For this 4-day road trip through the Vaucluse in a campervan, we made the most of the Ascension Day long weekend to put together a loop combining villages, heritage, walks and wine tourism. From Vaison-la-Romaine in Lourmarin, the idea was to discover another side to the department without revisiting the places we already knew.
In 2024, the first motorbike road trip had indeed enabled us to explore the centre of the Vaucluse in greater depth, including in particular the Provençal Colorado and several charming villages. For this second trip – and only our second road trip with the Merry, our converted Ford Transit Custom, so we decided to take a proper look round it and give proper attention to the vineyards and the major appellations of the Vaucluse.
On the itinerary: Roman ruins, hilltop villages, a few walks, lots of vineyards, several wine tastings directly at the producers’ premises and nights spent in a campervan, some of them in the heart of the vineyards. An easily manageable loop on 4 full days, and which can also serve as the basis for a A week-long road trip in the Vaucluse by combining it with the ‘Provençal Colorado’ and the villages of the Luberon.
Day 1 – From Vaison-la-Romaine to the Dentelles de Montmirail
As we’d set off on Wednesday evening, our proper road trip could begin straight away on Thursday morning. After a peaceful first night in a scenic spot near a little chapel, we headed off towards Vaison-la-Romaine to kick off this first full day in the Vaucluse.
Vaison-la-Romaine: a blend of ancient ruins and a medieval town
The weather clearly wasn’t in the mood to treat us to a big blue sky to start with, but the morning in Vaison-la-Romaine at least allowed us to avoid the worst of it.
We explored the town entirely on foot, passing several ancient ruins along the way. Some of the archaeological sites require an admission ticket, but many features can still be seen from the streets and paths that run alongside them. Even without paying to visit them, the Roman heritage is therefore ever-present throughout the town.
We then crossed the famous Roman bridge at Vaison-la-Romaine, which is still used today, to reach the medieval town perched on the hilltop. The climb allows you to gradually discover the old town whilst enjoying several views over the rooftops, the modern town and the ancient ruins below.
A first step that actually sums up quite well what we love about our road trips: walking, exploring a town at our own pace and combining cultural heritage with a stroll without necessarily having to visit lots of paid attractions.
Gigondas and the Dentelles de Montmirail
After a picnic in the rain, we set off again towards Gigondas. The aim isn’t just to explore the village: above all, we want to go for a bit of a walk at the foot of the Montmirail Lace, which overlook the whole of this part of the Vaucluse.
And for once, the weather finally decides to play ball. The sun finally peeks out during our walk above Gigondas.
On the other hand, as was the case during our last week’s getaway, the rain had had time to turn a good part of the path into a right mess. We’re clearly starting to specialise in walks where the condition of our shoes gives us a clue as to what the weather was like in the days before.
But between the vineyards, the rolling hills of the Dentelles and the sunshine that’s finally breaking through, the scenery is well worth the odd slip in the mud.
First Gigondas tasting at Domaine des Bosquets
As this road trip is deliberately very focused on wine tourism, it’s impossible to pass through Gigondas without popping into a vineyard. So we stop off at the Domaine des Bosquets for our first wine tasting of the holiday.
And it’s fair to say we’re off to a flying start: the tasting is excellent. The prices, however, bring us back down to earth with a bump. We knew we’d come to taste some Gigondas, but our bank account clearly hadn’t got the message.
A wonderful discovery all the same, and above all a first taste of what was to become one of the recurring themes of these four days in the Vaucluse: discovering the department’s various wine appellations directly at the producers’ estates.
Day 2 – Orange, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and an overnight stay amongst the vineyards
After a first day spent exploring ancient heritage, the Dentelles de Montmirail and a wine tasting in Gigondas, we continue our tour of the Vaucluse with another day very much focused on wine tourism.
Orange and its Roman heritage
We start the day at Orange, which you can explore at a leisurely pace on foot.
We wander through the town centre until we reach the’Arc de Triomphe, passing by the famous The Ancient Theatre of Orange. A few drops of rain are still falling as we walk, but not enough to stop us from enjoying the town.
