Discover Southern France: Self-Launched Basque Country to Provence

Land at Biarritz Airport (BIQ) and take public bus Line 11 into town (~€1.50) or walk the 30–45 minutes along the coast if you're travelling light. Check into a hostel near the Grande Plage or in the Saint-Charles quarter, then spend the evening acclimatising: sunset at the Rocher de la Vierge, a wander along the seafront, and your first pintxos crawl on Rue du Port Vieux. Buy or top up a rechargeable French bus/train habit early — you'll use the network constantly over the next two weeks.

🚌Airport bus Line 11 ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Biarritz (~£30–40)

• →Rocher de la Vierge sunset walk
• →Grande Plage promenade
• →Pintxos dinner on Rue du Port Vieux

Start at Les Halles market in Biarritz (mornings, Tue–Sun) for cheese, charcuterie and a coffee. Then take the regional bus or a 40-minute train toward Cambo-les-Bains/Bayonne and connect onward to Espelette by local bus (~£5–8 total). Book a farm visit at L'Atelier du Piment directly or through the Espelette tourist office (~£8–12) to see how the famous piment is harvested, strung and ground, with a tasting. Lunch on your own in the village, then continue by bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the fortified medieval gateway to the Camino — walk the citadel walls and rue de la Citadelle before returning to Biarritz for the evening.

🚌Regional bus/train Biarritz–Espelette–St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, ~£8–12

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Biarritz (~£30–40)

• →Les Halles market, Biarritz
• →L'Atelier du Piment farm visit & tasting (~£10)
• →Espelette village stroll
• →Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port citadel

Morning TER train from Biarritz/Bayonne to Pau (~1.5–2 hrs, ~£15–20 booked on SNCF Connect). Drop bags at a budget hotel or hostel near the centre. Do your own orientation walk: the Boulevard des Pyrénées for the mountain panorama, the Château de Pau (birthplace of Henri IV, ~£7 entry) and Les Halles market. Grab a market lunch of garbure, Bayonne ham and local cheese from the stalls (G Adventures does this at Les Bistrot des Halles — you can eat at the same market cheaper at the counter stands). Evening free along the Rue Joffre cafe strip.

🚌TER train Biarritz–Pau ~£15–20

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Pau (~£30–40)

• →Boulevard des Pyrénées viewpoint
• →Château de Pau
• →Les Halles market lunch

Take the TER train or regional bus from Pau to Lourdes (~30 mins, ~£5–8 return). The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is free to enter — explore at your own pace: the grotto, the Neo-Gothic Basilica of the Immaculate Conception above it, the mosaicked Rosary Basilica, and the vast underground Basilica of St Pius X. Free or donation-based guided tours run from the information centre if you want context. Lunch in town, then return to Pau for the evening; time your return to catch the Pyrenees from the Boulevard des Pyrénées at golden hour.

🚌TER train Pau–Lourdes return ~£8

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Pau (~£30–40)

• →Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
• →Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
• →Underground Basilica of St Pius X

Walk the Lescar ramparts for morning mountain views, then take the local bus or a short taxi (~£5) to Gan in the Jurançon wine district. Book a cellar visit and tasting directly with one of the small producers (Clos Lapeyre, Domaine Cauhapé or similar; ~£12–20 including a few pours, some do light lunch plates). Many are tiny family operations so email 48 hours ahead. Cycle or bus back to Pau — Jurançon is flat and rental bikes cost ~£10 for the day. Evening free in Pau.

🚌Local bus/taxi/bike hire ~£10

🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Pau (~£30–40)

• →Lescar ramparts walk
• →Jurançon winery tour & tasting (~£15)
• →Optional bike hire through the vineyards

Morning train from Pau to Toulouse Matabiau (~2.5 hrs, ~£20–25 if booked ahead). Check into a hostel near Capitole or Matabiau and do a self-guided walk of the 'Pink City': Place du Capitole, the pink-brick Basilica of Saint-Sernin, the Garonne riverside at Pont Neuf and the sunset-facing quays. Free walking tours leave from Place du Capitole if you want a guide for a tip. Evening: dinner in the Saint-Cyprien or Carmes quarter.

🚌Train Pau–Toulouse ~£22

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Toulouse (~£30–40)

• →Place du Capitole self-guided walk
• →Basilica of Saint-Sernin
• →Garonne riverside walk
• →Optional tip-based free walking tour

Do G Adventures' flagship food moment independently: either take a GetYourGuide/Food Tour Toulouse market tour of the Victor Hugo covered market (~£35–45, includes tastings) or DIY it — buy a wheel of cheese, a slice of saucisse de Toulouse, a cassoulet pot and pastries across the stalls for under £15. Afternoon free: the Cité de l'Espace, the Augustins fine arts museum (free first Sunday), or a cycle along the Canal du Midi (bike hire ~£8). Meet other travellers at your hostel bar in the evening.

🚌Metro/tram day ticket ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Toulouse (~£30–40)

• →Victor Hugo Market food tour (~£40) or DIY tasting
• →Canal du Midi cycle
• →Cité de l'Espace or Musée des Augustins

Train Toulouse–Nîmes (~2.5 hrs, ~£25), lock your bag at Nîmes station and walk into the historic centre: the Arènes de Nîmes (Roman amphitheatre, ~£10 entry) and the Maison Carrée (UNESCO Roman temple, ~£7), plus the Jardins de la Fontaine. Then a short TER hop Nîmes–Avignon (~30 mins, ~£6) and check into a hostel or budget hotel inside the walls near Place de l'Horloge. Evening wander in the old town.

