Martigues — Alpilles & Arles: private taxi tour

A big day of history and classic landscapes. We leave Martigues and reach Salon-de-Provence in half an hour. The Château de l'Empéri, one of the oldest fortresses in Provence, has overlooked the town since the 8th century and houses a fine military museum. We continue to Les Baux-de-Provence. The medieval village clinging to its rocky spur is spectacular, and the citadel we visit next, with its catapults, its guardhouses and its 360-degree panorama, is worth the trip. At noon, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Provençal market if it is a Wednesday, intact ramparts, elegant lanes, coffee on a terrace. Van Gogh spent his year at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, which can be visited a few minutes from the centre. Finally Arles in the late afternoon. The Roman arena still in use, the amphitheatre, the little café Van Gogh painted yellow, Place du Forum. Back to Martigues through the Rhône valley. Call +33 6 98 46 63 34.