south of france

hunt85

Hi everyone we're planning a holiday in 2013 to the south of france. i went once to a holiday camp when i was about 15 and my fiance has never been but really likes the idea of renting a villa or something similar and spending some time with both our parents as a thank you for paying for our upcoming wedding.

trouble is, neither of us have any idea of where to stay and we need some expert advice and recommendations! anyone been there recently or have any general advice please point us in the right direction! thanks

hunt85

Anyone? could really use some good info please!

Standingtall

Hi:). I am no expert but on the other hand I know how frustrating it is when you do not get a response to a post:mad:

I stayed in the South West of France on a campsite many years ago - mid 90s. The beach was fantastic and it was at a village called Marseillen Plage, near Cap D'Agd - please forgive any miss-spellings! It was very flat and not built up at all, yet conversely it is very close to the Pyrannees and the Spanish border. For the South of France it was relatively inexpensive.

My colleague however visits her parents in their rented villa near St Tropez every year. It is about 30 miles from the town in a village and they keep the cost down by going in September yet still enjoying a little of the jet set life style.

I hope this has helped a least a little bit.

jackyann

I think you are asking too big a question!
Do you want to be near the sea? Atlantic coast or Meditteranean?
Inland can often be cheaper, do you want the mountains?
South-west, Provence, or in-between?
Timing? July & August usually hot, expensive & crowded. I suggest end May / early June as being cheaper and usually pleasant. September can be lovely, but if you catch one of the hot winds, less pleasant.
I would begin with a copy of The Rough Guide, which gives you a real feel for the area, and do an internet search for villas on Owners Direct or VFB (now part of Ola, I think)
When you have narrowed your ideas down a bit, then some of us might pitch in with our experiences.

Bob_the_Saver

Standingtall wrote: »

Hi:). I am no expert but on the other hand I know how frustrating it is when you do not get a response to a post:mad:

I stayed in the South West of France on a campsite many years ago - mid 90s. The beach was fantastic and it was at a village called Marseillen Plage, near Cap D'Agd - please forgive any miss-spellings! It was very flat and not built up at all, yet conversely it is very close to the Pyrannees and the Spanish border. For the South of France it was relatively inexpensive.

My colleague however visits her parents in their rented villa near St Tropez every year. It is about 30 miles from the town in a village and they keep the cost down by going in September yet still enjoying a little of the jet set life style.

I hope this has helped a least a little bit.

Will forgive you but the spelling is South EAST not South WEST, The west is the Atlantic side. Did you by any chance teach map reading to Mrs Bob the Saver, that would explain a great deal!

sunshinetours

Not sure the Spanish border has ever been in teh South East of France Bob?

Regardless keeping away from places such as Nice/St Tropez/Monaco and the tradiitonal trendy spots will keep you costs down. posibbly more along west past Marseilles to palces like Bandol may be cheaper (been a while since i was there) but certainly going inland will be cheaper.

South West Atlantic coast near Biarritz and such is much poorer weather and you would need to actually go further north (strangely) to around La Rochelle for more guaranted warmer and settled weather on that coast

Lots of places around the Ardeche which are lovely but less touristy with great weather - really dedends on what you want

holidaylettings.co.uk could be a good a place as any to start for self catering

dangers

Theres loads to see in the Languedoc region - which includes Cap d'Agde as mentioned above. IMO it's prettier than the Cote d'Azur.

It really all depends on what you want to see / do whilst on holiday.

moragtodd

Depends which part of the South of France interests you. I have a second home near Perpignan which we are planning to rent out - sleeps 6, own swimming pool. If that's not the area that interests you a good place to look is Gites de France.

Leblanc_2

My favourite spot is Cannes, but the Cote d'Azur can be really expensive.
Do not go to the Cote d'Azur during the French holidays. It can be too busy and even more costly.
A very pleasant alternative that fields a variety of different experiences is to move further west.
I can recommend the old Roman town of Narbonne.
A really nice extensive beach (Narbonne Plage) is only 10 minutes to the coast by car, or 1 euro by bus.
A plane tree lined canal flows through the centre of Narbonne, where boats can be hired.
There is an extensive cycle track, and bike hire is available. Narbonne is an old Roman town with a great deal of history. It is very strategically placed for trips to Andorra, Spain and the French Mediterranean Coast. Even Barcelona can be reached in about 2.5 hours by car. There are excellent road, rail,bus and budget airport links. This is one of the main wine producing areas of France, so visits to wine domains are possible.
The best time to go weather wise is May through to June or September. July and August can get really hot.

gfplux

The coast of the South of France is more than 500k long. In very, very, very general terms the area to the West of Marseilles is cheaper in all ways than the area to the East.
First decide which side of Marseilles will suite your pocket and come back and tell us.

brightonman123

you may get more/quicker replies and links etc, asking on twitter?
- add hashtags such as #holiday #france etc..