tastytreks

Hi everyone! I’m hoping for some help narrowing down the semi-finalist destinations I’ve identified so far from research. My guy and I are heading to France starting August 29th for a 10 day stay for him, undetermined amount of time for me (a few weeks at least). It’s part fun, part research for future dream of PT residence: eventually we hope to spend some time each year in a modest-sized apartment in a town or city. Last September we started glamorously and visited to Antibes, Nice, and Hyeres.

He’d love our eventual chosen spot to be walkable from beach – I don’t know that we can afford that. Other priorities and likes: from our last trip, Antibes (with Juan les Pins just a walk away) were pretty great and offered good variety of dining and lovely scenic strolling, plus sandy beaches. With money to burn, we might just call the search done! Beyond affordability concerns, Antibes also got periodic daytime floods of tourists from tour buses? cruise ships? which I didn’t love, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker.

I’ve previously spent extended time in Montpellier (for French classes) and enjoyed it, but I don’t need to return there for research on this trip, though I might consider taking him to the beaches nearby, since it IS a cool town; maybe settling beachside there could be the best of beach and town worlds?? Esp since big shopping in Montpellier (Auchan and such) is down seaward in Lattes anyway.

If it helps with preferences, I visited a number of places before I eventually picked Montpellier for school: I liked Bordeaux (alas, school there was just too pricey) and I’d happily return to Nice or Lyon to visit, but both seem perhaps a bit overbig for living (plus galet beach vs. sand in Nice); and I expected to love but just didn’t quite connect with Aix or Toulouse.

For overall trip path, I am expecting we will fly from Orly into Perpignan, and do a rough loop, maybe flying him back from Montpellier? and me from Perpignan? Prefer to avoid renting a car and rely on SNCF, but if we need one, we'll do it.

He just wants to plop down and relax in 2 beachy locations that offer at least a small grocery market or two, and an assortment of drinking/dining out options. Overall, we're looking to pretend-settle into workaday life for a very small stretch of time, and absorb the atmosphere. After I send him back to the U.S., I will turn my efforts to exploring cities/towns a bit more inland.

Here’s my list so far: I'd greatly appreciate further input on any of these!

Beach Area 1 – trying to choose among Banyuls-sur-Mer, Collioure, Argelès-sur-Mer, or Port Vendres. (We arrive on a Thursday, btw). I initially included Collioure b/c he spent some weeks there in college (one of the few places in France he'd been to before!) and thought it would be fun for him to go back. But since then, I have read a good bit of derogatory stuff about the heavily touristy nature of the place, making me a bit more ambivalent.

Beach area 2 – I am more stumped on a 2nd spot.... Aigues-Mortes/Grande Motte/Grau-du-Roi? Sète? Palavas-les-Flots? Gruissan? Or just pick one of the unchosen places from base 1, and fly him back from Perpignan instead?

Once guy goes home, girl will visit the more inland towns:

• If we get far enough west, maybe base in Avignon, visit Arles from there?
• These sound like places I should for sure check out: Perpignan, Nimes
• Any thoughts on Béziers or Narbonne? I've read some real thumbs down comments.... but then again, tastes vary!
• Did I miss a great town in this vicinity that I should consider?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!!

kerouac

For the best beaches of France, you would want to go to the Atlantic coast rather than the toxic soup of the Med with its leathery retired crones dripping with wrinkle cream.

Take a look at Hossegor or Capbreton.

Traveler_Nick

Which brings up the question of how you define "best" beach.

Needing to walk risk the beach being touristy. A row of umbrellas and all that implies. Is that what you want?

I remember some beaches near small towns around Montpellier with almost 100% locals. Yes rocky. No services. Not within walking distance of town. No umbrella unless you bring your own.

kerouac

If you are dead set on the Mediterranean coast, there are good sand beaches at La Grande Motte and Palavas-les-Flots near Montpellier. La Grande Motte was much decried when it was built as a resort in the early 1970's but I think it has taken on a pleasing patina as it has aged.

PalenQ

Book SNCF tickets far in advance for sweet discounts - www.oui.sncf - www.trainline.eu has same fares and many say is easier to do. For lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.

gooster

It sounds like you are doing a similar scour of towns and cities throughout the Med that we did. There are many beautiful beaches throughout the South, with blue flag beaches all around. I prefer the warmth and extended seasons along the Med; although some of the areas may be too windy for you.

I'd pick two bases and use a rental car to drive between the towns, to get a true idea of the surrounding areas and how well connected they are. Some of the communities do suffer from the "concrete block holiday resort" syndrome with crazy crowded summers; this can be amplified by those with easy connections from the major towns (Perpignan, Montpellier, Narbonne). One of your choices, Argeles might fall into the category of "resort town". Canet is another -- great beach but not a nice commercial strip and lots of non-charming apartment blocks. You also have to watch to ensure that things simply don't shut down, if you intend to visit outside of summer. You might consider one base in Aigues-Mortes or Setes, as both are large enough to sustain year-round services and a core of residents. For the other, you might try picking one and then venturing from there. I've found this site (LINK) quite useful, with honest descriptions of the various beaches -- even if your local beach is not so great, there are less crowded ones within a short journey.

