Cote d'Azur
Why go?
Ever wanted to be an extra in a Jean-Luc Godard movie? Then come to
the south of France and meet the beautiful people. The motorway
tears along the coast, the streets are clogged with traffic, and
you can’t find a parking space in town, but still we fall
under the irresistible spell of joining the French at play.
And rightly so. It's a magnet of style, a mecca for unfeasibly
well-heeled people. You can bask on the beach by day, enjoy a
fabulous dinner in la vieille ville, then dance until dawn.
If you prefer the quiet life, there are gorgeous hilltop villages
and idyllic pre-Alpine landscapes to be explored. Down on the
coast, there's atmospheric Antibes with its covered market, the
boutique-lined lanes of St Tropez, the fabulous yachts of Cannes,
the museums of Nice; all a delight if you can only pull yourself
away from the pool. There are 300 days of sun a year on the
Côte d’Azur, and plenty of flights year round - so, no
excuse for staying at home.
However, the sheer numbers that descend in high summer can be
off-putting. You need to book restaurants well in advance, you have
to set off early to get your spot on the beach, you trail back home
in a traffic jam at night. There are also the prices, astronomical
in July and August. Consider visiting in June and September
instead, when you will catch the heat but probably pay less and
avoid the worst of the crowds.