LET ME PLAN YOUR TRIP

I'm often asked if I can help people plan their trips to--and travel within--Provence. The answer is...with pleasure! Here are some of the services that I can provide.

*After an email or phone chat about your travel hopes, dreams and fears, I can provide a detailed but flexible itinerary for you, your family, your group or your clients. I call this a Trip Planner and it's a series of suggested days out, based on your interests and energy level and location. Each Day Out contains my best suggestions and ideas for what to do in that particular city or region...in one day.

* Hotel suggestions or villa rental options based on your preferences and budget.

* Detailed information on hotel room categories, pricing and availability for your dates. I'm also happy to help with the booking itself. 

*Restaurant suggestions for the cities and villages you'll be visiting.

*Help with restaurant booking as needed, during your time in Provence.

*My best tour guide recommendations for wine touring, general touring, foodie touring, etc.--if you want them.

* Airport and train station pick up and drop off...along with all other types of transportation.

* Meet and greet upon arrival. We'll get together over a coffee or a drink, spread out the maps, discuss your plans and answer any questions you may have.

* Food Tours. Many of my clients want to experience the sun-drenched ingredients and cuisine for which Provence is known...but don't know where to begin. I offer guided food tours, during which you can see many artisan products being made. Your tour might include visits to chocolatiers, honey makers, a macaron bakery, a confit fruit maker, a confiture studio, outdoor markets, olive mills, wineries, a truffle plantation, a goat farm, garden visits, a cooking or baking class...and more! Book a tour of any length...a day...a week...  

* Artisan Tours. Provence is filled with artists of all type but they often ask for visits by appointment only. W've sorted that out for you by creating a guided Artisan Tour, during which you can visit the ateliers of painters, sculptors, potters, glassblowers, jewelry makers and more. Plus, we can pop into a few galleries as well, once we know the type of work you love best. Book a tour of any length...a day...a week... 

* Garden Tours. There are quite a few gorgeous public gardens to visit in Provence, with different themes. But also many private gardens that open for tours only during certain weeks...or open only ''to friends.'' Tell us what sort of gardens get your juices flowing and we'll customize a fabulous day for you, with transportation and an English speaking guide.

* Help as needed while you're in Provence. By this I mean: if you have questions, problems, etc., you call or email me and I help. I've been told by previous clients that this information has been priceless. What sort of questions might you have?  Here are a few examples of some asked by recent clients:

-Where can we take our grandchildren horseback riding tomorrow? Can you book it for us?

-Which village has the best market tomorrow?

-Where should we park in Isle sur la Sorgue?

-Can we get a pizza delivered in St. Remy? 

-How much is dinner at Jean-Luc Rabanel in Arles?

-How much is lunch at the Bistro du Paradou?

-We have a free day. What's on tomorrow?

-What are the best vineyards to visit in or near St. Remy?

-How much time do we need at the Palais des Papes?

-Where can we take a cooking class?

-What are the best wineries to tour near Chateauneuf du Papes?

-Where can we visit a goat farm and taste goat cheese?

-Can we tour an olive oil mill?

-Is Marseille dangerous?

-Can we take a boat ride somewhere?

-Is it worth it to pay a wine guide for the day?

-Where can we see the best lavender?

-Should we drive in or walk to the market? Where to park?

-Where is the best wine shop in Avignon?

-Where can we rent electric bikes?

-Where can we get a massage?

-Are there any Michelin three-star restaurants around?

-Is there a gas station open late in the evening?

-Where's the best place to change money?

If there are other things you'd like me to provide in addition to these services, of course I'm happy to discuss them.  For example, a number of recent clients have requested ''escorted'' vacations, meaning that I or one of my guides spends most of the day, most or all of your travel days, with you or your group.

So how do I charge? Based on your needs, I'll quote you a flat fee and clearly outline what that fee includes. As we move forward and you find you need additional help, we'll come up with a fee that works for both of us.

Or, if you think you just need a couple phone calls and a couple emails back and forth, I'm happy to quote you an hourly rate.

I've lived in Provence for 13 years and trust me, I've made all the mistakes! So let's get going and plan a wonderful, stress-free, joy-filled trip for you!

But first,  a few testimonials from satisfied clients: 

''My family and I just returned from the most fun, interesting, relaxing, inspiring trip to Provence.  One of our best trips ever.  Five months ago I was daunted by the prospect of planning this trip, which was to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. Do we rent a villa? Where? What if it's not great? Or do we stay in hotels?  What towns should we stay in? The internet is overwhelming and I was getting nowhere - even though I had planned many trips over the years, this one was proving a big challenge. Then I had the great fortune of meeting Julie. Really, I never meet people like Julie. You won't find anyone better, more knowledgable, funny, hard working, caring, creative, resourceful, generous and responsive. It's taken me a week to write this recommendation because there are so many great things I have to say about Julie that I could write five paragraphs.  Instead, why not call call or email me. Or, just hire Julie. She'll be the best investment you'll make in your trip.’’--Julie Carabello, Ross, California, julie@carabellodecor.com

