How to Travel Smart and Save Money

Tourists who visit Paris can book a one day tour of  Provence that departs from Paris. The trip is 14 hours long (almost six hours of that time is spent on the train round-tripping it from Paris. The Provence part of the tour includes a visit to the Avignon Bridge and the Popes’ palace in Avignon followed by a visit to the Aix en Provence area. The cost of the tour is $397 per person. In addition to the price of the tour, you still have to continue to pay the big bucks for your Paris hotel.

Or…

A smart tourist can rent a hotel room in Avignon for $90 (less than half the price of a cheap Paris hotel), take the train to Avignon at $182 round trip fare, and book a much more in-depth 10 hour Provence tour in Avignon for $159. This tour will include the Triumphal Arch and the Roman Amphitheatre in Orange, the legendary vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape, including a wine tasting. This Grand Tour continues to the Pont du Gard, the best-preserved Roman aqueduct. It includes a visit to Les Baux de Provence, a medieval village in the Alpilles mountains, and the Luberon region to see the famous villages of Gordes and Roussillon, which rank among the most beautiful villages in France. As part of h/er personal tour the smart tourist will have time to enjoy other attractions in Avignon including great food and wines.

Do the Math:

Paris Provence Tour:  Hotel: $400 for two nights, Tour Price: $397                                              Total: $797

Avignon Provence Tour: Hotel: $180 for two nights, Tour Price:  $159,  Train Fare:  $182    Total: $521

Consider planning your own itinerary and save a bundle of cash.

Photo: ceran