Biarritz

Biarritz may no longer lay claim to the title "the resort of kings and the king of resorts"; however, today there's no shortage of deluxe hotel rooms or bow-tied gamblers ambling over to the casino. The old, down-to-earth charm of the former fishing village has been thoroughly trumped by Biarritz's glitzy Second Empire 19th-century aura, and you won't find the bathing beauties and high rollers here complaining. Though nowhere near as drop-dead stylish as it once was, the town is making a comeback as a swank surfing capital with its new casino and convention center.