🚌Train Toulouse–Nîmes ~£25 + TER Nîmes–Avignon ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Avignon (~£28–38)

• →Arènes de Nîmes
• →Maison Carrée
• →Jardins de la Fontaine
• →Avignon old town evening walk

Join a tip-based free walking tour from the tourist office (or an Avignon history tour via GetYourGuide ~£15–20) covering the cathedral, the Rocher des Doms gardens and the broken Pont d'Avignon. Buy the combined Palais des Papes + Pont d'Avignon ticket (~£15–16) and spend the afternoon in the vast Gothic halls of the Palais des Papes, then walk out onto the bridge itself. Lunch on Place de l'Horloge under the plane trees. Evening free.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Avignon (~£28–38)

• →Free walking tour (tip-based)
• →Palais des Papes + Pont d'Avignon combined ticket (~£16)
• →Rocher des Doms gardens
• →Place de l'Horloge lunch

Morning TER train Avignon–Arles (~20 mins, ~£5). Drop bags and head to LUMA Arles — the Frank Gehry tower and contemporary arts campus (garden and grounds free; exhibitions ~£10). Then the Arènes d'Arles Roman amphitheatre (~£10), the Théâtre Antique, and a wander through the old town to the yellow Van Gogh Café on Place du Forum for a coffee. In the evening join the locals on a gravel court: Arles' pétanque clubs play nightly (Club de Pétanque Arlesien) — buy a set of boules from a supermarket (~£10, keep them) or borrow from your hostel and order a pastis (~£4).

🚌TER train Avignon–Arles ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Arles (~£28–38)

• →LUMA Arles tower & campus
• →Arles Amphitheatre (~£10)
• →Van Gogh Café, Place du Forum
• →Evening pétanque + pastis

Wednesday is Saint-Rémy market day — take the local bus from Arles (~40 mins, ~£3) and thread through stalls of soap, olives, cured meats and baskets. Then bus or hitch-free shuttle onward to Les Baux-de-Provence (limited service — check Les Baux tourist office; a shared taxi/transfer is ~£15) and climb through the medieval alleyways to the ruined château viewpoint over the Alpilles (~£10 entry). Artisan boutiques and the Carrières de Lumières sound-and-light show (~£15) if timing works. Return to Arles in the evening.

🚌Local buses/shared transfer ~£18–20

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Arles (~£28–38)

• →Saint-Rémy weekly market
• →Les Baux-de-Provence village & château
• →Optional Carrières de Lumières (~£15)

Bus or hire a bike from Arles into the Camargue (~£6 bus each way, bikes ~£12/day). At the Salines d'Aigues-Mortes take the little open-air tourist train through the pink salt basins (~£10–12) and learn how fleur de sel is harvested — bring sunglasses, the pink glare is fierce. Continue to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for the sea breeze, the fortified church and a plate of tellines or gardianne de taureau. Optional guided Camargue safari with horses/flamingos via GetYourGuide (~£30–40) if you want a naturalist. Back to Arles for a free evening.

🚌Bus/bike hire into the Camargue ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Arles (~£28–38)

• →Salines d'Aigues-Mortes pink salt train (~£11)
• →Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer promenade
• →Optional Camargue wildlife tour (~£35)

Train Arles–Marseille–Aix-en-Provence (~1.5 hrs, ~£15). Aix's big market runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings on Place de la Rotonde, the Cours Mirabeau and Place Richelme — antiques, textiles, flowers, olives and lavender. Arrive in time to browse it, then find your hostel or cheap hotel near the old town. Afternoon: follow the moss-covered fountains (Fontaine de la Rotonde, the Four Dolphins), Cézanne's studio (Atelier des Lauves, ~£7) and the tree-lined Cours Mirabeau.

🚌Train Arles–Aix-en-Provence ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Aix-en-Provence (~£30–40)

• →Aix morning market
• →Cours Mirabeau
• →Cézanne's studio (~£7)
• →Fountain walk through the old town

Day trip by local bus (~£5) to the foot of Montagne Sainte-Victoire, Cézanne's mountain — walk a section of the GR9 or the shorter Bibemus plateau trail (free, bring water). Alternatively stay in town: the Granet museum (~£6), a lavender-and-olive-oil tasting at a boutique, and a long Provençal lunch. Evening: aperitifs on Place des Cardeurs and a final hostel dinner with whoever you've met on the road.

🚌Local bus ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Aix-en-Provence (~£30–40)

• →Montagne Sainte-Victoire hike
• →Musée Granet
• →Place des Cardeurs aperitifs

Morning free for a last market coffee and a pastry, then take the frequent airport bus or train-bus combo to Marseille Provence Airport (~30 mins, ~£8–10). If you booked a flexible ticket, tack on a day in Marseille for the Vieux-Port and Calanques.

🚌Airport bus ~£9

🛏—

• →Final market breakfast
• →Airport transfer