Auberge La Coste is a 15-minute drive from Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon natural park, a region known for its natural beauty and charming mediaeval towns.
Planes
The closest major airport is Marseille; there are frequent flights from the majority of larger European cities. Depending on traffic, it takes around 40 minutes to reach the hotel by car, and private transfers arranged by the hotel start at around €90 each way.
Trains
The Aix-en-Provence Mediterranean station for the high-speed TGV line is a 15-minute drive from the centre of Aix-en-Provence, and the hotel can arrange private transfers from €70 each way. Trains from Lyon take an hour to get there, while services from Paris take three. Aix-en-Provence’s regular SNCF station is in the city centre, and is served by trains from Marseille and other regional destinations.
Automobiles
With a glut of gorgeous villages nearby, you’re best off hiring a car. You’ll find most of the major rental firms at Marseille airport.
Other
There’s an option to land a helicopter in the grounds (please let the hotel know in advance if this is your transfer of choice).
Worth getting out of bed for
On an estate the size of Monaco, there’s plenty to keep you occupied without ever leaving the grounds. Chateau La Coste features over 40 art pieces which are best discovered via a guided Art & Architecture Walk, a four-kilometres outdoor trail through the hills of the domaine, and free for Smith members. To the North, the Luberon region is known for its lavender fields, antique fairs and charming villages. The Sunday market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is noteworthy in a nation of markets, with around 300 stalls peddling second-hand goods, while honey-hued hilltop town, Gordes, is a bucket-list beauty with small, cobbled streets and to-die-for-views. In the south, you’ll find more Provençal pleasures at the Calanques National Park, a 20-kilometre stretch of coastline of rugged white cliffs. Hidden in between are long inlets of clear emerald water, making this a wonderful place for a spot of wild swimming. For an art gallery unlike any other (aside from your new home-from-home), take a trip to the Alpilles for Carrières des Lumières – a former bauxite quarry containing enormous subterranean halls that are ‘painted’ with super-sized artworks by high-powered projectors. And if you’re visiting the Alpilles for the day, put the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence on your list too: this ancient outpost has achieved more modern fame through Van Gogh, who was a patient at the town’s psychiatric hospital for a year, producing some 150 canvases of the hospital and local area.
Local restaurants
For creative contemporary cuisine, try Côté Cour in Aix-en-Provence, whose modern interior is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows and topped by a glass roof. Outside, there's a smart decked courtyard, which really comes into its own on a summer’s evening. Across town, Les Vieilles Canailles Aix (the ‘old scoundrels’) is helmed by rising star Pierre Hochart – who cut his teeth in Monte Carlo’s opulent Alain Ducasse – with a menu that draws on the freshest local produce, adapted to each season.
Local cafés
For coffee, brunch and lunch dates head to Mana, a super-chic industrial-style spot that wouldn’t look out of place in Brooklyn or Vesterbro. Tuck into elevated eggs on toast, flaky pastries or good-for-you granola bowls topped with homemade almond butter and seasonal fruits, then wash it down with freshly-squeezed smoothies and specialty coffee.
Local bars
The tree-lined Cours Mirabeau is the beating heart of Aix’s cafe and bar scene. Here, our favourite haunts include the unmistakably Gallic Bar Le Grillon – for champagne and croque monsieur under a crystal chandelier – and the anything-goes Au Goût du Monde with its south-facing terrace, vintage furnishings and a drinks menu that trots giddily round the globe. If you’re serious about wine, Le Vieux Tonneau has an impressive list of vintages, and Céleste excels at artful cocktails, all made with homemade syrups and artisan liquors.
