I am going to Lille, France this summer to visit my boyfriend who is studying there for the summer. I would like to leave Lille and go to the beach. I would like to go to Holland but I cannot seem to find info on whether or not Holland would be a good place for a beach vacation. Should I go to the South of France instead? We are students and our budget is limited and we have only 10 days.

If there were decent beaches in Holland you'd have to ask why all the Dutch are in the South of France for their beach holidays.
However, summer is very crowded on beaches in the South of France, and cost of accommodations aren't cheap - you'll have to track down a hotel or a "no-star" hotel.

There are nice beach resorts in Holland, but unless you're a member of the Polar Bear Club, I wouldn't make that my first choice.

A better bet would be either the Atlantic beaches in France (in the Biarritz area) or the Mediterranean.

One idea for students on a budget is to look into going to Sète. It's one of the last true fishing villages on the Med coast in France, and as such has its gritty side, but it also has miles and miles of sandy beaches (a rarity in the South of France) and plenty of budget accommodations.

Yes, there are very decent beaches in both Belgium and Holland !!!
The only problem is our unpredictable weather. If the weather is nice, you can't go wrong with e.g. the Dutch province of Zeeland where the beaches are of soft sand - not white, we're not in the Caribbean - and mostly wide, surrounded by beautiful dunes.
If you don't want to travel too far you could stay at one of the Belgian seaside resorts. Ostend, for example, which has a nice beach and good nightlife.
Another option would be the Côte d'Opale in France, which is between Dunkerque (French/Belgian border) and Boulogne. Beautiful unspoilt beaches, perfect for watersports like surfing and char à voile (kart sailing???).
But again, the weather ...
In the south of France your chances of nice weather will of course be almost 100% but it will be crowded with tourists + it's much more expensive than Belgium or the Netherlands.
Good luck!

You might want to consider the Bay of Biscay on the west coast of France. Chatelaillon Plage is situated in a resort community within a short drive of La Rochelle. The sandy beach is kept well-groomed and an ingenious system restores the sand outside the seawall if storms should cause to much erosion.

August is a busy time, with many French vacationers (we did not encounter any other Americans, but an occasional Brit). Tops are optional. There are concessions along the beach to grab a refreshment and plenty of selections available from smaller grocery stores within a block or two of the beach, as well. Low-profile condos and beachfront homes line the street across from the seawall, but access is easy and development is not overbearing. For nightlife, the casino has a large, outdoor area where festive (but pricey) drinks are popular and some the swizzle sticks border on collectible. Musical performances and vendors make the waterfront the place to be. Within several blocks of the beach are a number of informal restaurants featuring excellent seafood.

We were fortunate to have a place to stay on the several occasions that we've visited, but if you run a search on the La Rochelle and Chatelaillon Plage areas, you might be able to turn up some options. We found it very enjoyable and the summer weather is plenty warm.

The beaches in Holland are wonderful (try some of the islands to the North for that, such as Schiermonnikoog or Terschelling) but alas the climate is not. This is the (only) reason why Holland's beaches are not mentioned very often.

The belgians & dutch fly, drive and train to go south to either france or spain for beaches. I love Benodet/Brttany in France and have spent many summers at the beach here. However, I often sit in the rain with 2 grumpy teenagers. But if you are students, it is cheapest for you to head to spain. The south of France is lovely, but again expensive and not so easy for you to get to. Even more working class locations around Perpignan or Les Maries Sts La Mer are going to be more expensive for you, and a little out of the way.Do you have a car? You can try heading to the Normandy beaches, it may be bad weather and they are not great, but you can camp and save money. Camping can include the caravans or tent cabins in the camp grounds. You will meet other students which will make it more fun. If you have the money and it isn't August, you should try to get a package to spain. They are cheap and plentiful in europe. Not my type of holiday, but my young rellies tell me they are great.
Have fun.

Thanks for your replies, the insight is extremely helpful. Thanks again!

Hi
Think of Languedoc
The TGV goes direct from Lille to Montpellier.
This part of South of France has sandy beaches from the Rhone to the foothills of the Pyrenees, probably 200 km.

Peter
The Languedoc page
http://tlp.netfirms.com