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IV.

France

Cap-Ferrat · Saint-Tropez · Luberon

15 nights 3 bases April 8 – 23, 2026 8.20

Most ambitious food · 3 Michelin × 2

Le Louis XV · La Villa Madie · Chez Bruno · Capelongue · Le Phébus — the most ambitious culinary lineup of any plan. Château Eza is the prettiest single dinner in Europe. But three flagship hotels open during the trip window; your dates must flex toward April 23.

The standout moment

Château Eza

20:00 reservation · sunset ~20:30

A cliff-edge terrace 427 metres above the Mediterranean, in the medieval village of Èze, between Nice and Monaco. Most dramatic view of any dinner in this entire set. Book the corner table; sunset over the Riviera while the dessert arrives.

Where you'll stay

Saint-Tropez

Airelles Château de la Messardière

19th-century chateau, 10 hectares of pinewood, post-renovation flagship.

€1,500–3,000 / night Official ↗
or search Booking.comGoogleTripadvisor

Romantic dinners

  1. 01

    Le Louis XV (3★)

    Monte-Carlo · Alain Ducasse

    Pinnacle

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    20:00 · gilded candlelit room
  2. 02

    Château Eza

    Èze village

    Most dramatic view of trip

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    20:00 · cliff 427m above sea
  3. 03

    La Colombe d'Or

    Saint-Paul-de-Vence

    Picasso-on-the-walls romance

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    19:45 · sunset terrace · Calder mobile
  4. 04

    La Réserve à la Plage

    Pampelonne

    Out-of-season magic

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    19:30 · empty April beach
  5. 05

    Chez Bruno

    Lorgues · truffle pilgrimage

    All-truffle menu

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    13:00 lunch · 4 hours
  6. 06

    La Villa Madie (3★)

    Cassis

    Farewell lunch

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    13:30 lunch · cliff Mediterranean

Day by day

Day 1 Travel

Cap-Ferrat · Arrival

Delta DL 414 JFK → NCE direct. Riviera Limousine 25 min to Four Seasons Cap-Ferrat. Garden tour. 20:00 Le Cap restaurant on terrace · sunset over the cape.

Day 2 Highlight

Villa Ephrussi · St-Paul

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild gardens at opening (no crowds). Lunch in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Fondation Maeght modern art collection in the afternoon. 19:45 La Colombe d'Or terrace · Picasso on the walls, Calder in the garden.

Day 3 THE PEAK

ÈZE · Château Eza

Morning at the hotel pool. Drive to the medieval village of Èze (20 minutes). Walk to the Jardin Exotique at the top — 427m above the sea. 20:00 dinner at CHÂTEAU EZA, cliff-edge terrace — sunset over the Riviera, the prettiest single dinner of any trip you could plan in Europe.

Day 4 Highlight

Cap-Roux yacht day

08:30 boarding · private yacht Cap-Ferrat → Cap-Roux red-cliffs (Esterel massif). Anchor in a calanque. Lunch on board (caterer pre-ordered, sparkling water — no champagne). Return via Cannes coast at golden hour. Quiet dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 Highlight

Monaco · Le Louis XV

Monte-Carlo Casino tour at 10:00 (no gambling required). Lunch at Le Café de Paris. Spa afternoon back at the hotel. 20:00 LE LOUIS XV by Alain Ducasse, 3-Michelin · gilded candlelit room · the pinnacle of French haute cuisine.

Day 6 Travel

Cap-Ferrat → Saint-Tropez

Provence Limo, 2 hours via the A8. Check into Airelles Château de la Messardière (or Lily of the Valley if Messardière hasn't reopened). 19:30 La Réserve à la Plage on Pampelonne — golden hour over the empty April beach.

Day 7 Rest

Saint-Tropez · Pampelonne

Walk Pampelonne beach end-to-end empty (this only works in April). Lunch at La Voile Rouge. Spa afternoon. 20:15 Cucina Byblos · candlelit (the post-Vague d'Or alternative).

Day 8 Highlight

Porquerolles bike day

Drive 1h to Hyères, ferry across to Porquerolles. Bike rentals on arrival. Loop the south coast — empty in April, the secret of the Côte d'Azur. Lunch at L'Olivier in the village. Back by 18:00.

Day 9 Highlight

CHEZ BRUNO truffle lunch

Drive 50 min inland to Lorgues. 13:00 lunch at CHEZ BRUNO — the all-truffle pilgrimage. Four hours. Every course is truffles. Sparkling water and house bread (no wine pairings, that's the deal). Back to Saint-Tropez by 18:30. Light dinner at the hotel.

Day 10 Rest

Saint-Tropez · slow

Sleep in. Pool. Lunch at La Plage des Jumeaux. Walk into Saint-Tropez old town (empty), visit the Annonciade Museum. Final-Saint-Tropez dinner at La Table du Mas.

Day 11 Travel

Saint-Tropez → Luberon

Mas Limo, 2h30m to Gordes. Check into La Bastide de Gordes (verify it's open). Sunset on the village wall. 20:00 La Bastide de Capelongue 1-Michelin in Bonnieux · Luberon valley sunset terrace.

Day 12 Highlight

Roussillon ochre cliffs

Morning: Roussillon ochre cliffs + Abbaye de Sénanque. Lunch in the village. Afternoon: Ménerbes, Bonnieux drive. 20:00 La Bastide de Marie in Ménerbes · candlelit olive grove · most intimate dinner of the trip.

Day 13 Cultural

Avignon + Pont du Gard

Drive 1h to Avignon. Palais des Papes private tour at 10:00. Lunch on Place de l'Horloge. Pont du Gard in the afternoon. Back to Gordes by 18:00. Hotel dinner.

Day 14 Rest

Luberon · slow

Sleep in. La Bastide spa. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon pool. Walk the Gordes village walls. Quiet dinner.

Day 15 Highlight

Cassis · La Villa Madie

Drive 1h45m to Cassis (with luggage — heading toward MRS for tomorrow). 13:30 LA VILLA MADIE 3-Michelin · cliff Mediterranean lunch · the farewell meal. Calanques boat tour afterward (1h45m). Overnight at Les Roches Blanches Cassis (or back at Gordes if you prefer).

Day 16 Travel

Departure

Driver to MRS. Connection via CDG or AMS to JFK.

Transportation · how + where to book

  1. Flight
    JFKNice (NCE)

    Delta DL414 (seasonal direct)

    ~8h 30m direct$3,200–4,800 business · alt. Air France via CDG
    Book direct ↗
    orGoogle FlightsKayak
  2. Private driver
    Nice (NCE)Cap-Ferrat (Four Seasons Grand-Hôtel)

    Private chauffeur — book via hotel concierge or Welcome Pickups

    ~25 min€110–160
    orFour Seasons Cap-Ferrat transfers
  3. Private driver
    Cap-FerratSaint-Tropez (Messardière)

    Private chauffeur via concierge

    ~2h€420–620
    orRiviera Limousine
  4. Private driver
    Saint-TropezGordes (La Bastide)

    Provence Limo / Mas Limo

    ~2h 30m€450–650
    orProvence LimousineAirelles transfers
  5. Private driver
    Cassis / LuberonMarseille (MRS) or Avignon TGV

    Local chauffeur

    ~1h€180–280
    orMRS airport transfers
  6. Train
    Avignon TGV (alt return)Paris CDG

    SNCF TGV inOui

    ~3h 30m€80–140 first class

    Alternative return if MRS doesn't have a good US connection. TGV directly to CDG.

    Book direct ↗
    orTrainline