Picture this: You're in the South of France, wandering around a quaint small town, eating gelato on your way to walk along the beach, and everything is right in the world. That's genuinely how I felt on my last trip — it was peaceful, beautiful, and filled with some of the most amazing sights in the world. My husband and I both agreed we liked it even more than Paris, both saying we'd Paris out of our itinerary completely in the future to leave more time for Southern France.
And what's even crazier? The South of France is actually the cheapest international destination I've ever been to! I was even able to stay at a 5-star hotel and stay within my budget. So, since it was my favorite international trip, I thought I'd show you my perfected itinerary and guide to the South of France — it'll have you completely convinced to book a flight ASAP. Let's get into it!
Flights To The South Of France
Photo by Ashley Diego
In a perfect world, you'd be able to fly straight to the South of France with no stops, but unfortunately that's not the case. You have to fly into Paris first, and then you can take another (shorter) plane rideinto Nice. While two flights sounds more expensive then one, it's actually pretty cheap to do!
My rule of thumb is to always fly cheap in order to spend more money on better hotels and lodging. For my first flight, I took a nonstop flight to Paris with Norse Atlanticfor $500 roundtrip. Yep, you heard me correctly: $500! Then, your next flight is only an hour long. I recommend Easy Jetfor finding a cheap, reliable flight there!
The best part of this is that you have two options:
- You can take advantage of your first destination and spend some quality time in Paris. It's the City of Love, the City of Lights, and the city of lots of freaking delicious food.
- You can just look at your duel flights as a little layover!
Transportation Around The South Of France
Photo by Emilie Faraut
While the bus system is fairly easy, I would highly recommend renting a car and doing a roadtrip. You'll get around much quicker, plus there are so many beautiful cities on the coast that are just a couple hours away you won't want to miss! Rental cars are fairly cheap, too — I paid around $350 for a week for mine. If you're feeling fancy, you can even get a convertible (that's what I did) because the weather honestly calls for it in the summertime. It's a stunning drive with the top down, so I'd definitely add that to your to-do list!
Lodging In The South Of France
Photo by Kayla Walden
When I went to the South of France, I stayed at two different locations on opposite ends of the coast. First, I road-tripped down to Le Beausset, an adorable town close to Provence! It's stunning, quaint, and so beautiful! I stayed at Bastide du Beausset Vieux, which I'd highly recommend! It's owned by a couple who worked in the hotel industry for many years — not to mention that the husband is a phenomenal chef! Every morning they cook you a gourmet, fresh meal from their land that I still dream of to this day. My stay was only $180 a night, which is a total steal! You can also book a reservation with them for dinner for only $50 a person, and trust me — it was Michelin-worthy, five-course meal! The whole experience was absolutely lovely, plus the host family is the most attentive and sweetest ever.
For part two of my trip, I drove up to Eze on the Eastern coast. It's a medieval mountain town that quickly became my favorite place on Earth! I stayed at Hotel de la Chèvre dor(pictured above), which is a gorgeous five-star hotel that's truly what dreams are made of. It's practically a castle with pools and jacuzzis and a garden lining the entire property. Outside of the immediate amenities on the property, the town is quite literally in the middle of the hotel, so you don't have to walk for to do some fun shopping! It came in at $500 a night, which was surprisingly low for a five-star hotel on the coast. This hotel is stunning, and worth every penny — I'm counting down the days until I can go back! Check out my full review of Hotel de la Chèvre dor here!
Best Towns In The South Of France Towns To Visit
Photo by Kayla Walden
I'd definitely recommend you make stops at different towns on your roadtrip, because they're each filled with so much history and stunning sights. Here are some of my favorites:
- Eze
- Le Beausset
- Cannes
- Antibes
- Gordes
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence
- Monte Carlo
- Saint Tropez
- Saint-Remy-de-Provence
Best Sights And Food In The South Of France
Photo by Kayla Walden
There are so many good food spots and sights to see, so here are my favorite places to check out:
- Chateau de la Chèvre dor (view from the restaurant pictured above, they have multiple restaurants with amazing views)
- Hotel du Cap Eden Roc (another beautiful hotel with a great bar and restaurant)
- Le Plongeoir
- City of Eze
- Dior des Lices
- Loulou
- Café de Paris
- Le Bar Américain
General Tips For Visiting The South Of France
Photo by Kayla Walden
Some overall tips that I'd recommend for getting around the South of France:
- June and July is heavily over-crowded. Try to go in May or August, even September works too! Those times of year are perfect weather, much cheaper, and way less crowded.
- Plan your stops in advance. So, if you're driving from Nice to the West coast, know in advance what cities you will stop at so you can plan your drive.
- Make reservations! Everything fills up fast, and most places don't take walk-ins!
- Splurge at the spa. There's a Dior Spa at Hotel du Cap — I'd highly recommend getting a facial there for fun as a splurge! It's a great experience!
- Nice Airport is very crowded. Plus, it has lots of traffic! Give yourself lots of time for traveling, because it can really slow down your day.
- Bring comfortable shoes. Even if you have a car, you'll do lots of walking around the city centers.
- Bring euros for cash. Most credit cards aren't accepted and sometimes they don't even accept VISA. Plus, international fees can get kind of crazy.
- Overall, plan as much as you can, but leave time to wander and explore spontaneously. Those are usually the best times of any trip!
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Header image by Grace McCuistion