Following on from Vaison-la-Romaine the day before, Orange fits perfectly into the ancient theme of this early stage of the road trip. Here too, the Roman ruins are an integral part of the townscape and are very easy to spot whilst strolling through the town.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: from village to wine tasting
We then set off again towards one of the unmissable highlights of this trip: Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
After the picnic, we set off for a stroll around the village before dutifully sticking to the theme of this road trip: tasting the wines from the appellations we pass through.
So we settle down at the Benedetti Caffè to enjoy a glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It really couldn’t be more in keeping with the surroundings.
This stage also gives us the chance to experience the village’s atmosphere in a different way from simply going from one wine cellar to the next: taking the time to walk around, look at the surrounding vineyards and simply enjoy the surroundings.
Wine tasting and an overnight stay at Domaine Mousset
For the night, we’d spotted a particularly interesting place on Park4night: the Mousset Estate, which welcomes campervans directly onto the estate (originally through France Passion). So we announced our arrival when we got there and, as we were at a vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it would obviously have been a shame not to have another wine tasting. 😂
It is here that we come across a rather charming little coincidence: the estate is linked to the Brotte Estate, a wine from which we’d actually just had a glass a few hours earlier.
After the wine tasting, we set off for a short walk through the vineyards before heading back to the van. And this time, our spot for the evening ticks all the boxes: peace and quiet, the great outdoors and, above all, a night right in the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards. Thanks to the Merry, we ended this second day exactly as we’d imagined this wine-tourism road trip: a glass of wine tasted at the vineyard, a short stroll amongst the rows of vines, and the van parked in the middle of the estate for the night.
Day 3 – Avignon, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and another night at a country estate
On this third day, we’re moving away from the purely wine-focused theme for a while to explore two iconic towns in the Vaucluse: Avignon then L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Although, of course, wine does eventually make a comeback on the agenda later in the day.
Avignon: a visit cut short by a big scare
We start the day by Avignon. Around the Palace of the Popes, the setting is, quite frankly, very beautiful, particularly with the recently refurbished garden. It’s definitely the part of the town we liked best. However, our feelings become much more mixed as soon as we move away from the tourist centre. Some streets seem noticeably less well-maintained and, once outside the walled centre, the atmosphere makes us feel much less at ease.
We were already a bit worried about leaving the Merry parked outside the centre, but our AirTag decided to give us a bit of an adrenaline rush on top of that. Looking at its location, we suddenly got the feeling that the van moved. Needless to say, at that point, our visit to Avignon was immediately pushed into the background. So we cut our walk short to head back to the car park and see what was going on.
In the end, it was a false alarm: the Merry hadn’t moved at all. It must simply have been a glitch with the AirTag’s location tracking. A bit of a scare for nothing, but it did mean we finished the tour much earlier than planned. Anyway, we weren’t really keen on going all the way to that famous bridge! 😂
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and its water wheels
After Avignon, we’re off to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for a much more leisurely stop. We start by having a picnic by the river before setting off to wander through the village streets.
We’re also taking this opportunity to look for a few geocaches, a rather nice way to explore the places you pass through without necessarily sticking strictly to the usual tourist routes.
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue certainly lives up to its nickname as the ‘town of water’. Nestled between the branches of the River Sorgue and the many paddle wheels whilst you’re out for a stroll, the atmosphere is really lovely.
And as any properly organised visit here obviously ends with a drink on the terrace, we naturally end up stopping for a drink before heading off again.
A night at the Domaine Tourbillon
For this third night, we’re repeating the wine estate experience with the Tourbillon Estate (also featured on P4N and FrancePassion). The atmosphere is very different from our previous night in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Here, the setting is less idyllic and much more contemporary, with a rather Art Deco. We start off once again with a short tasting session before parking the van in the estate’s car park.
And despite the mistral, this evening also marks a small personal achievement: a shower outdoors, even for Audrey.
