Directions
Saignon is a very small village. So whilst you are driving, look for signs to Apt, which is the nearest town.
There are three main ways to drive to Apt:
- Arriving by train in Avignon and driving from Avignon to Apt.
- Arriving from the South on the A7 Autoroute.
- Arriving from the North on the A7 Autoroute.
If you arrive at Avignon SNCF Train Station:
Arriving at Avignon station, you will find the rental car hire on your right as you exit the train station (National/Hertz/Citer). The cars are kept in the large parking next to the station.
- After picking up your car, go down the ramp, turn left and then right into the main street in front of the city walls.
Keep going through two sets of lights, a Shell service Station, two more sets of lights, then turn right at the signs:
A Blue sign - A7
A Green sign - Cavaillon
A White sign - Apt - Stay on this road for some time. Keep going, post car yards and shops. Stay in the lane closest to the center. When you arrive at a very large intersection, you will see lanes turning to the left and right. Go straight ahead. Following the signs for:
A Blue sign - A7
A Green sign - Cavaillon
A White sign - Apt - There will now be trees down the center of the road. You are going through the Commercial center of Avignon Sud.
You will see on your right, Mercedes Benz, a stadium on your left and a Novotel Hotel on your right then a roundabout. Follow the same signs. You pass "CASTORAMA" sign on your left and then a large "MACDONALDS' and then an "AUCHAN"(large supermarket) and then an ancient tower on your right. You come to a roundabout, go straight through following the signs:
A Blue sign - A7
A Green Sign - Cavaillon
A White sign Apt. - Continue on this same road until you come to yet another roundabout. Take the first exit on your right, following the same signs as before. You go over a new concrete flyover, directly above train lines. Stay in the RIGHT LANE. Follow the D 973 with signs:
A Green sign - Cavaillon
A White sign - Apt - Continue on this road, with the river on your right. A few kilometres further, you will come to a major turn off. Follow the new signs:
A Green sign - Sisteron/Digne
A White sign - Apt
You are now on the D22. - Continue until you see a large limestone factory on a hill on your left. You will come to an intersection with Stop Signs.
Turn right onto the N100
A Green sign- Digne
A White sign - Apt.
You are now about 24kms from Apt.
Stay on this road.
If you arrive at Marseille Airport or you are coming from the South on the A7:
When you arrive at the airport and exit from the terminal, you will see a cafe on your left and automatic doors directly in front of you. Go through these doors and turn to your right. Car hire companies are found diagonally across the road.
- Exiting from the car park, look for the A7 autoroute sign (blue), direction Salon-de-Provence. You will need to have some lose change, as it is a tollway. Depending where you exit, it is generally about 35f or less.
- You should exit at Cavaillon EXIT 25 (a green sign). This takes about 30 - 40 minutes. You will know that you are close when you pass Notre-Dame de Beauregard, on your left.
- You may see Aire de Cavaillon. Do not exit, as this is only a rest station.
- Pay as you exit. When you leave the toll station, go up the ramp to the right signed "Cavaillon", the D99, (watch the merge), continue on the large loop, through the traffic lights onto a bridge with green railings and over a river, the Durance.
- Cavaillon-Apt Route The easiest way is through the industrial zone of Cavaillon.
- 1st Roundabout (Industrial Zone of Cavaillon)
Take the first exit on the right.
(You will see "MacDonalds" in the shopping center opposite the roundabout).
At this roundabout, you will see:
A Green sign - Carpentras
A White sign - Cheval Blanc/Apt
Travel with the river on your right, past tennis courts on the left, the Hotel Ibis on the left, through the industrial zone, across a bridge with blue railings over a railway yard. - 2nd Roundabout (Industrial Zone of Cavaillon)
Take the third exit on the right.
A Green sign - Carpentras
A White sign - Apt - 3rd Roundabout (Industrial Zone of Cavaillon)
Take the third exit on the right.
A Green sig - Avignon/Carpentras
A White sign - Apt
This is the D973(still).
You go through a level crossing for a railway line. - 4th Roundabout (Industrial Zone of Cavaillon)
Take the fourth exit on the right.
A Green sign - Avignon/Carpentras
A White sign - Apt
You pass by a large supermarket on your right, AUCHAN. Continue through the first set of lights beside the supermarket until you come to an intersection with large looming billboards. Turn right at the filter light, leaving Cavaillon. - You will see a sign at the intersection:
A Green sign - Digne/Sisteron
A White sign - Robion/Apt.
This is the U2.
You pass the Elephant Bleu car wash on your right. Stay on this road. Keep going through traffic lights, following signs to Digne/Sisteron and White signs to Apt. (Pay no attention to other signs to local communities, also in white). - The next major village is Coustellet.
When you arrive at Coustellet, (you might come back here on Sunday for their market day) there is a 4-way intersection. There is a Stop Sign at a bad, blind corner. Turn right. This is the N100.
You will see:
A Green sign - Digne 113km
A White sign - Apt 22km
Small factories and warehouses let you know that you are coming into Apt. Look up; you will see the rocky crags of Saignon in the hills behind.
