The Bargemon bastide is just 75 minutes from Nice and Toulon airports. A journey of 30 minutes takes you to Lac St. Cassien, ideal for children with its beaches, pedalos and restaurants.

The coastal beaches and resorts of Ste. Maxime, St. Tropez and Frejus are easily accessible. Or simply explore the lovely local area with its forest walks and colourful villages. Visit a different market every day! Gourmet restaurants abound In this area which is famous for its gastronomy.

Where is Bargemon (Google map) ? This a small village some 30 minutes inland from Ste. Maxime and St. Tropez in Provence, France. Further information can be found at the tourist office and at ProvenceWeb.

The bastide is located just off the route to Claviers just over 2 km from Bargemon village.

Travel to the villa
 
Flights: you can fly to either Nice, Toulon or Marseille airports - Nice is slightly closer. Check out for budget airlines which fly to and from France.

Car hire: available from Holiday Autos which we find are efficient and resonably priced. They guarantee to cover any excess charges due to accidental damage.

Train: look at Eurostar, French rail (SNCF), RailEurope and The Man in Seat 61. The new terminal at St Pancreas in London links the UK to the South of France. This is the civilised and low carbon way to travel. In the summer months, you can travel by train from St Pancras to Avignon direct in around 7 hours.

Car: French autoroutes are very impressive. It is a good drive from the UK and most people take a break for one night. We take our dog with us so stop for 2 nights on the way down thereby breaking the journey into manageable stages.

Weather

Check out the French meteorological service for the latest weather in Bargemon.

Gorge de Verdon
 
This is the 'French Grand Canyon' and a spectacular drive along its route.
It is about 45 minutes from the villa and a great day out. At its bottom end, as it runs into the Lac de Sainte Croix, there are plenty of things to do - pedalos, electric boats, canoes and an adventure trail.

Skiing

The nearest ski station is an hour or so away by car at either Greolieres or at La Foux. The locals often arrange day trips by bus during the season. They are small, typically French ski stations with all the usual amenities. Isola 2000 is further afield.

Gliding

Fayence, near Bargemon, is a world renowned centre for gliding. Gliding competitions are held there to take advantage of the thermals rising up to the surrounding hills.

You can have a guest flight with an instructor, lessons or more experienced pilots have the opportunity to hire gliders. Alternatively, there is a restaurant and cafe at the gliding centre where you can relax and watch the fun.

Look at the French part of the site to see webcams and more photos of stunning views from the cockpit.

Lac de Sainte Cassien

This is the nearest lake to Bargemon (around 25 minutes) and has the usual activities of sailing, windsurfing, swimming, pedalos and fishing.