To avoid disappointment, travellers are being advised to book early for the direct service that will run weekly between the 7^th July and 1^st September 2012. With the direct journey time from St Pancras International in London or Ashford International in Kent being less than 6 hours, this summer service is a big favourite with holidaymakers and the tickets sell out fast every year.

Customers can also take advantage of some great Eurostar deals just by boarding a Eurostar service in the UK, and then travelling non-stop through some magnificent French countryside directly into Avignon in the heart of the region of Provence.

Nick Mercer, commercial director for Eurostar commented: “Our direct Avignon summer services grow in popularity each year, as people across the country see how easy and enjoyable it is to travel across Europe by high-speed rail. By opening sales to Avignon earlier than usual we are giving customers even more flexibility when planning their summer trip to Provence. Journeys with Eurostar avoid the summer scramble at the airports and increasingly, passengers see their journey as part of the holiday itself.”

Direct Eurostar tickets are available in both Standard class Standard Premier. If direct services are full, Eurostar offers connecting services all year round that arrive into Avignon TGV station, which is located just outside the town centre.

Tickets for the Avignon direct summer service and for connecting services all year round are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08432 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.

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The rural areas are where you will find the most beauty in the area and if you travel through this part of France you will be sure to enjoy the nature and the little towns that are sprinkled throughout it. Roussilon is an example of such a town, and its vineyards are wonderfully picturesque.

There are many things that must been seen by anyone who has come to visit the area and one of the key places is Arles. This is a place where Van Gough painted some of his most famous work and you can see why he chose to paint here when you experience the beauty of the place for yourself. Arles is as picturesque as towns anywhere in the world get but it is not the only kind of beauty that this region of France has on offer.

If you head to Camargue you will find lagoon of a mysterious beauty and you will see them along with flamingos in the brightest pink as well as white horses – these two animals are symbols of the region of Provence. Another place of stunning beauty is the Lavender Route, which is a wonderfully walking route that is full of flowers that will delight the walker.

As well as the nature it is well worth visiting some of the most notable towns in the region. There is Cours Mirabeau which is a simple town that is really wonderful to walk in. You will find a good range of cafes and places to eat as well as being able to see some old French mansions. These are not actually lived in today but are where various businesses operate out of.

Another town worth visiting is that of Avignon and it is full of wonderful restaurants and surrounded by beautiful scenery. The pace of life in the town is very slow and most visitors will find it a perfect pace of life for a holiday. The town also has the rooftop garden of Rocher des Doms.

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The history of Arles is mostly from the Roman Empire. The city was used by the Romans as a military base where many campaigns would be launched from. To this day there is a significant influence that can be seen from the Roman times. You will find that there are many structures associated with that period, such as baths and an amphitheatre. Below some of the cities ancient buildings there are underground structures that a visitor can spend an enjoyable time exploring.

Built in 1995, the Musee Departemental de l’Arles is a museum that has many items that were discovered by archaeologists who have been digging in the region. There are items in this museum that date back nearly five thousand years and there are some excellent examples of tools from the copper age.

The Musee Reattu is the place to head if you want a taste of more modern culture. It has both permanent collections and temporary ones and hosts works by Picasso. Whenever you visit this museum there is sure to be something that you will find enthralling.

Those who know something about art history will know that Vincent van Gogh spent some time in the city and produced a great deal of his work while living there. In the space of a year and a half the painter created over two hundred paintings. It is also the city where he is rumoured to have infamously cut off his own ear.

Some of his more famous paintings that were created in Arles are The Red Vineyard and The Night Cafe. Interestingly, van Gogh never sold a painting in his lifetime but today his works are worth a fortune. By visiting the city you will see some of the spectacular sights that inspired him.

For photographers it would be worthwhile to visit in the summer, not only is this a great time of year to capture some stunning photographs but it is also when the city hosts its annual photography festival. There are some excellent, expert led, workshops here where you will certainly be able to pick up a few tips.

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The areas of  Bouches-du-Rhône, the Var, Vaucluse, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes all provide excellence for the tourist and are all well placed in their proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps, Rhone River as well as Italy. Many of the well known cities of Provence are situated along the French Riviera making this an ideal destination for a south of France holiday or even for day visits.

