i would like to avoid the crowds as much as possible while travelling throughout italy and/or france in august. i would like to get off the beaten path as much as possible but include some sort of beach along the way. does anyone have advice for which towns/beaches to visit?

All the Italians holiday in August, on the Amalfi coast, similar thing to the French Riviera - you won't escape people my dear.

Unless of course you go to some remote place, but that's not my idea of an holiday. Wait until autumn then you'll avoid the major tourist season.

M is right.. August is not the best time to visit the Mediterranean anywhere if you like privacy and hate overcrowded beaches.

Amalfi coast and Cote d'Azur should both be visited and one cannot suggest one over the other- they are different and both superb in their own way.

If I had to pick one...French coast is more spread out and you can also go inland to see the Provencial villages, so might be less crowded than AC, which is on smaller territory. You can stay at Saint Raphael or, more inland, at Roquebrune... But St Tropez, Cannes, Monaco, Antibes, Cap, will all be packed and expensive..Alternately, you can stay somewhere close to Montpellier or Aix.

Have you thought about Normandy or Bretagne, on the Atlantic soast? The western coast is much less frequented and more reasonably priced.

Any beach worth visiting will be wall to wall in August--just the way it is.

Hi W,

The AC is quite nice toward the end of Sept, if you can schedule it then.