Aix-en-Provence, where we have free time

Our hotel & the view of the bay of Bandol

New Year in Bandol

Apart from cookery courses in Provence, Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours is also able to offer a celebratory New Year tour in the small coastal south of France wine town of Bandol.

We stay in a very comfortable well-run hotel situated between the port and the bay, with a good restaurant and reputation for a good New Year’s eve “bash” with a gourmet supper and dancing! (We have joined in on two of these New Year parties with clients on previous tours). This modern hotel has been totally refurbished to a high standard. It is situated between two coves, and has two restaurants and an excellent spa. Being the South of France, there is a good chance that the weather may
be a little more clement than in the UK!

We’ve chosen to spend New Year in Bandol for a variety of reasons. Its an attractive very much “lived in” town, where life is not swamped by tourists, you can wander through the small streets, join the locals in a bar, relax over a glass of vin rouge.

There is an attractive marina and sandy beaches. For those of you who have joined us before, you will know that these New Year trips are fun occasions. The emphasis is on relaxing in a comfortable hotel in an attractive location. During the holiday there are just a handful of wine visits and there are no early starts!

Bandol gives its name to the wine of local distinction, a huge red wine that packs a powerful punch! The combination of calcareous soil, high annual sunshine, coastal breezes and low yields result in superb spicy reds from the excellent Mouvèdre grape. Romantically, it is believed that the wines take their character from the garrigue, the local name for the undergrowth, a heady mix of lavender and thyme.

For those of you who have joined us before, you will know that these are fun occasions – with the accent on relaxing in a comfortable hotel, with a handful of wine visits (more are not possible as the wine estates stop work for the New Year’s holidays too!).

Travel

Bandol is ideally situated for an easy transfer from Marseilles (approx 1 hour), with good timed flights to make it easy to join this tour already relaxed and in party mood. We have included flights from the UK, however we do offer a no flight discount – in case you would like to join us on location or would like to extend your stay.