Come along for a magical road trip through Provence, France, as my friend visits and we spend the day exploring three of the region’s most iconic and picturesque destinations: Avignon, Gordes, and Roussillon.
We begin our journey in Avignon, home of the Popes and one of France’s most historic cities, with its medieval bridge and grand Palais des Papes. From there, we drive into the Luberon to visit Gordes, a postcard-perfect hilltop village made of golden stone and ranked among the most beautiful villages in France. Finally, we explore the vibrant ochre cliffs and colorful streets of Roussillon, a town that looks like it was painted by hand.
📍 This trip was filmed in April, just before the summer crowds – Provence at its most peaceful and full of spring charm.
Whether you’re planning a Provence itinerary, dreaming of a future visit, or simply love beautiful villages and scenic drives, I hope this video inspires your wanderlust. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more videos about life in France, slow travel, and hidden gems across the country.
Featured Locations:
Avignon: Palais des Papes & strolls around town
Gordes: Hilltop village views, stone houses, quiet charm
Roussillon: Bright orange ochre cliffs, colorful facades, artisanal shops
Filmed as part of The French Life Experiment – my documentary-style series about moving to a small town in France to recover from burnout and rediscover joy through slow living.
👇 Let me know in the comments: Have you been to Provence? Which town would you visit first?
#Provence #FranceTravel #Avignon #Gordes #Roussillon #RoadTripFrance #MostBeautifulVillagesInFrance #SlowTravel #Luberon #TravelVlog #FrenchVillages #LifeInFrance #ProvenceTravelGuide
Did you like this video? You can support me by buying me some cheese (or a pastry, or a bottle of wine, or a market haul) here: https://buymeacoffee.com/frenchjulie
It means so much and helps me keep creating these videos. And possibly will prevent me from returning to the corporate slog so I can continue to create videos about la belle France!
00:00 Introduction
00:39 Road Trip
01:34 Avignon
06:41 Palais des Papes
10:07 Gordes
16:51 Roussillon
34 Comments
4:40 THE SOAPS ! <3
Vous êtes une Femme Magnifique Julie et tout se que vous faites est Magnifique !
MAGNIFIQUE !!! <3
Beautiful footage! Great job Julie!
How perfect! I did the exact drive with my sister after visiting my niece near Uzes,- Avignon, Gordes and Roussilon except there were so many tourists ( Easter vacation week) we could not even park and had to give up. . Now I get to see both towns through your videos!! It's gorgeous !!! Why am I still living in the US? 🤔 Il faut que je fasse des plans pour revenir m'installer en France!!!
Thanks Julie for sharing with us.
We spent 4 days in Avignon but we didn’t visit Gordes or Rousillon. There are always more places to visit, but, alas, we can’t see all of them. Thanks for sharing your trip.
Saw lots of the beautiful town whilst finding the cliffs. Good fun!
If the state of your driver’s license is one that has a treaty deal with France, you can trade it for a French driver’s license during the first 12 months. Otherwise, after 12 months, you are no longer « an American tourist in France », and maybe your US driver’s license is not really valid. But there are only 17 or 18 states, of the 50, that have treaty deals with France. Google : « echange permis americain contre francais »
Love you vlogs!! Thanks for sharing all you beautiful adventures…and how lovely to meet up with your friend!! By the way… you remind me of Lauren Graham! A bientôt!
No no, an episode is when you have a fit of madness!
So a question, your nice apartment, are you renting that?
Thank you for the tour to these beautiful sites. I was there this past May. I’m glad you found the ochre cliffs because as you were walking I wanted to tell you to keep walking straight and you’d come across them but you veered to your left. Lol 😁 but you made it -wasn’t it beautiful? France is so lovely, thank you for the memory.
And a question, are you detecting any of the anti tourist pushback?
Vidéo très rafraîchissante si vous aimez les vieilles pierres et beaux villages je vous suggère de visiter un week end en Périgord !
Lovely !
Thank you ! I went to Avignon a full month maybe 5 or 6 times, a good remember to see this nice city.
I used to know the bohemian and punks who were living there because i crossed them every year..
Fun city for partying.. now, i m 43, i m wise. 😅
Merci pour ces belles images, Julie. Comme tu aimes la Provence historique, je te conseille le film "Le Hussard sur le toit" (The Horseman on the Roof), avec Juliette Binoche.
Thank you so much for sharing this! These are all places we plan to visit on our next trip! Loved the ceramic shop!!
Le Lubéron est magnifique mais très touristique.
Plus proche d Uzes je vous conseille, après la canicule, de visiter la vallée de la Céze, de beaux villages perchés, de petites cités de caractère et de pittoresques points de vue, lieux moins connus du grand public et que j ai découvert par hasard il y a 2 ans .
Je vis dans l est de la France et
ici aussi il fait rudement chaud. 🥵
Thanks for bringing us along. Très belle!
Hi Julie, I love your videos. I live in a small village in Tuscany and don’t particularly like it. I lived in France as a young girl, so I am fluent in French. I moved here to learn Italian and be near Florence. However, my heart has always been in France. I’m actually thinking of moving back to France in the next year or two. Right now, I’m looking at the Loire Valley. I think I’ll try your GPT method.
Oh my! This was a gorgeous video❤️ This may be my favorite one you’ve made so far. I felt like I was traveling along with you. Thank you so much for taking us on a tour😊 Edit: I also appreciate the history lesson and different facts you shared throughout the video. Thank you.
Hi Julie, Thanks for this beautiful reporting about Provence but i don't agree with you, the most beautiful villages in France are in Lot department : Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Rocamadour, ..
Have you ever visited these places?
Julie, now you are settling in PACA, do you plan to grab your own car soon? As far I understood, you are renting one time to time ?
J'y irai à voyager en seulement deux semaines et j'ai déjà envie de découvrir cette partie de la France et pratiquer un peu mon français oxidé.
❤❤❤
How do you finance this?
Gordes and Rousillion are the bougie side of the Vaucluse. I live further east where it’s more “French”—less British and less touristy.
Last video for year? 😢
In France, when you order a café, it is actually an Expresso. If you want a normal big café, you have to order a café allongé 😉
Vous n'avez pas fait l'extraordinaire Sentier des Ocres ? Vous avez arrêté de filmer juste avant d'y arriver… 🤔
Beautifull this is Provence ❤❤❤
In these videos about France they mainly told about the landscapes,the villages,the alleys,the castles,the monuments,the "natives" with their berets and their baguettes playing pétanque.But we are rarely shown what is modern:Pasteur institute,Sofia Antipolis,Saclay,
For tourists France is synonymus of landstapes and museum but France is never synonymus of start ups, research,modernity.
Where else can you sit and enjoy a meal or cup of coffee, while looking at a castle that is ten feet away; and get to call your dog's poop dejection. Lol. Your friend's little girl's voice is so cute, it reminds me of a small chick or swallow chirping away while you guys are walking down the alley.