skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I need your help lovers. We have just booked our first vacances en famille (get me with google traslator), we're spending two weeks in the south of France with Nye's parents. Whether or not this is wise is debatable but who can resist family in the south of France?
While we're there Nye and I are going to leave the bubs with his parents and go to the coast for a couple of days by ourselves. A COUPLE OF DAYS BY OURSELVES PEOPLE. AND NOT EVEN AT A WEDDING. (Sorry about the shouting, but you know...)
The thing is, we don't know where to go. N's parent's live pretty much in the middle, about an hour from the sea, so the whole south coast is open to us. Do we go east, towards the beautiful people? Or west, towards the Spaniards? (I'm sorry, that was rude. I actually think the Spanish are very beautiful. I'm just pale and jealous.)
We are looking for:
- and stay in a small, possibly slightly run-down, rather cheap, family-owned type of a hotel type of thing.
- (where the people aren't too beautiful)
Do you have any recommendations? Because really, we don't have a damn clue where to start. Thanks loves.
* photograph courtesy of Berta.
I'm not sure how far this is from where you're going to be but I've heard Eze is beautiful. Or Villefranche.
ReplyDeleteVillefranche!
ReplyDeleteIt is a short train ride from Nice and gorgeous, quiet, and delicious.
These places are not by the sea but they are wonderful :
ReplyDeleteAlbi, Cordes-sur-Ciel. You have to visit them...
There is also Hyères, that is very near the sea, near Toulon.
And I love Marseilles, but it's definitely not a small town ;)
Hey, I just kind of happened across your blog this morning - have looked before but not for a while - first - congratulations on your very very beautiful babies. Second, I can highly recommend taking a little trip along the Cote Vermille which is where France meets Spain - its a windy (as in winding, not blustery!) drive which passes through lots of beautiful little towns and past numerous beaches and coves - some busier than others - where the sea is so blue/green and sparkly and you can relax, swim, eat delicious food etc etc.. two towns we visited after lying blissfully on little beaches were Cadaques and Collioure. In Cadaques, birthplace of Dali, we ate delicious Tapas at Bar L'Estable (google it) and in Collioure, we wandered the admittedly busy but so pretty and charming narrow streets like proper tourists - I loved this coast and I know there are loads more beautiful spots we didn't even discover... if you're interested I can send you a link to an article with more info.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy wherever you decide to go.
Oh, the south of France! Si romantique.
ReplyDeleteI would avoid Nice, Marseilles and Montpellier and go to one of the little towns that have been mentioned. Lovely!
What about the Riviera Ligure in Italy near the South of France? There are small fisher's villages, like Varigotti or Noli, beautiful nature for outdoor activities, delicious food like pesto sauce. I love living here!
ReplyDeleteI was recently in Hendaye which is on the west coast just north of Spain. that whole area is gorgeous and the beach was great.
ReplyDeletejacqui
Your articleI is very good.I like it very much.welcome to true religion uk!all products of true religion jeans are discount sell,Save 40%-65% OFF,welcome to choose and buy religion jeans.
ReplyDeleteOohh I'm jealous! I'm pretty clueless on the subject myself, but I hope you get some good leads! :D
ReplyDeletei'm fairly jealous - i've never been to france, much less know vacationing spots. but, a couple days alone sounds like just the perfect getaway and then back home to the cutie pie bubs.
ReplyDeletei don't have any recommendations...but i am insanely jealous, if that helps.
ReplyDeleteNice was perfect for us when we were there last year, but that may be too large for what you're after.
ReplyDeleteGrasse, though up in the mountains, is gorgeous. Also home to some wonderful perfumeries. Tiny, medieval, and has the best pizza I have ever had. Ever. From a 200 year old feu de bois. It is also a relatively short 1 or 2 euro bus ride from Cannes, a little longer from Nice.
Cassis is beautiful! My familly have been going there for years... It's got everything you want from the South of France and it's about an hour from the airport at Marseille.
ReplyDeleteOoooh lovely, I second Villefranche, Eze or also Menton which is right on the border of France and Italy and is famous for it's lemons!
