We have two French Muse homes, which have been carefully chosen for their charm, warm interior design and comfort.

For smaller groups (4-6 guests) your home away from home will be in a recently restored village home, in the hilltop village of Lacoste in the Luberon, one of the small villages which inspired Peter Mayle in his book, A Year in Provence.
Within walking distance of the castle of the Marquis de Sade, the rooms and terraces offer breathtaking views of the mountains of the Vaucluse and the valley that sweeps down towards nearby famous villages Bonnieux and Goult.

For larger groups (8-10) we have a wonderful ancient 12th Century home in the countryside of Gordes which is filled with artwork, books and heart.

Our French Muse homes are not your run-of-the-mill rentals - they are family homes which are decorated with antiques and artwork, real Provençal homes.

We are so excited to share what we feel is a very unique and personal itinerary.

How better to discover the heritage, history and heart of Provence than to spend a morning exploring the French flea market.

We can’t wait to introduce you to our favourite artists including potters, textile artists, collectors, printmakers, photographers, sculptors and painters; who will generously open up their beautiful homes, ateliers and personal collections.

With many years experience in French antiquing, The French Muse opens its little black books of private antiques dealers and creates exclusive antique textile and brocante sales outside of the flea market circuit.

….and plenty of time in between to become inspired anew & connect—with others, yourself, and the world around you.

Costs

The price for a one week French Muse experience is

• 4.500 euro (Single occupancy double room )

• 3,850 euro (Shared occupancy twin room)

The cost of our one week retreat is inclusive of everything, except your travel to and from France and any shopping you may choose to do.

Note: As outlined in the ‘Policies’ section, the ‘The French Muse’ Retreat is an S.A.S. company (Siret 84441349200019) and as such all services provided in France are subject to be charged VAT at 20%. For International (non French clients) you will be provided with a detailed invoice for cost of retreat + VAT. You can claim the 20% VAT back.

All Inclusive:

What is included;

• 7 nights accommodation with shared bathroom.

• Transport. We arrange for a group transfer from Marseille on the first day (tbc 11am) and return transfer to Marseille airport (arrival at airport 11am). We offer complimentary transport for the duration of your stay

• All of your meals, delicious fresh French breakfast every morning and seven lunches and dinners. We will do a mix of our favourite restaurants in the area, luxury (catered & styled) picnics, special gatherings in makers homes/ateliers and catered meals. Refreshments during meals (wine etc) are of course included.

• A very unique and personalised itinerary based on my extensive local knowledge of brocantes, the creative community and life in Provence. We very much take into account your interests and passions and will ensure you get to the markets / private dealers that fit your personal profile and needs.

• My services as a local bilingual guide for all brocantes, flea markets and planned activities. Access to private sales and my favourite consignment shops.

• The itinerary will include :

  • Orientation to our favourite Provencal markets.

  • Day trips to some of our favourite villages and towns dependant on seasonal markets & events but may include Bonnieux, Goult, Isle sur la Sorgue, Aix en Provence, Carpentras and dependent on key markets / brocantes tbc Arles, Avignon and the beautiful port of Cassis

  • Private tours of internationally renowned appointment-only artists ateliers.

  • Guidance and access to ‘off-the-beaten track’ antique stores and private brocante in dealers homes.

  • Please note all admission fees are included in the retreat.Payment plan

When you sign up for your French Muse experience week, a non-refundable €1000 euro deposit will hold your booking for this particular date.
The remaining payment can be made in one or two instalments.
If you wish to pay in two instalments, we request that the first instalment is paid six months prior to retreat and remaining instalment paid 3 months prior to retreat.
Payment is accepted either by International bank transfer. If you wish to pay via credit card i.e. PayPal then there is a 3.5% Convenience Fee applied.

P.s. If you plan on travelling with a room-mate, then please simply let us know when you book your retreat.

Travel arrangements

We must request that you approve your travel plans with us in advance of booking any tickets (flight or train). We are very open to helping you find the easiest route to our retreat but it is essential that we know your planned arrival and departure times before booking. This is simply so that we can ensure all of our guests arrive in time for us to make a general airport transfer from Marseille airport on the afternoon of the arrivals day.

Return airport transfers are made the following Tuesday morning, to Marseille airport.

Our cancellation Policy

If for some reason you must cancel your trip to France for The French Muse Experience, please remember that a full refund (deposit is non-refundable) can only be provided if notice of cancellation is provided six months before retreat date. After this date, if you cancel your place, you will forfeit your payment.

Please don’t hesistate to ask us anything if you are unclear about our booking and cancellation policies.

After registration

On registration for The French Muse experience you will receive an initial email confirmation note. Two months prior to the retreat we will send you further details and a questionnaire that will help us further create a week that will fit with your interests and passions.

How many people can we accommodate at our retreats?

Our retreats are limited currently to a maximum of 8 guests and may include a visiting artist or speaker depending on the specific retreat and/or workshop.

Your home away from home will be in a recently restored village home in the hilltop village of Lacoste in the Luberon, one of the small villages which inspired Peter Mayle in his book, A Year in Provence. The French Muse home is within walking distance of the castle of the Marquis de Sade, the rooms are all ensuite. 

Two rooms have twin beds if you wish to share a bedroom (please get in touch to know double occupancy rate).

Single occupancy means you will have a bedroom to yourself with a shared bathroom.

What to pack?

Provence is very relaxed, combined with often hot weather mean that comfort is an absolute.

Here are top recommendations to pack in your suitcase:

• A swimsuit, your accommodation has a pool and it can be so lovely to take a dip after a day in the sun!

• We would recommend bringing a scarf and/or cardigan for when the sun sets and we are eating outside.

• A rain jacket.

• An oversized tote bag or backpack for storing your brocante and market finds.

• Think cotton. Dress for comfort and to stay cool.

• Walking shoes for days spent treasure truffling at brocantes and exploring the perched villages of Provence.

• Sunglasses and a hat

• People do smart casual for dinner in restaurants but in general the atmosphere is very relaxed

Don’t hesistate to ask if you are concerned about what to bring!

P.S. If you’ve forgotten to bring any of these essentials in your suitcase, don’t worry, we will be bringing you to local markets where we can source affordable French versions!

P.P.S. Don’t forget to leave plenty of room for all the French gems you are going to want to bring home!