The hilltop villages of the Luberon are linked by narrow roads, and parking is hard to find in summer. Leave the driving to someone who knows every bend. Sample day tour: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Sunday market) → Gordes → Sénanque Abbey (lavender from mid-June to late July) → Roussillon ochre trail → Bonnieux. On request (8 hours).
How long is the drive from Marseille airport to the Luberon?
From Marseille Provence Airport, allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour to reach the southern Luberon villages such as Lourmarin, Cucuron or Ansouis, and a little longer for the northern side. The Luberon is a long ridge running east to west, so the best arrival point depends on where you are staying:
- Northern Luberon (Gordes, Roussillon, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Apt): Avignon TGV station is usually the easiest. Gordes is about 45 minutes away.
- Southern Luberon (Lourmarin, Cucuron, Ansouis, Pertuis): Aix-en-Provence TGV station or Marseille airport are often closer.
Your driver tracks your train or flight, waits at no extra charge if you are delayed, and meets you with a name sign. They help with luggage and take you right to the door of your villa or guesthouse, including the gravel lanes that satnavs tend to get wrong. For rail arrivals, see our Avignon TGV station transfer.
How far apart are the Luberon villages?
Distances are short, but the roads are narrow and winding. As a rough guide:
- Gordes to Roussillon: about 20 minutes.
- Roussillon to Bonnieux: about 20 minutes.
- Bonnieux to Lourmarin: about 20 minutes, through the gorge that cuts across the ridge.
- Ménerbes to Lacoste: around 10 minutes.
- Apt to Gordes: about 30 minutes.
Three or four villages is a comfortable day. Any more and you spend more time in the car than in the lanes.
Luberon day trips beyond the classics
Gordes, Sénanque and Roussillon is the route everyone asks for. These alternatives are just as rewarding.
The southern Luberon
Start in Lourmarin, with its Renaissance château and Friday morning market. Continue to Cucuron and its large plane-shaded pond, then Ansouis, a hilltop village wrapped around its castle. A quieter day, ideal in spring and autumn.
The Petit Luberon villages
Oppède-le-Vieux, a half-abandoned village on the hillside, then Ménerbes, Lacoste with the ruined castle once owned by the Marquis de Sade, and Bonnieux for wide views over the valley. The climbs on foot are steep, so bring good shoes.
Apt market and the ochre country
Apt's Saturday morning market is one of the liveliest in the area. A few minutes away, Rustrel's "Provençal Colorado" has walking trails through old ochre quarries.
Who benefits most from a private driver here?
- Families: child seats on request, stops whenever needed, and no hunting for parking with tired children.
- Groups of friends: in a 7-seat van everyone travels together, and nobody has to skip the afternoon wine tasting.
- Cyclists: the Luberon is great cycling country. The van can drop you at the start of a loop and collect you at the end, depending on how many bikes you bring.
- Villa renters: book a driver by the half day for market runs and dinners out, rather than paying for a hire car that sits idle all week.
- Weddings: late-night shuttles between the venue and guests' accommodation.
When is the best time to visit the Luberon?
April, May, September and October are the most pleasant months for village visits: fewer crowds, soft light and comfortable temperatures for walking. June and July bring the lavender and the biggest crowds. In August, set off early and keep the hottest hours for a long lunch in the shade. In winter many restaurants close, but the villages are wonderfully quiet.
See our prices to compare vehicles and options. Tell us where you are staying and what you would like to see, and we will send a fixed price per vehicle, not per person.