ReplyDeleteVillefranche (and nearby Eze) is gorgeous, quaint and on the sea. Easy train and bus ride into Nice, where you must go into old town and eat at Chez Juliette.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I stayed in Nice last summer, it was too big and busy to be relaxing, but we thoroughly enjoyed the easy transport to nearby towns. We'd definitely stay in Villefranche next time. I don't know about places to stay, but the hotel Welcome on the waterfront looked cute and like a good base for a few days by the sea.
I can't wait to find out what you decide! I love getting travel advice!
Montpellier is lovely, Avignon (not by the sea but actually you could do a day trip to Avignon), or Sete.
ReplyDeleteAntibes is lovely!!
ReplyDeleteI've only ever been to Marseille and hated it, but having googled all these other suggestions it's making me want to go so much as they all seem quaint and romantic and just stunning! Europe is so beautiful, most of the time I don't understand why people go further afield, you'll have an amazing time - cannot wait for the photos! x
ReplyDeleteIf you want quaint towns in Spain, I'd recommend Roses or Cadaques. Look them up. They're really lovely.
ReplyDeleteoh man. i don't know anything about anything you're asking about, but i cannot WAIT to see your photos and hear your stories. xo
ReplyDeletethis sounds like the perfect little vacation! hope you find a great place and then you'll have to share its secrets!
ReplyDeleteCorsica! It's only a three-hour boat ride from Nice, but it's like another world. Another, perfect, amazing world. Totally doable for a long weekend.
ReplyDeleteAlso, yay! (Jealous!)
ReplyDeleteTotally stalking these comments, cause the boy & I are doing exactly this, this summer. Without bubs, obvs. :)
ReplyDeleteVillefranche is beautiful! and actually has something close to sand... the South of France has stoney beaches but Villefranche's beach(es? I only went to one) is beauuutiful.
ReplyDeleteJealousy in hitting me like a ton of bricks. Ireland is cold at the moment, I'm longing for some sunshine! Happy Planning, x
i'm totally stalking these comments too since i'm living and studying in antibes this summer, which is close to nice
ReplyDeleteHey ! I am french, and I know exactly where you should go... well, maybe not, but at least I have been en vacances in different places in the South, so maybe I can help.
ReplyDeleteFirst choice : Collioures, a wonderful medieval city close to Spain, with beautiful rocky little beaches, great stuff to visit, and great food.
Second choice : Uzes, not very far from Nîmes (nice also), a small medieval city (again ?!) with great places to eat, beautiful buildings, but it's not exactly by the sea... Nîmes is great because it's close to lots of nice small places, and not far from the sea.
Those two places provide very good wine :)
But I haven't understood where exactly you'll be, and that could be useful.
Well i'd be happy to help you if you need ! (and sorry for my crappy english, once again I'm only french !)
I can't figure out how to send you an email...
Check out Cinque Terre - it has everything you're looking for. We stayed in Manarola and it was perfect. My favorite place on earth.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cinqueterreonline.com/
We're heading to Carcassonne in about a week and taking a day trip to the beach to Argeles.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great website that gives you a taster of a few of the cities around that area.
http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/Languedoc/city-guides/
We've also been to Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Eze and Cap D’Ail + Monaco and I blogged about it here:
http://ohabbyreally.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/nice-and-monaco/
Really, you can't go wrong. Google search for a map of the region, then google image search towns that sound good and go from there.
Collioure is just beautiful, fantastic moules frites by the water, with a lovely glass of chilled rose, anchovies to die for, and the most AMAZINC icecreams. They also have these really cute frames that you can get your picture taken through, call me naff, but we have a lovely shot of me and my little man -wonderful memories
ReplyDeleteVillefranche!!! Tiny boats, wrinkled fishermen, stony beach, quiet but for the chattering of locals. Plus, you can see Italy's coastline.
ReplyDelete...and by stones I mean, little ones that you can comfortably dig your toes into. Nice is all large, uncomfortable rocks. Go there for the weekend market instead.
ReplyDeleteCollioure!
ReplyDeleteI'm from barcelona and I would recommend sant antoni de calonge, palamos, cadaqués or if you want it closer to the city Sitges or Vilanove i la geltrú.
ReplyDeletehave a nice vacation!
c