A: Check your passport. It must  be valid three months from your departure back to the U.S.

A:  Call your bank to let them know you’ll be using your cards in France. Most places prefer debit cards, Visa or Mastercard and more upscale places will take Amex.  Easy tip: exchange a couple hundred dollars at the airport (don’t fret about the rate) and then use ATM machines when you arrive. They are plentiful and will give you anywhere from 300 -500 euros a day, depending on the ATM and your bank. If you’re passing through CDG, there are several “distributeurs” as you walk to the train station.  Also, Apple Pay is widely accepted.

A: Most major carriers have international plans for a nominal daily fee which allows you to use your phone as you normally would.  The hotel has wifi.

A: If you’re coming from the East Coast, we recommend taking one of the early afternoon flights to Paris’s CDG. You’ll get in very early, but that gives you time to either catch a three-hour train to Avignon TGV or connect through to Marseille.  This schedule gets you to the Capelongue mid-afternoon.

If you can come a day early and spend the night in Paris, you might shake off the worst of the jet-lag. Don’t forget you gain a day upon arrival in Paris.

A: It’s entirely up to you. The Luberon Valley is sprawling, so you’ll need a car if you want to explore. The hotel can provide transportation as well - and we will have a couple excursions set up for our guests.  If you’re planning on renting a car, the Avignon train station and Marseille airport have all the big car rental agencies. You’ll need your passport and US drivers license for the rental. 

Note about driving in France: the French drive on the same side as we do. They are, for the most part, excellent (fast) drivers.  There will be lots of round-abouts and winding one-lane roads.  Let the faster cars pass you and always use your blinker!

A: the hotel has hair dryers but everything else will need an adapter (easy buy on Amazon). If you’re bringing hair appliances that run on 110V, they might take a current converter or they will implode!

A: The Caplongue provides laundry services.