Travel

Off for a family holiday just south of Avignon with some friends next week - I don't know the area at all but if anyone has any help on good walks or other outdoor activities around there, feel free to share or point me in the right direction

Thanks ... Simon. 

One of the great outdoors activities in Avignon is sitting in the street outside a restaurant eating Provencal food and drinking red wine.

Other than that, I'm afraid I can't help. Sorry. 

If you have a vehicle, you arent far from the Parc National Cevennes, Stunning is all I can say.

Other than that, the coliseum  in Nimes is worth an afternoon.

There will also be canoe/kayak somewhere close (thats fun, drifting down a river in the sun)

If all else fails

Restaurant, good expresso with a glass of water and just watch the world go by

thanks guys!

As a vegetarian, not always easy in France, but looks like there is one place in Avignon that has some  good veggie options:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=terre-de-saveur+avignon&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=terre-de-saveur&hnear=avignon&cid=4148153043435628767

Know anywhere that might list some good family walks in the Cevennes?

when you get to Avignon, go to the tourist office - they (in my experience) are spot on and often have guide books for sale.

TBH, what we did ( as a family) was took off up into the Cevennes and followed the waymarked paths...they are very comprehensive.

or

here

since when does coffee need to be vegetarian especially?  Agreed, eating might be a pain, but you could try some of the Halal places

I would suggest a stroll around the Alpilles, about 25km south of Avignon.  It's a very pleasant (small) hilly area with lots of paths. The main touristy bit is Les Baux, but you can walk all over the area and get views to the Camargue and Med.

Also worth a visit is Pont du Gard, about 25km to the west, where you can admire the Roman viaduct, sunbathe on the rocky riverside, swim in the river or hire a canoe further upstream for a one-way paddle down where you'll get driven back to the start point.

You're also about 40km west of the Luberon, which again is a very pleasant gentle hilly area with loads of nice walks and very quaint hilltop villages.

If you don't mind a drive to the coast at Cassis, I would highly recommend the clifftop walks along the Calanques.  They're absolutely stunning inlets cut into the coast with high white rock cliffs, sandy beaches and shimering blue seas (sigh...).  It's very popular for rock-climbing as well.  That's my favourite part of the south of France.

Calanques sounds wonderful Eric, any particular spots around Cassis you might recommend?

Coastal walks and beaches for swimming, playing  and relaxing are perfect

The Calanques is the main attraction, but just to the east of Cassis is the Route des Crêtes which is the road along the high cliff overlooking Cassis and back towards the Calanques in the west.  You can park there and admire the view.

You can do boat trips along and into the Calanques from Marseille or Cassis.  My daughter did one last week and loved it.

There's a good 1:15,000 map of the Calanques with all the trails, which is useful if it's your first time.

If you like beaches, the ones at Cap d'Agde and Saintes Maries de la Mer are good, with the former being great for families as it's a proper beach resort with a yacht harbour and loads of amenities, including a waterpark.

I was lucky enough to work near Marseille for 18 months and have had plenty of holidays there, so if you need any more info just let me know.

Thanks Eric.

More interested in hidden away little coves etc that you have to walk to than town beaches and waterparks, happy to walk a couple of miles each way to get to one (just don't tell my daughter).