If you arrive from the North on the A7; until you reach Cavaillon.
Follow the A7 Autoroute de Soleil Direction Avignon/Marseille.
- Continue past Avignon. You will see white signs for Apt as you approach Avignon turnoffs. If you turn off here. DO not panic. You will eventually end up on the N100, which will take you to Apt. The roads are very confusing around Avignon. It is easier in the long run to drive a little further to the Cavaillon EXIT 25 than battle it out with the confusing roads in Avignon.
- When you arrive at Caveman, follow the directions for Cavaillon - Apt Route
When you arrive in Apt:
Apt to Saignon. - Entering Apt, on your left is a large supermarket called ATAC (this is closed on Sunday). You might want to stop here and buy some provisions as all supermarkets are closed on Sundays. Approaching the center of Apt, you will see the main Post Office on your right at the traffic lights.
- If you are coming at lunchtime, the weekly market may still be in full swing. It closes around 1pm. There is mayhem on Saturday so take extra care with pedestrians leaping out from everywhere laden down with vegetables and flowers.
- From the Post Office, you will go over a small bridge, (Pont de la Bouquerie) with 4 lanes. Stay in the left-hand lane. This will make it easier for you, as you will follow the road around the outskirts of the left-hand side of the town. As you follow the road (quai de la Liberte), you will see the small river on your left (Le Cavalon).
- You will arrive at another set of lights. Further ahead on the left is the Lycee (high school) and on the right is an open car park (place Lauze de Perret). At the roundabout, turn right up the hill on the road signposted Saignon. Continue on this very winding road about 4 kms, until you come to the Saignon signpost. There are large rubbish skip bins on your left. At the bins, the road forks to the right. This road will take you to the top of the village. Follow this road to the main car park beside the church, lock the car and walk down to the fountain in the center of the village.
- There is one shop at the fountain called " La Madrigoule". "Place de la Fontaine" is two doors down from there on the same side, with blue shutters and three large pot plants at the front door.
We will be either in the house or beside the fountain.
We will then take you to the Rose Cottage and help you to unload your car and show you where the best place is to park.
There will be wine and biscuits on your arrival.
Then it will be time for a glass or two!
If you arrive at Avignon TGV Train Station:
Leaving the TGV station you will pass through large metal gates, drive slowly along this road as it is often congested. At the first stop sign, you will see the road forks in two. You make a right hand turn and take the first road closest to the stop sign.
After 200 metres there is a large roundabout. The main road on a ramp above you. You take the first exit from the roundabout. This is the main road that will lead you towards the RN100 and the signs for APT. Stay on this road for at least 3 kms, until you see the major intersection and on your right up high is a sign for APT, at a filtre light to the right.
This is the RN100 the very straight road that leads directly to APT. Entering into Apt, you will see two large supermarkets , ATAC on your left and LECLERC on your right. At this roundabout, you will see the sign for St Saturnin les Apt, if you are booked into VILLA AGAPANTHE or continue on this road following the signs in blue for DIGNE. You drive around the outskirts of Apt with the river on your left side, pass the lights with the large school on your left side and a large parking area on your right until you come to the big roundabout with olive tree in the middle and three cyprus trees, this is your turn off to go up the hill to SAIGNON, where you should go to the main carpark and leave your car for PLACE DE LA FONTAINE and ROSE COTTAGE.
Directions for Villa Agapanthe:
Follow directions to Apt.
At the roundabout after the supermarket ATAC follow the sign to St Saturnin les Apt, the third turnoff. Follow the road to the village. You will see a green cross for the Pharmacie on your LEFT and then 50 metres on you will see the LA POSTE, again on your LEFT. After the post office, take the SECOND street that descends down the hill on the LEFT, CHEMIN ST ROCH directly opposite the bar des Platanes. Go down this road about 300-350 metres, on your LEFT you will see a pot of flowers on the gatepost and behind a small sign for Villa Agapanthe. The house is set back from the street, a small path between two hedges, two houses either side.
Your house will be open - your holiday has begun!
Directions to Rose Cottage
Drive to Saignon:
Park the car beside the church or in the parking area just before the entrance to the village.
Walk down the main street to the fountain; continue walking down the main street to the next little square where you will see directly in front of you a small shop, Le Comptoir Provencal. At the right of this shop is a street, rue Celey, take this and when it forks (almost immediately) take the left side street and this leads you directly into the small square directly in front of Rose Cottage, which is on the right.
Parking the car and unloading the luggage;
You cannot leave your car in front of Rose Cottage overnight but of course you can unload your luggage if your car is small enough to pass the narrow streets. It is best if someone guides you in and you push in your mirrors!
As Saignon is a one way street village from bottom to the top, you will have to exit the parking area and descend the hill until you see the sign for APT to the left 4kms by the large green garbage containers. Drive to this point and then turn right. You are doing a loop of the village and you are now at the bottom. As you drive through you will pass the Comptoir Provencal and you can turn left into rue Celey to go to Rose Cottage.
Saignon is a very very small village. You will not get lost.
Please call my home (telephone numbers are in a book on the table) on your arrival and I will pop in to see you at your convenience.