There is plenty to see and do in any of the cities of Provence. In Nice, known for its museums, the tourist can lose themselves in museums such as the Prehistoric Museum of Terra Amata, the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire,  Palais Massena, the Marc Chagall Museum or the Matisse Museum. The tourist can also do a gentle walk along the Promenade des Anglais alongside  the Mediterranean coast.

Marseille is another city with many places of interest, like the Vieux Port Marseille, an area of pavements passing by restaurants, bars and local fishing craft. Marseille has many museums as well among which the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée de la Faïence are the better known.

France is famous for its wines and the tourist can savour some excellent varieties in Orange at Mas du Clos de l’Escarrat.  In Cannes, famous for the annual film festival, the tourist can enjoy having a bet at the casinos and also take a quiet stroll through the many parks including the Park Residences Champfleuri. In the old town area of Vence there is a cathedral dating back to the 10^th century.

There are many other cities in the Provence area the holidaymaker will find interesting. Biot, Grasse, Fréjus, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are all worth a visit and they can all be seen in one holiday.

An additional reason to visit France, especially for the sportier type, is the many golf touring packages on offer. Many of these tours take the tourist to well known golf resorts and courses among which are Terre Blanche at the Four Seasons in Tourettes, Golf Country Club de Nice, Golf Club Barbaroux in Brignols and many more. Provence caters for every taste in holidays and many bookings can be made via the internet.

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The city of Arelate Roman was completely encircled with walls and was an area of just 99 acres with a number of architectural monuments such as a triumphal arch, amphitheatre, the Roman theatre and the circus.

The remains of the Constantine the III’s baths are also here. In ancient times Arles was closer to the sea and was a major port on the Mediterranean and many of the remains of that era remain today. Arles is not on the list of must see’s in many tourist guides or on many tours but if you are near Provence you should not miss it and you will surely love it.

The area feels and even looks a bit like Tuscany, with a lovely historic area in which to stroll through on a leisurely pace. The main attraction in the town is the Roman amphitheatre that can be easily spotted from any of the downtown streets. Just walk up the short flight of stone steps and into the highest point in the entire city.

The amphitheatre was built about 90 AD in Arles and remains one of the world’s best preserved and has a capacity of 20,000 which is only half that of the great one in Rome. To enter there is a charge of €6.5 and €3 more if you to purchase the guide. Today the amphitheatre is used manly to host bullfights.

Not only is the interior of the amphitheatre beautiful but the surrounding area is spectacular with small village houses filled with shops giving the area a charming feel. Walking the perimeter of the amphitheatre is a real pleasure because it is a pedestrian area therefore you can get close to the theatre.

If you happen to be on the road to Avignon, Marseille, Aix en Provence, Montpellier or any of the cities in Provence, take a side trip and stop off and visit Arles it may just be your most pleasurable stop in all of southern France.

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With these special direct summer services it is quick and easy for passengers to visit the stunning Provence region of France. The less than six hours journey from London St Pancras allows passengers to enjoy the magnificent views of the French countryside, before they arrive in the heart of this beautifully historic city of art and culture.

Book early to avoid disappointment and if direct services are full, Eurostar offers connecting services all year round, which take just under six hours to arrive into Avignon TGV station, which is located just outside the town centre.

Direct tickets are available from £109 return in Standard class and £249 return in Standard Premier. Connecting fares are also available from over 300 towns and cities across the UK, including Cambridge from £131 return, Birmingham from £133 return, Bristol from £139 return and Newcastle from £149 return.

More details here.

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Discovered during 1966, early salvage excavations were conducted by a team led by Henry de Lumley. The interpretations of archaeological data from Terra Amata are very different depending on whether one refers to the work of the author or those of Paola Villa, who devoted part of his PhD to the site.

According to H. de Lumley, the archaeological levels correspond to several land habitats of old Acheulian bunkers on a fossil beach. They date back 380,000 years. The distribution of archaeological and natural features translates into the presence of huts built on the beach. The discovered lithic industry, of silicified limestone and flint, is divided into two series:

Industry “beach” is marked by the preferential use of pebbles as tools. These tools are many carved stones, some partial atypical bifaces and single-sided trihedral picks, whose bases are reserved for the so-called “peaks of Terra Amata.”

