulate through the Loire Valley, with its abundant châteaux and bucolic views. Ignore the GPS and drive the long way around the lavender fields of Provence, the majestic tree-lined avenues of the Languedoc and the Mediterranean-hugged promenades of the Côte d’Azur. In France, there is a road map to suit everyone. marie-claire chappet Head over to Hotel Brach in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, a quiet and sophisticated residential neighbourhood, home to the Louis Vuitton Foundation, the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée Marmottan Monet. The Philippe Starck-designed hotel attracts the capital’s chicest crowd and is well located to explore the Promenade Plantée – an elevated linear park similar to New York’s High Line – and to pick up a flaky, sugary croissant at Du Pain et Des Idées before dining at the charming Bistrot Paul Bert.
Just over 200 miles out of the city on the A11 autoroute (leave about three hours to account for Parisian traffic), make Château du Grand-Lucé your first stop. This palatial abode counts Mozart and Voltaire as former guests, and is filled with antiques and artwork that should probably be behind velvet ropes. Bedrooms are fit for royalty, with huge fireplaces, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper and Buly
1803 products by the bath. Between exploring the Château’s 80 acres and lying by the pool, you’ll barely feel the need to leave the grounds, but it’s worth visiting the small weekly food market in the local village and the array of vintage shops in the commune of La Chartre-sur-le-Loir.
Set off early down the A28. A day’s drive south will take you into the heart of the Luberon valley, where the hotel Airelles Gorde, La Bastide emerges on the horizon as if from a fairy tale. Inside, you’ll find chaises longues, wood-panelled nooks lined with books and Sisley-stocked bathrooms, as well as a number of great restaurants including La Bastide de Pierres, a traditional Italian trattoria – but for a real treat, book the rooftop turret for two at La Citadelle. If you’re there on a Sunday, borrow the hotel’s vintage Citroën 2CV for a visit to the antiques market at L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
An easy two-hour motor along the A8 takes you to Les Roches Rouges, an impeccably designed boutique hotel, down by the sea in the town of Saint-Raphaël. Book a room with a sea view, the higher up the better – there is nothing more soothing than sipping a morning coffee (or evening cocktail) on your own private balcony while listening to the waves below. Thanks to its dramatic setting right on the rocks, the hotel restaurant La Terrasse is another highlight – don’t miss its incredible tomato salad.
Rejoin the A8 for just under an hour and complete your grand tour in cultivated environs of Antibes at the enchanting Hôtel Belles Rives, once the home of F Scott Fitzgerald. The property has been lovingly restored but still retains a sense of Jazz Age glamour and has a path leading down to a secluded private beach. You can dine at the water’s edge in the Plage Belles Rives restaurant or wander through the quaint streets of Antibes for lunch at the legendary Hôtel Du-Cap-Eden-Roc, where club sandwiches are served against a swimming-pool backdrop made famous by the photographer Slim Aarons.