StuDudley

>>Argeles might fall into the category of "resort town". Canet is another -- great beach but not a nice commercial strip and lots of non-charming apartment blocks.<<


Ditto. We saw lots of ugly "mass vacation" apartment blocks and campgrounds for the masses north of Argeles in the Perpignan region. South of Argeles (Collioure & Banyuls) was much nicer.



Stu Dudley

tastytreks

Thanks so much everyone! The reason for the present Med preference (leathery retired denizens notwithstanding, Kerouac, heh.... I aspire someday to be one myself!) was, as gooster mentions, I thought we'd generally get longer, warmer, sunnier weather there (and warmer water!) Plus in some areas, you also get a stunning mountainous backdrop (not in the Camargue-ish areas, of course, but over in the P-O, and then in the Cote d'Azur). That makes my heart sing much more than the long flat stretches of endless beach that others find lovely!

Gooster, that’s a great beach grading link – I skimmed it previously but didn’t notice it got into really good (often hilariously scathing) descriptions of the nearby town-ish stuff.

Thank you PalenQ; agreed early booking on SNCF is key! I've been shocked how much prices vary; I previously tended to think of train tix as being a certain set amount. On the more town vs. beach front, if I recall correctly, you’ve previously thought well of Nimes, correct?

Any one have thoughts on the inland towns mentioned?

I do think my better half's idea of the perfect beach vacay involves a place that the Creme de Languedoc site calls a ‘town’ beach... I know they’re not as idyllic/peaceful (or nekkid) as some of the others listed, but my guy prizes the ability to scoot over to some commercial establishment and replenish the stock of rosé or ice or water or snacks.

For my own preferences, looking at some of the pics of these candidate locations.... (eg the apartment block/mass vacation building stuff Mr. Dudley and gooster reference....) well, tbh, I find them pretty grim. I’m thinking it’s really an older town we'd prefer (like Antibes, Nice, Villefranche sur Mer.....)

Sigh.... maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree entirely and should simply find a different Cote d’Azur place for us to check out. :/ (And we'll just resign ourselves to only being able to afford a closet, lol!) I know some on the forum deem the PACA coast to be a bastion of non-French retirees, but that might actually be a *selling* point for my guy (who thinks he's terrible at languages and fears he'd never get beyond the polite basics he already has).

tomboy

I don't really know enough to comment here, but there's a big island offshore of Toulon....maybe that has beaches you'd like. I know nothing more about it.
Me, I'd forego the beaches for all the interesting inland locations, but each to his own.

kerouac

Well, I didn't recommend anything anywhere on the côte d'Azur since the title of the OP was "SW France," not "SE France." I guess I am just a dummy.

gooster

tastytreks, don't fret, you should continue on your journey and search. Perhaps Sete may suit you? Its a bit larger and still has a historic center. The real beaches, however, are out of town. Perhaps Aigues-Mortes, then. And there places with sandy beaches and a lower key atmosphere (fewer apartment blocks), but just reaching them by public transport can be tough. If you are near some of the towns near Montpellier, you can have access to the city with a bus or train ride. You could also try around Sanary sur Mer.

Definitely try out Nimes in the interior. I liked Narbonne as well, better than Perpignan. Your base in Avignon should help you access the other towns, if you must depend on public transit.

And yes, the descriptions in the Creme de Languedoc are shockingly blunt for a tourist oriented site -- which is why they are so useful, despite being so brief.

tastytreks

Yes, tomboy, you are maybe thinking of Porquerolles - ? I would *love* to go there at some point, for sure - our family friend lives on the presqu’ile de Giens nearby, and I have eyeballed the logistics of a visit there; I know one of the spots has some limited services (hotel or two, resto or two). And bee-you-tiful beaches, I've read. I'm with you, liking the cool inland stuff, but am catering to a 2nd [beach lizard] party as well.

kerouac, apologies for any confusion - I was indeed asking about SW France! my original intent was to expand our horizons by looking there, but after several dozen hours of research, am feeling a bit discouraged about the offerings I'm finding (beyond Collioure, which most seem to agree is beautiful). So I am starting to wonder if I should revert instead to the Cote d'Azur, since I know it has lots of places that have caught our eye we could investigate.

This is my sweetie's big getaway for the year (he has a dreadful work schedule), so I feel pressure to plan an awesome 10 days for him!! (Me, I am happy to explore anywhere, and have no time pressure.) Plus I'm painfully aware we have yet to book accommodation during what's the tail of the high season. Tick tock, tick tock.

gooster, thank you so much for the kind words, and for the additional suggestions - Sete was on my radar as a possibility but I figured the beaches were likely not too close to a working port (plus I believe the very frank Creme site made passing mention to one beach being away from the 'smell and commotion of Sete' or similar, lol.) I will look into those other beach location possibilities, and I'm excited to have some town feedback --- I do have that whole 2nd trip half to plan for myself at some point, heh! But I feel I can take my time a bit more there, as it doesn't entail finding a place near the beach in August. >_<