Where to go in the South of France?

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fkells

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Myself and my partner are going to the South of France(flying into Marseille) in Mid August for 10 days. Its my first time visiting that area and am a bit baffled on where we should base ourselves.

We would like somewhere near the sea, with a busy nightlife etc. We'd like to rent an apartment if possible.

We are thinking of Arles but arent sure.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Fiona
 
Nice is lovely and I think there's a good trainline which runs along the coast connecting Nice, Cannes & Antibes. I have heard there are some lovely villages on the coast and inland, you could probably base yourself in Nice or Cannes where it would be easy to rent an apartment.

Enjoy

S
 
Nice is too far to go to from Marseilles, so is Arles - I think. Aix en Provence is 20 mins driving from Marseilles. Otherwise drive along the coast from Marseilles travelling east - many places to stay along there.
 
I agree with Deirdra, Aix en Provence is the place to go. It's a fabulous spot...bit like a mini Paris. Lots of life - loads of lovely narrow busy shopping streets, great fruit market place with lots of lovely cafes. Terrific spot. Been there a few times but never stay in Aix itself. Always a few miles outside. Base yourself in or near it and then do day trips to coastal areas such as Bandol - lovely seaside town. If you're into wine you could visit some of the wineries in this area. Not cheap but fantastic quality. The co-ops and supermarkets too have great value in wines and cheeses. Enjoy.

By the way, we visited Arles last year - spent two nights there and although it is a nice town I would advise just a one day visit. It is not nearly as nice as Aix and there is not really much to do. We also went to Avignon and again lovely for a day trip - nice walled old town worth a visit.
 
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Hi Fiona,

Greetings from South of France - I'm in Perpignan which is a bit far for you from Marseilles ( about 4 hours)
Would recommend that you book your accommodation asap as this is peak season in the SOF and most places will be booked out.
Don't leave it til you get there to book on spec ( know from experience that you will be stranded)
Have a great holiday!
 
http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/route.asp


You don't say if you're hiring a car, but I presume you are.....Marseille to Nice is only 200km, roughly a 2 hour drive, I wouldn't consider that to be too far to drive.

Nice would be hopping in August, as mentioned elsewhere August is peak season in France with many of the Frenchies taking their hols then never mind the blow-ins.

Personally I would try around Nice though as it will give you more options for apartments etc along with a busy nightlife too.

The trainline along the coast is fantastic, you can go towards Antibes and St Tropez one direction or Monaco and Villefranche the other, and its pretty reasonably priced to boot! Or if you wanted to drive, you could head towards the Italian Riviera for a nice day trip. Just don't do the usual Irish thing and stay 10 minutes away from the airport!!

Wherever you stay though, you will have a blast, beautiful country and generall lovely people despite what most tourists say..........as long as you make some attempt at the language that is!!
 
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