The most abundant are small flake tools (scrapers, denticulate, etc.).According to H. de Lumley, both series have many similarities and are broadly presented.

More recently, P. Villa has clearly demonstrated, especially by making many bumps and matching between different levels, that the degree of preservation of the site of Terra Amata was greatly overestimated.

He claimed the assumptions involving huts were unlikely and that the archaeological levels could not be regarded as independent units. He also proposed to revise downwards the age of the Acheulian series, which dates back about 230,000 years before the present.

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Camargue is a spacious strip of land of 145,300 hectares in southern France, situated geographically between the two main arms of the Rhone delta and the Mediterranean Sea.  The territory spreads to the east to the plain of the Crau, to the west to Aigues-Mortes, and to the north to Beaucaire.  It therefore comprises the departments of Bouches-du-Rhone and Gard.

Camargue is categorized as three parts, being Petite Camargue, in the west of the Petit Rhone, Grande Camargue, between the two arms of the Rhone, and Plan du Bourg, east of the Grand Rhone.

Camargue is located mainly in the territory of the municipalities of Arles, which is the largest town in metropolitan France, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and Port St. Louis du Rhone.    The northern part is made up of farmland, and the southern part consists of marshes and salt lakes which form a particular ecosystem.  This ecosystem has vegetation consisting mainly of samphire and salt-tolerant plants The Etang du Vaccares (Pond of Vaccares) is in the centre of Camargue, and the stretch along the sea is lined with salt ponds.

It is also an area for raising horses and bulls, rice farming and salt mining (from the salt marshes).  Its particular flora and fauna led to the creation of a national nature reserve in 1927, encompassing 13,117 hectares.  The Regional Natural Park of Camargue was created in 1970 on 30,000 hectares. The annual evaporation rate is more important than the contribution from rainfall.  It is the river that makes the difference and thus helps the region avoid being burned by salt.

The Camargue is a site of both European importance and major national importance for local birds, for migratory, and especially for wintering birds.   From 2000-2005, the site has been ranked as the number one location in France for its number of wintering birds each year. Approximately 122,000 birds can be found in the Camargue, followed by the Arcachon basin, which hosts 105,000. The Camargue is also known for its pink flamingos.

The coasts of the Camargue undergo intense and contrasting transformations.  There are areas of sea erosion around Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer, and opposite Faraman there are areas of deposits and silting, primarily around the mouth of the Grand Rhone Beauduc and lighthouse Espiguette (Grau-du-Roi). And, because the area is in the delta lowlands, it has begun to feel the effects of global warming.  These effects include rising salt content, which is linked to the rising sea level.

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It’s the perfect way to peruse Provence, enjoy the fantastic food and wine it has to offer and discover this beautiful region of France from a totally different perspective. All meals on board are included, making this trip excellent value for money.

The four-day Provençal cruise costs from just £399 pp (two sharing) including return travel by Eurostar and TGV to Aix-en-Provence, a three-night cruise with breakfast in a main deck cabin, and three dinners and two lunches, including wine.

Departs 7 May. Call VFB Holidays on 01452 716838 (www.vfbholidays.co.uk).

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The direct service will run every Saturday from London St Pancras International and Ashford International from 11 July to 5 September 2009.  It takes less than 6 hours from London, arriving within walking distance of the historic walls of Avignon.

Situated on the banks of the Rhône river, Avignon is the perfect destination for a rural hideaway and provides a chance to escape to the chateaux, lavenders fields, mountains of Provence, and vineyards. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the Festival d’Avignon (Avignon’s world renowned Theatre Festival) – the oldest and largest in France- which attracts thousands of visitors every year to see its many performances. The city is also steeped in medieval architecture, boasting amongst other things the stunning 14^th century Palais des Papes (Popes Palace) and the famous Pont d’Avignon (Avignon Bridge).

If delectable food and drink is your thing, Provence is definitely for you, as both hold a place of honour in the heart of the locals! From gastronomic restaurants to the various brasseries and bars clustered around Place de l’Horloge, the city offers a wide range of options catering for all tastes and budgets.

Tickets are available from £99 return in standard and £249 in Leisure Select, the same prices as in summer 2008.  See www.eurostar.com for more details.

Tickets for the Avignon direct summer service and for connecting services all year round are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08705 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.

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