In the car park, we then met another vanlifer who was also enjoying his first weekend in a Ford Transit Custom. We were the only two vans there that evening, so naturally, what happened next was quite obvious: we invited him to join us for a drink.
Day 4 – Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Oppède-le-Vieux and Lourmarin
The final day of this road trip in the Vaucluse. This time, we’re heading to the south of the department, with three quite different stops: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the hilltop village of’Oppède-le-Vieux, then Lourmarin before heading straight back home.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in the early morning
We start the day with a visit to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. We won’t be staying long, as parking is chargeable almost everywhere. We do, however, manage to find a space in a car park with a one-hour time limit, which gives us just enough time to have a look round the village.
All things considered, this time constraint isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At this early hour, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is still waking up and the streets are particularly quiet. So we make the most of the village before the main tourist crowds arrive, then quickly set off again to continue with the rest of our itinerary.
Oppède-le-Vieux, our last proper walk of the weekend
We then park at Oppede to get there on foot Oppède-le-Vieux, perched above the present-day village. It takes about thirty minutes’ climb to reach the first ruins. Up there, you can see the remains of the old village, the castle ruins and the collegiate church.
The atmosphere here is completely different from that of the previous stops. After several days spent amongst ancient towns, vineyards and bustling villages, Oppède-le-Vieux offers us one last, more rugged walk, amidst the stones and ruins.
After the tour and the descent, we treat ourselves to a proper meal at the Petit Café des Jeanne. A welcome little break before we tackle our very last stage.
Lourmarin to round off the road trip
Last stop of the weekend: Lourmarin. We started by heading to the castle, but as there was an admission charge for tours, we decided not to go in and instead continued on foot straight into the village centre.
The contrast with Fontaine-de-Vaucluse a few hours earlier is quite striking: there are lots of people here. The town centre is packed, but the atmosphere is still very pleasant, and we take the time to have a stroll through the streets before setting off again.
Lourmarin is therefore our final stop in the Vaucluse. This time, no more vineyards, no more places to hunt for and no more detours: we’re back in the Merry and we’re heading the journey home in one go, with four action-packed days now behind us.
How much should you budget for a 4-day road trip in the Vaucluse?
For these 4 days in the Vaucluse, our total budget amounted to €326.90 for two.
The big advantage of this road trip (as we always try to make the most of it) is that we didn’t have no accommodation costs. Between the free campsites and the vineyards that welcome campervans, we were able to sleep for free throughout our stay (even if, in the end, the wine tastings there cost us more than a night’s stay at a campsite 😂 But when you love something, you don’t count the cost!).
Unsurprisingly, the most substantial article was devoted to wine tourism. Wine tastings, buying bottles directly from the estates and a few glasses on the terrace accounted for a large part of the budget. But that was also the whole point of this road trip, which centred on the various appellations of the Vaucluse.
The rest of the expenditure was mainly split between fuel and food, with plenty of picnics and one restaurant meal over the course of the holiday.
All in all, it is therefore entirely possible to complete this loop on a tighter budget by limiting your wine purchases. For our part, we had clearly set our priorities: €0 for accommodation, but a lot more to stock the cellar!
Conclusion: our road trip through the Vaucluse
Once again, we absolutely loved this road trip, which was just our second trip in the van.
By combining this four-day loop with our little a motorbike road trip undertaken in 2024, we finally felt as though we’d explored a great deal of the Vaucluse without repeating any of the same stops. This time, we focused more on the department’s heritage, villages, vineyards and iconic wine appellations, whereas in 2024 we’d mainly explored the Provençal Colorado and several charming villages in the centre of the Vaucluse.
And that is precisely what makes this destination particularly interesting: on A week-long road trip in the Vaucluse, it would be very easy to combine the two itineraries. You could alternate the cultural and wine-tasting stops on this loop with the more natural landscapes of ‘Provençal Colorado’ and visits to the hilltop villages.
All in all, the Vaucluse is ideal for a varied road trip, with reasonable distances between stops and plenty to see, allowing you to combine heritage, walks, nature, villages and food and drink experiences without ever feeling as though you’re doing the same thing over and over again.