Cruises to Marseille (Provence)

You’ll thread through Provençal vineyards and dusty valleys, land in Avignon and storm the palace where popes once played politics in velvet robes. The Pont d’Avignon waits for your feet (and your courage). There’s history in the walls, wine at lunch and enough old-world drama to keep your inner monarch thoroughly entertained.

Throw out the itinerary. You’re the captain now — with a driver who knows shortcuts, secrets and where to find bouillabaisse that’ll knock the vowels out of your mouth. Skip the crowds, chase murals, loiter in a market or chase down alleyway espresso. This is not a tour. It’s a provocation with an engine.

Van Gogh lost his mind here; you’ll probably only lose your breath. Arles gives you Roman arches and medieval echoes; Les Baux throws down castle ruins and panoramic mountain drama. It’s the south of France at its most cinematic — churches, cobblestones and the kind of light that makes you want to make a day last.

Aix is all polished fountains, flirtatious market stalls and aristocratic snootiness (in the atmosphere, not the people). After soaking that up, drive down to Marseille where cliffs meet the sea and Notre-Dame de la Garde holds court. You’ll dip into the chaos of Le Vieux Port, sweep past cathedrals and maybe (if you’re lucky) taste something you can’t pronounce but will never forget.