Luxury bespoke holidays to La Bonne Etape, Provence, France
Facts in brief
Official star rating 4
Location In the town centre of Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, 2 minutes’ walk from the town hall
Annual opening Mid-February to Late December
Closest airport Marseille, Nice
Distance from airport 1.5 hrs from Marseille
Closest railway station Chateau-Arnoux – Saint-Auban Station, Aix-en-Provence TGV Station, Marseille Saint-Charles Station.
Distance from railway station 5 minutes from Chateau-Arnoux – Saint-Auban Station, 1 hour from Aix-en-Provence TGV Station, 90 minutes from Marseille Saint-Charles Station.
Hotel facilities and services
Laundry service, bar, bistro, Michelin star-rated restaurant, vegetable garden, swimming pool, furnished terrace, cooking classes, wine tour, lavender tour (available mid-June and early August), guided walks can be arranged.
Complimentary
Wi-Fi, Parking
Out and about nearby
The Alps-de-Haute-Provence is the home of the renowned Route Napoleon. The commune in which La Bonne Etape is situated, Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, houses the Saint-Jean chapel, which was decorated by the famous Bernar Venet. Other historical buildings include the towering Sisteron Citadel, Saint-Donat church in Montfort, Ganagobie Priory, and the medieval citadel of Manosque. One can also immerse in nature by visiting the lavender fields of the Valensole Plateau, the impressive Les Penitents, the stunning Gorges du Verdon, or the beautiful Lake Sainte-Croix.
Sports nearby
Walking/hiking, horse-riding, cycling, golf, climbing, canoeing, kayaking.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior double room for 5 nights for a fly-drive holiday
From about
£1,880 Mid-season
Holiday Code EXH46097
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays to La Bonne Etape, Provence, France
La Bonne Etape was once an 18th century post house but has since blossomed into a charming 4-star hotel run by the Gleize family. The building, proudly Provencal with its red shutters and nestled in the charming commune of Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, has views out onto lush, green hills. This quiet, understated dichotomy between the urban and the natural provides a perfect blend of local convenience and rural splendour. The carefully curated garden, with its golden accent lights, provides a magical stroll around the hotel in the evening, and the swimming pool maintains a feeling of bucolic isolation through the tall trees and manicured bushes which line its perimeter. The eighteen bedrooms and suites achieve a pleasant balance between cosy simplicity and vintage character – indeed, crisp, white walls enshroud rooms of soft light, calming tones, and wooden decor. Aside from the endearing Bistro Gaby, a key feature of La Bonne Etape is the Michelin star-rated restaurant, fed heartily by the hotel’s organic vegetable garden, which also serves as a quiet place to relax for guests. Jany Gleize, himself, is the star chef and is a Maitre Cuisinier de France. La Bonne Etape provides cooking classes, allowing guests to discover and indulge in the local, pastoral cuisine. Moreover, the hotel can take one on a wine tour or around the lavender fields. The area in which it is situated is also rich with opportunities to enjoy the local history and natural sights of the region. Likewise, there are a wealth of leisure activities in the area, from hiking and horse-riding to golf and kayaking.
Room descriptions
La Bonne Etape has 18 rooms. Rooms have air conditioning, a telephone, complimentary WiFi, a flat-screen satellite TV, a hairdryer, bathrobes/dressing gowns, minibar, safe.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior double room for 5 nights for a fly-drive holiday
From about
£1,880 Mid-season
Holiday Code EXH46097
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays to La Bonne Etape, Provence, France
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to La Bonne Etape, you can travel in a number of ways: flight to Marseille Provence International Airport or Nice and then a hire-car, flight and then train and hire-car, self-drive with your own car, train from London to Aix-en-Provence and then a hire-car. You do need the use of a car to explore this area.
Additional information
Children: Baby cots can be added to rooms. Children up to the age of 2 stay for free.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Cindy-Marie was simply fantastic and her knowledge, kindness and humour was all that I could have asked for. This was a first class experience. Thank you for making it all happen.Customer on Tuscan wine tour, June 2022
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior double room for 5 nights for a fly-drive holiday
From about
£1,880 Mid-season
Holiday Code EXH46097
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays to La Bonne Etape, Provence, France
About Provence
An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Provence, the land which is the ancient province of the Romans, offers a rich tapestry of landscapes, culture and traditions. From the sunflower fields of Van Gogh`s Arles, to the sandy marshes of the Camargue, from the Cezanne like landscapes of Aix inland to the olive groves and lavender beds that surround the perched hill top villages, and finally to the dramatic coastline of the azure Mediterranean where the sandy beaches, craggy corniches and fishing villages have been transformed into a sophisticated holiday playground you experience a multitude of contrasting and complementary senses and images. The perfumes of lavender, thyme, rosemary, citrus, pine and olive mingle in the air and the light is bright and clear. Add to all these sensations a wonderful climate, good food and local wine and unlimited sporting and sightseeing activities and you can understand why Provence is not just an ideal holiday destination but a romantic way of life. Provence still has miles of open road across country, tiny, sleepy villages, dramatic hills and craggy peaks, beautiful, sense enriching panoramas and aromas all waiting for you to explore and enjoy.
Highlights of Provence
Cultural highlights include santons, Souleiado Provençal fabrics, herbs and lavender, wine and olive oil, melons and pastis, boules and berets.
Provence Climate
Average air temperatures in Centigrade: January: 12.2, February: 11.9, March: 14.2, April: 18.5, May: 20.8, June: 26.6, July: 28.1, August: 28.4, September: 25.2, October: 22.1, November: 16.8, December: 14.1. Source: Direction de la Meteorologique de France.