''Thank you so much Julie for being such an amazing font of info on all things Provence!  It was wonderful to have your input, from the earliest planning stages of our trip to Provence right through to chatting about details once we were there. When we started planning this trip, I didn’t know where to begin in terms of where to rent a villa...I knew very little about the geography of the region. So to get a quick crash course in the geography of Provence from you...and your input on which regions might be better than others...and then to have you provide us with our own man-on-the-ground to do site inspections of the villas we were considering... that was priceless! Provence is such a big region...with so much to see and do...it really seemed almost impossible to plan a holiday from the other side of the world. You managed to break it down into an understandable format, which allowed us to still make our own choices and at the same time, experience so much of what we wanted (and more) in the relatively short time we had in Provence. From our personal tour guide (we adored Philippe), to our private market tour and dinner cooked for us in our villa by the wonderful chef, to the extraordinary suggestions you made for activities we may never have been aware of otherwise...we had a blast. We were in awe of your knowledge. To simply say thank you doesn’t seem to cover it but thank you!!!  Your willingness to help, phone calls before and during the trip and constant readiness to answer any queries made us feel so welcome and so much like we were part of your French family...I can’t tell you how it made our trip to Provence unforgettable. We can’t wait to return and look forward to planning our next trip with you!  Meanwhile we will be recommending everyone we know who is going to Provence to get in touch in order to turn a great trip into an truly extraordinary one!''--Wendy Docherty, Sydney, Australia

''THANK YOU so much for everything that you did for us...from giving us insight into Provence during our early planning, to helping direct us to a base hotel, to connecting us with two great knowledgeable guides (Philippe and Kelly), and sharing all of your favorite places to visit and restaurants.  It shaved so much time off of our planning and allowed us to fully enjoy our limited time in Provence. We saw and experienced so much and it was mostly thanks to your advice. St. Remy was the perfect base and a charming town with so much to offer. We miss it already! But each village was unique and the food at the most-casual restaurants was as delicious as that from the most posh that we visited. We loved the market at L'Isle Sur la Sorgue...and the day touring the Luberon was wonderful as it gave us a high-level view of the differences between the quaint villages. I’m also really glad we got to see Lacoste, which we may not have visited without Philippe. He was a Godsend and touring with him was wonderful! While knowing French is not required to travel in Provence, it certainly was helpful that Philippe could help us communicate in restaurants, with shop keepers and at the market. He really became a friend. I wouldn’t have missed anything we saw. So thank you for everything you did to help make our first trip to Provence unforgettable. I’ll definitely share your contact info with friends or family traveling to Provence. And, we’ll be in touch before our next trip...I think we will rent a villa and give that experience a try. We loved the area and cannot wait to return!''—Dana Haskins, Chicago

 

"Julie had me at Bonjour! What fun it is to contemplate a trip to Provence. But I had no idea that the planning would be as enjoyable and productive as it turned out to be. I thought long and hard about how to describe to Julie my husband and my ideal plans for our holiday; Julie masterfully asked a few questions to fine tune our needs and wants, and voila we were able to get the details right. After several emails, Julie then proposed that we speak by phone to look more closely at our itinerary. With maps in front of us, separated by a few thousand miles, it was as if she was my new best friend and we were easily and comfortably and most important, capably, discussing our routes, our hotels, and our plans for the region. The very best part of working with Julie is that she suggests so many things to do and places to visit that I never thought or heard of. My husband and I hope we aren't wearing out our welcome by our constant emails. But honestly, reading her responses to our questions are the highlight of my day!" --Naomi Rayman and Marty Rayman, Kentfield, California.

"I'm an American travel agent and tour operator living in Tuscany...an expert on Italian travel. So when my clients asked me to design a trip for them to Provence, I hired Julie to help me arrange it. Then, another group of clients also asked me to plan a Provence tour for them as well. I couldn't have done this without Julie's help. Her knowledge, experience and contacts are widespread and wonderful. She knows the best hotels, restaurants, chefs, shops, vineyards, historic sites, guides--at all price ranges. She also knows interesting locals and out of the way places, providing us with experiences that typical tourists would never have. Her insider tips make all the difference and have saved me an enormous amount of time. Julie is a wordsmith extraordinaire and the travel brochures she created for us are extremely inviting and well written. I plan to work with Julie for years to come."--Pamela Mercer, TuscanyTours.com 

"I found Julie's site while researching my short 5 day trip to the South of France. She replied almost immediately to my cry for help. I did not have a clue on how to maximize my stay. We e-mailed each other back and forth for weeks until I knew exactly what my wife and I were going to do. She was a cornucopia of knowledge on Provence and the South of France. She even ended up  booking my hotel for me. She also provided names and phone numbers of biking companies and personal guides. We took advantage of the bike tour and rented bikes in Rousillion. They have awesome trails through Luberon and the lavender fields. I would highly recommend this if you are a cycling enthusiast. And Julie was like having your own personal travel agent. She spent a lot of her precious time and  effort helping me. I would highly highly recommend using Julie if you are planning a trip to Provence and the South of France. Please feel free to email me if you want to speak with me." --John Plouffe, Naperville, Illinois, jplorene@aol.com 

"My wife and I rented a house in St Remy for the month of January, 2012. We arrived with our 18 year old granddaughter and her best friend, who were staying the first 12 days. Upon meeting our landlord, I asked her (a charming Brit!) if she knew of any folks who did wine tours. She said she knew someone who knew "everything about the region" and said she'd ask her to call. Julie called that evening and gave me two names who did wine tours and if they didn't work out she had more. Julie then asked if we wanted her to suggest some places to visit. That started our friendship with Julie. She is wonderful!!  She knows everything and everybody in St Remy and the local area around it.  After a number of calls and emails, she made time to have lunch with the four of us.  She is delightful, smart and just fun to be with!! Our trip was a great success due in large part to Julie !!!" -- Jim and Bev Clancy, Rydal, Pennsylvania

I look forward to hearing from you!

Julie Mautner

juliemautner@aol.com